Cordell M Andersen

So, go to: https://www.guatemalanfoundation.org/ and choose option #1. Three chapters of the VISIONS book are now available and by Christmas I hope to have all 5 chapters done to complete the online book. Eventually I will convert it to a printable book as I have done with all my books.

You will see at this website the availability, through AMAZON.com, of the High Uinta Mountains book now divided into two books as seen below:

The books are available in HARDCOVER or PAPERBACK, both large format so the many color photographs and maps will be of value for your hikes, backpacking, and/or Auto-loop tour of the High Uinta Mountains. Go to AMAZON.COM for all the details.

GOING FOR THE GOLD!

For many years it has been thought that Escalante and Dominguez were “the first white people to visit the Uinta Basin and see at a distance the High Uinta Mountains.”  But, history mentions they came north following “the old Spanish trail,”  which means 

it was a trail that already existed made previously by Spanish explorers….right?I relate the story in my HIGH UINTAS BOOK, regarding GOLD IN THE UINTAS and THE LOST RHODES MINE, how that happened as early as the mid 1500’s when Spaniards were the

 first white men to see the High Uintas! For “the rest of the story” and quotes how to find the gold, and even pictures of whole mountains of it, you’ll have to get GET MY BOOK, details below: 

THE HIGH UINTA MOUNTAINS BOOK, original book, of course has everything described below.

THE TWO NEW BOOKS ON AMAZON

The first, HIGH ADVENTURE IN UTAH’S ALPINE WONDERLAND, has all the details necessary to plan and execute adventurous hikes and backpack adventures as it is the only book on the High Uintas that has up-to-date information about the lakes with color topographical maps showing the routes and distances to each lake, as well as being the only guide book that has HISTORY, LEGENDS, SURVIVAL STORIES of those who didn’t make it and why, plus MY OWN 8 SURVIVAL STORIES & why I’m still around in my late 80’s.  There is also a critical life and death Appendix on High Altitude Sickness.

The 2nd book, the AUTO-LOOP TOUR, in addition to having a complete guide with maps to do the adventurous 856 mile tour, also has an important chapter on….. LIGHTWEIGHT –JOYFUL & SAFE BACKPACKING that first explains WHY WE EXPLORE and even a section on why one outdoor expert called me on a BYU radio talk show a…..

“BAD ASS BACKPACKER!”

And why BYU didn’t bleep out that seemingly naughty description! It also has all of the 15 Appendices from the original book with all kinds of additional information unique to this book, like  references to the High Uinta Project in Backpacker Magazine  and A full-page color spread color photo & article in TheSalt Lake Tribune,  plus

articles on: 

Giardia,

 Personal Locater Beacons, a 

Tie Hacker Museum in Wyoming, 

Another article about me  in Combat Handguns magazine, 

The Legend of Big & Little Foot,

The Central Utah Project, 

Visions of Nature, 

A Mosaic of hundreds of High Uinta Friends,  

High Altitude Sickness, and

a big section with all my secrets on the AGING CHALLENGE, with  pictures below used in that story of my struggle to remain active and useful. Just for health and longevity purposes

 THE PURCHASE PRICE IS A STEAL! 

Remember the Appendix 5 is in the Auto-loop Tour book from Amazon.

&

Bill does have a lot more hair than me, but also too much other stuff!Also a  14 page index.
 HOW to ACQUIRE THE BOOK

Either of the two, in hardcover, or paperback, available on AMAZON.COM where you can see a large excerpt of each, including the Table of Contents, etc.

THE ORIGINAL ONLINE BOOK

To acquire a digital copy of the 730 page ebook, send me $30 and your email address to: Cordell M. Andersen, 444 Elm St.American Fork, Utah 84003. On receipt of your order I will immediately email you a link to download the book to your computer along with my permission to share the link with one other friend.
For PRINT COPIES …..BEST GO TO AMAZON AND PURCHASE THE TWO NEW BOOKS. It will save you a lot of money compared to the original book in two volumes as seen above….but if for whatever reason you prefer the original the spiral version is the most practical as pages will remain open.  

I do not personally handle orders for print copies anymore as I did in the beginning for about 60 more than willing to pay big bucks to get it, but now suggest my favorite printer below.  Prices in the beginning were relatively low as I got a quantity discount for the 60 who were willing to pay almost anything, but prices have risen a lot, so you will have to talk to the printer….but for a single copy you can expect the cost  to be around $200.  They do excellent color reproduction with great paper.  Also they can do a black & white version that will cost about 1/3rd of what color will cost.  

Of course you can get it done at your favorite printer by taking to the printer a thumb drive with the book.  If you go to Office Max, remember my experience is that they printed all the pictures too dark, so give strict instructions to avoid that and get better color reproduction.  Best call COPYTEC.

But, as I have explained, BEST GO TO AMAZON.COM to get one or the other other, or both available there.

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THIS WEBSITE WILL CONTINUE TO GIVE YOU ACCESS TO MY PREVIOUS ACTIVITIES in the HIGH UINTAS and reports from the last few years documenting my efforts to

“NEVER, NEVER GIVE IN…EASILY!”

….and especially to my HIGH UINTA MOUNTAINS BOOK, information follows I have inserted at the beginning of the newest post:

I have learned that to control blood pressure, avoid anymore mini-strokes, and keep my legs dying, I HAVE TO DO A HIKE DAILY in the foothills….and

NOT GIVE IN….EASILY!

I’LL CONFESS IT IS PAINFUL….but the OTHER OPTION DOESN’T INTEREST ME YET as I continue to work towards my 88th year!

You can scroll down to see past reports, but for my new activities with the goal of uniting the likely 4 or 5 chapters of my VISIONS of NATURE into one digital book, go to:

https://www.guatemalanfoundation.org/

There your can choose the 1st option for my VISIONS OF NATURE and future activities.,

The Guatemalan Foundation was retired in 2017 and so you will notice at that site no donations are requested. The site is maintained for historical purposes, and to obtain FREE the book by chapters about my…….

…….LIFE IN THE MOUNTAINS OF THE MAYA,

as well as found there MY FINAL MESSAGE dealing with that life, along with at the end of the post a STUNNING ALBUM OF PHOTOGRAPHS I TOOK during that aspect of my life that spanned more than 68 years.

https://www.guatemalanfoundation.org/

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I’ll insert below some of my FAVORITE VISIONS of NATURE…among many, from my 2023 daily hikes in the FOOTHILLS OF TIMPANOGOS….which I do to keep my spirit alive, as well as having learned it makes possible controlling safely my blood pressure & avoiding anymore mini-strokes, for all of which I’m grateful to the Lord and to those of you friends who also appreciate the wondrous beauties of our Lord’s creations.

By the way on my Facebook page, I have advised all that my FINAL MESSAGE referring to my life in the MOUNTAINS OF THE MAYA, is now on the Guatemalan Foundation’s website...both in English (22 pages) and Spanish (30 pages) in printable versions with color pictures you can download for free at: https://www.guatemalanfoundation.org/ and my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/cordell.andersen/

THE PRAYING MANTIS….above & below…MASTER OF CAMOUFLAGE

It is always attacked by aphids, but there aren’t anough Lady Bugs and other natural enemies to save it. Yet it has managed to reproduce each year with enoufh seeds sprouting to

ALFALFA

ALFALFA

ALFALFA

SMOOTH SUMAC

WILD CRAB APPLES

WILD ROSE

This is a parasite common to the woods rose.

MULE DEER

“THE VALLEY of OUR LADY of MERCY of TIMPANOGOS,” “The most pleasing, beautiful and fertile site in New Spain.”

by Fathers Escalante & Domingues, 1776

CLIFF ROSE, that the Native Americans in the western deserts used for a lot of things, I’ll get to later…..

……this is what I used it for, the wonderful twisted wood of two beautifully constrasted colors….for legs on a coffee table, for lamps, etc.

…..and fascinated by it’s unique flower…that doestn’t look like a rose, and its reproductive system!Now, from the VALLEY VIEW SPOT, we work our way down the canyon, eventually going along the creek, and still getting some exotic plants…….even “other worldly” but always beautiful VISIONS OF NATURE!

WILD CHOKE CHERRIES

BATTLE CREEK CANYON south of GROVE CREEK CANYON – Pleasant Grove, Utah

Now back to GROVE CREEK CANYON TRAILHEAD AREA and the…..

…… UTAH STATE FLOWER,

the SEGO LILY, that blooms briefly about June 1st. and…..

At GROVE CREEK CANYON for the JULY 4th CELEBRATIONS

GET THE DIGITAL BOOK ON YOUR COMPUTER by sending me $20 and your email address. Send to Cordell Andersen, 444 Elm St., American Fork, Utah 84003, and I will immediately email you a link to download the book to your computer.

For a printed copy in two volumes you can order it at COPYTEC, 185 West 200 South, Pleasant Grove, UTAH 84062, telephone: 801-785-3680. Have your credit card info ready for payment that likely will be around $200, but quite a bit less if two or more are ordered.

As soon as I can get my website to function properly I’ll do a post reporting on more of the wondrous VISIONS OF NATURE I’ve photographed on my daily hikes to keep my legs alive and awake.

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On Wednesday, June 28th I explored again the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway and below will compare conditions now compared to two weeks ago, and interestingly to much worse snow/accessibility conditions in 2011.

This was Wednesday, June 28, 2023 — The Bald Mountain Trailhead & parking lot are closed with a big snowdrift blocking the road.

This was two weeks ago, June 16, 2023.

This was June 28, 2011, the Highway not quite open yet with crews working down by the Mirror Lake entrance….scroll down to see that picture.

This was the entrance to the HIGHLINE TRAILHEAD on June 16, 2023.

This is the entrance TODAY, picture taken on June 28, 2023.

There was one big drift between the highway and here–THE TRAILHEAD–someone had plowed threw it opening up the way for me to do it too. There were no parked cars. I checked the register which you see below.

You will notice that there are three entries for 2023. No notation how they did. Three people have checked in this year. No report about how they did. BUT THE TRUTH IS THAT ACCESS TO PACKARD LAKE might be possible as you actually go down to get to Wilder, Wyman and Packard, but OTHERS AS NATURALIST BASIN, Etc. MIGHT BE A BIT DIFFICULT as they are higher. BEST WAIT A FEW DAYS. Call the Kamas Forest Service for up-to-date details: 435-783-4338

HEY, THE TRAIL IS DRY!!! But, don’t be deceived as down the trail there will be snow on the trail. The wildflowers are in bloom, but it was raining so I only got one close-up.

It was raining (with a few snow flakes) most of time in the high country, but I did take one picture at the Trailhead, and a few down in lower country I had not previously photographed as seen below.

Then we come to “THE GATEWAY TO THE GRANDADDDIES” the GRANDVIEW TRAILHEAD. I’ll insert again my picture arriving at the Trailhead finally open on July 7, 2011.

As explained in my previous post, I didn’t do any backpacking then, but just barely got out of there before a washout closed the road and stranded those parked at the Trailhead.

But, now to 2023. At Wolf Creek Pass I could see that the entire North Fork of the Duchesne and Grandaddy area was locked in a very dark, ongoing storm, so decided against going to the Grandview Trailhead, from where I wanted to actually try and hike to the bridge, then the Wilderness sign, and do the following first switchback that is an extremely rocky stretch of the trail that could be an obstacle to me in my condition.

But with the storm I rather called the Duchesne Forest Service (435-735-2482) and learned that road up Hades Canyon is open to the Trailhead, and that a few have made it up over Hades Pass (still with some snow) and to the Grandaddies.

This was actually my last backpack into the Grandaddies in 2017 with my original backpack buddy & still brother, Ted Packard, and his son, Mike.

I am still limping along, and doing my darndest to workout daily , every other day in the foothills….and by the way AMAZED EVERY DAY with new VISIONS OF NATURE even in what is actually a desert environment I will report on soon….but, I hope I can do a little hiking and even an overnight backpack in the High Uintas, even though I’ll have to admit that on my two car trips up there to be able to report to all of you, I found that the high elevation had my blood pressure rise a lot, and my oxygen content in blood drop. Life for this old guy is maybe just too complicated, but I’ll keep moving as best I can, and always be supportive of all of you HIGH UINTA FRIENDS!

ONE MORE THING…..an important and WONDERFUL VISION of NATURE I wanted to see one more time was: THE NATIVE CUTTHROAT SPAWN in the 3 small creeks that empty into Grandaddy Lake’s western shorre….from ice out to perhaps the first week in July. I’ll insert a few photos of this amazing event:

LASTLY, perhaps the MOST IMPORTANT for HIGH UINTA LOVERS, what some are calling THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE HIGH UINTA MOUNTAINS….

Get the book to make your adventuring more enjoyable, inspiring, and SAFE!

Since publishing online my digital book only one backpacker’s life has been lost, and HE DIDN’T HAVE MY BOOK! Several have emailed me thanking my book for SAVING THEIR LIVES!

Link to info on the menu of the opening page, ignoring a little the beginning of what you see, and continue getting to what you need to do. Maybe best include it below the picture:

For a digital copy for your computer send me $20 along with your email address so I can send you the link to download it (a $20 bill will be fine as we can trust the mails here north of Latin America):

Cordell Andersen, 444 Elm St., American Fork, Utah 84003

As soon as I receive it I will email you the link along with permission to share the link with one other person.

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On Friday, June 16th, I made a quick trip to check the two passes that are sort of a barometer of when hiking and backpacking might be possible in the High Uinta Mountains. I stopped at the Kamas Forest Service Station, and learned that they are holding off making the “OPENING” official since up high “there is still ice on the highway.”

Here we are with Bald Mountain in sight, and as you will see the highway is dry and clear, at least during the day. There has been some snow fall in recent days and it was maybe at those times that ice formed.

Here we are at the pass, 10, 759 ft. high, with 11,943 ft. high Bald Mountain in the background. I’ll insert below a picture used at the beginning of the last post of the pass in 2011 on June 28th, showing in that year more snow.

With the snow plows working just down the highway north near the entrance to Mirror Lake.

ON June 28, 2023 I will make another swing up over Bald Mt. Pass, take a few pictures, including of the HIGHLINE TRAILHEAD, and report quickly here the conditions I . I might quickly head over Wolf Creek Pass and down to the North Fork of the Duchesne and check out access to the GRANDVIEW TRAILHEAD, and report with pictures….maybe including you who will likely beat me to it to actually be backpacking already!!!.

Today, June 16th, the highway was clear and dry with all the snow removal equipment parked in a couple of places.

Heading down the highway towards the entrance to Mirror Lake, I took a shot through the trees of Mirror Lake that still has ice, but it is breaking up. The Lakes along the highway climbing up to the pass were all completely free of ice, as was Pass Lake, just down the road from here, but then up the highway to Hayden Pass (there is no sign, but it is where the entrance to the Highline Trail is found), we come to Butterfly Lake that as you see below still has slushy ice soon to be gone.

Sorry all you backpackers, but it will be a while yet before we can do any hiking to the Wilderness Area from the Highline Trailhead. For those who don’t know, the Highline Trail is the most famous trail in the Uintas. Beginning here it follows the spine of the Uintas east all the way to the highway that leads to Flaming Gorge Dam–a total of 106 trail miles.

We will now backtrack following the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway to Kamas, in this photo seeing Bald Mountain and Reid Peak. I should add that the highway north to Evanston, Wyoming seems to be clear and dry.

As we backtrack to Kamas we have to stop to see and photograph Provo River Falls, that is a raging torrent with the run-off.

Here I couldn’t resist to begin taking a few photos of the wonderful flowers….some of which are beginning to blossom and there will be a few more down the highway.

Down the Highway we begin to see the wise management of the forest to help prevent forest fires…..with piles of dead trees and underbrush cut and piled up last year……to be burned before the forest becomes dry and vulnerable.

We will see just a little further down the piles that they are working on burning….and within a few days these will be burned too.

This is the first trailhead as you come up the highway from Kamas. It is the Yellow Pine Trailhead with a number of cars parked and hikers, and even maybe backpackers, up the trail in this lower area–the first lakes being the Lower and Upper Yellow Pine Lakes, 4-5 miles up the trail at 9,620 and 9,700 feet elevation with eastern brook trout. Details in my book on pages 415-416.

The first flowers as you come up the highway from Kamas….and they’re all over the place!

Now we will quickly head for WOLF CREEK PASS that is at the same elevation as the Grandview Trailhead which is the Gateway to the Grandaddies, that will give us an idea as to when that trailhead will be accessible. The trail from there climbs up to Hades Pass, which is about the same elevation as Bald Mountain Pass.….so we can imagine that said pass will still have a lot of snow….so best be patient, and in early July call the Duchesne Forest Service office to find out about accessibility.

So, here we go on Utah State Highway 35 climbing up to the pass.

This is a beautiful drive up over the pass and down to Hanna that once was called “Little Italy” with a famous folk hero, Frank Defae, who according to the Salt Lake Tribune back during Prohibition produced the “sweetest mountain dew moonshine in 17 counties” and whose dance hall was the most “rip-roaringest west of Denver!” ….those stories of course told in my High Uinta Mountains book.

Here we are on 9,485 ft. WOLF CREEK PASS, mostly free of snow indicating more or less how the Grandview Trailhead is. You can call the Forest Service in Duchesne and most likely learn that the road isn’t open yet, due to avalanches, blocked road, etc. but learn when more or less we can think about the “GATEWAY TO THE GRANDADDIES!”

Below we see WOLF CREEK PASS on June 28, 2011…..OPEN but with a lot of snow compared to today. Those fields of snow today are not there, and plants and wildflowers are beginning to awaken. QUITE A CONTRAST!

On that 2011 trip I didn’t continue to the Grandview Trailhead, as a call to the Duchesne Forest Service had indicated the road to the Trailhead was not open yet.

Below are photos of my first trip in 2011 to the North Fork of the Duchesne River and the Grandview Trailhead, first the river itself, and then after three pictures on July 7th, I’ll post photos of the same on June 28th to compare and constrast the two years.

Below we see me making it to THE GRANDVIEW TRAILHEAD the first time in 2011, on July 7th, I recall perhaps sleeping in my car, and heading out the next day just in time, as behind me there was a wash-out of the road, making it just in time to not be stranded.

As I was descending to the Duchesne River, Defae’s Dude ranch and area, I could see the flooding of the area.

2011 WAS A MEMORABLE YEAR…..AS MIGHT BE 2023!

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GOT TO GO….TODAY MY DAY FOR ANOTHER HIKE IN THE FOOTHILLS, as I wait for the HIGH UINTAS to thaw out….SNOW DEPTH ON BALD MOUNTAIN PASS was 100″ on March 24th. Right now at around noon on May 26th, depth is down to 48″. Usually they try and have the PASS open by Memorial Day weekend, but not this year. I’ll keep you informed.

THE HIGH UINTA MOUNTAINS

June 1, 2023 – WOLF CREEK PASS, Hwy. 35>>>>

OPEN

************

June 14, 2023 – BALD MOUNTAIN PASS, Hwy. 150. Snow depth 24″

CLOSED

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Below crews working to clear the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway, near the entrance to Mirror Lake on June 28, 2011. That was a heavy snowfall year when the High Uintas opening to backpacking didn’t happen until like mid-July.

In 2011 the PASS was open on June 28th, but no thru traffic yet as the first picture shows the crews working on it on that day. While 2022-23 is said to be our greatest snowfall year ever, but the High Uintas had more back in 2011.

Snow depth here is at least 48 inches, which is what is reported today on May 26th also at 48 inches right now at noon making us nearly l month ahead of 2011. So it should be better for backpacker/hikers/etc. this year. I’ll make my contacts with the Forest Service in Kamas, and now beginning to report daily here at the head of the post.

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REPORT to June 14, 2023

I call it all “WONDERFUL” but I’ll have to admit it all sometimes is a bit tough, a little scary, but I’ve always loved challenges…..

So, no thought of GIVING UP, nor GIVING IN! The “GOOD FIGHT” continues, previously having….

2003-2017 =2,000 miles of backpacking/exploring, 11 SURGERIES, CANCER, RADIATION TREATMENTS, HEART ATTACK, then 4 more surgeries & it got tough, did my two books, and without anything else to do WENT TO WORK TO OVERCOME EACH PROBLEM!

I FINISHED RAISING AS A “MR. MOM” MY LAST 5 CHILDREN UNTIL 2013 WHEN WE ALL WENT INDEPENDANT–my house becoming:

NOW “FIGHTING” WITH THE COMPLCATIONS OF THE….

MINI-STROKE!

Details con be seen scrolling down to the previous post, but over the next 2 weeks I worked consistently to overcome the effects….in BALANCE, STRENGTH, ENERGY by consistent exercise every day, gradually increasing and by May 3rd in the foothills, as reported already, for the 1st time in 2003 I actually got to the VALLEY VIEW SPOT with a big zig-zag up the front of the hills as seen below from previous post… but here it is again as a reminder.

After this success I sort of got lazy, as I believe I explained already, and did nothing for 3 days–A GIGANTIC MISTAKE for this old guy. It resulted in seemingly another small mini-stroke, and I hate to confess it, but I felt so bad for a day or two that I began wondering if THAT WAS WHAT PASSING ON FELT LIKE?

My first impulse was the phrase used in the last post: KEEP MOVING or RISK GOING DOWN-HILL RAPIDLY! I’m remembering it was simpler,

KEEP MOVING OR DIE!

But I knew I had to do that very carefully, back off from where I had worked up to, and gradually build up all over again but always have my blood pressure cuff with me, checking it often as well as having the emergency medication –like Nitro Glycerin— I would need if there was a problem–which I’ve been doing for 20 years! So I got started, carefully, but…..

….I was worried enough to also do some research on the Internet to learn more about MINI-STROKES and one thing led to another and I learned that some of the possiblies were that I could have: A BRAIN TUMOR? ALS? THE BEGINNING OF ALZHEIMERS or PARKINSONS? etc.

So, I got more serious about it and for sure knew better control of my blood pressure was a key! So, even without an appointment, I dropped by my Cardiologist’s clinic…he is Dr. LAWLESS, so I figured he couldn’t be bothered by me not obeying the “law” and not having an appointment!

……. but I had a written description of what I had gone through and asked the receptionist to give it to him and see if he could see me. I was quickly told he wanted to see me, and gave me one new medication to take once a day, and doubled the dose of another, plus the one I’d been taking for years, with strict instructions how to take them.

And, it was recommended I have an eye exam as my research showed the left eye/forehead was often involved–and so it was in my case since the beginning in 1985, so I called the Dr. who a year ago did surgeries on my eyes: Removing cataracts and installing new lenses. The mini-strokes had affected especially my left eye (and forehead) where several times I had a piercing headache and grabbed my eye with pressure as it felt like it would burst…..and I got ice on it quick for 30 minutes. That eye is a bit weaker now, with frequent twitching. So an eye exam can actually detect whether there is a brain tumor, or other problems. I have that appointment today.

It worked out good at least assuring me I don’t have a brain tumor, etc. but just normal wear and tear on my eyes for a sort of mature fellow, along with a suggestion for better eye drops.

At the same time I learned it might help to take additional Vitamin A, B12, D3, and Potassium/magnesium, as well as foods high in those items, like avocado, bananas, orange daily, etc. all in addition to my morning smoothie of the most nutritious WEEDS in the world from Guatemala that make up my garden, the smoothie also having additional nutrients, like, an egg, Red beet root powder, Spirulina and Curcumin. The last three had already solved my enlarged prostate problem, and all the rest had to help solve my blood pressure problem too!

OF KEY IMPORTANCE MY CAREFUL PERSISTENCE DAILY WITH CAREFUL EXERCISE

So by May 12th I had built up to do more in the foothills, as seen below the red trail my May 3rd record, and the blue one May 12th

With the new medications for blood pressure, with a bit of experimentation in order and quantities taken–doesn’t sound like following “strict instructions” but I was a Medical Specialist in the Army and for decades in Guatemala was in an isolated area doing thousands of medical treatments on the Indians & myself so— I had made a lot of improvement, as well as noting that my every other day of doing the foothills (the other day I saved gas and just did outdoor stairs nearer to home) with increased distances–noting that MY BLOOD PRESSURE WAS BETTER & LASTED LONGER with the exercise…..and I was doing better in other ways, like from the point we see below going down a steep rocky area and then on to the parking lot….I was now doing that carefully swinging my trekking poles up behind me and going all the way to the parking lot with no poles…….and did so on any relatively safe area....to carefully not let my body become totally dependant on the poles, and hopefully get to a point when I don’t need them anywhere!

…… so by May 16th I headed for the foothills again and was excited and pumped up to do more……IN FACT I WANTED TO GET TO THE VALLEY VIEW SPOT AGAIN, BUT DO IT THE SHORT BUT HARD WAY–STRAIGHT UP THE MOUNTAIN! I bowed my head for a brief prayer asking the Lord to bless me with strength, balance…..and especially WITH WISDOM as I went up the mountain.

The bottom portion I had done with no problem, but when confronted with the steep, smooth–no footholds— up to the ridge, I used my head deciding that was too dangerous for my condition, and headed a ways to the left to find a deer/elk trail back towards the ridge, hoping to hit it above the lower dangerous (for me) portion.

NOTE: You normal guys and gals will perhaps be laughing at my caution and difficulty on areas a snap for you–but remember 30 months ago I couldn’t walk, and had a dead right leg and thanks to the Lord I was able to invent new exercises, get me dead leg to wake up and gradually I learned to walk again like a baby, but in my 88th year still have a dangerous balance problem, etc.

I carefully worked my way back to the trail, but miscalculated so didn’t hit it above the steep, dangerous part–and I’ve got to mention MY PHOTOS JUST DON’T SHOW HOW STEEP AND DANGEROUS IT WAS FOR ME….BUT BELIEVE ME, CONSIDERING MY CONDITION, IT SOMETIMES TOOK MY BREATH AWAY! WITH MY MISALIGNED SPINE, MY SPINE DOCTOR TOLD ME ALMOST ANY KIND OF FALL COULD KILL ME!

There were places where the only footholds I could find were the deep hoof prints of elk made at a time when it had rained.

I crossed the actual trail and kept working towards the edge of the ridge hoping to find a safe way with good footholds, but it got steeper and more dangerous and there were places where I had to move along side stepping, but it got worse and all of a sudden I sort of got stuck in such a steep spot I found it impossible to go forward, afraid to turn around and lose my balance, so couldn’t go back.

I thought I could make a big effort moving forward maybe requiring a jump on a steep slope–but FLASHING before my mind was my prayer asking for WISDOM! So I just sat down to rest, catch my breath and think, surveying my options. I finally took the least dangerous option, and side stepped back and slightly upwards and found a safe pathway back to a safer area, and finally made it to the ridge and the trail that was still steep but not so much, and was grateful I was now a bit safer on the ridge!

LOOKING TO THE NORTH this was my view on the LEFT…..and

……and behind me on the right TO THE SOUTHEAST, I was looking at Grove Canyon.

From here, mostly following the steep trail I moved up the ridge ……

I soon came to the University of Utah’s EARTHQUAKE RECORDING instrument below the’ VALLEY VIEW POINT

Nearby below we see what I photographed near the Earthquake instrument:

Our wonderful MULE DEER.

……and in another few minutes I was at my GOAL and viewing…….

“THE VALLEY of our LADY of MERCY of TIMPANOGOS” the most pleasing, beautiful and fertile site in New Spain,”

……by Fathers Escalanate & Domingues IN 1776, the first white men to view our UTAH VALLEY.

Now headed down, the safe way, switch-backing down into the canyon and down to the Trailhead, but with unending VISIONS OF NATURE all along the way that I enjoyed so much I never noticed being tired, even though, for me it was a big day.

Now with even improved eating over a previous “Maya Smoothie excellent nutrition,” plus me experimenting with the 3 new blood pressure meds and slimming it down to just one tiny one in the morning, and a large one in the evening–for 2 a day rather than 5, and eliminating the previous standby med, plus every other day a light exercise day like on the stairs, and the other day a relatively heavy one in the foothills I’m maintaining excellent blood pressure every day–including during the hikes, yes, with my pulse sometimes up to 112/minute, but pressure excellent. BUT I CAN’T RELAX, CAN’T LET DOWN MY GUARD!

I also learned again that I have to BE WISE and not get overconfident and let myself get into a DANGEROUS SPOT like I did on my last big hike straight up the mountain.

It’s still MICKEY MOUSE stuff for nearly all of you, but considering where I was and what I’ve gone through, I’m so grateful, and appreciative to the Lord for helping to make it all enjoyable and inspiring by being able to….

SEE WONDERFUL VISIONS OF NATURE ….

…all around me, like the whole bunch I’ll insert below with a sort of summary of what I’ve seen so far this year showing their progression as

SPRING COMES ALIVE.

If you don’t see beauty in all I show, download from https://www.guatemalanfoundation.org/ my 34 page ANTI-AGING CHALLENGE writing and learn what to take to increase your ability to recognize beauty increasing your “testosterone” that will give you more energy (of course for hiking), a better mood, and a greater appreciation for magnificence of God’s wonderful creations, even in…like....

THE ROCKS!

ISN’T HE BEAUTIFUL…..I MEAN “HANDSOME?”

Now to a few glimpses of some of my amazing collection of thousands of VISIONS OF NATURE as they come alive in the Spring then reproduce for next years VISIONS

On beginning my HIGH UINTAS PROJECT with a 27 day no-resupply backpack following the spine of the Uinta Mountains east, I met the author of the book SAGEBRUSH COUNTRY, that is about the Uinta Mountains….THAT ARE SURROUNDED BY SAGEBRUSH. Such as the case with our Wasatch Mountains too, circled by foothills with the dominate plant SAGEBRUSH.

We see here the coming alive of the foothills, with well growing sagebrush, the green bushes in the distance are scrub oak or Gambels Oak.

A whole book could be written about sagebrush so common in the foothills and deserts of Utah, and critical for the survival of at least mule deer during the winter. Early this Spring the edible leaves and tender branches were all cropped off of all the sagebrush like I haven’t really noticed so much before. I should have got some photos early, but only have a few that sort of show it.

If you look closely below you will see around the new leaves the tips of branches nipped off. Deer are browsers eating leaves and twigs, rather than grazers that eat grass, like elk.

Below is another example, the leaves were all cropped down, but now sprouting.

Again our wonderful MULE DEER that in the winter time live mostly on Sagebrush

Below we see a new bush of sagebrush coming up in great shape, in fact so bushy as to not even look like a sagebrush which is a bit uncommon due to our wetter year that has the greening of the foothills looking better than for some time as you can see in the first photo about Sagebrush.

Here we see a beautiful old sagebrush that is colorfully loaded with LICHENS, another of the fascinating life forms of which there are 3,000 varieties identified in the Rocky Mountain area. There are others not even named yet. It is a LIFE FORM which is a combination of an algae and a fungi in a partnership (symbiotic) relationship, each filling a role in the survival of the other. It was said by an expert “Lichens are fungi that have discovered agriculture.” We see them on rocks I’ll insert below, and on scrub oak and other trees. I discuss them a bit in my HIGH UINTA MOUNTAINS book, on page 401, 402

NOW ON TO MANY, MANY VISIONS OF NATURE

…….and their seeds shortly afterwards.

Here we are viewing a real beauty of the foothills, the AMERICAN VETCH

REMEMBER WHAT I HAVE TOLD YOU IN PAST YEARS….MAY IS WHEN IN THE FOOTHILLS THEY WAKE UP AND COME OUT OF THEIR DENS, BUT SLOUGHING OFF THE OLD SKIN WHEN THEY ARE PRETTY MUCH BLIND WITH RATTLES NON-FUNCTIONAL SO WILL STRIKE AT ANYTHING THAT FRIGHTENS THEM!

……and below shortly the SEEDS LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR!

FIRST THE SCRUB or GAMBLES OAK, along with sage brush is the most common in the foothills.

This is a very large Gambles Oak. I use it to make beautiful, unique picture frames like below.

Then, especially in the canyons is the MAPLE….not the syrup variety, nor the variety of maple–or liquidumbar— we have in Guatemala, but they are instantly recognized by it’s leaf–ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE FROM CANADA

And, in the canyons, especially near the stream, there is an unending variety of beautiful trees, bushes and wildflowers, following are just a few recently awakening….ALL ESPECIALLY BEAUTIFUL IN THEIR EARLY STAGES…..sort of like most of us who were even called “ADORABLE,” or “CUTE,” but, DARNIT WE HAD TO GROW UP!!!!

At the mouth of Grove Canyon, near the trailhead all of a sudden I saw a weed I recognized from Guatemala, and from my garden. It is “BLEDO” or “amaranth” one of the at least 5 varieties. It is a weed in everyone’s garden, but I purposely grow it, along with MACUY, a revered Guatemalan and Mayan weed that the Indians women and children gather in the forests. …….of course I grow them in my garden. I have said that these two plants “saved the Mayan people” as they made their beans and corn a more complete and balanced meal. They were so important to the Mayans that the Spaniard conquerors looked at them as part of the religion they tried to eliminate by prohibiting their use. Of course it didn’t work.

Here we see BLEDO (amaranth) , MACUY, and also VERDOLAGA (purslane) creeping in–all 3 more nutritious than most vegetables you pay big bucks for at the supermarket–all of which I harvest together and use in my smoothie which is my morning meal. NOTE: I add to it one egg, half a banana, red beet root powder, etc. [Soon I’ll do a special post just on this, showing new details that make it more nutritious than ever.]

From a tiny plot along side of my tiny Cabin-A home, I harvest, process and freeze sufficient to last me through Fall, Winter and Spring until the new harvest begins. Below you see what I’m talking about.

Above is last summer, with the plants growing into bushes with mature leaves that previously were harvested (tediously). But, a big change has come…..below we see how the 2023 garden started: I didn’t plant anything, the last plants of last season were left to go to seed and do the planting for me, but as you see they all came up REALLY THICK! So it became really important to THIN for proper growth and production. The thinning was by handfulls and a new revelation.…….continued below…..

The handfuls pulled up of young tender plants included usually a mix of all three and why not use them for my smoothie? The red roots the Bledo or amaranth–the handfuls were rinsed quickly in a bucket of water to get rid of the dirt, then cut up in short lengths and blanched for 5 minutes to desinfect.

The smoothies agreed even better with my digestive system, and have you heard of the value of roots? And of course the nutritious leaves, and with the stems too–all the fiber we all need daily in our diet! WOW! As I thin by bunches, the plants left in between grow even faster and I’m continually left behind, but harvest and process enough every day in an hour–that go into shopping bags and to the freezer–to last 2-3 weeks of smoothies for an hours work each day and I’ll have my year’s supply before any of the plants mature…..and then WHAT THE HECK WILL I DO WITH THE MATURE PLANTS? A FULL REPORT WILL COME SOON.

PURSLANE (seen below), or in Spanish “VERDOLAGA” also common in Guatemala, is another of the weeds that go into my smoothie. My garden is also a charitable project as I feed a growing herd of wild rabbits multiplying in our area, including cottontails, and tiny little cute ones too.

THEY ALL AGREE WITH ME!

NOW BACK TO THE FOOTHILLS OF TIMPANOGOS!

…..and GROVE CANYON, ALONG THE CREEK WITH BEAUTIFUL VISIONS OF NATURE

And below a couple of photos of RABBIT BRUSH

RABBIT BRUSH, a young one here, that in the Fall add a striking flash of color to our foothills….I’ll insert 4 pictures below a picture showing such east of Springville, Utah.

Here in SAGEBRUSH COUNTRY of the foothills we see cottontail rabbits I used to hunt quite successfully as a teenager below the mouth of Rock Canyon….where the Temple is today. In the foothills of Timpanogos I have seen cottontails on my hikes but they are gone in a flash not giving me a chance for a photo. So I had to resort to the magic of Photoshop using the tame pictures of tame rabbits we have around our house in American Fork. There should also be jackrabbits very common in the deserts of Utah, but I haven’t seen one yet in these foothills. Below we see a very large Rabbit brush.

Here we are at one of my favorite spots at the foot of THE CRAGS OF THE WASTACH with RABBIT BRUSH in the Fall

This is another vetch, but UTAH MILK VETCH or LADYFINGER,

Two varieties of beautiful INDIAN PAINTBRUSH

Below we see early in the Spring a mule deer the upper shot with the soft organs eaten by predators, and below a week or so later with most of it gone.

Animal burrows are frequently seen in the hills, made by animals like BADGERS, RABBITS, FOXES and COYOTES. Smaller ones would be from ROCK SQUIRRELS, etc.

Below we see on the left a fairly large burrow, and another two on the right.

DO YOU SEE THE FOX CROSSING THE PICTURE IN THE MIDDLE? It is the Red Fox that we have in the foothills of the Wasatch and throughout Utah.

The ROCK SQUIRREL is the most commonly seen mammal in the foothills.

Above and below the EVENING PRIMEROSE

Here I’m showing only the tips of one of the common small trees of the desert foothills, THE CLIFF ROSE, which I will soon show you when its flowers blossom as one of the MOST SPECTACULAR VISIONS OF NATURE in our foothills, and I’ll show you SPECTACU.AR FURNITURE & such I make out of its beautiful wood. Go back to the Crags of the Wasatch to see the trees clinging to the cliffs in the left center–that is CLIFF ROSE.

WESTERN BLUE FLAX, found from the foothills–above-– up into the KING of UTAH’s TREES, the QUAKING ASPEN belt at the head of Grove Canyon and in the Uintas, seen in the two pictures below.

Later when it blossoms well get more views of this plant.

Our cherished DANDELION provides food for the wonderful Western Tiger Swallowtail butterfly. By the way, my garden started by me actually PLANTING DANDELIONS which I have called “the SPINACH OF THE WEED WORLD,” which before Bledo and Macuy, was my staple in my smoothie, and included in my egg omiletts, soups, etc. and I still have a DANDELION PATCH, but the rabbits keep it cropped down not leaving me anything.

Western Tiger Swallowtail.

I shouldn’t have to tell you what this is....it has us thinking “MORNING GLORY” but it isn’t, rather…

…. BINDWEED….

… which right now is all over the foothills and has to be the most abundant flower of all time in the foothills & is also a…..

……. BEAUTIFUL VISION of NATURE!

My last hike–when originally doing this post in the foothills, May 24th, I did a reversal, GOING LOW, rather than high, just to get photos of other VISIONS OF NATURE, along with homes of Pleasant Grove, one with a swimming pool, and in the second photo expanded to include all of Utah Lake in the distance. I hope you have enjoyed my report–updated the last time on June 14th— of the VISIONS OF NATURE of foothills of Mt. Timpanogos. As we progress towards summer I will keep documenting nature as she continues to blossom and evolve, and will share with all of my friends.

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OFF TO MY FREE OUTDOOR WORKOUT GYM

The MINI-STROKE suffered late April 17th causing mental confusion and inability to make needed corrections in my writing, along with acute headache in the left forhead and eye, was mostly gone by the next morning. Remaining was some weakness and fluttering in my left eye, and worse than usual balance along with some lack of energy. I was greatly relieved being able to understand my writing and quickly did the needed corrections and then immediately began careful exercise, and soon began going to the foothills, like every other day and carefully began working out, each day a little further on more and more difficult trails…..and was so happy and grateful to the Lord and to friend’s encouragement, to be doing pretty good.

But, a few days later when getting higher up the trail, and then coming down in a very steep area some call “ROCK & ROLL” I all of a sudden was a bit careless and lost my balance, but having learned from my young guardian angel, TED, (of course you know I’m sort of joking as I’ve actually never seen him….yet) how to fall without hurting myself, I was able to keep from actually “rolling” but awakened again to the reality of being in my 88th year and swore to never let down my guard!

By Wednesday, May 3rd, I’d made a lot of progress, but mad at myself for several times backing off and not pushing myself hard enough to meet my goals going up the mountain (actually hills, but for an old guy IT’S A MOUNTAIN!)….NONE OF THIS WAS ACTUALLY EASY & WITHOUT PAIN…..but to that day I’d been blessed with a lot of encouragement and support from friends, and by that date had been given encouragement from two very special friends–one that morning on Facebook, so became determined to make it to what I call THE VALLEY VIEW area, but going up the front where I would likely be alone and not seen limping and struggling along with pain on my face. So, with enough water, and my lunch in my waist pack, up I went……and was surprised to see one young lady along the way who was coming down!

Even though I really felt good after the above accomplishment, and didn’t really feel tired, I rationalized resting too much….for 3 days, and suffered a sort of relapse, or mini-mini-stroke, and had to then back off a little to begin again working back up to what had been my maximum this year. After a good workout it’s fine to take one day off, but no more for this old guy. KEEP MOVING or RISK GOING DOWN-HILL RAPIDLY!

For me it helps to mask the difficulty and sometimes pain by being on the lookout for what I call VISIONS OF NATURE that always inspire me and so I’ll insert below a few views as I got higher and higher, along with some of the wonderful bursts of spring that always make this season of the year enlightening when I see beauty in almost everything from the rocks, to the budding trees and bushes. to the exotic plants in their first stages of development, and some of the first colorful flowers–that in the actually desert like conditions of the foothills don’t last too long as soon the hills do turn into a desert.

This plant of the foothills will take a bit more time to blossom. I’ll report with a photo when it does.

We see below the blossoming is beginning. I’ll keep an eye on it and photograph its progress.

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I’ll be honest in admitting I do as President Biden–wearing DARK GLASSES–to hopefully mask a little the fact that I’m a little older than most, and especially now as my left eye was adversely affected some by the mini-stroke!

So, to begin my 88th year>>>> INTO THE FOOTHILLS OF TIMPANOGOS to KEEP MY BODY ALIVE AS BEST I CAN…….

GRADUALLY THE HILLS ARE COMING ALIVE…..ALWAYS FOR ME A MARVELOUS GROWING VISION of NATURE I’M GRATEFUL…AGAIN….TO BE ABLE TO WATCH WITH WONDER!

FINALLY THERE’S A GROWING COLOR IN THE HILLS ……EVEN WITH A BIT OF YELLOWS and PINKS…..

SPRING IS COMING ALIVE with what for me are THE WONDEROUS VISIONS OF NATURE that never cease to AMAZE ME each year….. that I’ll have to confess, for an old guy in his 88th season, is just a LITTLE HARDER TO GET UP THE MOUNTAIN TO WITNESS, but for me THE OTHER OPTION, IS NO OPTION AT ALL….SO UP I GO!

SOME OF THEM WILL TAKE A WHILE LONGER….BEFORE THEY BURST FORTH WITH COLOR…..BUT I’LL KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THAT AMAZING VISION…& SHARE IT WITH MY FRIENDS!

ALONG THE TRAIL UP I SEE AGAIN THE COURSE OF NATURE AT WORK…..A DEER FIRST DONATING HER SOFT PARTS TO A PREDATOR…..and a WEEK OR SO LATER THE REST!

I WAS FINALLY BLESSED–IN SPITE OF THE “MINI-STROKE”— GETTING UP HIGHER THAN EVER FOR 2023, & LOOKING SOUTH TOWARDS PROVO and SEEING IN THE FOREGROUND THE FLOOD RETENTION AREA AT THE MOUTH OF GROVE CANYON BEGINNING TO FILL UP.

USUALLY THE LOWER CREEK IS DRY AS THE WATER IS TAKEN OUT IN PIPES TO FILL THE DRINKING WATER TANKS ALONG THE FOOTHILLS THAT KEEP ALL OF UTAH VALLEY’S COMMUNITIES ALIVE. THE LOWER CREEK WE SEE BELOW ACTUALLY HAS WATER IN IT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS WITH THE RUN-OFF BEGINNING.

From my high vantage point we see spread in the distance UTAH LAKE, and at our foot what with the oncoming SPRING & SUMMER will become what was originally named….

“THE VALLEY OF OUR LADY OF MERCY OF TIMPANOGOS, THE MOST PLEASING, BEAUTIFUL AND FERTILE SITE IN NEW SPAIN.”

Named in 1776 by the first white men to see our Utah Valley, named by Fathers Domingues & Escalante. They got along fine with our Timpanogos-Utes–known as “THE FISH EATERS” from the then productive waters of Utah Lake (Native Cutthroat trout)— and promised to return to establish a Catholoic Mission, however they never returned. Can you imagine what our Utah would be if they had of followed through?

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NOTICE: Click on the following link if interested in a quite surprising change announced & important message on the GUATEMALAN FOUNDATION (retired) WEBSITE regarding what for short I’ve been calling my 80+ year autobiography….

……THE MOUNTAINS OF THE MAYA book

*************************************

Jesus Christ told the Jews:

“And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”

I believe quite knowledgably that he was referring to people at that time on the American Continent to whom, after his resurrection, he appeared–the amazing event becoming a SECOND WITNESS OF JESUS CHRIST. The Maya/Poqomchi people among whom I spent 35 years (1967 to 2002), had a belief I researched and then labled it:

THE LEGEND OF THE HOLY MAN

For HOLY WEEK & EASTER SUNDAY, I wrote an article with photographs that you can download to learn about my research on the legend –– 09 THE LEGEND OF THE HOLY MAN.pdf — After 35 years of residency in the Mountains of the Maya, I returned to the U.S. and launched in 2003 my HIGH UINTAS WILDERNESS PROJECT.

***************

Today, Monday, April 10th, SPRING IS HERE and in a day or two I will share my new activities & VISIONS OF NATURE in the Timpanogos foothills as part of my efforts to make another COMEBACK, this one in my 88th year…….SOUNDS RIDICULOUS, BUT I WILL BE DOING MY DARNDEST…AGAIN!

THE FOLLOWING POST IS SIMILAR TO THE LAST ONE, BUT WITH SOME INSERTS, LIKE THE VIDEOS BELOW, AS WELL AS EDITS & CORRECTIONS FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING & IS WORTH GOING THROUGH AGAIN.

TO SEE THIS VIDEO CLICK ON IMAGE BELOW:

WHICH INCLUDES MY EFFORTS IN WINTER IN THE BYU SMITH FIELDHOUSE with great companions!!!!

SHE WAS DOING HER DARNDEST TO CATCH ME!!!!

If you’ve watched the above videos, you’ll have noticed that at least 20 of my YouTube videos are pictured there……that maybe you’ve already been tempted to click on, and there are more you can search for.

Click to view my SEARCH FOR BIG FOOT:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyRAoXlkvCQ&t=9s

EVERYTHING REVEALED IN MOUNTAINS OF THE MAYA & HIGH UINTA MOUNTAINS BOOKS. With the hope all interested will ENJOY MORE THE WONDERMENT OF THE EARTH and SAVE LIVES!

Until now, you couldn’t get this 31 page writing without buying the online book for $20, BUT  IT IS NOW AVAILABLE TO ALL INTERESTED…..

FREE! Just click on the following:

THE ANTI-AGING CHALLENGE: Why, What & How?

I REVIEW MY HIGH UINTAS PROJECT FULL OF GLITCHES & SOLUTIONS….WORTH GOING THRU AGAIN AS THERE ARE CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS WORTH THEIR WEIGHT IN GOLD…..like:

This writing, on pages 31 and 32 describes FREE NUTRITION….from what generally are considered “WEEDS,” first, DANDELIONS (“diente de leon”) and then PURSLANE (“verdolaga”), DANDELION I call “the Spinach of the Weed World.”

Back when I wrote it, I hadn’t discovered yet here in the U.S. “MACUY,” nor recognized yet “BLEDO” or Amaranth…..two plants so important to the Ancient Mayans that the Spanish conquerors attempted to prohibit their use. One of these days I’ll update the writing which does deal with:

DANDELIONS or “DIENTE DE LEON”

DANDELIONS are the first to be ready to harvest in the Spring, and the last in the Fall, but are hated by ALMOST everybody, so soon the lawns where they get needed water are poisoned as this fellow is doing, and the vacant lots not getting watered, have the dandelions going dormant, so I BEGAN PLANTING PLOTS OF DANDELIONS in my garden, and lived on them, along with “Verdolaga” or Purslane, but…..

…the wild domesticated rabbits in our area were multiplying and quickly discovered my patches of watered dandelions and so during the summer of 2022 I DIDN’T HARVEST ANY DANDELIONS, the rabbits kept them mowed down like a lawn.

The cottontails also multiplied and soon followed the others in mowing down my dandelions……at the very time when I planted plots of MACUY, that then seeded themselves along with the BLEDO, so my chore became one of thinning them and controling them for better production.

The rabbits also eat VERDOLAGA or PURSLANE, as well as the others, but only prevented harvesting Dandelions. My watered and pampered weeds have our rabbits on the increase & too cute to harvest!

MACUY in the foreground, and mixed in and in the background stalks of BLEDO or AMARANTH now in the stage of producing sprouts each with spears of seeds that I harvest all together, even with at times woody stems, but no problem since they are blanched, then blended into a smoothie.

Below we see “BLEDO” or “AMARANTH” — the weed in our gardens we have all tried to eliminate, but it just keeps on bugging us, until like me–remembering my Guatemalan experience eating and liking it–which had me recently doing a little research and remembering it was sacred to the Mayans, even it’s seed considered a psuedo-grain extremely nuturitious….

After the initial harvest of leaves, I let it keep growing with sprouts along the stem that I harvest all summer along with the seeds.

As we see below, I don’t have to dig up the garden area anymore, except to bury egg shells, banana peels, etc. from the kitchen as fertilizer, and don’t have to actually plant anything. Each stake is where I have burried some great kitchen waste. All the containers are full of stuff accumulated during the winter when the ground is frozen, and will be burried when the ground thaws and mud gone so I can prepare lots of spots where my MACUY, BLEDO, and VERDOLAGA will grow incredibly well and…..

….. feed me with all the greens I need to replace expensive broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, spinach, swiss chard. beet greens, celery, cucumbers, etc. I need for a healthy diet. I will have a couple of tomato plants, and only have to buy during the year inexpensive CARROTS & FRUITS.

All of the weeds we are dealing with seed themselves–always so thick that my only chore is one of quickly thinning with my heart shaped hoe leaving clumps of MACUY and BLEDO–for better production, that from my small plot alongside my tiny Cabin-A home I produce my morning meal 365 days a year!

So every now and then during the summer I harvest a pot full, then blanch to disinfect, then freeze in shopping bags, each bag being a week to 10 days of smoothies–and have enough to last all winter and spring until the next harvest. By the end of the 2022 harvest in October I had 34 bags of processed weeds enough to last me until mid-summer when the new harvest will begin and continue about 3-4 months.

So, along with MACUY, another edible weed from Guatemala, mentioned at the end of the now FREE WRITING–I now let all of them have their way–taking over my garden and feeding me every morning throughout the year with a SMOOTHIE –with a few other things added, like a half banana, a carrot. an egg or two, fruit juice, red beet powder, etc.

In other writings I give credit to MACUY & BLEDO for having SAVED THE MAYANS, making their deficient diet of corn & beans– a BALANCED DIET–

ANOTHER OF MY IMPORTANT WRITINGS NOW SEPARATED FROM THE BOOK IS AVAILABLE….

………..actually my AUTOBIOGRAPHY FOR 0-22 YEARS–which laid the FOUNDATION FOR MY ENTIRE LIFE–and became PART 1 of my MOUNTAINS OF THE MAYA BOOK, I have also separated the edited and improved version of the 80 page writing which has other SECRETS FOR SUCCESS….at least SECRETS FOR MY LIFE, some of which might be helpful to you–at least interesting for some of you, and my family, but you see below the front page…….and below it a link to download it to your computer……

To download the 80 page writing, click on the following link:  

Part 1: 0-22 years  THE VISION QUEST: A Checkered Faith & Works Journey

INCLUDING some details on page 41 of THE EXPERIENCE AT 16 THAT GOT IT ALL STARTED…..

It was one night when 16 years old–with a NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE that (NDE) SAVED MY LIFE & it was REVEALED TO WHAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO DEDICATE MYSELF TO!

Several have reported my HIGH UINTA MOUNTAINS book & my stories and example SAVED THEIR LIFE! — My MOUNTAINS OF THE MAYA book tells about how my family & Guatemalan Foundation friends SAVED THOUSANDS AMONG THE MAYA! —

SO ALL WORTH EMBARRASSING MYSELF REVEALING MY PROBLEMS & WEAKNESSES>>>SHOWING ALSO LIFE SAVING SOLUTIONS!

My main strategy in life was to….

TRUST IN THE LORD, NOT GIVE UP, NOR GIVE IN…..EASILY & SAVE LIVES!

“MICKEY MOUSE” ….TINY “COMEBACK” EFFORTS REVEALED TO SAVE LIVES! .…..& SEVERAL HAVE THANKED ME FOR SAVING THEIRS! …..so more than worth embarrassing myself!

SAVED on East Fork Pass BY SATELLITE PHONE CALL TO BUDDY RUSS SMITH at SKYCALL COMMUNICATIONS!

There are more than 20 YouTube VIDEOS reviewing my efforts, & SURVIVAL EXPERIENCES.…..at the end of the videos at the beginning of this post, you will see many others of my videos….you maybe have already watched some of them . Others can be found going to YouTube.com and then search for: Cordell Andersen Videos, or Cordell Andersen Comeback videos and you’ll find them mixed in with other videos …..

ALL OF MY 8 SURVIVAL EXPERIENCES ARE DETAILED IN MY HIGH UINTA MOUNTAINS BOOK, as well as OTHER FAMOUS SURVIVAL EXPERIENCES THAT FAILED….& WHY?

SINCE MY BOOK WAS PUBLISHED ONLINE ONLY ONE BACKPACKER HAS DIED IN THE UINTAS…..and HE DIDN’T HAVE MY BOOK!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

RECENT EXPERIENCE FOR SURVIVAL BEING:

My life from 2 1/2 years ago being unable to walk……followed by months of exercises in bed forcing my dead leg to wake up, then to shopping carts at stores, to a walker, and finally with help from my infant GUARDIAN ANGEL, learned to take baby steps again…...WHY DO I BELIEVE SUCH…revealed in a moment.

Then using a walker…..I FINALLY BEAT THE KENYANS in THE COBAN INTERNATIONAL HALF MARATHON in Guatemala....in a dream….Then all pumped up by that, actually doing a HALF-MARATHON from American Fork to Alpine and back.…using the walker!

Admittedly I must have not looked too good as motorists were calling 911 and Policemen sent to rescue me……then two beautiful young ladies stopped to save me….and I narrowly missed a LOVE KIDNAPPING!

All the while at that time…and continuing today….working to solve a FAILED “NASAL TURBINATE REDUCTION SURGERY”…..causing BREATHING & MUCUS CONGESTION PROBLEMS. Turbinates are thin plates inside on both sides of the nose. If caused to swell breathing can be obstructed, with increased drainage of mucus causing congestion and wheezing in the throat. I have struggled with that problem since returning to the U.S. from my many years in Guatemala. One reduction surgery about 12 years ago helped for 2 years or so, then it returned. Then I found an effective inhaler permitting me to sleep well–but it’s ingredient–Oxymetazoline HCI–caused the turbinates to swell even more, but gave me short-term immediate congestion relief, however created a dependancy and began my high blood pressure problems! Another surgery about 18 months ago failed, and has got worse than ever with worsening ERRATIC BLOOD PRESSURE, etc., etc. with all sorts of interesting physical & mental problems of real old guys…in one month (April) to be in my 88th year!

Having been a Medical Specialist & instructor in the Army, and knowing how to use a Blood Pressure cuff has made possible understanding that issue–when & why it happens, and how to manage it, WHICH I BELIEVE HAS SAVED MY LIFE MANY TIMES!

NOTE: I believe all should get such a cuff and learn how to use it, as well as for backpackers, have an Oximeter to manage High Altitude Sickness.

All of that, plus CANCER after the 1st summer of my High Uintas Project..…followed up to 2020 by 15 surgeries to remove, repair, or replace with titanium what was possible–all on top of my first mini-stroke in 1985, and another in 2020, all slowing me down a bit, but a lot of me was still capable of working pretty good–SO I KEEP MOVING & SOLVING EACH PROBLEM AS IT ARISES–others of course laughed at me calling me a RODEO CLOWN, a CRAZY DON QUIJOTE DE LA MANCHA and worse.…..but I embraced the funny ones having a good laugh or two at myself and WENT TO WORK….

….. used Fitness Center, and STAIRS–in several places for winter , & then FOOTHILLS…..and after a lot of effort reported here…….

…..FINALLY AT THE END OF THE 2022 SEASON DID A HIKE IN THE UINTAS using trekking poles and only one 5 lb. pack on my back–as my misaligned spine can’t bear the weight of a regular pack, the rest of my gear in waist packs, including a large “Lumbar waist pack” you see on my lower back or butt!

Then in December 2022, after a Christmas in Texas with family as reported in my last post–scroll down to see it, but we all returned with some kind of strange sickness that had a couple of us laid up for a month, with me no fever, but multiplied nasal/throat mucus and congestion. I finally came out of it but incredibly weak and nearly losing all of my balance….but too much of me was still working pretty good, so…I HAD TO GO TO WORK…AGAIN, and EXERCISE but with the cold weather I had to do more than push a shopping cart around inside of Walmarts –which I do going around the store a couple of times….or parking lot if good weather>>>>so….

…. I found 3 flights of stairs at the Revere Health Clinic where I could…..go TO WORK AGAIN the first time or two getting out of breath and needing to rest after just one lap of the 52 steps…..BUT PERSISTED….NOT ACCEPTING DEFEAT!

……and just in the last few days with weather above freezing for a few hours every day…..back to the outdoor stairs with help from my little buddy GUARDIAN ANGEL, and making surprising progress that for a while I wondered if it would ever happen again !!!!

A big part of this was solving the constant mucus congestion and wheezing making sleep almost impossible. Before the “strange Texas sickness” I had learned that only one medicine loosened the mucus and made productive coughing, that being Guaifenesin in 600 mg or 1200 mg, but quite expensive to be taking several times every day–for this “Young Ruler” who took the Lord serously in the BIBLE parable and ended up with only half of what normal people get for Social Security for not having paid into the system for all my years in Guatemala–especially before sleeping. But I found it as seen below at DOLLAR TREE now with inflation up to $1.25 per 15 tablets of 400 mg. tablets. Then happy to find the exact same medicine at WALMARTS as seen below at .88 cents per bottle. Usually during the day taking just one tablet was enough, but before retiring needing to take 3 tablets, equal to one 1200 mg tablet of MUCINEX. Still a great savings, and very effective, making the cost only about .30 cents per day!

But, for that to be effective, I also had to start doing a SINUS RINSE …..

….. at least once or twice during the day, and 15 minutes before retiring, followed by taking 3 tablets of the above medication– Guaifenesin— MUCUS RELIEF . The 3rd part of the formula that made it all work, was an inhaler–the one with Oxymetazoline HCI being incredibly effective, but it had a warning for people with heart problems–and previously using it for years and years likely helped create my heart problems, so reduced using it to only one spray in each nostril, while finding a combination of two that gave me almost the same results (mainly Budesonide Nasal Spray from WM’s)……..

…….PRODUCING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS CLEAR BREATHING AT NIGHT & NO WHEEZING!

ALSO, WHEN THE WEATHER ONCE IN A WHILE WARMS A BIT…..BACK TO THE TIMPANOGOS FOOTHILLS….which always feels so much better than the stairs, and helps a lot….like–ONLY– on February 18th:

But, now on February 22 we awoke with snow, so for a while…..

BACK TO THE OUTDOOR STAIRS….or INDOOR CLINIC.

… with help from my little GUARDIAN ANGEL, and quite miraculously quickly gaining the strength I had lost, as well as some of my balance!

After a day or two of help from my GUARDIAN ANGEL, I kept it up all by myself increasing a few laps or repetitions every day, but my memory hasn’t been helped by my little friend–apparently Guardian Angels aren’t perfect….yet, and I sometimes lose track of how many I’ve done….so to not do less, or more than I should each day, I started keeping track with the colorful rocks I like so much.

So, today February 10th, I did 15 STONES–or repetitions, but NOW using just 5 rocks, then moving them forward or backwards and only forcing my mind to remember 1 set, 2 sets, or 3 sets which I did today, and then moving the 5 rocks off to the side so no one would trip on them. I must say I felt great…..great, compared to just two weeks ago when at the Clinic stairs 1 repetition had me out of breath and needing a hand-up from my little friend, but he refused and gave me the message I had to push myself and learn to do it alone–AND ITS BEEN WORKING, thanks to him, and the Lord!

GUARDIAN ANGELS UNDER SUSPICION!

I suspect that some of you are doubting my stories about my infant Guardian Angel, and I’ll have to admit not actually seeing him....yet, and have neglected to ask him his name……but now a few days later learned his name is ….surprise, surprise–TED–so now I have two cherished friends named TED! But for those who haven’t read my MAYA BOOK, let me tell you my experience:

In 1975 I helped Janie Thompson, and the BYU PROGRAM BUREAU plan for the LAMANITE GENERATION–a group of Native American student singers & dancers– a tour of Latin America, which included in our remote area of Guatemala an outdoor performance on our Paradise Valley Plantation, then known as THE CID: A Center for Indian Development, and another in the colonial city of Coban.

In the clean-up work a couple of days later our precious little 2 year old Michelle, we lovingly called “Pepita,” was tragically killed in an accident related to the clean-up. You can read all the details of the tragedy in my MAYA BOOK, pages 125 and 293.

Sometime later I had to make a trip to Guatemala City and alone left early before sun-up. A while later as the day was dawning I became drousy and went to sleep, my pickup veering off the road headed for a deep ravine……when all of a sudden A SLAP ON MY FACE awakened me in time to save me from what likely would have ended my life-long work among the Mayans.

I LITERALLY HEARD THE SLAP and FELT THE STINGING ON MY FACE! I was alone, except for someone I couldn’t see who was there to SLAP ME and SAVED MY LIFE!

I FELT STRONG IMPRESSIONS AT THAT MOMENT THAT IT WAS MY “PEPITA” WHO AT LEAST FOR THAT EVENT WAS MY GUARDIAN ANGEL. This was not the last such life saving event in my Mayan Adventure–as it was said we lived from “CRISIS TO CRISES,” and I added, “FROM MIRACLE TO MIRACLE”, and I also had quite a few in my 2,000 miles of High Uinta backpacking Adventure to write that book, and I have since become a strong believer in GUARDIAN ANGELS.

NOW BACK TO 2023

I’M AMAZED AT THE PROGRESS THAT CAN BE MADE BY GETTING RID OF SICKNESS, WITH PROPER NUTRITION & STUBBORN DETERMINATION– FROM ONLY ONE REPETITION A WEEK OR TWO AGO, NOW UP TO 15–and now not being out of breath, nor needing to rest, with better balance and doing a little more each day I’m able to better manage my blood pressure…..that for a while was so out of control I laid down to sleep at night with two nitro glycerine tablets within easy reach, well as a couple of aspirins, and left the door unlocked so Jesse wouldn’t have to break in…..in case of….well you know!

NOW NEW WONDERFUL INDOOR STAIRS FOR COLD WEATHER…..

I checked in with Security, a wonderful ex-Army drill Sargent, who fully sympathized with my need, he telling me, “I hope when you get to be my age you can be in as good a physical condition as I am!” I asked him how old he was, he replied, “SIXTY-SIX!” ….he apparently assumed I was younger than him. I of course couldn’t resist saying,

“I’M EIGHTY-SEVEN!”

My new drill Sargent friend, Rod, shocked said, “NOW YOU ARE BRAGGING!”

A wonderful place for my exercise, where I can relax between laps–until my blood pressure normalizes & then increase a lap, etc. All 4 floors of course with restrooms drinking fountains, and comfortable chairs–and, just in case I push myself too much I’m in THE RIGHT PLACE!

That leads us into what a friend said after one of my lectures at the Utah Valley Historical Society, that being:

“WHAT A LIFE, WHAT A COUPLE OF BOOKS! “

The HIGH UINTA MOUNTAINS one that along with history, legends, survival stories that have saved lives, and up-to-date info and topographical maps on all the Trailhead areas, all of it my “MY JOYFULL LIFE SAVING WRITING,” or we might say:

MY JOYFUL LIFE ENHANCING & LIFE SAVING SECRETS FILL..……my HIGH UINTA MOUNTAINS BOOK

The revealing of what I have learned and done to be where I am, and still might be in the future, is worth it’s weight in gold, and the $20 it will cost you to get the entire digital book on your computer would be more than worth the cost!

When I created the book I insisted on it having what no other HIGH UINTA book had (has)— color photographs–and knew that color increases the cost so much that it was not possible to produce it as a printed book. Therefore it was introduced as an online, digital book for $20. I of course wanted a printed one for myself, paying $173 for it, and soon learned a few Uinta lovers–beginning with my buddy TED– were also interested in spending whatever to have a printed copy–thus about 60 of you spent from $140 up to $170 for your 730 page two volume copy.

HOW TO GET A 50+% DISCOUNT – I just learned that the cost to print one color copy is now $200, but COPYTECH can print a black & white copy with color cover, for $90 plus shipping cost, bringing it to around $100.

I’ll be frank and honest that for me THE COLOR IS WORTH THE EXTRA COST, but if you just want to get information you can save a lot with black & white.

To get an online copy of the HIGH UINTA MOUNTAIN book, some have called THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE UINTA MOUNTAINS, send me $20 (don’t be afraid of sending a $20 bill as we aren’t south of the border) along with your email address, and I will immediately email you the link to download the book with my permission to share once with a friend. 

Send to:  Cordell Andersen, 444 Elm St., American Fork, Utah 84003

TO AVOID PAYING ME FOR THE ONLINE UINTA BOOK, GET THE PRINTED BOOK BY GOING TO THE INFORMATION BELOW. REMEMBER TO SPECIFY IF YOU WANT IT IN BLACK & WHITE or COLOR.

IN THIS MONTAGE WE SEE A FEW OF THE 317 VARIETIES OF WILDFLOWERS I HAVE IDENTIFIED & PHOTOGRAPHED FROM THE FOOTHILLS OF THE UINTA TO THE TOP OF UTAH’S HIGHEST MOUNTAIN–KINGS PEAK!

**********************************

EVERYTHING REVEALED IN MOUNTAINS OF THE MAYA & HIGH UINTA MOUNTAINS BOOKS. With the hope all interested will ENJOY MORE THE WONDERMENT OF THE EARTH and SAVE LIVES!

Until now, you couldn’t get this 31 page writing without buying the online book for $20, BUT I DECIDED TO MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO ALL INTERESTED…..

FREE! Just click on the following:

THE ANTI-AGING CHALLENGE: Why, What & How?

MY LIFE …. WITH LOTS OF GLITCHES & SOLUTIONS….WORTH GOING THRU AGAIN AS THERE ARE CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS WORTH THEIR WEIGHT IN GOLD…..like COMPARING ME AT 83 TO BILL GATES AT 63!

This writing, on pages 31 and 32 describes FREE NUTRITION….from what generally are considered “WEEDS,” first, DANDELIONS (“diente de leon”) and then PURSLANE (“verdolago”), DANDELION I call “the Spinach of the Weed World.”

Back when I wrote it, I hadn’t discovered yet here in the U.S. “MACUY,” nor recognized yet “BLEDO” or Amaranth. One of these days I’ll update the writing which does deal with:

DANDELIONS or “DIENTE DE LEON”

DANDELIONS are the first to be ready to harvest in the Spring, and the last in the Fall, but are hated by ALMOST everybody, so soon the lawns where they get needed water are poisoned as this fellow is doing, and the vacant lots not getting watered, have the dandelions going dormant, so I BEGAN PLANTING PLOTS OF DANDELIONS in my garden, and lived on them, along with “Verdolaga” or Purslane, but…..

…the wild domesticated rabbits in our area were multiplying and quickly discovered my patches of watered dandelions and so during the summer of 2022 I DIDN’T HARVEST ANY DANDELIONS, the rabbits kept them mowed down like a lawn.

The cottontails also multiplied and soon followed the others in mowing down my dandelions……at the very time when I planted plots of MACUY, that then seeded themselves along with the BLEDO, so my chore became one of thinning them and controling them for better production.

The rabbits also eat VERDOLAGA or PURSLANE, as well as the others, but only prevented harvesting Dandelions. My watered and pampered weeds have our rabbits on the increase & too cute to harvest!

MACUY in the foreground, and mixed in and in the background stalks of BLEDO or AMARANTH now in the stage of producing sprouts each with spears of seeds that I harvest all together, even with at times woody stems, but no problem since they are blanched, then blended into a smoothie.

Below we see “BLEDO” or “AMARANTH” — the weed in our gardens we have all tried to eliminate, but it just keeps on bugging us, until like me–remembering my Guatemalan experience eating and liking it–which had me recently doing a little research and remembering it was sacred to the Mayans, even it’s seed considered a psuedo-grain extremely nuturitious….

After the initial harvest of leaves, I let it keep growing with sprouts along the stem that I harvest all summer along with the seeds.

As we see below, I don’t have to dig up the garden area anymore, except to bury egg shells, banana peels, etc. from the kitchen as fertilizer, and don’t have to actually plant anything. Each stake is where I have burried some great kitchen waste. All the containers are full of stuff accumulated during the winter when the ground is frozen, and will be burried when the ground thaws and mud gone so I can prepare lots of spots where my MACUY, BLEDO, and VERDOLAGA will grow incredibly well and…..

….. feed me with all the greens I need to replace expensive broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, spinach, swiss chard. beet greens, celery, cucumbers, etc. I need for a healthy diet. I will have a couple of tomato plants, and only have to buy during the year inexpensive CARROTS & FRUITS.

All of the weeds we are dealing with seed themselves–always so thick that my only chore is one of quickly thinning with my heart shaped hoe leaving clumps of MACUY and BLEDO–for better production, that from my small plot alongside my tiny Cabin-A home I produce my morning meal 365 days a year!

So every now and then during the summer I harvest a pot full, then blanch to disinfect, then freeze in shopping bags, each bag being a week to 10 days of smoothies–and have enough to last all winter and spring until the next harvest. By the end of the 2022 harvest in October I had 34 bags of processed weeds enough to last me until mid-summer when the new harvest will begin and continue about 3-4 months.

So, along with MACUY, another edible weed from Guatemala, mentioned at the end of the now FREE WRITING–I now let all of them have their way–taking over my garden and feeding me every morning throughout the year with a SMOOTHIE –with a few other things added, like a half banana, a carrot. an egg or two, fruit juice, red beet powder, etc.

In other writings I give credit to MACUY & BLEDO for having SAVED THE MAYANS, making their deficient diet of corn & beans– a BALANCED DIET–

ANOTHER OF MY IMPORTANT WRITINGS NOW SEPARATED FROM THE BOOK IS AVAILABLE….

………..actually my AUTOBIOGRAPHY FOR 0-22 YEARS–which laid the FOUNDATION FOR MY ENTIRE LIFE–and became PART 1 of my MOUNTAINS OF THE MAYA BOOK, I have also separated the edited and improved version of the 80 page writing which has other SECRETS FOR SUCCESS….at least SECRETS FOR MY LIFE, some of which might be helpful to you–at least interesting for some of you, and my family, but you see below the front page…….and below it a link to download it to your computer……

To download the 80 page writing, click on the following link:  

Part 1: 0-22 years  THE VISION QUEST: A Checkered Faith & Works Journey

INCLUDING some details on page 41 of THE EXPERIENCE AT 16 THAT GOT IT ALL STARTED…..

It was one night when 16 years old–with a NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE that (NDE) SAVED MY LIFE & it was REVEALED TO WHAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO DEDICATE MYSELF TO!

Several have reported my HIGH UINTA MOUNTAINS book & my stories and example SAVED THEIR LIFE! — My MOUNTAINS OF THE MAYA book tells about how my family & Guatemalan Foundation friends SAVED THOUSANDS AMONG THE MAYA! —

SO ALL WORTH EMBARRASING MYSELF REVEALING MY PROBLEMS & WEAKNESSES>>>SHOWING ALSO LIFE SAVING SOLUTIONS!

My main strategy in life was to….

TRUST IN THE LORD, NOT GIVE UP, NOR GIVE IN…..EASILY & SAVE LIVES!

“MICKEY MOUSE” ….TINY “COMEBACK” EFFORTS REVEALED TO SAVE LIVES! .…..& SEVERAL HAVE THANKED ME FOR SAVING THEIRS! …..so more than worth embarrassing myself!

SAVED on East Fork Pass BY SATELITE PHONE CALL TO BUDDY RUSS SMITH at SKYCALL COMMUNICATIONS!

This VIDEO below gives a review of all of my efforts, & SURVIVAL EXPERIENCES up to about 2014.

FOR MANY VIDEOS COVERING MY ENTIRE HIGH UINTA MOUNTAINS PROJECT……..

At www. youtube.com and then search for “Cordell Andersen COMEBACK videos” and you will find mixed with others all of the above. Searching for just “Cordell Andersen videos” you’ll find many more that you can watch for FREE.

ALL OF MY 8 SURVIVAL EXPERIENCES ARE DETAILED IN MY HIGH UINTA MOUNTAINS BOOK, as well as OTHER”S FAMOUS SURVIVAL EXPERIENCES THAT FAILED….& WHY?

SINCE MY BOOK WAS PUBLISHED ONLINE ONLY ONE BACKPACKER HAS DIED IN THE UINTAS…..and HE DIDN’T HAVE MY BOOK!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

RECENT EXPERIENCE FOR SURVIVAL BEING:

My life from 2 1/2 years ago being unable to walk……followed by months of exercises in bed forcing my dead leg to wake up, then to shopping carts at stores, to a walker, and finally with help from my infant GUARDIAN ANGEL, learned to take baby steps again…...WHY DO I BELIEVE SUCH…revealed in a moment.

Then using a walker…..I FINALLY BEAT THE KENYANS in THE COBAN INTERNATIONAL HALF MARATHON in Guatemala....in a dream….Then all pumped up by that, actually doing a HALF-MARATHON from American Fork to Alpine and back.…using the walker!

Admittedly I must have not looked too good as motorists were calling 911 and Policemen sent to rescue me……then two beautiful young ladies stopped to save me….and I narrowly missed a LOVE KIDNAPPING!

All the while at that time…and continuing today….working to solve a FAILED “NASAL TURBINATE REDUCTION SURGERY”…..causing BREATHING & MUCUS CONGESTION PROBLEMS. Turbinates are thin plates inside on both sides of the nose. If caused to swell breathing can be obstructed, with increased drainage of mucus causing congestion and wheezing in the throat. I have struggled with that problem since returning to the U.S. from my many years in Guatemala. One reduction surgery about 12 years ago helped for 2 years or so, then it returned. Then I found an effective inhaler permitting me to sleep well–but it’s ingredient–Oxymetazoline HCI–caused the turbinates to swell even more, but gave me short-term immediate congestion relief, however created a dependancy and began my high blood pressure problems! Another surgery about 18 months ago failed, and has got worse than ever with worsening ERRATIC BLOOD PRESSURE, etc., etc. with all sorts of interesting physical & mental problems of real old guys…in one month (April) to be in my 88th year!

Having been a Medical Specialist & instructor in the Army, and knowing how to use a Blood Pressure cuff has made possible understandng that issue–when & why it happens, and how to manage it, WHICH I BELIEVE HAS SAVED MY LIFE MANY TIMES!

NOTE: I believe all should get such a cuff and learn how to use it, as well as for backpackers, have an Oximeter to manage High Altitude Sickenss.

All of that, plus CANCER after the 1st summer of my High Uintas Project..…followed up to 2020 by 15 surgeries to remove, repair, or replace with titanium what was possible--all on top of my first mini-stroke in 1985, and another in 2020, all slowing me down a bit, but a lot of me was still capable of working pretty good–SO I KEEP MOVING & SOLVING EACH PROBLEM AS IT ARRISES–others of course laughed at me calling me a RODEO CLOWN, a CRAZY DON QUIJOTE DE LA MANCHA and worse.…..but I embraced the funny ones having a good laugh or two at myself and WENT TO WORK….

….. used Fitness Center, and STAIRS–in several places for winter , & then FOOTHILLS…..and after a lot of effort reported here…….

…..FINALLY AT THE END OF THE 2022 SEASON DID A HIKE IN THE UINTAS using trekking poles and only one 5 lb. pack on my back–as my misaligned spine can’t bear the weight of a regular pack, the rest of my gear in waist packs, including a large “Lumbar waist pack” you see on my lower back or butt!

Then in December 2022, after a Christmas in Texas with family as reported in my last post–scroll down to see it, but we all returned with some kind of strange sickness that had a couple of us laid up for a month, with me no fever, but multiplied nasal/throat mucus and congestion. I finally came out of it but incredibly weak and nearly losing all of my balance….but too much of me was still working pretty good, so…I HAD TO GO TO WORK…AGAIN, and EXERCISE but with the cold weather I had to do more than push a shopping cart around inside of Walmarts –which I do going around the store a couple of times….or parking lot if good weather>>>>so….

…. I found 3 flights of stairs at the Revere Health Clinic where I could…..go TO WORK AGAIN the first time or two getting out of breath and needing to rest after just one lap of the 52 steps…..BUT PERSISTED….NOT ACCEPTING DEFEAT!

……and just in the last few days with weather above freezing for a few hours every day…..back to the outdoor stairs with help from my little buddy GUARDIAN ANGEL, and making surprising progress that for a while I wondered if it would ever happen again !!!!

A big part of this was solving the constant mucus congestion and wheezing making sleep almost impossible. Before the “strange Texas sickness” I had learned that only one medicine loosened the mucus and made productive coughing, that being Guaifenesin in 600 mg or 1200 mg, but quite expensive to be taking several times every day–for this “Young Ruler” who took the Lord serously in the BIBLE parable and ended up with only half of what normal people get for Social Security for not having paid into the system for all my years in Guatemala–especially before sleeping. But I found it as seen below at DOLLAR TREE now with inflation up to $1.25 per 15 tablets of 400 mg. tablets. Then happy to find the exact same medicine at WALMARTS as seen below at .88 cents per bottle. Usually during the day taking just one tablet was enough, but before retiring needing to take 3 tablets, equal to one 1200 mg tablet of MUCINEX. Still a great savings, and very effective, making the cost only about .30 cents per day!

But, for that to be effective, I also had to start doing a SINUS RINSE …..

….. at least once or twice during the day, and 15 minutes before retiring, followed by taking 3 tablets of the above medication– Guaifenesin— MUCUS RELIEF . The 3rd part of the formula that made it all work, was an inhaler–the one with Oxymetazoline HCI being incredibly effective, but it had a warning for people with heart problems–and previously using it for years and years likely helped create my heart problems, so reduced using it to only one spray in each nostril, while finding a combination of two that gave me almost the same results (mainly Budesonide Nasal Spray from WM’s)……..

…….PRODUCING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS CLEAR BREATHING AT NIGHT & NO WHEEZING!

ALSO, WHEN THE WEATHER ONCE IN A WHILE WARMS A BIT…..BACK TO THE TIMPANOGOS FOOTHILLS….which always feels so much better than the stairs, and helps a lot….like–ONLY– on February 18th:

But, now on February 22 we awoke with snow, so for a while…..

BACK TO THE OUTDOOR STAIRS….or INDOOR CLINIC.

… with help from my little GUARDIAN ANGEL, and quite miraculously quickly gaining the strength I had lost, as well as some of my balance!

After a day or two of help from my GUARDIAN ANGEL, I kept it up all by myself increasing a few laps or repetitions every day, but my memory hasn’t been helped by my little friend–apparently Guardian Angels aren’t perfect….yet, and I sometimes lose track of how many I’ve done….so to not do less, or more than I should each day, I started keeping track with the colorful rocks I like so much.

So, today February 10th, I did 15 STONES–or repetitions, but NOW using just 5 rocks, then moving them forward or backwards and only forcing my mind to remember 1 set, 2 sets, or 3 sets which I did today, and then moving the 5 rocks off to the side so no one would trip on them. I must say I felt great…..great, compared to just two weeks ago when at the Clinic stairs 1 repetition had me out of breath and needing a hand-up from my little friend, but he refused and gave me the message I had to push myself and learn to do it alone–AND ITS BEEN WORKING, thanks to him, and the Lord!

GAURDIAN ANGELS UNDER SUSPICION!

I suspect that some of you are doubting my stories about my infant Guardian Angel, and I’ll have to admit not actually seeing him....yet, and have neglected to ask him his name……but now a few days later learned his name is ….surprise, surprise–TED–so now I have two cherished friends named TED! But for those who haven’t read my MAYA BOOK, let me tell you my experience:

In 1975 I helped Janie Thompson, and the BYU PROGRAM BUREAU plan for the LAMANITE GENERATION–a group of Native American student singers & dancers– a tour of Latin America, which included in our remote area of Guatemala an outdoor performance on our Paradise Valley Plantation, then known as THE CID: A Center for Indian Development, and another in the colonial city of Coban.

In the clean-up work a couple of days later our precious little 2 year old Michelle, we lovingly called “Pepita,” was tragically killed in an accident related to the clean-up. You can read all the details of the tragedy in my MAYA BOOK, pages 125 and 293.

Sometime later I had to make a trip to Guatemala City and alone left early before sun-up. A while later as the day was dawning I became drousy and went to sleep, my pickup veering off the road headed for a deep ravine……when all of a sudden A SLAP ON MY FACE awakened me in time to save me from what likely would have ended my life-long work among the Mayans.

I LITERALLY HEARD THE SLAP and FELT THE STINGING ON MY FACE! I was alone, except for someone I couldn’t see who was there to SLAP ME and SAVED MY LIFE!

I FELT STRONG IMPRESSIONS AT THAT MOMENT THAT IT WAS MY “PEPITA” WHO AT LEAST FOR THAT EVENT WAS MY GUARDIAN ANGEL. This was not the last such life saving event in my Mayan Adventure–as it was said we lived from “CRISIS TO CRISES,” and I added, “FROM MIRACLE TO MIRACLE”, and I also had quite a few in my 2,000 miles of High Uinta backpacking Adventure to write that book, and I have since become a strong believer in GUARDIAN ANGELS.

NOW BACK TO 2023

I’M AMAZED AT THE PROGRESS THAT CAN BE MADE BY GETTING RID OF SICKNESS, WITH PROPER NUTRITION & STUBBORN DETERMINATION– FROM ONLY ONE REPETITION A WEEK OR TWO AGO, NOW UP TO 15–and now not being out of breath, nor needing to rest, with better balance and doing a little more each day I’m able to better manage my blood pressure…..that for a while was so out of control I laid down to sleep at night with two nitro glycerine tablets within easy reach, well as a couple of aspirins, and left the door unlocked so Jesse wouldn’t have to break in…..in case of….well you know!

NOW NEW WONDERFUL INDOOR STAIRS FOR COLD WEATHER…..

I checked in with Security, a wonderful ex-Army drill Sargent, who fully sympathized with my need, he telling me, “I hope when you get to be my age you can be in as good a physical condition as I am!” I asked him how old he was, he replied, “SIXTY-SIX!” ….he apparently assumed I was younger than him. I of course couldn’t resist saying,

“I’M EIGHTY-SEVEN!”

My new drill sargent friend, Rod, shocked said, “NOW YOU ARE BRAGGING!”

A wonderful place for my exercise, where I can relax between laps–until my blood pressure normalizes & then increase a lap, etc. All 4 floors of course with restrooms drinking fountains, and comfortable chairs–and, just in case I push myself too much I’m in THE RIGHT PLACE!

That leads us into what a friend said after one of my lectures at the Utah Valley Historical Society, that being:

“WHAT A LIFE, WHAT A COUPLE OF BOOKS! “

The HIGH UINTA MOUNTAINS one that along with history, legends, survival stories that have saved lives, and up-to-date info and topographical maps on all the Trailhead areas, all of it my “MY JOYFULL LIFE SAVING WRITING,” or we might say:

MY JOYFULL LIFE ENHANCING & LIFE SAVING SECRETS FILL..……my HIGH UINTA MOUNTAINS BOOK

The revealing of what I have learned and done to be where I am, and still might be in the future, is worth it’s weight in gold, and the $20 it will cost you to get the entire digital book on your computer would be more than worth the cost!

When I created the book I insisted on it having what no other HIGH UINTA book had (has)— color photographs–and knew that color increases the cost so much that it was not possible to produce it as a printed book. Therefore it was introduced as an online, digital book for $20. I of course wanted a printed one for myself, paying $173 for it, and soon learned a few Uinta lovers–beginning with my buddy TED– were also interested in spending whatever to have a printed copy–thus about 60 of you spent from $140 up to $170 for your 730 page two volume copy.

HOW TO GET A 50+% DISCOUNT – I just learned that the cost to print one color copy is now $200, but COPYTECH can print a black & white copy with color cover, for $90 plus shipping cost, bringing it to around $100.

I’ll be frank and honest that for me THE COLOR IS WORTH THE EXTRA COST, but if you just want to get information you can save a lot with black & white.

The “IMPOSSIBLE DREAM In the Mountains of the Maya” book, 568 pages, that is my 80+ year autobiography that now begins with Part 1 the crucial 0-22 year VISION QUEST! ….but which you can get separatly clicking on the previous link.

Followed by Parts 2, 3, & 4 that tells the story of how what started as THE ANDERSEN FAMILY PRIVATE PEACE CORP, ended up not being so crazy as almost everyone said it was, rather, achieved the “DREAM” as someone said,

“SAVED THOUSANDS, AND AIDED MANY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF MAYANS GET AN EDUCATION!” and furthermore “Stimulated the organization of a WORLD-WIDE HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATION!”

I’ll have to be frank about this book, as it is too “controversial” for most people, even though a thorough, careful reading of the entire book with an honest heart shows clearly it has a noble purpose closely alligned with the BIBLE and modern scriptures.

The now finished book took me a lifetime to live, and 5 years to write, finished with one last crucial addition on February 6, 2023, which is a picture of where the FIRST TWO MIRACLES OCCURRED on the SEA OF CORTEZ when 7 year old Julie and 5 year old David were set adrift ALONE on the open sea in our 12 foot aluminum boat….but humbly knelt in the boat and prayed for help….and were saved!

Today at COPYTECH a color print of the book costs $154, but they can also do a black & white book, with color cover, the cost being only $55. For me the color is worth it, but if you just want information, get black & white. The online version of the MAYA MOUNTAINS BOOK is FREE. Go to https://www.guatemalanfoundation.org/

To get an online copy of the HIGH UINTA MOUNTAIN book, some have called THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE UINTA MOUNTAINS, send me $20 (don’t be afraid of sending a $20 bill as we aren’t south of the border) along with your email address, and I will immediately email you the link to download the book with my permission to share once with a friend. 

Send to:  Cordell Andersen, 444 Elm St., American Fork, Utah 84003

TO AVOID PAYING ME FOR THE ONLINE UINTA BOOK, GET THE PRINTED BOOK OF YOUR CHOICE, BY GOING TO THE INFORMATION BELOW. REMEMBER TO SPECIFY IF YOU WANT IT IN BLACK & WHITE or COLOR.

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