Called, “BAD ASS” on BYU RADIO!!!!

NOTE: There were apparently a couple of negative reactions to the “Bad Ass” label thinking it was a bit “crude” ….. so for your information here is one positive interpretation by the one who should know….as she ran the show:

ONE POSITIVE REACTION –

“Cordell, you deserved the praise. Thanks again for coming on the show!”

Julie Rose, Host

https://www.byuradio.org/episode/e7b87e9c-1bb7-4f4d-8d8a-c9908bcd3f0d/top-of-mind-with-julie-rose-the-making-of-a-psychiatrist-hiking-culture-panel

Thanks Julie for making it clear that in the jargon of outdoor people today the label was a positive one of “praise”

Dear High Uinta Friends,

Sorry about that …..listen and be the judge whether it was meant to be good, or bad. I was a part of a panel discussion on the Julie Rose show last Friday, June 29th, from 3-5…..“HIKING & BACKPACKING” was the topic. The first half of the show was an interview with a psychiatrist, then came my participation & being “labeled.” You can listen to it @ HIKING CULTURE with JULIE ROSE.

By tomorrow evening I will have a new post that updates the progress of the Project, and what to expect this summer as some progress is being made in my recovery from a three pronged attack made on me recently.

Hope to see you on the trail.

Your outdoor buddy,

Cordell M Andersen

The HIGH UINTAS WILDERNESS PROJECT

THE JULIE ROSE SHOW on BYU Radio

June 3, 2018June 3, 2018

CHECKING THE REASONABLE CAPABILITY OF AN OLD GUY IN HIS 83rd YEAR

I’ve been known to be stubborn…….

and admit being OLD & HALF WORN OUT……

BUT INSIST I’M NOT STUPID–with the half of me that still works pretty good capable of more than you could imagine!

But being in my 83rd year, and the 16th of my HIGH UINTAS WILDERNESS PROJECT, is reason to be cautious….but it got complicated this past winter with 3 months lost in my conditioning with a bad case of BRONCHITIS….with remnants still hanging around, and a reduction in my pulmonary capacity.

My heart passed the STRESS-TREADMILL ordeal with flying colors, but with

the problems I’ve had in recent years with

HIGH ALTITUDE SICKNESS……need to be careful.

So this week I will be checking out just how much I can accomplish by spending half of the week of June 4th in the BALD MOUNTAIN PASS area in my trailer you see above in the parking lot.

I’ll be doing the following hourly:

Checking frequently my BLOOD PRESSURE & PULSE

And…most importantly checking the oxygen level in my blood with my oximeter that now goes everywhere with me in the High Country.

The count should be 90 or above. If it dips, I rest a bit until my body normalizes. If it gets low and won’t normalize that could bring on High altitude Sickness, the only solution is

GO DOWN TO A LOWER ELEVATION.

SURVIVAL IN THE HIGH COUNTRY…the 1st RULE:

Let people know specifically where you’re going

Monday, June 4th: Drive to Bald Mountain Trailhead parking lot, check vitals, then CLIMB MT. BALDY, 11,943 ft. checking at every rest stop my vitals–especially focusing on how my reduced pulmonary capacity responds to high altitude.

Tuesday, & Wednesday – June 5th & 6th: If all went well with the climb, do a little backpacking from the Pass Lake Trailhead, hiking .5 miles to Scout Lake (10,387 ft.), then about another mile to Lofty Lake (10,888 ft.), and spending the night trying out a new system to reduce load–using my new Bivy Sack, that I’ll report on in a week with photos.

From Lofty Lake, I will drop down to Kamas Lake and return to the Trailhead by Wednesday afternoon having done 4 miles of backpacking.

I will return to civilization Wednesday to see the 3rd NBA Finals game, and evaluate the results of being at medium altitude and then plan accordingly the rest of the backpacking season.

If it seems reasonable, smart and enjoyable, I will do two more backpacks in June: To Hell’s Hole & then to much higher Naturalist Basin.……then evaluate what might be wise for July, all with the hope of in August doing the entire HIGHLINE TRAIL from Hayden Pass to near Flaming Gorge.

May 21, 2018May 21, 2018

MIRROR LAKE SCENIC BYWAY OPEN — GRANDVIEW TRAILHEAD ROAD….hopefully by May 26th

MIRROR LAKE SCENIC BYWAY OPEN

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THE HADES CANYON ROAD TO THE GRANDVIEW TRAILHEAD

Hopefully will be open by the Memorial Day weekend

Road open to Splash Dam

Above here there was one avalanche that has snow on the road still. The Forest Service will work on getting that cleared and road open by the weekend.

No one from the Forest Service has hiked up the trail to the Grandaddies….as of today–Monday, May 21st.

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If you happen to be the first up the trail, send me a report and some fotos..PLEASE

April 23, 2018April 30, 2018

ACCESSIBILITY #1 Wolf Creek Pass–No.Fork of Duchesne River–Grandview TH & Mirror Lake Byway

On April 22 (2018) made my first exploratory/accessibility trip into the Western High Uintas.

WOLF CREEK PASS IS OPEN AS YOU CAN SEE BELOW IN SEVERAL PHOTOGRAPHS

Wolf Creek Pass and the “Gateway to the Grandaddies” at the Grandview Trailhead are both at approximately the same elevation, which sort of indicates what the snow depth would be at the Trailhead.

We have come down from the pass to the Canyon of the North Fork of the Duchesne River — which canyon we see below, with basically no snow in sight.

The North Fork of the Duchesne River is as low as I have ever seen it.

Above we are looking up at Hades Canyon. The road to the GRANDVIEW TRAILHEAD is still closed. A Forest Service worker 10 days ago drove the road and got to the Splash Dam, but with 3 large trees across the road, plus some rock slides. They will work at getting that cleared up, but at Splash Dam there is still too much snow, so it will be a while before the road will be open to the Trailhead. As soon as there is further developments, I’ll let all know.

THE MIRROR LAKE SCENIC BYWAY — SR-150

At 14 miles from Kamas there is a barrier with a large sign explaining that there is no maintenance during the winter, and the road is closed…..but half the highway is open for snowmobilers and others. On April 22nd I was able to drive 6 more miles where cars with trailers, etc. were parked as seen below.

With the warm weather, this stopping point will gradually move up the canyon. According to the Forest Service in Kamas, there is no specific date scheduled to clear and open up the highway, so the official statement is:

“The Scenic Byway will be open sometimes between Memorial Day and July 4th.”

I will immediately advise of anything more specific.

In the meantime, I will continue my workouts in hopes of being ready for backpacking in my 83rd year, with a couple of warm-up backpacks in June & another couple in July, and hope to be ready for doing in August the entire HIGHLINE TRAIL from the Hayden Pass Trailhead to its actual end (or beginning) on highway 191 from Vernal to Flaming Gorge — 106 miles, plus extras as I follow the spine of the Uinta Mountains, for a total of around 126 miles.