I HAVE GRATEFULLY LEARNED THAT WHAT MY BOOK PROMOTES SAVED AT LEAST 4 LIVES WE KNOW ABOUT LAST YEAR. LET’S DO IT AGAIN IN 2020!
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PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR HAVING FAILED SO FAR TO MAKE AVAILABLE AS PROMISED:
THE GUIDE FOR DOING THE HIGHLINE TRAIL ……with information on short detours to see the most scenic spots in the Uintas & for fishing information, but I have now been struggling for going on 3 weeks with CORVID-19 as well as struggling with my back pain that is making me a cripple-made worse a month ago when on an exploratory trip in the Uintas taking by far the worst fall of my life–THAT SHOULD HAVE KILLED ME, but it has made much worse my back problems!
I HOPE TO GET IT DONE ALONG WITH SAFETY TIPS DURING JULY. In the meantime get my book to help in your planning.
You can get the digital BOOK for $19.95. Just click on the link PURCHASE BOOK
Watch 9 min. YouTube video describing the book, click on that link
SCROLL DOWN TO PREVIOUS POST FOR MORE INFORMATION
“THE GATEWAY TO THE GRANDADDIES”
The road along the North Fork of the Duchesne River is in great shape, and past Defa’s Dude Ranch the gate is open to drivce up Hades Canyon you see here, with Lightning Ridge crossing the picture. No sign of snow.
Up to the Splash Dam there is no sign of snow, with the road in good shape.
In the vecinity of the GRANDVIEW TRAILHEAD there is a little snow along the road, but the road is dry.
On Thursday, June 11th there were three or four vehicles in the upper parking lot.
Here’s a view of the Register, with entries from June 3 on mentioning having had to deal with lots of snow. One entry on June 11th lists a party of 4 going for two nights to Fern Lake.
For sure this weekend of June 12th, Saturday the 13th and Sunday the 14th the parking lot will fill up with day hikers and backpackers. GOOD LUCK & let me know how you do. Above I’m on the East Grandaddy Mountain saddle, viewing Grandaddy Lake and the Basin.
NOW ON TO THE MIRROR LAKE SCENIC BYWAY
Here we see the PROVO RIVER FALLS . All the lower areas along the Highway are open with campers here and there, and all the minor trailheads in the lower country are open.
Here is a rough panorama of both sides of the CRYSTAL LAKE TRAILHEAD with a lot of cars as you can see.
This is TRIAL LAKE at the entrance to the Crystal Lake Trailhead area, with NOTCH PASS in the right distance, pretty well free of snow.
Here we are on 10,759 foot high BALD MT. PASS, with snow here and there, and still no access to the Trailhead and parking lot.
Here we are coming down into the Mirror Lake area with Hayden Peak on the left center, and Mt. Agassiz on the right.
We are here at the Hayden Peak Overlook, with Moosehorn Lake in the foreground.
We are seeing a portion of Mirror Lake with Bald Mountain in the background. There were a couple of cars in the Mirror Lake Trailhead parking lot.
Further along we swing by Pass Lake and then on the left is the entrance to the Pass Lake Trailhead.
Then we come to the entrance to the HIGHLINE TRAILHEAD, with just a little snow on the road to the parking lot, but it will be gone by tomorrow, but the lot was filling up when I dropped by on Friday.
The TRAILHEAD has an addition as those of you familiar with it will notice. It is a new register.
This was the register in 2019 and before, usually just a few pages ripped out of a notebook. I never could figure out why the Trailhead of THE MOST IMPORTANT TRAIL IN ALL OF UTAH….THE “HIGHLINE TRAIL” was so humiliated!
I tried to remedy that in 2019 by fixing up a register and gifted it to the Forest Service, as you can see above, with pages I photocopied filling it as seen below.
Well, something finally happened….A NEW VERY NICE REGISTER.
The FOREST SERVICE changed very appropriately the cover photo, but I was pleased to find my loose-leaf binder now put to use and filled up with great pages for maybe the first time in history.
A few trips have been attempted, like one to PACKARD LAKE which is at a lower elevation and likely accessible without too much snow in the way. The Naturalist Basin, and points further east might be a little more difficult now, but when I came back by on Friday, the parking lot was filling up with adventurers. LET ME KNOW HOW YOU DO.
Then down to the North Slope seeing magnificent OSTLER PEAK, and the road to Christmas Meadows and the Christmas Meadows/Stillwater Trailhead.
OSTLER PEAK & SPREAD EAGLE MOUNTAIN.
The TRAILHEAD is about 5 miles from the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway.
Quite a bit of activity as the Trailhead is in lower country, but with trails to the Amethyst Basin, and to Middle Basin with Ryder & McPheeter Lakes, and to West Basin with Lake Kersuh. I would suspect there would be quite a bit of snow in the high country still.
Last of all about 100 yards in on the Whitney Road, is found what was once a magnificent display on the HILLIARD FLUME. It’s a story I tell in my book, about the tie hackers, and all of such displays would be more than worthwhile replacing….HINT, HINT!
scroll down for all the information you will need to get my book which has all the updated information, and topographical maps you will need for unending adventures in our wonderful HIGH UINTA MOUNTAINS.
NOTE: I have taken the DWR listing of all stocking done during 2019, and separated out those lakes and reservoirs in the High Uinta area: Summit, Daggett, Uintah, and Duchesne Counties. They are listed in two pages you can download.
The one IMPORTANT NEW STOCKING is in CRATER LAKE, the Uinta’s and Utah’s deepest lake at 147′, originally the lake had brook trout, then tiger trout were added, and for 2019 SPLAKE–a brook trout/lake trout hybrid.
The possibilities are exciting! I just wish I could make it back there one more time–I’m now in my 85th year & hurting some.
This is the Utah “catch & release” record SPLAKE, caught at Joe’s Valley Reservoir in 2017. Due to the short growing season in the High Uintas, splake will not grow this large, but it will be exciting to see how the stocking in Crater Lake develops.
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SNOW DEPTHS:
Wolf Creek Pass =Apr. 8th– 60″ -24th–53″ – 30th–37″;
Bald Mt. Pass= Apr. 8th– 68″ – 24th–62.4″ – 30th–51″
So we’ll now begin our daily log
SNOW DEPTHS ON PASSES
DATE — WOLF CREEK— BALD MOUNTAIN
May 1– 3 6.8 inches — 50.9 inches
May 2–35 inches — 51.7 inches
May 3– 32 inches — 48 inches
May 4–32 inches — 48 inches
May 5– 29.5 inch — 47 inches
May 6– 37 inches — 45.9 inches
May 7– 35 inches — 45 inches
May 8– 34 inches — 45 inches
May 9– 31.4 inches – 41.4 inches
May 10- 28.4 inches – 40 inches
May 11- OPEN – — – 38 inches
May 12- 21.3 inches- — 37 inches
May 13- 18 inches — — 37 inches
May 14- 13.8 inches– 37 inches
May 15- 11 inches– — 36 inches
May 16- 9 inches– — 35 inches
May 17- — — — — — 34 inches
May 18- — — — — —31.8 inches
May 19- — — — — — 30 inches
May 20- — — — — — 29 inches
May 21-
May 22- — — — — — 28 inches
May 25- — — — — –26 inches
May 26- — — — — 25 inches at Noon!
May 27- — — — — 21.5 inches
May 29- — — — —13 inches
May 30- — — — –-11 inches at 9AM
May 31- — — — — 5 inches at noon
BALD MT. PASS – The UDOT website still says it’s CLOSED. Just called the Forest Service and it is true….they were saying “waiting until the snow melts” –which likely will happened soon. The highway is open to Teapot Lake on May 25th –mile post 26. GOT TO BE OPEN NOW so we can get prepared for hiking & backpacking
GET MY BOOK TO HELP YOU PREPARE SAFELY!
— A FEW PHOTOS FOLLOW on May 11:
The GATE, 14 miles from Kamas is open. and road clear for about 7 miles
About 5 miles from the GATE there is snow on both sides of the highway and we get a view of Bald Mountain
Another two miles, or 7 miles from the GATE most of the highway has snow on it but melting quickly.
A few miles from Kamas, flowers are beginning tobloom.
in the meantime scroll down and check on what you need to begin making your summer plans–a printed book as seen below ideal but for digital version click on that—
TO PURCHASE THE DIGITAL BOOK: PAY PAL recommended
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The first to get the book printed–was one of my Explorer-Scouts from 1962, Merrill Finlayson, who said:
“I have mine and am loving it!
Nothing like holding a good book in your hands. Thanks Cordell!”
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Scroll down for information on PRINTED VERSION
THE 2019 HIKING/BACKPACKING SEASON WAS AMAZING & A BLESSING ACHIEVING THE GOAL OF “NO DEATHS IN THE UINTAS.“
I HAVE GRATEFULLY LEARNED THAT WHAT MY BOOK PROMOTES SAVED AT LEAST 4 LIVES WE KNOW ABOUT. LET’S DO IT AGAIN IN 2020!
You can get the digital BOOK for $19.95. Just click on the link PURCHASE BOOK
Watch 9 min. YouTube videodescribing the book, click on that link
FREE 28 page BOOKLET
The history of the making of the book, along with a few of the stunningly beautiful scenes of innumerable such scenes available in these amazing mountains.
Click on the following link – 83 YEAR HISTORY – to see it & download it to your computer:
The booklet contains an edited-improved version of my presentation at the Utah Valley Historical Society meeting on December 10, 2019. NOTE: Those who have this on thumb drives, except those acquired after March 10th, will find it gone and have to get it here.
Plus, newly found– THE ORIGINAL 1923 BOOK THAT–in my youth, INTRODUCED ME TO JEDEDIAH STRONG SMITH
Within a couple of days I’ll have the entire book available here for FREE! NOTE: I’m still at it, but taking a bit longer than anticipated. Check back in a few days.
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A HARD-PRINTED VERSION
A recent order of 12 PRINTED BOOKS has been shipped that brings to 32 those who wanted and are grateful for the HARD COPY.
A new list of those wanting the printed book is now underway. Email me if you want to be on the list.cordellandersen@hotmail.com
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The HIGH UINTA MOUNTAINS book…….
……… is LARGE FORMAT with over 1,600 full-color photographs, 120 topographical & road maps, 730 pages printed on photographic paper of the highest quality and divided into two volumes as seen below–all of which is costly. I got one for myself at Office Depot that cost me $173.50, and was then surprised how many of my High Uinta Friends just had to have a hard copy too.
One of my Explorers from 1960, Merrill Finlayson–quoted in the beginning of this post, led to me talking to the printer and learning by ordering 10 or more at a time I would be given a discount allowing me to offer the book for $140 with sales tax and shipping included. So…….
….if your interest is having a PRINTED COPY OF THE BOOK with spiral binding as seen below, cost is $140. Prices include sales tax, and shipping. Email me at: cordellandersen@hotmail.com. When we have accumulated a list of 10 or more interested I will advise you so you can send me a check, and I will place the order with the printer — and in short order send your book via U.S. Postal Service.
FLASH! I’m forming a new list of those interested. Email me if interested (cordellandersen@hotmail.com ). You might have to wait a while on the new list to get to 10.
The SPIRAL BINDING is best for
individuals as it will stay open to the page of your choice. The DIGITAL
VERSION also facilitates printing the pages of your choice or the entire book.
Also available is a “library
friendly” version so call numbers can be visibly added and make possible
shelving–seen below.
THE LIBRARY FRIENDLY VERSION WITH REGULAR BINDING–Seen above is available for $150 each. You should advise your Public Library and encourage them to order the book as otherwise they will have an information gap that only this book can fill. They have to first advise us via email of their sure interest–and then wait for the list to grow so we can make an order with the printer at which time they will be advised so their check can be forwarded.
A HIGH UINTA FRIEND WHO PURCHASED THE PRINT VERSION — emailed me the following:
“It was such a pleasure to meet you this morning! I enjoyed our conversation. Thanks for your kindness, and thanks for the devotion getting your book put together! It is a treasure of information, and now that I have a paper copy, I am very impressed with the color and beauty of the pictures and maps you have created! The paper quality makes it even better! The online version looks great, but I am an old man and I just love paper. This copy is magnificent! I have been poring over it today for hours, and it is such a great amount of knowledge and practicality, wrapped into 700 pages! Thanks Again, Lon W. Sorensen, RETIRED”
GREAT FOR GIFTS! YOU DESERVE ONE FIRST, THEN AT ANYTIME THROUGHOUT THE YEAR FOR OTHERS, LIKE FOR BIRTHDAYS, or JUST BECAUSE!
THUMB DRIVES— with the book, as seen below, cost just $20 each at one of my presentations–or picked up at my place, or by sending me a check for $25 each: Cordell Andersen, 444 Elm St., American Fork, Utah 84003, sales tax, handling & shipping included.
TO PREPARE FOR THE 2020 BACKPACKING SEASON I SUGGEST YOU GET MY BOOK & BEGIN PLANNING FOR THE GREATEST OUTDOOR YEAR OF YOUR LIFE. For the digital book click on: PURCHASE BOOK For print versions or thumb drives, scroll up.
CRITICAL FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT & SAFETY:
In the book–for every nook & cranny of the Uintas, there is a large format topographical map with routes, distances & labels, plus details of getting to every lake in the Uintas. For your adventure just print the maps of your interest, like the examples I’ll insert below.
There are 106 topographical maps in the book that cover every Trailhead area, including many loop adventures from trailheads showing wonderful loop backpacks circling adventurous areas that will bring you back to your car. Other topographical maps are in the book that cover auto-loop areas such as the 138 mile North Slope Scenic Backway.
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INTERESTED IN SEEING THE ORIGINAL WEBSITE?
ORIGINAL WEBSITEclick on that link to bring back some great old memories & see some things not accessed with the new site, like my “Checkered autobiography,” and more.
REPORT: The WORLD PREMIER of the feature length movie HIGHLINE was shown first in Vernal on Jan. 24th and then in Salt Lake City, Utah on the 25th to a crowd of around 200 viewers.
I heartily send my thanks and congratulations to Chris Smead & the OUTMERSIVE organization for producing this wonderful movie and guide. This of course includes those who made the difficult backpack of the entire Highline Trail — from the eastern end of the trail near Flaming Gorge all the way — 104 miles– to the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway HIGHLINE TRAILHEAD at Hayden Pass.
In a month or so, and for sure several months before the 2020 backpacking season, I will publish & make available FREE here on my website a:
Guide to ENJOYABLY & SAFELY Do the HIGHLINE TRAIL.
There were problems encountered, shown in the movie, two of the original backpackers having to bail out unable to finish the hike: One with High Altitude Sickness problems, and another with blisters and feet problems. Both of these potential problems for hikers and backpackers are addressed in my book--with many related problems listed in the INDEX — the blisters and feet problems are found listed under GEAR, clothes & footgear.
NO MORE BLISTERS BACKPACKING, RUNNING HALF-MARATHONS–SINCE USING THESE SOCKS!
Another section of my GUIDE FOR THE HIGHLINE TRAIL, will be to list many points along the way from which with just short hikes or detours you can visit– AREAS CONSIDERED THE MOST BEAUTIFUL & AMAZING OUTDOOR SCENES IN UTAH, but never mentioned nor shown in the movie such as: The Red Castle area, and Triangle Mt. and Reconnaissance Lake seen below–& others.
Another category of my GUIDE will be to point out the opportunities along the Highline Trail for WONDERFUL FISHING — including THOSE FISHING SPOTS WITH THE POTENTIAL OF PRODUCING UTAH RECORD BREAKING TROUT and GRAYLING. Fishing is never mentioned in the movie but my guide will reveal all the secrets, but all should be coupled with information and maps found in my book.
