This website is dedicated to the adventures of Cordell M Andersen. Recently Cordell has been focused on the High Uinta Wilderness in Utah, USA.
In the summer of 2003 I launched myself into exploring and photographing this incredible Wilderness. After a couple of short warm-up backpacks, I began a 27 day no re-supply backpack I call an "expedition," and logged 236 miles. In the first hour along the famous Highline Trail, I met Pulitzer Prize winning author, Philip Fradkin, who a year later in the second edition of his book, SAGEBRUSH COUNTRY, wrote:
"A mile or two down the trail I met Cordell Anderson. He was about my age and, although smaller, was carrying eighty pounds of food, clothing and equipment....The distinctive border of the most recent issue of NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC stuck out of his red backpack. He planned to write articles for that publication and others like it, and hopefully a book about the Uintas. Knowing something about the writing game and what he faced alone on the trail, I wished him luck on his planned 27 day sojourn."
In November of that year (2003) Fradkin, in an email to me said:
"Congratulations on a remarkable achievement. To tell you the truth, I didn't think you would make it when I encountered you on the trail the first day, but you must have remarkable stamina and will power. The difficult part will be putting words to your adventure, but I am sure that you will also master that."
By the end of 2010 season I had 1,450 miles under my belt, and would have done more and finished the project, but there have been glitches along the way--2 cancer surgeries, several radiation treatments, operations to cope with my "football ankle," and "motorcycle knee," several tough survival experiences, and a heart attack. My reconstructed ankle is held together with 3 screws, and a transplanted tendon. My knee is now titanium. A fantastic off-season job at Reams Supermarket in Springville has had my 20 year old irregular heart beat, and high blood pressure ALL GONE, and I'm preparing for a 300-400 mile summer in my 76th year to get to the last remote and exotic areas to complete my photographic collection of all aspects of the Wilderness, plus images of all the adventure loving "Uinta friends" I meet on the trail.
I will be posting many updates on this website as I continue to share with all interested the majestic beauty of Utah's greatest wilderness. As I persist towards my goal I will also continue to be a correspondent for KSL Radio's Outdoor Program each Saturday morning from 6:00 to 8:00, calling in during my backpack explorations to the program via satellite phone provided by my good friend, Russ Smith at Skycall Communications.
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