Sunday, November 26, 2023

HIGH UINTA MOUNTAINS BOOK now divided into two books available at www.amazon.com and pictured below

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IMPORTANT NOTICE:

My previous outdoor website:  www.cordellmandersen.com is not used for new items anymore but is left open to access historical matters of importance. What you can't access there will have to be Googled, using my name followed by your interest such as:    Cordell M. Andersen or Cordell Andersen, followed by your interest, like:  

Cordell Andersen videos, or C.A. High Uintas,  C.A. Grandaddies, C.A. Little Andy Lake, or Crow Basin, Tie Hackers, Pioneer Timber slides, 1,000 mile backpack, Light weight backpacking, Survival,  Speech in Evanston Wyo., Speech in Coalville, etc.,  etc. You will likely be led to YouTube videos, or newsletters, etc. If all else fails email me but best BUY THE BOOK, info to do so mentioned below with details at the end of this report.
With this other system at www.guatemalanfoundation.org,  I can actually put together a book, as I did with my 1st eBook: 
THE HIGH UINTA MOUNTAINS 
and 2nd, 
MY IMPOSSIBLE DREAM IN THE MOUNTAINS OF THE MAYA
and now my 3rd eBook, actually now my 5th:
DIVINE VISIONS of NATURE from the FOOTHILLS OF MT. TIMPANOGOS  

My original  HIGH UINTA MOUNTAINS book with 730 pages has been divided by the publisher into two books each with about 375 pages, both registered with the Library of Congress and available in hard cover, or paperback through Amazon.


Above we see the hardcover versions which have paper a bit better and wonderful color reproduction....well worth the slightly increased cost.  Paperback might be the best to take with on your 856 mile auto-loop tour.....after the early summer thaw,  but for your home library & coffee table and to recommend for your local 
Public Library, the hardcover is invaluable.

BELOW  is basic 
INFO on the original HIGH UINTA BOOK,  then FOLLOWS 
CHAPTER 1 of VISIONS of NATURE
From the 2023 summer-through December  REPORT of my  
 CURRENT EFFORTS in my 88th YEAR to..... 

"NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP......EASILY!"

     THE  original BOOK

It was born from experience in the Uintas in my youth, 
then from age 67 to 82 I did 2,000+ miles of backpacking 
to explore and photograph every drainage, and do research 
to publish online the 

730 page ebook in 2019.

  It is totally unique among HIGH UINTA MOUNTAINS books 
with over 1,400 color photos...and that's just for starters....
 MORE ABOUT THE BOOK at the end of this chapter and on my website:  https://cordellmandersen.com/
For info on the 

Click to RETURN TO HOME PAGE  then scroll 
down to find by chapters or sections the entire book, plus other related items. My FINAL MESSAGE continues.
Previously that MESSAGE is available in printable
versions in English and Spanish.
*********  
THE 2 NEW BOOKS 
AVAILABLE at AMAZON.COM


Both books are large format with large print to appreciate the photographs and make the many maps with routes, distances and labels useful: The first 389 pages, the second 369 pages.  At Amazon you can click on "Read sample" and see the Table of Contents of each, plus a portion of the Introduction.

Go to: 

www.amazon.com/

Tuesday, November 7, 2023

CHAPTER 4 ... of the new book DIVINE VISIONS of NATURE from THE FOOTHILLS OF MOUNT TIMPANOGOS.

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INTRODUCTION:  
From the Foothills of Mount Timpanogos I send to all my friends
CHAPTER 4
of my new book. 
In this chapter we will first travel a bit south and take a quick tour of
Battle Creek Canyon, 
and learn about the unique history of Pleasant Grove, Utah and 
the  Canyon has that name. 

In this chaper I will also use some Autumn photographs taken when
 actually putting together this chapter even though it will deal with
 my hiking activities built around my most difficult climb to the 
VALLEY VIEW SPOT on May 16th.

Then followed with a treasure trove of VISIONS that began in early
 summer.....with my discovery of each and then followed through to
 BLOSSOMING, and then to REPRODUCTION.


 The photograph for the title page was a beautiful wildflower introduced 
in Chapter 3 as #55 UTAH SWEET VETCH.
The detailed report about this gorgeous flower, including its edibility
 and medicinal uses,  is located towards the end of Chapter 3.

But, at the  end of Chapter 3  I promised to begin Chapter 4 with a flight  south to give you a little tour of 
BATTLE CREEK CANYON
and tell the critical history that in pioneer times was gaven  that name.

So, here is my ride that I would take to the canyon just south of Grove Canyon.......

......and below I can see that I wouldn't be alone, 
but taken on the flight by a very talented and experienced pilot.....


.....we'd best zoom in on him and find out for sure 
that the right guy  is doing me the favor.


........and zoom in just a little more to be sure I'm not going to be abducted by an alien!

Sure enough my good friend MIKE PACKARD didn't fail me
 again, and so off we go swooping past the "G" on the hill for PLEASANT GROVE....seen 5 o 6 pictures back in the panoramic shot of Mount Timpanogos and its foothills.  We swoop around past Mount Baldy and down into 

Battle Creek Canyon....


By the way you've all got to meet Mike and his wonderful father, Ted, one of my original HIGH UINTA TRAIL BUDDIES, who  gratefully is still my friend & brother..........they are seen below with me on our last backpack together into the GRANDADDIES!  
Oh, how I appreciate & love both of them.


NOW BACK TO
BATTLE CREEK CANYON


.......and we glide in for a landing at the mouth of the canyon below Pleasant Grove's water tank, where we find an 
INTRODUCTION to 
the historically important canyon.


As we proceed with the tour I will begin inserting in between pictures  what greets you 
on arrival at the parking lot, first an article on the subject of 
Battle Creek Canyon, then my summary of this important 
chapter in the history of the Utah Territory
Utah Valley, and the Foothills of Timpanogos.  


BATTLE CREEK CANYON MASSACRE

By Kade Dallin, Brigham Young University & Bryce Revelli, Brigham Young   

Historical information regarding a skirmish between Utes and Mormon militia.

This site highlights the fraught relationship that often existed between white 

settlers and Native Americans in Utah Territory. The Battle Creek Marker is in 

what is now known as Pleasant Grove, Utah. 

Here, on the morning of March 5, 1849, the relationship between Mormon settlers 

and a local band of Timpanogos Indians deteriorated into brutal hostility.




On March 1, 1849, a company of men from Salt Lake City were called up 

to find a group of Indians that were accused of stealing horses and cattle from 

Mormon settlers. Their orders  [from Brigham Young] were to find the band of thieves and to

“take such measures as would put a final end to their depredations in the future.” 

Eventually the leader of the company, Captain John Scott, received messages 

that stated the rogue Timpanogos had not taken any horses, but they had only 

taken cattle.  



However, he and his men were ordered to continue the expedition into 

the Utah Valley. After a meeting with a local tribal leader and help from an Indian 

guide, the armed company, apparently by then comprising from 35 to 50 

Mormon settlers, found the cattle thieves’ camp. They surrounded the camp, 

and attempted to negotiate a peace.  The suspected cattle thieves refused, 

and after the situation escalated, fighting broke out.    



After the fighting ended, the Mormon company had killed 4 Indians, and sustained 

zero casualties themselves. After the battle, the chief of the Indians that the company 

had met with the night before, whose name was Little-Chief, came riding up 

to the site of the battle. After seeing the massacre, Little-Chief was distraught. 

Although he reportedly agreed that the killing of the thieves was justified, 

he understood this would cause a rift to form between white settlers and local tribes.



The effects of this conflict were far reaching, and permanently damaged the

 already delicate relationship between the Native American tribes and the 

Mormon settlers. After this event, the creek and canyon 

became known as Battle Creek.

Untitledhttps://www.world-of-waterfalls.com/waterfalls/american-southwest-battle-creek-falls/Untitledhttps://www.blackhawkproductions.com/fortutah.htmUntitledBattle Creek Markerhttps://utahhistoricalmarkers.org/c/uc/battle-creek/Skip Interactive Map



NOW MY COMMENTS

First a clarification of the authors comments of the previous history.  This matter dealt with "Timpanogos" not "Ute" Native Americans.  The difference: 

The Timpanogos is a centuries-old band of the Snake-Shoshone. They are not members of the Ute Tribe and never were. The Timpanogos today live on the Uinta Basin Reservation in Utah and are distinctly different in origin, ancestral bloodlines, language, and customs.

Now to my summary of the history

On March 10, Brigham Young called for 30 families to leave and settle in  Utah Valley.  Part of them continued on to Provo, others remained  near the site of the March 5th skirmish and for a number of years the community was called BATTLE CREEK.  Later it was changed to the present name of PLEASANT GROVE.  



The Battle Creek Massacre was the first in a long chain of “massacres” and “wars” between the Mormon pioneers and the Native Americans.  The next in 1850 was the PROVO RIVER MASSACRE that occurred near the site of  Deseret Industries and the Provo River in North Provo. Eventually from 1865 to 1872 ensued the BLACK HAWK WAR in the Central Utah area, much of it seemingly stimulated by the governments effort to establish the Reservation system that ended with the establishment of the Uintah-Ouray Reservation in the Uintah Basin.


In 1863 occurred the The Bear River Massacre....that I should add was a U.S. military matter, not Mormon....north of the Great Salt Lake,   near what's now Preston, Idaho, leaving roughly 350 members of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation dead, with about 100 survivors.  This was the most deadly encounter between Native Americans and the U.S. military, 200 of which were sent from Fort Douglas in Salt Lake, with 23 dead among the soldiers.  This became  the bloodiest — and most deadly — slaying of Native Americans by the U.S. military, according to historians and tribal leaders.

NOW LET'S HIKE UP THE CANYON
I won't be identifying or saying anything about the beaurtiful 
Visions of Nature
I'll be showing you, but will do so about the same plants and trees back in Grove Canyon and foothills.



Below we begin seeing the first in a number of varieties of trees like the MOUNTAIN MAHOGANEY ,  CLIFF ROSE  and others we saw in the last chapter in Grove Canyon....that reproduce with each seed attached to a plume that the wind will carry far and wide.





Immediately we begin seeing wildflowers and beautiful plants ........












We see up above other trees loaded with 
blossoming flowers with plumes.

And, below along the trail  yet another tree with this fascinating system of reproduction and distribution of seeds.









Soon the climb up the canyon becomes a bit steeper and we see off to our right the beginning of waterfalls, culminated by the one called  BATTLE CREEK FALLS.






Now we will begin going down the canyon, 
seeing wonderful VISIONS of NATURE at every turn.















I will comment on the one below we have seen already......


......you know, the one you'd like to have growing in a pot in your sun room, or in your backyard.  It has tiny whitish fruits like infinately small pumpkins.
You should remember, as in Chapter 2 I dedicated a lot 
of space to this plant named:
POISON IVY!



NOW WE'LL HEAD BACK TO 
GROVE CANYON, 
and first focus for a moment on my 3rd 2023 climb to the
 Valley View Spot. 


My Chapter 2  was built around my first hike to the 
 SPOT 
going up Grove Canyon and then following the 
trail switchbacking up.   
Chapter 3 featured my second hike to the SPOT
 pictured above as the
"LONGEST BUT SAFEST" 
with two long switchbacks to the SPOT.


This Chapter 4 will 
feature my attempt to go straight up the ridge we see 
in the picture above ...to the SPOT....
...THE SHORTEST, BUT MOST DIFFICULT & DANGEROUS...
 ....for a "recovering cripple" who 4 years ago couldn't even walk, had lost all my balance, and my leg muscles disappeared.  I had to learn all over again like a baby does and build muscle from the bone up, that story told with pictures in Chapter 1.

 The actual hillside was very steep leading to the ridge, and frankly the ridge seemed to me much steeper than it looks in this picture. 

Now we will move on to the 
FOOTHILLS & MY CHALLENGE
You'll see it once we get up...."the mountain".... photos will show the kind of tough test this was for a "recovering cripple." 



I repeat again below some of the challenges I faced 
the summer of 2023 as I worked towards being an 88 year old 
recovering cripple-mountainman.

On May 16, 2023 
I decided to try and go straight up the mountain!  For all of you it's likely just a hill, but for what I've been through it was 
my mountain!


I bowed my head in prayer to the Lord...not for success in meeting my goal, but for wisdom as I headed up the trail on the left leaving the road......until getting to the main trail  a short distance up to a big clump of sagebrush, and I did fine.


Then I looked up at the trail you see continuing up to get to the ridge, but at that time earlier in the season it  was smooth, with no rocky footholds, and after just one attempt I decided it was too dangerous for my condition.  My spine specialist warned me that a fall could kill me because of my misalighned spine.  
NOTE: Later rains gouged out a bit the previous smooth trail which we see here that would have been much more possible for me. This picture shows that gouged out trail at least a month or more after I made my attempt.
So, I decided to hike a bit to the left to find  my way up to a deer/elk trail that would switchback back up towards the ridge hoping to hit it above the steepist part.


As I worked my way back towards the ridge the hillside got pretty darn steep for an old cripple, but luckily I found footholds....which were the deep hoof prints of elk made at a time when it had rained and they saved me....for a while.  I'll insert one of them below.


But I angled into the trail coming straight up the ridge too soon, with a real steep stretch ahead of me going up.  I kept going over towards the actual ridge hoping for a safer pathway, but I all of a sudden got to a spot that was so steep that taking another step I almost lost my balance...... and stopped just in time.  I literally was afraid to go forward, backwards the same, my only option going up....but for me it was pretty steep......and there flashed into my mind that I had prayed for "wisdom," so I just stopped, carefully leaned into the hill and sat down hanging onto a sagebrush!
After a few minutes of rest, all the while surveying my options, I rolled over and in a crawling position got to my feet and took a step around that sagebrush and low and behold, I found some deep elk tracks that I followed  to where you see more level ground below.


I was finally on the ridge shown in the montage below could see both ways, to the right looking down into Grove Canyon and seeing  snow covered Timpanogos, and to the left out acrossed the foothills and Utah Valley.


The picture above, on the left and right, both give a more accurate idea about just how steep the mountain was I was trying to climb.

 Along the way I was real happy to find several examples of a  wildflower I had never seen in the foothills...from Springville, and Provo all the way to the Foothills of Timpanogos. 

It is the beautiful
61.  MOTH or WAND MULLEIN



Moth mullein is an import from Eurasia that 
has spread all across the U.S.  



It might be worth while to quote the book 

PLANTS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS,  page 200, about MOTH MULLEIN, 
where it says:
"...it is generally considered non-toxic and safe for consumption in reasonable quantities.  The leaves contain large quantities of mucilage, which is soothing to mucous membranes, and experiments have shown the leaves to be strongly anti-inflamatory.  Leaves and flowers were traditionally used to make medicinal teas for treating chest colds, asthma, bronchitis, coughs and kidney infections.  They were also used in poultices on ulcers, tumors and hemorroids.  Chopped, dried leaves have been smoked for centuries to relieve spassmodic coughing.  The roots are said to stimulate urination and to have an astringent effecrt on the urinary tract, so root tea was taken to tone the bladder, as an aid to perevent bed-wetting and incontinence.

It sounds like this is one we can hope is successful in the reproduction phase to get it growing thick enough so we can use it to help us with a "bed-wetting" problem, as well as "smoking its leaves" to avoid the deadly affects of tobacco, as well as helping relieve coughing from too much mucus--one of my present problems  from my nasal turminates, and relieve all the inflamation causing all my pain, etc., etc.  WOW!

The problem, so far involved almost risking death to find it....climbing what I've shown you 
was a very steep mountain....for me!  I just hope the 
seed distribution system has it growing on lower, safer hillsides!

And, in 2024 I did find several plants fairly near the Trailhead that should make 2025 better for me and my problems....not bed wetting, rather a few of the other items mentioned.
 
Below I'll show you the plants I found lower in the hills,  the seeds and what I discovered with them.

First of all last year...2023.. in December I got this picture and didn't know what it was, labeled as UNIDENTIFIED, but I kept track of where it was and began following this year what started to grow from that spot.  The photos follow in sequence, fiest with my original photo below from early December 2023.

Google AI Overview tells us:
Moth mullein is species with yellow or white flowers and toothed leaf margins,  
Leaf shape:  Moth mullein leaves are often pointed at the tip, while wand mullein leaves have more rounded teeth.
Leaf size:  Moth mullein leaves are 9 to  45 cm long and 3 to 15 cm wide.  
Stems:  Moth mullein stems are erect and stout, raching .61 to 1.5 mn tall.
Native range:  Moth mullein is native to Eurasia, while want mullein is native to Great Britain, Italy, France and other regions.
Naturalized range:  Moth mullein is now found throughout the U.S. and southern Canada , while wand mullein is naturalized in North America, South America, Australia, New Zealand, and other regions.  

From here on are photos from 2024.
Interspersed between the following photos, I'll insert a fascinating article about his plant, by:

DESCRIPTION
Common mullein is an erect herb.  First year mullein plants are low-growing rosettes of bluish gray-green,  leaves that range from 4-12  inches in length and 1-5 inches in width.  Mature flowering plants are produced the second year, and grow to 5 to 10 feet in height, including the conspicuous flowering stalk.  The five-petaled yellow flowers are arranged in a leafy spike and bloom a few at a time from June-August.  Leaves alternate along the flowering stalks and are much larger toward the base of the plant.  The tiny seeds are pitted and rough with wavy ridges and deep grooves and can germinate after lying dormant in the soil for several decades.



ECOLOGICAL THREAT
Common mullein threatens natural meadows and forest openings, where it adapts easily to a wide variety of site conditions.  Once established, it grows more vigorously than many native herbs and shrubs, and its growth can overtake a site in fairly short order.  Common mullein is a prolific seeder and its seeds last a very long time in the soil.  An established population of common mullein can be extremely difficult to eradicate. 


Looks like a lot good green leaves to eat or do something with!
DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES
Common mullein was first introduced into the U.S. in the mid-1700's, where it was used as a piscicide, or fish poison, in Virginia.  It quickly spread throughout the U.S. and is well established throughout the eastern states.  Records show that it was first described in Michigan in 1839 and on the Pacific coast in 1876, probably due to multiple introductions as a medicinal herb. 


Then it started growing with tall stalks.
BACKGROUND
Common mullein is a monocarpic perennial (i.e., takes two or more years to flower and die).  Brought over from Europe by settlers, it was used as a medicinal herb, as a remedy for coughs and diarrhea and a respiratory stimulant for the lungs when smoked.  A methanol extract from common mullein has been used as an insecticide for mosquito larvae.



Soon I all of a sudden recognized it was 
MOTH  MULLEIN 
like the one I found at a later date way up the mountain
BIOLOGY & SPREAD
During the first summer after germination mullein produces a tap root and a rosette of leaves.   During this vegetative stage, the rosette increases in size during the growing season until low temperatures arrest growth sometime during the autumn and winter.  Beginning the next spring, second year plants bolt into maturity, flower, produce seed during the summer, and then die, completing the plant’s normal life cycle.  Flowers mature from the base to the tip of the stalk.  The length of the flowering period is a function of stalk height; longer stalks can continue to flower into early October.  It is estimated that a single plant can produce 100,000-180,000 seeds which may remain viable for more than 100 years. The seeds are dispersed mechanically near the parent plant during the autumn and winter.  Seeds at or near the surface are more likely to germinate.


MANAGEMENT OPTIONS
Although common mullein can be very difficult to eradicate, there are a variety of management methods available, depending on the particular situation.  Because mullein seedling emergence is dependent on the presence of bare ground, sowing sites with early successional native grasses or other plants may decrease seed germination and the chance of successful emergence of mullein seedlings.


And below another MOTH or WAND MULLEIN nearby.
Manual and Mechanical
Mullein plants are easily hand pulled on loose soils due to relatively shallow tap roots.  This is an extremely effective method of reducing populations and seed productivity, especially if plant is pulled before seed set.  If blooms or seed capsules are present, reproductive structures should be removed, bagged, and properly disposed of in a sanitary landfill.  Care should be taken, however, to minimize soil disturbance since loose soil will facilitate mullein seed germination.








Below I broke open some of the seed pods....


Here is an enlargement of the seeds....

But, in many of the seed pods I found dead beatles and just a lot of rot....


In some I found live beetles you see in a series of pictures below.


Biological
There are two insects that have possible biological control implications for mullein.  A European curculionid weevil (Gymnaetron tetrum), determined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to be specific to mullein,  has been introduced to North America. The weevil larvae matures in the seed capsules and can destroy up to 50% of the seeds. Another agent, the mullein moth (Cucullia verbasci) has been tested in the U.S. and is considered to be a relatively safe control agent because of its consistent feeding and development on mullein species.  Although tests showed limited feeding on other native species, the larvae did not survive significantly longer than those individuals tested in the absence of food. 





Below is one on a penney to show you how small they are and how I had to carefully photograph them very close-up.
 

Now, it is clear that in the early stages of growth there is an abundance of tender, green leaves that, as explained in 
PLANTS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, 
there is value in the plant that under the right conditions, like the wet Spring we had in 2024, an abundant harvest could be had. 
I will add more information here about how the plant was used in Europe, and then by Native Americans once it spread out in America. 
Google AI Overview: 
Native Americans primerily used Moth Mullein for its
medicinal properties, most notably as a tropical treatment for skin ailments like burns, abscesses bruises, and rashes by crushing the leaves into a poultice and applying it to the affected area;  they also sometimes smoked Mullein to alleviate respiratory issues like coughs, similar to other cultures around the world. 
EDIBILITY?
Looks like eating it is out....except for cockroaches & mosquito larvae! Too bad, those leaves looked pretty good!
Google AI ("experimental") says
Moth mullein (Verbascum blattaria) is mildly toxic and may cause physiological issues. However, some say that the flowering parts of the plant may have sedative properties. 
Here are some other things to know about moth mullein:
  • Toxicity
    Some literature mentions that some Verbascum species can be poisonous to livestock. 
  • Uses
    Moth mullein has been used as a cockroach repellent and to kill mosquito larvae. The name blattaria comes from the Latin word for cockroach, blatta. 
  • Distribution
    Moth mullein is native to Eurasia but is now widely distributed across the U.S. and Canada. 
  • Harvesting
    You can harvest moth mullein roots in the first fall or following spring, leaves at any time during the growing season, and flowers when they are in full bloom. 


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

All went pretty good going up the ridge and soon I saw off to my left the Earthquake detection monitor for the University of Utah and went over to check it out.




And, as always using my slow motion stalking pace, got a good couple of pictures of a doe and quickly growing fawn.


 I made it to the VALLEY VIEW SPOT and said a word of prayer thanking the Lord for having blessed me with wisdom and the  confidence that I would be alright if I kept calm, and exercised caution. 



You can see in the panorama of Utah Valley and Utah Lake, that the scrub oak was just barely beginning to leaf out. I had a nice rest and picnic lunch, and began remembering the first flowers/plants photogrlaphed this season that I'll insert below with one or two new ones of each special wildflower.  



First one we learned about in 
Chapter 3: #32.  Utah Milkvetch or Ladnyfinger

and...
#33. DWARF CAT'S EYES  
or Cryptantha Utahensis, Scented Cats-Eye
Edibility and Medicinal uses were explained in 
Chapter 3

***************
Now we head for lower country....
....THE SAFE WAY....
....switchbacking down into Grove Canyon that you can see clearly is still early in the season (May 16), the Gambels Oak still mostly dormant, but we will soon find other vegetation is coming alive.


I also acquired seeds for the #27. YELLOW STAR THISTLE flower 
and added a few pictures to that section in Chapter 2.

By the way, as I was returning from getting seeds and a few photos, I was quickly aware that close to my right a snake .....whose color first had me be very cautious....with some coloration similar to a rattlesnake, but this one was a safe.... 
GREAT BASIN GOPHER SNAKE

No rattles on its tail....

.
...the head narrow, rather than triangle shaped.


This pretty snake is Utah's largest snake, capable of getting to almost 6 feet long, and in other places as long as 8 feet, with a life span of around 15 years. Mine was about half of that. 
It is not poisonous but when threatened it will attack with a closed mouth to frighten off predators.  However, they can powerfully bite which can cause acute pain.  Another of its defense mechanisms is to make the loudest hiss of any other snake in Utah.  
Gopher snakes are considered beneficial as they help control small rodent populations.
Now is about time for them to go into hibernation that will last until about May. 
************ 

Now I'll feature the unique wildflower:
62. GOLDEN CLEMATIS


This wildflower is as you will see below a fine, 
climbing vine that will grow up over sagebrush, or any 
other plant, or fence.


The fruits of Clematis should be avoided as they are toxic.

Googling it I learn:  
Traditionally, Clematis medicine is used orally to treat syphilis, gout, reheumatism, bone disorders, and chronic skin conditions as a diuretic. . In folk medicine, Clematis is used topically for blisters and as a poultice to treat purulent wounds and ulcers.
Fresh clematis is UNSAFE to take by mouth. It can cause colic, diarrhea, and severe irritation to the stomach, intestines, and urinary tract. The fresh plant is also UNSAFE when applied to the skin. With extended skin contact, the fresh plant can cause slow-healing blisters and burns.
SOUNDS LIKE ONE YOU'D BETTER RESEARCH THOROUGHLY BEFORE USING IT FOR ANYTHING.

LET'S NOW JUST ENJOY VISUALLY 
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE THIS FASCINATING 
VISION of NATURE. 












GOLDEN CLEMATIS 
now coming very soon to the end of its useful life for 2023 with the last of its thousands of seeds soon set adrift with the winds of Winter.

******************************
I'm now heading up the canyon again a bit later in the season,
 and find myself encouraged to continue 
with a hiker's positive invitation 
to follow her and family. 

It was just up around the bend where the trail divides from the road that continues to the diversion dam where earlier in the season a new find was made when searching for POISON IVY up above the dam where water is taken out for the potable needs of Pleasant Grove,  the scene below:  Poison Ivy is the beautiful green plant in the center with a climbing variety moving up the cliff..
...I then looked up....

......and I saw a lone plant climbing towards the sky.  It is....
63. WOOLY MULLEIN 
or
MINER'S CANDLE 
due to what it develops into with yellow flowers.




Below I'll insert a couple of my pictures of Wooly mullein 
from up a bit above the foothills on Maple Flats below Maple
 Mountain, just south of Y Mountain......south of Timpanogos.


WOOLY MULLEIN  
has a two year life cycle, the first year is what we see below that I've photographed along the road....and also in my backyard!


The second year will see it developing as we see 
in the initial pictures above reaching for the sky.


The 2024 Season started in 2023 with new 
Wooly Mullein 
plants sprouting like we see above and below and surviving the 
Winter to complete their life cycle in 2024..


In the 2024 Season they spring into action because this is the year when they shine, and reproduce the new generation of 
Wooly Mullein plants
as we see below following them through the season







This magnificent Wooly Mullein plant leads the way.










And ends with the production of many seeds.
Above Wooly Mullein plants are sharing the rocky area with 
#THE BLAZING STAR PLANT 
that was used on the cover of this book and we'll learn more about at the end of this chapter..


Oh, and by the way it is called "WOOLY" because of what the leaves look like as seen enlarged below in two pictures. 




EDITILITY & MEDICINAL BENEFITS OF 
WOOLY MULLEIN
Google  AI says: 
While mullein is generally not considered edible, some parts of the plant are edible and can be used for medicinal purposes: 
  • Leaves and flowers
    Can be eaten in salads or brewed into a tea. Mullein tea can be used to treat coughs, sore throats, and other respiratory ailments. 
  • Flowers
    Can be infused into oil to treat earaches, sores, wounds, and boils. The flowers can also be used to make yellow, green, or brown dyes. 
  • Seeds
    Contain saponins, glycosides, coumarin, and rotenone, which can be used as a piscicide to stun fish. The seeds can also be used to expel tapeworms, but should be used with caution. 
Mullein is a biennial herb that has been used for centuries for a variety of purposes: 
  • BushcraftMullein can be used to line shoes to keep out the cold, or the stalks can be used for torches and candles. 
  • Herbal remediesMullein has been used to treat a variety of ailments, including pulmonary, skin, respiratory, digestive, and circulatory issues. 
  • OrnamentalMullein can be cultivated as an ornamental plant. 
  • PollinatorMullein's flowers attract pollinators like wasps and bees. 
However, the hairy leaves and stems of mullein can cause contact dermatitis. The foliage and seeds contain a mild narcotic that may cause sleep if eaten in large quantities. 
********************

Back to the road we see in the picture below the routes dividing, 
to the left the trail heading up the mountain, the road to the dam. 


Up past the "rock & roll area" the trail eventually parallels the creek with a more forested and shady environment with many unique kinds of trees, bushes and wildflowers. 
 One I also included in our tour of Battle Creek Canyon, was found up the trail......the
64. PURPLE ASTER


I  found this member of the Aster family up past the "Rock & Roll" area.   In Chapter 6 I'll show more of the many varieties of Asters and and we will learn how to distinguish them from a similar variety of wildflower, the FLEABANES. 
************

Below we see  the 
 PENSTEMON family
 with at least 14 different varieties that I have found from the deserts and foothills to the High Uinta Mountains.  It is the largest genus of flowering plants in North America, and a common name for Penstemon species is  Beardtongues.  



They are not poisonous.  A tea can be made by boiling the dried leaves and stems. Native Americans used the plant as a medicinal remedy to alleviate toothache, and poultices of the leaves treated cuts and burnes.  The pioneers learned these uses from the Native Americans. 
This one is the
65. SHRUBBY PENSTEMON


.....and below back down where the young mother invited me to persist.....another of the many varieties of 
PENSTEMONS
that we also found in Battle Creek Canyon

This one appropiately named the 
66. ROCK PENSTEMON
or
Gairdner's beardtongue



Then we come to the REPRODUCTION phase with enough
seeds to assure us of many more of these beautiful 
wildflowers for the future in the Foothills of Timpanogos, 
and also in the future  landscaping of my home in American Fork.



Each one of these seed pods are  full of seeds.  I have collected an envelope full of them and will next year have this beautiful wildflower around my newly landscaped home with
 VISIONS of NATURE from the FOOTHILLS of TIMPANOGOS.

EDIBILITY & MEDICINAL BENEFITS of PENSTEMON PLANTS
Penstemon plants, also known as beardtongues, have many benefits, including: 
  • Attracting pollinators
    Penstemons are a magnet for pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, which helps maintain garden health and biodiversity. 
  • Drought tolerance
    Many species of penstemon are drought-tolerant, making them a good choice for low-water gardens. 
  • Ease of care
    Penstemons are generally low-maintenance plants that don't require complex soil amendments. 
  • Aesthetic appeal
    Penstemons come in a variety of colors, sizes, and forms, adding visual interest to gardens. 
  • Biodiversity
    Penstemons coexist with other native species and add biodiversity to plant communities. 
  • Medicinal uses
    Native Americans used the roots of penstemon to alleviate toothaches, and poultices of the leaves to treat cuts and burns. 
Here are some tips for growing penstemons: 
  • Choose a native or wild species.
  • Match the soil type with the desired species.
  • Provide good aeration and drainage.
  • Avoid planting in locations with standing water.
  • Test the soil moisture weekly.
  • Adjust watering needs based on recent precipitation.
  • Plant in full sun for optimal flowering.
  • Deadhead spent flowers to encourage continuous blooming.
  • Cut back the plant to its base after flowering to tidy its appearance.
Penstemon plants are not generally considered edible and can be dangerous to consume: 
  • Health risksEating penstemon can cause serious health issues, including gastrointestinal distress, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, dizziness, and headaches. Selenium accumulationPenstemon can accumulate selenium, which can be harmful to pets. However, some species of penstemon are technically edible and can be used for medicinal purposes: Tea
    Boiling the dried leaves and stems of some penstemon species can make a tea-like beverage. However, drinking too much of this tea can have a purgative effect. Purgative salve
    A strong decoction of the root of some penstemon species can be used as a purgative. Stomachic
    A decoction of the outer bark of some penstemon species can be used to treat stomach issues. Dressing
    The roasted and powdered stems and leaves of some penstemon species can be used to dress sores, cuts, and wounds. Blue dye
    The flowers of some penstemon species can be boiled and rubbed on items to give them a blue color. 

****************
 
 67. EATON'S   PENSTEMON or FIRECRACKER
I only found, once or twice along the trail, this stricking wildflower
 in the Grove Creek area but could see others acrossed the canyon
 with my telephoto lens.  They were more numerpous in  Battle
 Creek Canyon.
It is a perennial herb  native to the Western United States. 
At 
Uses: Firecracker penstemon is chiefly used as a forb component for restoration and wildlife enhancement projects. It is not noted for having value as forage for livestock and forage use is limited by big game. Its showy flowers attract pollinators and other insects which provide a food source for birds and other animals. The fibrous root system and wide canopy cover make it a good plant for low-water use landscaping (i.e. roadsides) and other ornamental plantings. 
Firecracker penstemon was used by Native Americans for the treatment of: spider bites, stomach troubles, to reduce bleeding, backache, snakebite, as a veterinary aid, and for healing of burns (Native American Ethnobotany Database)


There are 3 sub-species but I have seen only one in the foothills....but in the Uinta Mountains and their foothills I have found all three.


*************
68. SHORTSTEM BUCKWHEAT
In that same area of the rock slides along the road there were quite a few developing plants, but here is one with few  leaves that has blossomed with many tiny yellow and white flowers only about 1/10th inch  in width. I consider my closeup photo one of the best I've ever taken. I'll insert first a whole rockslide of the plant, then get closer....and closer ....then  the portrait of a cluster of these beauties.


There are lone plants, but patches of many growing together 
to form a mass of tiny flowers.






As I was getting on my knees, using some foam knee pads I carry in my pocket, and using manual focus with my 400 mm. lense fully extended,  I'm able to get within an inch or two and got a few good shots.



I dedicated myself to get a real good close-up 
to show to the world the real 
grace and loveliness 
that very few have ever seen and appreciated 
as we see below this tiny incredible 

Divine Vision of Creation 

If this photo, likely my favorite among many, has you thinking the tiny ones you see below grow real big, don't believe it.  They are all tiny but the one above is a favorite because I was blessed by the Lord with this shot to have a steady hand, and the right adjustments with my camera.....resulting in all of it working together for our good and blessing with a VISION of CREATION that to me has me in AWE at the  WONDERMENT THE CREATOR BLESSED US WITH, and has my faith grow in leaps and bounds! 
THANKS, LORD, 
for this beautiful blessing!
This tiny, but abundant flower is also attractive to bees and wasps,
 as well as a VISION of NATURE seeker........




The season ends for Shortstem Buckwheat and I have to say
 that it has been inspiring to watch this plant with uncountable...  
...TINY DIVINE VISIONS of NATUIRE ...
...I have blessed to be able to see.....and watch each year expand in
 this rockslide as though intending to help hold it in place.  
We are looking up at the rock pinacle where they anchor one side of
 the cable from which OUR FLAG....OLD GLORY is hung each year
 to celebrate THE BIRTH OF FREEDOM  I will share 
with each of you in  Chapter 5..


And many seeds are produced to keep this task of 
DIVINE CREATION 
moving along to AWE and INSPIRE each of us. 


GOOGLING it we learn: 

Buckwheat was an important medicinal plant for Native Americans. Kumeyaay (who called it Hamillboiled flowers or leaves into a tea to be used as an eyewash, a mouthwash and a remedy for headaches, stomach aches and bladder infections.
***********

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

It was in this same rocky area along the road 
that I began following the development of 
a very exotic looking plant 
that fascinated me.
  I'll insert my first few photographs of this plant....



Can you imagine what this plant develops into? 
I will show you in Chapter 6
to maturity, blossoming, and then reproduction.

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

I finally make it down to the Trailhead for a bit of cold refreshment
 and a ride back to some rest in my tiny home...... 
........but I see nearby another unique plant, I have seen before in the 
foothills of Springville, with about as unique a  flower head as you
 could ever imagine.  
You  couldn't likely invent this one in your wildest dreams.  It is
 named: 
69. SMALL or SALAD BURNET


This plant, usually about 2 feet tall is known as a good forage food for deer, elk and livestock, and has edible and medicinal value for humans.  It is a perrenial plant that remains green throughout the summer and into the fall, some plants living as long as 20 years. 
Experts say its seeds are viable for 30 years!
After a forest fire this is one of the plants that sprouts quickly afterwards. 

Googling it: 
I learned that the leaves have a nutty flavour and slight taste of cucumber and as a garnish in salads.   For MEDICINAL PURPOSES:  It is said that,  it is useful for ulcerative colitis, diarrhea, dysentery, and bladder problems, as well as for swollen veins, and varicose veins.   Traditional Chinese Medicine  indicates it moight work as a drying agent to help stop bleeding.
  Once again, I recommend highly you first do your research before using it. 


Below we'll back up to an earlier stage in its development and then WOW you with its unique development.  



Each of those green buds are full of tiny white flowers, 
each on a red leash as we see  below when they mature 
and begin spilling out into the light.



I wasn't careful enough to keep track of what happens next, 
but I'll remedy that next year, and complete the story of this unique plant.

Below is a series of photos taken a few years ago in the
 Springville/Provo foothills that seem to show a bit of variation 
in the plant's coloration but it's the same plant. 




Hanging from a red thread are very tiny white .....seemingly flowers we sort of asume develop into seeds for the propagation of the species.
  The purpose of them each hanging from the  red filament thread I'm not sure.    
Maybe before being turned lose, each needs to mature some, or dry out, to assure their viability?   I'll hope to learn more next year.

I followed this exotic plant all the way through the season as you see below  from the perrenial plant sprouting in a picture that shows deer had been browsing on the plant, then all the way to seed production that surprised me.

It is clear that the tiny white flowers hanging from a red filament do not turn into seeds.  The flower head eventually turns into rough looking seed pods.  Think of them like the the pit of a peach inside of which is the seed.  
I just got out of my seed bag you see below.....
......with 25 varieties in the plastic bags, and 21 more in the
 envelopes,  the Small or Salad Burnet tiny pits or stones
 I wanted to  disect  carefully to see what was there. 

We can see clearly on the bottom the seed that came out of the pit that is in pieces above.  Sorry, I damaged the seed as you can see. The seed is about 1/8" long or less.  Another split open is seen on the upper right, and enlarged below.

The seed is in the bottom half on the left...the seed is also damaged. The upper half of the pit on the right shows the bed where the seed had been protected.  As with peach pits, or apricotes....the protective pit is quite hard and would require very warm, damp conditions for the germinating seed inside to break out into the world and grow into a beautiful plant to begin the life cycle all over again.  

You probably are imagining correctly, that I will be experimenting in the Spring and Summer of 2025 to observe this happening....and then, since this is an online book, I will add what I learn here with more wonderful pictures of the 
VISIONS of NATURE!
************  

On my next hike, heading from the Trailhead, north up into the foothills,
 I found in the early part of the season.....mid-May, 
70.  YELLOW MEADOW SALSIFY


There is also a Purple Salsify, 
which I have found in the Provo/Springville area, 
but I haven't seen one yet in the Foothills of Timpanogos. 

Yellow meadow Salsify blossomed about mid-May.  The flowers open early in the morning but close in the afternoons.  On cloudy days they may not open at all. 
Salsify's blossoming  only lasting at best one month prior to....


.....the reproduction phase we see below......   


......seeing  again the 
"parachute system of distribution"
 of the seeds.


WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF MEADOW SALSIFY?
Meadow salsify (Tragopogon pratensis) has many benefits, including:
  • EdibleThe roots, leaves, and flower buds are all edible. The roots have a sweet, nutty flavor and can be eaten raw in salads or cooked. The leaves can be eaten raw in salads or cooked in soups. The flower buds can be eaten raw in salads or cooked in vegetables. 
  • MedicinalMeadow salsify has been used to treat a variety of ailments, including:
    • DigestionAn extract from the roots can relieve indigestion, heartburn, and poor appetite. 
    • Liver and gallbladderMeadow salsify can help with liver and gallbladder problems because it has a detoxifying effect. 
    • Coughs and bronchitisA syrup made from the root can help with coughs and bronchitis. 
    • Blood sugarMeadow salsify is high in inulin, a nutrient that doesn't raise blood sugar levels. 
  • PotassiumMeadow salsify is high in potassium, which can help improve blood pressure, establish strong bones, and improve cognitive health. 
  • PollinatorMeadow salsify attracts bees and flies with its nectar-rich flowers. 
  • Pest and disease-freeMeadow salsify is generally pest and disease-free. 
  • HardinessMeadow salsify is hardy and blends in with grass when it's young. 

Interestingly I found today, November 6th, 
a Salsify plant seen below that is again....months later..
.. attempting to react to the urge to reproduce...again!  

Visible is the evidence that some months ago it produced seeds, and is now working on more reproduction. 
It is backdropped by a plant we haven't dealt with yet, but will in this  Chapter  in just a moment, it being the Western Ragweed which plant has taken all summer to finally go through the blossoming and reproduction stages. 
NOTE:  About #71 Western Ragweed, I was previously wrong in the first publishing of this chapter, calling it Wild Geranium.  I remembered the plant  as the leaf seemed to be like the geranium my mother used to grow around the house, but  right in remembering geranium as the wild plant I learned about from 
Dr. Michael Quinn on  television's wonderful series.
I loved Dr. Mike and that series so will leave my comment as it introduced an important following item.   
NOTE:  I've shown you already in Chapter 3 that it is surpisingly #47 Stinging Nettle, one of the more well known medicinal plants 
I learned about.....guess where?  From DR. QUINN, MEDICINE WOMANwith lovely Jane Seymour. in a segment I inserted in Chapter 3.
While wrong on the plant, I one day was actually daydreaming about the plant and  beautiful Jane Seymour when I was abruptly interrupted by the ROAR of a mud-bike!


......and I was rudely brought back to reality,  and  noticed 
way down below me a wonderful 
HUMAN VISION of NATURE,
and zoomed in to notice she had her baby, 
led by her "comfort dog!" 
 
Many of them love to come to the Grove Canyon Trailhead and hike daily....some not understanding that to gather up their pet's stuff and put it in a colorful plastic bag to be left along the trail as we see  below.....


....isn't colorfully adding to our 
VISIONS of NATURE, 
nor is it appreciated by those who love nature.

You are  "LITTERBUGS" which.....
....IS NOT NOBLE as you might ERRONEOUSLY THINK, 
but rather you are violating  
THE LAW OF THE WILDERNESS  
to "LEAVE NO TRACE!" 


Nature will actually appreciate you letting your dogs do like the coyotes, bobcats, rabbits and squirrels do.....fertilizing our wonderful 
VISIONS of NATURE
 for even more inspiring hikes in the hills in the future!


I'm sure she is not one of those "law breakers"  and  also understands
 it wouldn't be "noble"  nor nice  to leave her baby's disposable dirty
 diapers along the trail....the equivalent of leaving your dog's stuff
 along the trail in plastic bags! 

She, and others.....
.....ALL OF US.....
ARE BEING WATCHED,
 

so LET'S ALL DO WHAT IS RIGHT and 
"LEAVE NO TRACE!"
or THUMPER might just come looking for you!
***************
Now we come to a plant I confidantly identified from
 the beginning, as the leaf looked like the geranium plants my mother would plant around the house.  I furthermore said I had been awakened to it's medical use by Native Americans....learned on the series DR. QUINN, MEDICINE WOMAN about it's critical medical uses.....but I was wrong, it is rather:

71.  WESTERN RAGWEED


It is another of the more prolific plants in the foothills germinating 
in May and taking all summer to go through its life cycle as we will see.  


Rather than what I wrongly imagined, 
it is famous for causing fall-time hay fever...symptoms: Cough, runny
 nose, and an itchy throat....in 23 million Americans including
 your's truly, it is called
 RAGWEED!  

In June it begins to form its flower/seed head. 


Working on it all summer.


On the 

Bellarmine University

  website 
we learn of positive uses by the Native Americans:
Preparations made from leaves and roots of ragweeds have been used by native peoples as astringents, skin disinfectants, emetics, antidotes, and fever reducers. Teas or tinctures have been used for the treatment of fevers, pneumonia, nausea, intestinal cramps, diarrhea and menstrual disorders.
And Google tells us:
Herbalists use ragweed to relieve nausea, menstrual discomfort, and fever


I'm showing you a whole summer of evolution of the flower 
and seed heads.



By October 23rd the plants had become like this.



And by November 6th some really got the spirit of Autumn!


Others on that date looking like this,
and below by November 20th like we see below.




In nature the system is apparently to have each plant produce literally thousands of seeds 
to make sure that after the birds, the mice, the squirrels, the rabbits, the insects, etc..
...ALL GET THEIR SHARE...
 .....enough are left over randomly distributed to assure a future crop.....of HAY FEVER!
***************
Now back....just up from the Trailhead..... we first begin seeing a beautiful wildflower that doesn't do too well in our desert-like environment, but it is nice to see anyway as it gives me an excuse 
to show it in more hospitable environments.  It is the 
72. WESTERN BLUE FLAX


This perrenial wildflower began coming alive in mid-February, the picture below taken on the 21st (2024).

It began blossoming in Grove Canyon on May 24th, 
had a good month or two, and then the flowers began mostly 
disappearing.



Blue Flax seems to do better at higher elevations, seen below up near Deer Creek Dam in Provo Canyon.....

......and is a wonderful  VISION of NATURE 
in the Quaking Aspen belt around the High Uinta Mountains, 
as seen below.


By the end of June seed production begins....
....and still today in early November, I still see these tiny little seed pods 
with black seeds inside some of them in November. 
 
The seed pods are about 1/4th of an inch in diameter.  
The tiny black seeds can be seen inside some of the pods. 

The seeds of Western blue flax are edible cooked.
 The seeds contain cyanide, so to be edible they need to be cooked which destroys the cyanide. So they are used for food, and have a pleasant nutty taste and are very nutritious. The seed has a high oil content and can be eaten on its own or used as a flavoring but the seeds are very tiny so it would require a lot of plants and labor to gather enough to be worthwhile. The fibers of this ancient plant have been used to make cloth, rope and paper.

POSSIBLE MEDICINAL USES
A tea can be made from the stems and leaves to treat various medical problems such as eye infections, stomach disorders, and swellings.
What you see behind the Blue Flax flower....
......ARE NOT THE STEMS, rather.....
Russian thistles.


Above I show you one of the better photographs of a 
Western Blue Flax from our foothills, 
and interestingly it was taken on September 30, 2023 
more than 4 months after the first blossoming, so throughout 
the season it seems there were always 
a few hanging around usuallly in the shady areas near the creek.


So is the case with new plants germanating, 
or sprouting from already established plants as it is perrenial, 
pictures like the one above taken from mid-September, 
through October and into December.
Blue flax plants live for 3-5 years.
**********************

Now we come to a wonderful flowering plant 
mentioned in the first section on Battle Creek Canyon:

On July 15, 2023 I was coming back down the foothills from a hike much higher up and all of a sudden I saw up to my left a 
DAZZLING FLASH OF  GOLD.


  I was tired, but nothing could have stopped me from hiking up a steep hill to investigate. I found for the first time
 in the hills near Grove Canyon a marvelous 
DIVINE VISION of NATURE 
that was
73. GOLDENROD!

It looks like we are continually finding new and marvelous candidats for 
MOST BEAUTIFUL VISION of NATURE!


Is GOLDENROD good for anything?
I have a bag full of seed and will have some of it growing 
around my home, along with many others of the wonderful 
VISIONS of NATURE I have enjoyed the past few years at the foot of Mount Timpanogos.  Additionally Google tells us:
Tells us: 
Goldenrod has been used for many purposes, including: 
  • DiureticGoldenrod can help the body get rid of excess fluid. 
  • Anti-inflammatoryGoldenrod may help reduce inflammation and relieve muscle spasms. 
  • Wound healingGoldenrod has been used to heal wounds on the skin. 
  • Urinary tract healthGoldenrod may help with urinary tract infections (UTIs), kidney stones, and bladder problems. 
  • Pollinator attractionGoldenrod attracts butterflies and is beneficial to native bees and honeybees. 
  • TeaGoldenrod leaves and flowers can be used to make tea. Some say that drinking goldenrod tea can help rejuvenate the body. 
Additional it tells us: 
Goldenrod is used to reduce pain and swelling (inflammation), as a diuretic to increase urine flow, and to stop muscle spasms. It is also used for gout, joint pain (rheumatism), arthritis, as well as eczema and other skin conditions.
To harvest goldenrod, you want to catch it as the flowers have just started blooming. Select plants that look healthy and free of mildew and disease. Bring along a pair of scissors and snip off the plume of flowers. It's okay to get some leaves.
The above-ground parts of the goldenrod plant are dried and used for medicine.
Her Latin name solidago means to make whole again and the golden starburst of this beautiful flower brightens the hilly landscape with a sense of purpose and clarity. The essence helps to strengthens your inner resolve to recover from illness or trauma and to find your wholeness again.
GOOGLE will give you an unending chain of information.  
Do your research.

FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/goldenrod#intro   

On August 28th, 2023



....and on November 4
STILL DISTRIBUTING ITS SEEDS....
.....and if you look closely above there is still a blossoming flower.




ITS MISSION COMPLETED!

*************
As we near the end of Chapter 4, I close with two absolute beauties that some of you would choose as 
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL!
First, 
WOODS' ROSE 
As you can see, it is a bush that can grow from 6 to 10 feet tall. 

Scattered around, here and there in the foothills 
it is  a pleasant surprise and  a very literal
DIVINE VISION of NATURE
A  bush  with a totally lovely flower called 
Woods' Rose


There is another similar wild rose called DOG ROSE with a difference we can see by borrowing a portion of a picture of the 
Dog Rose....from the  TREE  GUIDE UK

Compare this picture with the Woods' Rose above and its easy to note the difference. 
This one is the DOG ROSE

 THE ORIGEN OF ITS NAME
We learn from:
 By Orla O’Callaghan,
I'll insert a few fascinating paragraphs about this 
WONDEROUS VISION of NATURE (C.A.)
The Woods’ Rose got its common and botanical names from Joseph Woods, an Englishman who was an architect and a botanist. In 1818, he published an extensive study of the Rose family in the Transactions of the Linnean Society, a prestigious society of botanists and other scientists in England

The fruit of the Woods’ Rose is commonly called a hip (some call it a  "berry"). The technical term for the fruit is a pome. Woods’ Rose hips are round. They turn a glossy red in the fall and persist throughout the winter. You can use the hips to identify the Woods’ rose, even when the flower is long past. Rose hips have many medicinal uses. Native Americans used medicine derived from the rose to treat diarrhea, indigestion, colds, wounds, and as an eye wash for snow blindness. 

Rose hips are packed with vitamin C. Early western pioneers planted roses near their homes to help prevent scurvy, a disease caused by a vitamin C deficiency. Whenever I am out hiking in Colorado, if I see a rose growing in a clearing, I look for the foundations or ruins of a pioneer or mining cabin. Today, scurvy is rare, because we have easy access to vitamin C; however, in the past, scurvy was a deadly disease. Sailors suffered and died from scurvy. Prior to 1753, the threat of scurvy limited how long, and how far people could travel at sea. In 1753, a British Naval doctor, James Lind, showed that scurvy could be prevented and treated by adding citrus fruits into the sailor’s diet. During World War II, citrus fruits were hard to come by. People collected rose hips and made syrup from them to ensure people had adequate vitamin C. My parents grew up in Ireland during the War. As children they had severe food rations, and no access to citrus fruits. My Dad told me the first time in his life that he ever saw an orange was when a German U-Boat was destroyed off the coast of Ireland and a crate of oranges floated ashore. The whole village came down to the shore and divided the oranges up. My Dad said those few orange sections he got were the sweetest thing he had ever eaten.


 In addition to being a great source of vitamin C, roses have many other medicinal and culinary uses. If properly prepared, most parts of roses are edible, including the petals, stems, roots, and of course the hips. Rose hips can be made into teas, syrups, jams and jellies. Parts of the hips can be eaten raw. If you are interested in the edibility or medicinal uses of the Woods’ Rose, I recommend you check out Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies by Linda Kershaw. Never eat a plant unless you are certain what plant it is and how to safely prepare the plant, and its parts, to make it safe.


Whether or not you choose to plant them in your garden, you should appreciate the Woods’ Rose for its beauty, fragrance and healing properties. It is a pretty amazing plant. So get out and hike the foothills in Pueblo County and see if you can find the Woods’ Rose (or one of its hybrids – sorry it is the attorney in me). All you casual botanist go enjoy our amazing native plants! 


 
One strange characteristic of Woods' Rose is that, as Sagebrush, Rabbitbrush, Gamel's Oak, etc. the
 plants also have MOSS GALLS.  We see below what 
we can now call
MOSSY ROSE GALLS
The black items are old dead Galls


To learn about them I found a good explanation at:
I'll quote a number of short paragraphs inserted between pictures of the GALLS.

The English novelist, Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton, actually said, "Love thou the rose, yet leave it on its stem."  I adjusted his quote to illustrate how to control bizarre looking mossy rose galls. The hairy-looking galls are produced under the direction of the gall-wasp, Diplolepis rosae (family Cynipidae).  Ridding roses of the galls rids them of the wasp.

 

The wasp occurs both in Europe and North America and will produce their characteristic galls on several species in the Rosa genus.  They are most commonly found in Ohio on hybrid tea roses; however, I've also seen them on multiflora rose.  Old galls look like a ball of moss stuck on the rose stems, thus the common name.



Cutting the galls open will reveal individual chambers, each housing a single wasp larva.  The overall size of the gall depends on the number of larval chambers.  Single-chambered galls usually measure less than 1" in diameter.  Multi-chambered galls may measure over 2" in diameter, filaments included.


The wasps have one generation per year.  Females initiate gall formation when they use their ovipositors (= stingers) to insert eggs into leaf buds in the spring.  The resulting wasp larvae exude chemicals that further direct gall formation.

 

The galls change color from light green to crimson red as the wasp larvae mature.  Late instar larvae spend the winter in dark reddish-brown galls and new adults emerge in the spring.  Spent galls become grayish-brown and often remain attached throughout the season



As with most plant galls, mossy rose galls cause no harm to the overall health of their rose hosts.  In fact, I believe they add ornamental value to roses, but I may be gall-biased:  love thou the rose gall.  Of course, if the galls detract from hybrid tea display roses, just apply my adjusted form of Bulwer-Lytton's quote.  The gall-makers can be effectively managed by pruning and destroying developing galls.  What a pity.

UPDATE February 15, 2024
On MOSS GALLS

On February 15, 2024 on my now daily hikes in the foothills I found a  wintering Wood's Rose  loaded with galls, and decided to take a large one home to disect and show what is developing inside.


This was a large one about 2" in diameter.


Home I began clipping off the moss filaments from one side. The filaments were totally dry.
The gall inside the moss had a hard shell. I'll get another one, trim off all the filaments and show what the hard shell is like and insert below.

I cut off one side revealing inside several chambers with larvae.


Then I cut it more or less in half.

 I counted 12 larvae.  The entire Gall would have had at least 24.

I'll keep an eye on this plant near the Trailhead, and see what develops in the
 Spring and very likely add more information and photos.  
 

Below we see the hips, berries or fruit that has seeds inside. 
 As explained above they are loaded with nutrition and can be eaten.


Below I opened one up to show its contents....the seeds. 
They were a bit shriveled up as I had them for a week or so before doing this.


I will of course plant these seeds, some in large containers, 
others in the ground in landscaping my home with all of the best 
DIVINE VISIONS OF NATURE
from the 
FOOTHILLS of MOUNT TIMPANOGOS.
**********


Along the road and trail up the canyon we see the 
plant I used on the cover of this book...
75. GIANT SMOOTHSTEM BLAZING STAR
..in various stages of development.  Most will not make it through its life cycle as October is too late, but some of them were born early and did fulfill  their purpose as we'll see below.



Native Americans used this plant  to treat mumps, measles, smallpox, swellings, skin diseases, stomach aches, and to prevent thurst. 
The Paiutes cooked the seeds to make gravy.
They were a nomadic tribe from Southwestern Utah, roaming the Great Basin for their survival. There is  today the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribes Reservation near Reno, Nevada, but new opportunities are making their presence visible back in the Utah area.


So, we are introduced to the 
DIVINE VISION
  with which we'll end Chapter 4.  It is known as the ....
75. GIANT SMOOTHSTEM BLAZING STAR MINTZELIA
Mentzelia laevicaulis
.........for which we all have to be very grateful....looking to the heavens with gratitude for all of our  
 BLESSINGS  and the VISIONS of NATURE
that warm our hearts and inspire us to likewise share with those around us all that is good. 
WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?   
It has many benefits, including food, medicine, and erosion control.
Native Americans ate the seeds as food. The Paiute cooked the seeds in water for gravy.
Medicine: 
Indigenous peoples used the roots to treat pain from arthritis, rheumatism, and bruises.  The Cheyenne used the roots to trerat fevers, mups, measles, smallpox, and other diseases. The Gosiute applied an infusion of the roots to bruised sweelings.  The Montana and Mendicino made a decoction of the leaves to treat skin diseases and stomachaches. 


You might think that with all the marvelous 
VISIONS of NATURE 
already seen, there couldn't be much more from
 our tiny little section of the 
Foothills of Timpanogos...
....but, I promise you that there is much, much more of the 
WONDER OF THE LORD'S CREATIONS
that will WOW and AMAZE all of us.... 
 ....even from our small corner of creation in upcoming 
CHAPTERS 5 - 9
*******

FOR the NEXT CHAPTER & INFORMATION ON MY BOOKS  
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