This is George Cepull. I think you all might want to know more about him. If you first saw him how I did I know you might at least be interested.
My wife and I were taking a drive up Little Cottonwood Canyon to see the leaves changing. It had been raining and the day was beautiful. On our way up the canyon We saw George walking up the road. At the time I wanted to ask him questions but I did not do it till later. I will return to the story of George after I show a little bit of what the Canyon looked like. You will want to find out the rest about George because it really is a fantastic story.
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| George Cepull |
We started by going to the Temple Quarry Trail. Because of the rain the rock was wet and the plants were full of life. Not many leaves had changed color, but it was still all very beautiful.
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| Rock in the Trees - Little Cottonwood Canyon |
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| Dry Granite Creek - Little Cottonwood Canyon |
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| Granite Rock - Little Cottonwood Canyon |
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| Granite - Little Cottonwood Canyon |
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| Granite Upon Granite - Little Cottonwood Canyon |
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| Granite River Bottom - Little Cottonwood Canyon |
I was also surprised to see such a big slug in the canyon. I grew up in Utah and I have never seen a slug like this in Utah ever. Ever. I Don't know what that means for the ecosystem but I am getting off topic.
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| Long Slug - Little Cottonwood Canyon |
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| Long Slug - Little Cottonwood Canyon |
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| Slug Head - Little Cottonwood Canyon |
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| Tree - Little Cottonwood Canyon |
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| Tree - Little Cottonwood Canyon |
The clouds in the canyon were superb! They were constantly changing. They would come in from the valley and even rise up from the canyon floor. Much of the time I just watched because you cannot quite catch the full beauty of it in a still moment. Don't you just want to get out more!
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| Little Cottonwood Canyon |
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| Rocks, Trees, and Clouds - Little Cottonwood Canyon |
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| Rock and Cloud - Little Cottonwood Canyon |
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| 10 photo panorama in Little Cottonwood Canyon |
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| Little Cottonwood Canyon looking into the Salt Lake Valley |
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| Trees Among Terraced Stone - Little Cottonwood Canyon |
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| Waterfall, Little Cottonwood Canyon |
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| Clouds and Changing Leaves, Little Cottonwood Canyon |
At the top of the canyon the colors were muted. They were mostly browns and tans among the pines with a hint of color. The texture of the brush on the mountainside was lovely to behold.
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| 18 photo panorama, Top of Little Cottonwood Canyon |
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| 4 photo panorama, Top of Little Cottonwood Canyon |
Now for what you have been put in suspense for. What is it about George Cepull?
George has a prosthetic leg. That is not where the interesting things stop either. George Was completing the last half of his hike up and down the canyon. He had done the lower half the week before. I pulled over and started up a conversation with him. He complemented my beard and I complemented his hat. As I talked to George about his hiking he said, "Do you know how I can do this?" I asked how and he said, "God." He said it was God that made it so he could walk even though he was missing his leg. George says it so he could tell people like me about it, about how God made it so he can do it.
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| George Cepull pausing for a photo in Little Cottonwood Canyon |
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| George Cepull, showing off his prosthetic leg while hiking up Little Cottonwood Canyon |
George is 65 years old and lives in Orem, Utah. He is an artist and he volunteers with elementary school students to teach them how to draw with simple shapes. He also works with autistic kids.
George used to have use of both of his legs. He lost his right leg because of a blood clot in his femoral artery. His leg was amputated above the knee. He does not sit back and bemoan the loss of his leg. He goes out and walks, and walks, and walks. He might not go as fast as other people but he is persistent. He is the proverbial tortoise who will win the race. George does not let the steep climb hold him back, or the continual rain. The upper part of his prosthetic has to stay dry. George goes out into the rain to walk anyway. He has a cover for it. He walks for hours one step after another. Recently, He walked all the way from Provo, Utah, to Evanston, Wyoming.
That is admirable!
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| George Cepull, hiking Little Cottonwood Canyon |
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| George Cepull, hiking Little Cottonwood Canyon |
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| Rock Face of Little Cottonwood Canyon |
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| Cloud Covered Trees - Little Cottonwood Canyon |
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| Misty Mountain Trees - Little Cottonwood Canyon |
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| George Cepull, hiking Little Cottonwood Canyon |
Keep Walking!
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| George Cepull, hiking Little Cottonwood Canyon |
