Deep within the Earth’s crust lies a hidden world waiting to be discovered. We recently had the unique opportunity to embark on an unforgettable journey into the heart of the earth. Many of you are aware of our health journey (as I talk ad nauseam about it). Most of the health Gurus out there prefer Redmond’s Real Salt.
After arriving in Heber City, I discovered that Redmond’sReal Salt comes from Redmond, Utah, about 2 hours away. Once a month Redmond’s has a tour open to the public. I jumped and got that scheduled for Mike and I. Our visit not only offered a glimpse into the history of this remarkable place, but also left us in awe of the incredible feats of human engineering.
Beneath the Surface
Nestled in the outskirts of Redmond, this subterranean wonder spans a vast labyrinth of tunnels and caverns that stretch for miles beneath the earth’s surface. The history of the deposit dates back to a Jurassic period sea that dried up hundreds of millions of years ago. A unique feature of this salt deposit, is that after the salt was laid down in fragile horizontal stratification (typical of seas drying up) the earth shifted and this salt was forced into a vertical salt column. The deposit is approximately two miles in length, a quarter mile wide and nearly a mile deep.
Redmond’s estimates that mining the salt could continue at the current rate of 50,000 pounds per day for hundreds of years without running out. This vertical column is solid and stable. This allows the vehicle tunnels to be blasted out without danger of collapse. Since 1950 the Redmond Salt company saw the resource origins of a natural salt deposit gradually transformed into an industrial marvel.
A Journey Back in Time
As the bus took us 2 miles into the mine. I couldn’t help but be struck by the palpable sense of history that surrounded me. The walls of the tunnels bore witness to the years of labor that had gone into carving out this underground empire. The air was heavy with the stories of miners who worked here here. Our tour guide (Kyle Bosshardt) was the great-grandson of the man who discovered the deposit. He found it when their livestock preferred hanging out in this particular area. The family’s hard work contributed to the growth and development of the region.
Back in the 1950’s when the two brother decided to start the business, the mining began with surface mining only. They had to haul the salt rock with teams of horses. They had no electric drills. Instead, one guy held a huge “bit” and manually twisted it. Meanwhile, while the other guy hit it rhythmically with a sledge hammer. That would have been something to see!
Marvels of Engineering
One of the most awe-inspiring aspects of the Redmond Salt Mine is the sheer scale of its operation. The tunnels are blasted with explosive and are completely self supporting, creating an underground masterpiece. When the mining uncovers a particularly pure area of salt, the company designates it as Food Salt. All explosive residue is cleaned from the blast area. The machines are swapped for drilling type machines that are lubricated with food grade oil.
Only 2% of Redmond’s salt is sold for human consumption. The other 98% is sold for livestock or de-icing purposes. The salt excavated and ground or crushed into granules is ready to eat without any processing. We could literally scoop up handfuls and pour it onto our food. They invited us to take some rocks home with us. The guide suggested we take a couple of pocket sized pieces to amuse our friends when we pull them out to scrape a few granules only our dinner.
Why use Real Salt?
Besides the pure salt, it contains 60 trace minerals. For that reason alone it is a healthier salt than your average grocery store salt. Common table salt usually sources from either the polluted ocean, or mined with other processes. Those other processes expose the salt to other pollutants.
Salt is super good for you, in fact you cannot live without it. Contrary to what many people believe (including many doctors), you cannot eat too much salt. However, you can suffer health consequences from too much of the additive used in the processing of salt. Therefore it’s wise to stick to salt brands where you know the source and quality mining practices.
The tour ends (as all good amusement park rides do) in the gift shop. Where I proceeded to buy copious amounts of products, gifts and “flavors” of salt for my own use. What fun!
… And a following local visit to Redmond Life
to head to Heber City
On completion of the tour, we realized that Redmond’s Salt is the transported in 2000 pound bags to Heber City. It goes there for packaging and distribution. The Redmond’s Life building is 2 miles from where we are staying this summer in the RV. Of course we had to schedule a visit and tour there. I kind of forgot about it for a few weeks. Then, as I was awaiting the arrival of my lifetime friends John and Donna Brett I started writing this post. Suddenly, I remembered the packaging plant and associated health food store. I decided they would love to join us on the tour. I didn’t waste any time and scheduled the tour scheduled for two days later, last Wednesday.
Jodie was our tour guide, and although they don’t regularly give tour she was excited at the opportunity. The information was fascinating and we all enjoyed the tour even more than we expected to. They even had rocks there for souvenirs so picked up a couple more of those.
Then we proceeded to the store, and again bought a few years worth of salt and other salt products.
Reflections on the Subterranean Salt Adventure
As we emerged from the depths of the Mine, I couldn’t help but be filled with a profound sense of wonder and gratitude. This extraordinary journey had offered me a glimpse into a hidden world—one that few have the chance to witness. The experience was a humbling reminder of the power of nature.
Our voyage into the very heart of the Earth left us with a deep appreciation for both the natural world and human ingenuity. The mine’s rich history, awe-inspiring engineering, and captivating geological formations combined to create an experience that I will treasure forever.
