3 comments about Recreational Map of Utah.

1. This map is part of the Trails Illustrated series covering many national parks. These are all sturdy and convenient.
   
   Your map choices are essentially this one, the National Park Service map, and USGS topos. The NPS map is fine if you're staying at Rock Harbor Lodge and doing light day activities from that base.
   
   If you're backpacking, or doing long day hikes, the Trails Illustrated map is absolutely essential because the USGS topographic maps are outdated. For example, the topo shows a no-longer-existent East Feldtmann trail on the southwest part of the island.
   
   The topo also shows inaccurately the trail that goes over White Oak Ridge in the same area. The Trails Illustrated map shows the trails correctly.
   
   This map also shows (1) group and individual campsites and (2) distances between trail junctions that accord with the NPS signage. Both features make it useful for planning your trip.



2. The map is beautiful and (reasonably) accurate, but its small scale limits its use for hiking. Many of the contours are so closely spaced, faint, or interrupted by text that they are nearly useless. The publishers tried to squeeze the entire national monument onto one map sheet, which makes for a good overview and planning map, but a poor hiking map.
   Unfortunately, you have rather limited options, at least when it comes to paper maps: The USGS 7.5 minute topo sheets are great, but they don't show the trails, local hiking maps are hit and miss (some can be great). State-wide mapping software that lets you print customized hiking maps might be the way to go, but I haven't tried them yet.



3. These are great reference maps for generalized recreational activities. Not as detailed as a topo map, but still packed full of outstanding information. I have one for every state and I don't leave home with out them. An improvement over simple highway maps.

No comments about Rand McNally Cleveland & Vicinity Streetfinder (Rand McNally Streetfinder).

No comments about A Travel Guide to the Plains Indian Wars.

No comments about Streetwise Pennsylvania Map - Laminated State Road Map of Pennsylvania - Folding pocket size travel map (Streetwise (Streetwise Maps)).

No comments about Voyage of Sutil and Mexicana 1792: The Last Spanish Exploration of the Northwest Coast of America (Spain in the West).

No comments about National Parks of the West (A Sunset pictorial).

5 comments about The Big Year.

1. An awesome book. It took recommendations from several friends before I finally decided to give this book a try. The subject matter seemed so uninteresting to me.
   
   When you're wrong, you're wrong, and I was totally off base on this one. It was fascinating from start to finish. What I realise now is that books like this one, which document someone's obsession (doesn't have to be the author's) often turn out to be completely engrossing, if the author (as Obmascik does) succeeds in conveying the inherent excitement in a topic that gave rise to the obsession in the first place.
   
   Never thought I would say it about a book related to birding, but I just cannot give this book a high enough recommendation.



2. If you enjoyed Kingbird Highway: The Biggest Year in the Life of an Extreme Birder, Wild America: The Record of a 30,000 Mile Journey Around the Continent by a Distinguished Naturalist and His British Colleague or anything by Scott Weidensaul, you'll enjoy Obmascik's account of an unlikely collection of birders bent on breaking records.
   
   The concept of the Big Year is pretty simple: see as many birds as possible. Since its inception, this simple concept has ballooned into a circus of maxed out credit cards, exorbitant helicopter flights and boat rides, visits to dumps on the Mexican border, and Christmas dinners in isolated Chinese restaurants. This book chronicles three competitors and their attempts at Birdwatching glory: Sandy Komito (the hardcore favorite, record-holding former construction worker), Greg Miller (the longshot computer programmer, working with limited resources) and Al Levantin (the rich, passionate retired chemical company tycoon).
   
   As I see it, this book has two real strengths:
   
   1.) For those of us who dream of dropping everything, getting in a car with a pair of binoculars and seeing all the birds that had previously only been pictures in field guides, this book is both fulfilling and inspiring. Fulfilling, in that at the end of a long day, its a passable substitute for having the time to actually go out and see the rare birds. Inspiring, in its affirmation that anybody--even you--can do it, as long as you're willing to sacrifice.
   
   2.) The subjects of the story are developed into character so nicely in journalistic prose. You'll learn to root for the underdog, respect their sacrifice, and pity all of them for their clinically obsessive behavior.
   
   I'd encourage anyone interested in adventure or birding to read this book. You won't be disappointed, and probably won't be able to put it down.



3. "The Big Year" is an amazing, amusing, suspenseful read about competing birders. Who would've thought that birdwatching could be so cutthroat, and so FUN?
   
   It traces the adventures of three men- Sandy Komito (whose achievements are astounding in the birding world), the chemist Al Levantin, and software expert Greg Miller. They sacrifice a year of their lives to find as many birds as possible. Komito is in it to break records. Levantin is looking for a new way to live his retirement. Miller is recovering from a nasty divorce. In the Big Year, they find adventure, birds, and themselves. They travel in the Rockies, the Florida wilderness, remote parts of Nevada--- it's great as a quest story.
   
   "Big Year" is exuberant nature writing. Like the blackbird in the Beatles song, read this and take flight!



4. The topic of the "big year" is really quite compelling, and I thought this book would take its place on my shelf right next to The Orchid Thief, in the section reserved for obsessives who focus solely on one aspect of the natural world and seek that single thing with complete devotion. Unfortunately, the writing in this book is nowhere near the quality of The Orchid Thief, and doesn't deserve a spot on my shelf at all. First, the good things: The three birders featured are exactly right for the book. The author sort of succeeded in teaching the reader about birds, their environment, and birding. (He's about 70 percent there.) Most importantly, he clearly explains why 1998 is the year that MUST be covered, even though it was a decade ago.
   
   But the writing! He needs to learn how to describe an animal without using ANY references to pop culture. He needs to understand that in a book about birding, the reader does NOT want constant references to media and commercialization.
   
   Here are specific examples of bad writing that distracted me so much I almost didn't finish the book:
   
   1. The pygmy owl "weighed less than a pack of cigarettes." Is the author a heavy smoker with no concept of the fact that most nature lovers (his market for the book) think smoking is disgusting? It's especially disgusting in nature. Now he has combined, in my mind, the image of a cute little owl in a tree with a rude creep blowing smoke next to the owl's tree, with a disgusting, overflowing ash tray next to him. There are SO many other, far less distasteful, ways to describe the owl's weight.
   
   2. "...the keel-billed toucan, that screeching, big-honkered bird made famous by Froot Loops." I almost threw the book across the room right here. I am mortally offended that the author thinks I, or anybody else who would buy this book, might not remember what a toucan is without a crass comparison to a stupid commercial for a repulsive product that nobody should be eating anyway. This is a book about BIRDS. I really, really don't want to be reminded of commercials! And everybody buying this book knows what a toucan is! Don't worry, we're not complete idiots! Also, the word "honker" is unnecessarily disrespectful. Toucans have beautiful and correctly sized beaks, and there is no need to use a disparaging, fifth-grade insult such as "honker." Things like this make me think the author doesn't like birds. That is a serious problem for an author writing a birding book.
   
   3. "The yellow rail was the Greta Garbo of the bird world." This means nothing to me. I know she was a movie star (1950s? `60s? `40s?), but that's the extent of my knowledge. That is the crux of the problem. When an author relies on constant references to outdated movie stars to explain a concept, he leaves behind all the readers who don't share his media obsession. Five sentences later, "the yellow rail would never win any Miss Congeniality contests." Is this an unnecessary reference to that stupid movie years ago by the same name? Or is the author being mean and insulting to birds again?
   
   4. "Maybe this really was a Bud Light commercial." Please leave all the commercials out of the birding book! Likewise, please note: brand names cheapen a book, they don't add "authenticity" or "flavor" or whatever it is that some inexperienced teachers call it in their writing classes. The following brand-name plugs all insulted me in the short space of just ten pages: Snickers, Wal-Mart, Spam, Wonder Bread, Jif peanut butter, Lipton, Mr. Salty pretzels. And if that's not bad enough, I later suffered this, probably the worst sentence in the entire book, or any other book I've read in the last year: "Miller clicked his Netscape Navigator back over to www.travelocity.com."
   
   5. The bird was "...as tall as a Coke can but without the fizz." With regard to comparing a bird to junk food, I'm thinking again that the author doesn't really respect birds. With regard to putting in a plug for Coke, see #4. With regard to "the fizz," I have no idea what the author is trying to say. That completely mystifies me.
   
   6. "He wasn't supposed to feel like Evel Knievel every time a bill came due." What the hell?!
   
   I was particularly disappointed because there's actually a great deal of potential for this book due to its subject matter and characters. If I could have offered advice prior to its publication, it would have been this: The author should first decide whether or not he loves birds. If so, he should show that in his writing. Then, he should remove every movie star, media reference, and brand name. He should add more background information on specific birds and their environment. He should provide the American Birding Association's list of rules for the Big Year (I was wondering about this throughout the entire book). He should read The Orchid Thief and learn from it. Then, this would be a fabulous book!



5. This is a thoroughly enjoyable book. Obmascik weaves the story of 3 Big Year competitors with history and science, while injecting shots of humor and profundity throughout. I couldn't put this book down.

No comments about Washington Pocket Map and Guide (Eyewitness Pocket Maps & Guides).

No comments about The Definitive Journals of Lewis and Clark, Vol 3: Up the Missouri to Fort Mandan (The Nebraska Edition, Vol 3).

2 comments about Journal of a Voyage with Bering, 1741-1742.

1. 'Journal of a Voyage With Bering 1741-1742' is very impressive because it is an as-close-to and an as-smooth-as possible translation of Steller's original journal of his 'epic' journey with Captian-Commander Bering from the Kamchta peninsula to the Aleutians, Alaska, and their intense voyage back through a hazardous winter (ultimately the vessel was shipwrecked on Bering Island, where the Captain met his untimely fate...). In reading this book you can sense just how ominous that region was for first-time explorers (and still is!), and the fear engendered by such an awesome unknown region is evident in many of the crewmen's comments. Steller himself is quite the opposite- and very focused on his work- what they worked hard for ten years to do- to study the area and peoples and flora and fauna etc. beyond the 60th parallel NE of Russia.

   I gave this account 4 stars instead of 5 because the introduction- while very scholarly and interesting- might be too much at times. One buys this book to read Steller's account of the voyage first and foremost- not to read about all the details of the man's various capacities. Stating he was a masterful botanist, biologist, marine biologist, medic, etc. might have been enough...

   The other problem I have with this book is Steller himself, who more often than not holds gripes against his crew and the Captain- and does not restrain himself from making this known. The problem is, is that often I feel the Captain's wariness is justified, while Steller would rather just go off and study plants and the indigenes, irrespective (oblivious?) of the dangers of the region and the timeframe before the onset of winter. The point is, for anyone who has navigated by ship the Aleutian waters even in our modern era- is that those waters are some of the most, if noit THEE most dangerous waters in the world- and Steller, while at times making good and prudent navigational decisions (which, by the way, were often ignored by Captain Bering), at other times he just wanted to go around and collect plants and artifacts when the rest of the crew and the Captain rightly wanted to lift anchor- and often waited just for Steller to return to the ship for this very purpose.

   Overall, it's a fascinating account of the very earliest Aleutians voyage by 'Europeans.' Read and judge for yourself who was making the best calls. Sometimes it was Steller- but at other times, the Cpatain's prudence was very justified.




2. 'Journal of a Voyage With Bering 1741-1742' is very impressive because it is an as-close-to and an as-smooth-as possible translation of Steller's original journal of his 'epic' journey with Captain-Commander Vitus Bering from the Kamchtaka peninsula to the Aleutians, Alaska, and their intense voyage back through a very hazardous winter (ultimately the vessel was shipwrecked on Bering Island, where the Captain met his untimely fate...). In reading this book you can sense just how ominous that region was for first-time explorers (and still is!), and the fear engendered by such an awesome unknown region is evident in many of the crewmen's comments (and ends...). Steller himself is quite the opposite- very steadfast in the journey, and very focused on his work- what the expedition worked hard for ten years to prepare for- to study the area and peoples and flora and fauna etc. beyond the 60th parallel NE of Russia.
   I gave this account 4 stars instead of 5 because the introduction- while very scholarly and interesting- might be too pedantic at times. One buys this book to first and foremost read Steller's account of the voyage - not to read about all the minutae details of the man's various capacities prior to the expedition. Stating he was a masterful botanist, biologist, marine biologist, medic, etc. might have been enough...
   The other problem I have with this book is Steller himself, who more often than not holds gripes against his crew and the Captain- and does not restrain himself from making this known in his writing. The problem is, is that often I feel the Captain's wariness is justified, while Steller would rather just go off and study plants and the indigenes, irrespective (oblivious?) of the dangers of the region and the timeframe before the onset of winter. The point is, for anyone who has navigated by ship the Aleutian waters even in our modern era - those waters are some of the most, if not THEE most dangerous waters in the world- and Steller, while at times making good and prudent navigational decisions (which, by the way, were often ignored by Captain Bering), at other times just wanted to go around and collect plants and artifacts when the rest of the crew and the Captain rightly wanted to lift anchor- and often waited just for Steller to return to the ship for this very purpose. Steller just put the entire crew in undue danger on more than one occasion.
   Overall, though, this is a fascinating account of the very earliest Aleutians Islands voyage by 'Europeans.' Read and judge for yourself who was making the best calls. Sometimes it was Steller- but at other times, the Captain's prudence was very justified.