No comments about Wasatch Winter Trails.

5 comments about A Hiking Guide To Cedar Mesa.

1. Bad news first.
   -- Directions to trail heads are infuriatingly compressed, hard to read, and in some places silly (ex: Major state route paved highway intersections are identified with GPS coordinates.)
   -- Despite the 2001 copyright, 7-1/2' maps names are not given, but the obsolete and no-longer-available 15' maps are given.
   -- Some of the detail maps are not oriented north-up -- hard to use for our north-up oriented minds. Worse yet, the maps don't say where north is, despite the north arrow in the map legend that lies, since it always points up. Hard to orient yourself, even after you discover the lying arrow.
   -- The maps have no scale.
   -- No index. Unpardonable sin, especially in these days of computers.

   OK, now good-bad news:
   -- Lots of GPS coordinates. But they are in a table following each route description, not embedded in the description. So you have to flip pages back and forth, and try to figure which set of coordinates apply to which text passage.
   -- This is the only book that covers the area efficiently. Mike Kelsey's books cover larger areas. (Perhaps there are others that I have not found.)

   Ready for some good news?:
   -- It appears appropriately comprehensive. I say appropriate, since it is not totally comprehensive about the area. This leaves room for independent exploration, and does not divulge secret last best places.
   -- Use the nicely made table and overview map starting on p.45 to efficiently sort through the walks he describes in the rest of the book.




2. I was dismayed to find, in the Introduction, urging from the author for readers to contact their congressional representative to designate excessive amounts of Utah acreage as wilderness areas, thus rendering them useless to much of the population that lives in these areas, of which I am one, and many who visit. While I believe that these areas should be kept from vandalism and destruction, I also believe educating the populace on the proper treatment of the land is a better alternative to closing off access to many who do not have the physical ability to hike long distances to see the beauties of nature.
   
   Not wishing to support those who want to keep my family and I from enjoying and responsibly utilizing the land around us, I considered returning this book. But in spite of the author's extremist environmentalism views, the book offers good descriptions, maps, and photographs of some beautiful sites that I am anxious to explore with my young family. So, I will keep the book and try to ignore the preaching.



3. This guidebook is definitely a good resource for exploring this fascinating corner of Utah. I largely agree with Tom Budlong's earlier review.
   
   A word of warning to GPS users. This guidebook is copyrighted 2001. In May 2000, the US military discontinued GPS "selective availability", greatly improving the accuracy of civilian GPS signals from that date on. Unfortunately, it appears that the author recorded many of the GPS coordinates in this book prior to this date. Thus, the author's GPS coordinates are frequently inaccurate- I've found some errors of 200 meters or more. The author's coordinates are still helpful, but GPS users accustomed to (spoiled by?) high accuracy should be wary.



4. I recently completed an outing to the Cedar Mesa/Comb Ridge area for which I had specifically purchased this guidebook. On first glance it appears more comprehensive then the Kelsey "Non-Technical" hiking guide, but first impressions can be deceiving. Most annoying were the UTM co-ordinates. Aside from the fact that they are inaccurate, see below, they are also largely worthless. An example from the "Fish Mouth Cave" description includes these handy co-ordinates: carpark-0,620,633E;4,142,890N, 1st Alcove-none, 2nd Alcove-none, Fish Mouth Cave-none, carpark-0,620,633E;4,142,890N! Why bother? Kelsey has no UTMs at all, but he obviates their need by providing accurate and helpful written descriptions of the hikes he describes. The Tassoni descriptions are, imho, MUCH less helpful. Kelsey also provides clear, color "fotographs" (Kelsey spelling--kind of annoying, really) of the features/attractions on the hikes he describes. Page 80 of the Tassoni guide includes a picture of the Abajos mislabled as the La Salles, and p.85 features a picture of Comb Wash-somewhere. In one fell swoop Tassoni has become inaccurate AND irrelevant! Oh, the Tassoni pics are also grainy B&W images of the wrong, irrelevant feature. The Tassoni guide is not entirely unhelpful, but your money would be MUCH better spent on the Kelsey guide.



5. This seemed to be a decent guide...and then after using it, it was found to be lacking. The routes are sometimes awkward, and missed better routes that are easier to trek, and thus safer. Some of the trails are either poorly noted, or have changed since publicaton in 2001.
   
   This is a guide that can be greatly improved upon.
   
   There are locals in the area who can give far more accurate directions, and better yet, guide you to the places safely, if you are not experienced at hiking this terrain. This optionis highly recommneded to photographers or those hiking with children/teens and weekend warriors/older folks.
   
   Kelsey's Canyon Guide is thought of more highly by those with both books.

5 comments about Canyoneering.

1. ET huh? Yeah I know exactly what you mean! Just did that hike suggested in the guide book this weekend. This book serves as a list of hikes to do, but you better have a topo map and some good orienteering skills to match. He listed maps used for the hike but omitted the map which showed the latter third of the end of the canyon. We are lucky we realised this or we would have been trying to exit in the wrong spot. Not only does he use times to find confusing, he gets mileage wrong when he does give it! He said it was about 16 miles for the total trip. We used a topo program to count the mileage afterwards. It was at least 24 miles! Be careful when using this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



2. We used Allen's books many times. The information is wrong way too often regarding exit and entrance points in canyons. It seems that nobody reviews guidebooks before publishing. The worst trio we discovered so far are: Steve Allen, Michael Kelsey and Vivian Lougheed. Hiker beware!



3. More maps would be nice. I would have to agree about the using the minutes (ie 70 minutes) for beta. On the other hand one should always take the maps anyway.
   
   Opposite of Kelsey, difficulties seem to be over exagerated, rather than underexagerated. It would be nic if all authors used the same terminology for diffiuclt and easy, but this will likely never happen.
   
   Steve seems to skip over some fantastic stuff, in favor of some more mundane stuff on some hikes, but all you have to do is do some side trips. To get the most out of this (or any) book, leave the paint by numbers route description on occasion and do some exploring on you own.
   
   I would still highly recommend the book. It's a great source of info.



4. Keep in mind that this book describes the San Rafael Swell. This is a remote, undeveloped part of the world. If you use a guidebook, such as Steve's, that doesn't include all the GPS points and topo maps, then maybe you'll realize that you are going to need more than a guide book to do this stuff safely. And that, my friends, is the genioius of Steve's book. It will get you started, but you need to invest some time with maps etc before the trip to do it safely.
   
   Route descriptions for this part of the world should be in units of time rather than units of length. Not all 5 mile roads in the San Rafael are created equal.
   
   We've hiked 5 or 6 routes in Steve's book. With proper pre-trip planning, we've always been safe and never seriously lost (we've just experienced temporary navigational inconveniences, so far!)
   
   Mike.



5. Don't pay a ridiculous collectors price. A corrected, new and better edition is in the works, and the profit will go the the author/publisher.

No comments about Wild Utah.

3 comments about First Through Grand Canyon: The Secret Journals & Letters of the 1869 Crew Who Explored the Green & Colorado Rivers.

1. This book by Michael Ghiglieri is an outstanading documentary of the first exploration of the Grand Canyon by John Wesley Powell and his crew. While almost every other account of this amazing journey is based on Powell's journal and notes, Michael very carefully pulls together all the accounts of this trip using not only Powell's notes but also the journals of the crew, letters and other doucments not previously published. His book is well researched and very effectively debunks a number of misconceptions about Powell, his leadership skills, how and why the 3 members of his trip were killed (hint: it was NOT the Indians)and the contributions and skills of his crew.

   Michael not only publishes word for word all the journals that survived, but also did an impressive amount of original research into the events that made up this exploration. He then uses his background as a professional river guide to pull it together into a very compelling and hard-to-put down tale of this fateful journey. This is must read for anyone interested in the real facts of this incredible adventure.




2. I wanted to read more about Powell's trip after visiting the Grand Canyon and agree the author has done a good job of assembling the diaries and giving a commentary.
   However, the overwhelming tone of the book is colored by the author's vendetta against Powell. Every action is interpreted in favor of the "noble boatmen" (like the author). There is much too much jumping to conclusions, for which he criticizes other authors. It became tiresome to read how Powell should have done this, that, or the other. Admittedly, the man had his faults, but the leader will always get the praise or blame. A more measured analysis would have been better.



3. Ghiglieri fails at the objective job of an historian. I wish he had laid out the river journals and related writings about the first Powell expedition without injecting such an extraordinary stream of personal invective. Ghiglieri doesn't trust the reader to draw his own conclusions about Powell's character. The author instead serves up an annoying personal crusade against Powell -- and against every prominent historical writer on the topic. I nearly abandoned the book while wading through the introductory tirade, but I was glad I stuck it out. Ghiglieri deserves credit for his work to research and compile the story of the first Powell expedition from the participants' river journals. Reading the expedition members' accounts grouped into daily entries provides an intimate experience of the epic trip as it unfolded.

1 comments about Bryce Canyon: The Story Behind the Scenery.

1. After having visited Bryce Canyon, even though our photos were wonderful, this book shows images of Bryce that a regular camera cannot capture. It also gave a detailed geographical explanation of Bryce Canyon and a historical background that enhanced your understanding of this geographical wonder. A great keepsake.

1 comments about Peaceful Canyon Golden River: A Photographic Journey Through Fabled Glen Canyon.

1. David Gaskill's photographic journey through Glen Canyon is a real treat. The photographs are stunning and the book's design is both professional and attractive. Gaskill's book provides a wonderful glimpse of one of Colorado's treasures. A perfect coffee table book.

1 comments about Compass American Guides: Utah, 6th Edition (Compass American Guides).

1. This is a smart and fun packed book with lots of full-coloured photos, maps, history, tips, and tidbits. It reveals the culture and character of may places in Utah that I find amazingly beautiful.
   Zion National Park
   St. George
   Bryce Canyon NP
   Capitol Reef NP
   Moab-outragous mountain biking
   Arches NP
   Canyonlands NP
   
   It also talks about Utah's geology, the first Utahns, the early explorers,
   the mormon pioneers, Salt lake City, Mountains and Dinosaurs, the Great Basin, Southern Utah, and practical information for Utah like food and lodging, Public lands, useful websites and much more.

2 comments about Lake Powell: A Photographic Essay of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

1. For many people, the name Lake Powell conjures up images of a blue lake among red rock--of boating over a sprawling, azure sheen of unbroken water, beneath high, vermilion sandstone walls. It calls to mind shorelines lined with tamarisks and cottonwoods, bays mottled with preening mergansers and watchful egrets, water caves full of reflected light, and sunsets mirrored by a shining, landlocked ocean.
   For others, the name alone is enough to make them start shaking in anger and sadness. For those, Lake Powell is not a lake at all. It's a misbegotten reservoir. It's a crime. It's all that lies between them and the legendary, long lost Glen Canyon-a stretch of the Colorado River so inviting, so overwhelming, and so full of secrets, it's often been called the Grand Canyon's lovelier sibling.
   Unlike Cataract Canyon upstream, and the Grand Canyon downstream, Glen Canyon was a tranquil place with currents friendly enough for even the most boyish of Boy Scouts and the oldest of old ladies. Edward Abbey considered it the heart of the canyon lands. The residents of White Canyon, Utah--a town since submerged by Lake Powell--considered it home. The Bureau of Reclamation just considered it a good place to build a dam.
   That dam, Glen Canyon Dam, was built in the early-1960s, to create a reservoir in which to store the water of the Colorado River for the states that needed it, to use the river's water to turn turbines and generate lucrative electricity, to control the Colorado River's seasonal flooding, to bring visiting boaters and their money in from all around the world, and to stop water-borne silt and sediment from clogging Lake Mead, an even larger reservoir downstream. The 710-foot-tall Glen Canyon Dam blocked the path of the Colorado River, the trapped river backed up behind the dam, and everywhere the water could go, it did. It covered multiple rivers, created bays, filled Glen Canyon and side canyons and coves, drowned beavers and snakes and trees, and turned buttes and spires into islands. It changed an almost two hundred-mile-long stretch of the Colorado River into Lake Powell, into a deep, manmade lake with about 1,960 miles of ragged, convoluted shoreline-a shoreline longer than America's West Coast.
   And then, then there was Gary Ladd.
   Gary Ladd knew Glen Canyon, and initially hated Lake Powell for inundating it. But then over time, he realized Lake Powell had a very real beauty, a beauty all its own, regardless of its origins, and he started to take pictures of it.
   And his pictures were gorgeous.
   And here they are.
   Right here in this book.
   Buy this book, and dive into the colors and textures that Gary Ladd manages to capture on film: the blues and the reds, the sugar cookie textures of sandstone, and the shocks of color-filled flowers that burst like life itself up from acres of barren rock.
   Buy it, set it on your coffee table, and watch the discussions begin.



2. Many controversies surround the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell related to environmental concerns and I share some of these. Nevertheless Gary Ladds book is a brilliant photoessay which proves that out of bad policy decisions great beauty may serendipitously arise. I have travelled and photographed these regions for more than 20 years and these pictures are so beautiful and vivid, providing at times panoramic and at times intimate views of this beautiful canyon country, that my breath is taken away.

No comments about Rocky Mountain Wildlife.