1 comments about The Best in Tent Camping: Utah: A Guide for Campers Who Hate RVs, Concrete Slabs, and Loud Portable Stereos (Best in Tent Camping - Menasha Ridge).

1. Well-written and helpful guide for camping, especially tent camping, in Utah.
   The author has done a fantastic job of highlighting the different tent camping options in Utah and has included his personal preferences of both campgrounds and the individual sites within each campground.
   If you are new to tent camping in Utah, I highly recommend this book. If you are a more seasoned camper, I still recommend this book because he has obviously put his heart and soul into visiting all the campsites in Utah which is something that most of us simply do not have the time to do.
   Included are helpful maps, contact information and additional sources for further information.
   I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to go camping in Utah!

5 comments about Hiking And Exploring The Paria River: Including, The Story Of John D. Lee And Mountain Meadows Massacre.

1. This book is outstanding. I'm an avid canyoneer and these books got me started. Many think they're too good. I follow the canyoneering boards and people consistently complain that Kelsey gives away too much information and allows, "just anyone who buys the book" to get in the deepest, darkets canyons. The land managers down right hate these books because people get into trouble. I think a good guidebook tells you about an area and it's up to the individual to be responsible and not exceed their abilities.

   Aside from the extermely thorough and detailed area information, Kelsey takes pains to explain the history of the area and to prepare you for what you need to do spend time in these strange lands. I have hundreds of guidebooks from around the world and none of them comes close to Kelsey's in these areas. They are a treat to read.

   There are a few quirky things about Kelsey's work. He lists everthing in metric. I agree this makes perfect sense from a technical (the rest of the world is metric and it makes much more sense) point of view but still have to do a poor job of converting everything back to miles in my head. It would be better to list miles in brackets after the kilometers. Kelsey is also (apparently) very fit because his hiking times are impressively rapid. I usually add 50% to his times to get a realistic estimate of how long it will take me.

   All in all, I couldn't recommend Kelsey's books more. He is an extremely hard working, dedicated author. His works are jewels for this area and will long be recognized as not only the geographical authority but also the historical authority in this wonderful part of the world. Buy everything he writes.




2. Found this guide book very helpful in a canyoneering trip down this nice canyon. I read the book before an April 2003 Paria Canyon trip starting at White House Trailhead and going all the way to Lee's Ferry. One thing was missing from my pack though....the book!

   My trip I carried the BLM map/travel guide you can purchase at the Paria Ranger Station. It was $8.00 and I had a detailed map with camp sites and all known streams for water. The Kelsey Book has little dots or symbols for the sites which were pretty useless when the maps are so small in print. I was glad on the trip I had the BLM Guide for the trip.

   Check the weather forecast before you leave and again at the ranger station. The summer of 2003 in September there were flash floods in the canyon from storms over 40 miles away!

   The Paria Ranger Station reports temperatures to the weather service and rain/snow amounts. You will have to go to noaa.gov site for the info. Enter Kanab or Salt Lake City in the today's forecast box and then at the bottom of the forecast page will be additional forecast info - press the forecast discussion. On the new page enter state summary and look on the page for Paria Ranger Station!! There the high and low's will be listed with any precipitation amounts. The ranger station calls in the info every day.

   Remember to pack the book for your trip to help you with your travels down this great canyon.




3. Got this book in preparation for a trip to the area. It's very comprehensive, but looks like it was laid out with an old fashioned typewrite. Still, if you plan to hike the Paria River, it's definately a good resource..



4. As an American I lived my life of [...] years in feet and miles. I too heard my [...] teacher (nearly 45 years ago) say better get used to metric the US is the last country on the planet not using it and SOON you will have to use it. Never happened! (except for beverage providers who saw an oportunity to give us less product for the same price!) Wilderness hiking can be very dangerous, you need to know where you are, and I can't be pulling a calculator out every page to figure out how far 13.7 meters is!! Otherwise the book is filled with very good information. Pick up a detailed map at the trail head the maps in the book are too small to be of any help.



5. Husband wanted book, I ordered it. He likes it.

2 comments about Hiking from Here to WOW: WOW Guides Utah Canyon Country : 90 Trails to the Wonder of Wilderness (Wow Series).

1. Received the Utah Canyon Country "WOW" guide today and my heart started beating faster just looking at the cover photo. Oh yeah, slickrock junkies will be pleased.
   Skimming thru, the photos are great, the maps look accurate and easy to read and the trip choices seem excellent.
   I'm not really going to get rid of my shelves of Utah hiking guides but this is certainly a great addition.
   Whoops; five minutes after submitting the above review the cover came unglued and fell off. Bad cover but still a good book.



2. I had previously purchased the Copeland's book on the Canadian Rockies, which was the best hiking book I had purchased (I have a large collection), so I had high expectations from this newest Utah book-- I was not disappointed. I have 4 other "Utah" hiking books-- this one is again the best. When you first open it, and glance through the pages, you get a strong sense of high quality. Jam packed with nice color pictures which are truly inspiring. The opinions are (IMO) well founded (the Copeland's have good discernment about what makes a "WOW" hike). Facts/details/maps are clear and plenteous without being overkill, providing all the info you need/want to know, and not a lot extra.
   
   Cons? You have to dig deep into the nitpicking bag to find fault, but... I would have preferred ratings on the hikes like they did in their Canadian Rockies book. It's true, these are ALL "WOW" hikes (as they state in introduction), but some are more "WOW" than others! :-) Three or even two classifications of "wow" would have been nice. A few of the pictures (out of hundreds) have motion blur. The background on the maps is an orangish brown... they look classy, but for those who make photocopies of maps to take on the hike, a white background would have been better. Like I said, this is really nitpicking.
   
   I highly recommend this book.

5 comments about Backcountry Adventures Utah: The Ultimate Guide to the Utah Backcountry for Anyone with a Sport Utility Vehicle (Backcountry Adventures).

1. I have found this title to be very interesting, and very informative at the same time. It provides a great deal of background information and historical facts for each of the trails it details. The book also provides some historical and other information on the state of Utah, including info on the types of wildlife and plantlife that can be found in the different climate of Utah.
   
   It includes many trails, all over the state. As the title suggests, mosts of the trails are ones that give you an alternate route, or backcountry route, to or through a city/town. The only reason that I didn't give it five stars is that I would like to see some more maps of the smaller, shorter off road trails in Utah.
   
   Overall, this is an excellent resource to have, and I have found it very enjoyable. There are great trails and wonderful details in the book. I would say it is worth the buy.



2. If you like to travel the back roads this is the book for you. It has excellent information, along with maps, GPS and history. Well worth the money.



3. Backcountry Adventures are the best guides of their kind out there. Odometer references, descriptive text, and (especially) GPS coordinates make these easy and foolproof to use. The map and index for the respective areas, Southeast, Central, etc., make planning your route easy as the different routes are color coded with their page numbers referenced. Good sampling of human interest content also, giving some history, flora and fauna, and geology information.
   
   My only criticism is that these guides should be spiral bound, and pages removable. This would allow the book to lie flat and pages and/or sections could be removed to make it more concise for use on a motorcycle or bicycle. These guides are the size of a mid sized phone book and are too big and heavy for anything but automotive use.



4. I've got a lot of Utah guides but this one is the best by far. Very good maps at different scales. Trail diagrams with loads of point of interest. Detailed trail logs with turn by turn directions, scenic ratings, difficulty ratings. A great historical section about the people and places of Utah. This one has it all. We leave in one week!!



5. Here is the situation, you want to do some exploring and follow a certain dirt track and need to know the condition of it, length, and what you can expect for scenery, also, can your pick-up right from the factory handle the trail?
   
   You swing into the "Poison Raven" shop and ask the senior manager, you have socks older than this kid but it's this or nothing, and you ask for info; Is the scenery worth it? " Yaahh, its awesome back there, Rad."
   IS the trail passable , are there washes with mud or water in them, can a stock short bed make the trail, is there alot of scramble, boulder moving, or is it a trail an 'old man' of 40 can handle in an Escalade?
   
   The answers are " Yaahh, its Rad. most is lame, but some is gnarly, no prob in your hummer dude, rock on and git er dun"
   
   When you leave the manager turns to an employee and says, " Oh, Wait, was that old dude talking about the Yellow Cat or Hell's Backbone?...oh, dude, I screwed that up big time..." and they laugh and you end up screwed...big time..
   
   Instead of that scenario buy this book and stop only for gas, water and a shovel, and "git er dun" on your own.
   
   Even if you only have a stock SUV you will love this book, it will open up more areas to you than you will believe, even in places you think you already know.
   
   Having explored canyon country in Utah for many years we bought this book and then went out and followed every track we always had wondered about.
   
   It is not perfect in every way, but it gives you a great idea of what to expect, take the time to read the entire route description and then go out and follow one and see how things line up.This will also get you in line with how the authors are thinking and writing, understanding that things here change day by day, and year to year, but a trail that is a Difficulty 2 or 3 won't become a 6 and a scenery rating of a 10 doesn't become a 4 either.
   Keep in mind this guide can not tell you it rained like hell yesterday and the washes are a foot of mud, or that there is bad trail damage from the ijits that went through ahead of you and tore hell outta the crossings and kept on going.
   But , that said, it will tell you how long you will be in a wash, how many washes there are to cross, how many rivers or creeks, and gives a rough idea of the scenery you can expect and most importantly to us, the difficulty of the trail.
   
   At 4 times the going price I'd still buy these gudies, they are a fantastic shortcut to exploring, and also takes the worry out of wondering where a track ends up, and if it does connect to another track how bad is that one?
   
   Bottom line also-- this is NOT the beaches on D-Day----you don't HAVE to keep going, we can go back and call it a day.
   
   Many of the trails that we decided from their rating were too much for our truck or suv we planned on hiking on foot, or mtn bike, without the guide we probably wouldn't have ever turned off onto these trails to begin with. Worth every penny and then some.

5 comments about Hiking and Exploring Utah's San Rafael Swell 3rd Edition.

1. As a student of geography and land use planning, Kelsey's book has provided further references for deeper research.



2. I talked with a park ranger who made the comment, "We use Steve Alan's book to find all the people who get lost from Kelsey's descriptions." I didn't believe this until I went down to the Swell and did the Virgin Spring hike described in Kelsey's book. He said that he did the hike in 9 hours. Using GPS I would estimate the hike at just about 30 miles total. Steve Allen recommends 2-3 days to complete the same hike. Kelsey's descriptions of this complicated hike are dangerous and sure to leave you searching for hours for the trail in a place where getting lost is easy because of infrequent use. He also puts a large disclaimer in this book "Don't blame me" because someone blamed him for getting lost on the local news. The only thing good about Kelsey's book are few good pictures. Save your money and buy Steve Allen's book.



3. The historical background and geological cross-sections (of which there is at least one for every hiking area) show Michael Kelsey at his best; I have battered my borrowed copy (which I need to replace) pretty well. The most understandable criticism in my view is the lack of difficulty ratings; just remember that Kelsey is a fast hiker so go conservative at first to see what your multiplier factor is, and remember that 3rd and 4th class scrambling often, but not consistently, constitutes straightforward hiking to him. And bring your own topo map; his sketches are a good reference for route, access, and other descriptions in the text, but are not meant to be your only map. You wouldn't want to be deprived of adventure because your guidebook gave you GPS coordinates for each footstep you are to take, so I have no problem with route descriptions like "look for one of the several ways down" and so forth. There is also the occasional rant against imagined people who want to "lock up" the land and keep everyone out, which I take as a slightly odd way of expressing his otherwise understandable viewpoint on access restrictions for popular but sensitive areas.



4. If you want lots of background historical info, have a thirst for adventure and discovery on your own, and you have good common sense in the outdoors, get Kelsey's book. If you need your hand held, regularly hike with a pacifier in your mouth, are taking children along, or have little desert experience, you may want the other book. The beauty of Kelsey's book is that you'll eventually have to figure your own way out of the pickle he put you in - but you'll love it.



5. I got this book as a gift and it's been well-liked so far. Shipped quickly and was in great condition when it arrived, but I don't know details enough to review content or anything like that.

4 comments about Rockhounding Utah.

1. I found this book to be very helpful in finding rock-collecting sites in Utah. It has directions to the collecting sites, information about near by attractions, tools needed, elevations, driving conditions and best time of year to go. I use the book religiously when I'm out and about. I give it a 4 star rating, and could have been a 5 star rating had the pictures of the rock specimen been in color, instead of black and white =)



2. I found this book very useful in exploring the different sites in Utah. I have only been to a few sites but was not disappointed in the results. One should read the Forward/Intro section. It has good tips on the Utah and it's climate that literally could be a life saver.
   The author has put a real effort in listing the different sites and given good directions. I like the site format including the elevation and the best time to collect. I used it to visit Utah in early March and petrified wood from sand creek. I have given the book a four star rating due to it's age. It was published in 1996 so it's seven years old at this writing. the Utah sites still seem to be intact compared to the sites in New Mexico and Colorado. As I have suggested in my other reviews I would like to see GPS Coordinates for Main turn offs and the initial starting points at a collecting site. The forest service/BLM has a habit of closing roads. and there are Vandals that deface signs right when you need them the most. I also use the GPS Data for mapping software at home before the trip. preplanning at home beats driving 10 miles of washboard and dust on the wrong road.



3. I found the book to be very useful in finding sites to look for rocks and fossils during a recent trip to Utah. The directions to the sites were clear, and advice on conditions helpful. All of the sites I visited (10-12)were as described and productive, particularly when viewed as jumping off points to explore. The only thing I would ask for are more sites and a wider variety of things to look for. Two weeks more of vacation would be nice, as well. While I'm asking, gas money and a mailer to avoid carrying 25 lbs. of rocks home on the plane...



4. This book is so popular with rockhounder's and has been used so extensively, that the sites depicted have been virtually picked clean. Readers should use this book as a general location reference and search elsewhere for collectable material.

2 comments about Utah's Incredible Backcountry Trails.

1. I have been hiking Utah's trails for many years, and I am always looking for new places to explore. I have already looked through most of Utah's other hiking guides, and I have to tell you that this one is without a doubt the best one out there. It is informative, easy to read, the maps are excellent, and, most of all, the color photographs that illustrate the trails will blow you away. It is a little more expensive than the other guides, but definately worth it!



2. This is a beautiful book with color pictures and wonderful detail. This book is worthwhile reading even if you don't hike, you can be an armchair hiker and learn about all the beautiful places Utah has to offer. I bought it for my son and now it is on my want list.

4 comments about Hiking Grand Staircase-Escalante and the Glen Canyon Region.

1. On trying to follow the guide to one of the hikes, the Yellow Rock/Box of Paria River, we were fortunate to meet a BLM ranger as we were about to set out. It became clear that we weren't where we thought we were, and had we continued on, would have entered a confusing and unmarked maze of canyons instead of the entrance to the Box. This is the fault of this book - the maps are poorly labeled and confusing, and the directions (which usually start out by referring you back to some other hike, a poor strategy for a guide book) were, in this instance, just plain wrong, giving incorrect mileage to the point where we should have been. The two locator maps at the front of the book are especially bad, the first oriented perpendicular to the other covering the east part of the region, the second one showing the western part. They should be combined into one map across both pages, show the monument and park boundaries and have some kind of legend, along with better labels.
   What we ended up using as a reference for the rest of the trip, on which we did four hikes, was, in fact, a place mat from a breakfast place in Escalante, which turned out to be much better organized, concise and accurate. On the front is an easy-to-understand map, clearly labeled, and on the back are brief descriptions of the principal backroads and the hikes along each one. This handy little sheet is actually easily found in most businesses in the area, for free.
   Of course, a restaurant placemat doesn't give the level of detail contained in Mr. Adkison's book, which has several useful features, including good categorical summaries for each hike such as elevation gain and loss (including a line graph depicting this), difficulty ratings, hiking time, etc. It was inaccurate in one of those categories for the Yellow Rock hike, stating that no permit was required; the ranger corrected us on this count as well.
   If this book were reorganized in the same manner as the place mat, with the good map of the back roads - there are several key ones: The Burr Trail, Hell's Backbone, and Cottonwood Canyon - and then listed the hikes attainable from each one, then it would be a lot more useful.



2. We used Hiking Grand Staircase-Escalante and the Glen Canyon Region for several hikes this summer and, despite some shortcomings, I would recommend it.
   The trail descriptions are pretty realistic and give a good idea of what to expect on the hike. Based on these descriptions we picked our hikes and were never disappointed. The book describes the general character of the terrain, what you can expect to see, how difficult the hike is likely to be, etc., followed by a decent trail description.
   Where the book needs improvement are the maps. The maps are OK to get a general idea, but NOT A SUBSTITUTE for proper planning of your trip. First they are a bit simplified (which is OK), second they are sometimes wrong (which can get you into trouble). The map for the Boulder Mail Trail, for example, has an incorrect scale bar which makes the hike appear much shorter than it really is (the text gives the correct information).
   However, using this book as the sole information for your hike is not the smartest thing to begin with. In combination with the deLorme (or Benchmark) Utah Atlas and Gazetteer and a series of large scale topographic maps (USGS, Trails Illustrated) we never had any issues finding the trailhead or loosing the trail. So, consider this and similar books as a source of ideas, but do your homework, get the right maps etc. and you'll be fine.



3. The Falcon Guides are the best source of reading material that I have found for hiking into unfamiliar areas. Their discription, maps and milage/elevation gain graphs are wonderful. There books contain a great deal of information.



4. The book contains many good hiking routes, but lacks the kind of detail and descriptive writing about the amazing landscapes (waterfalls, canyons, rivers, prehistoric ruins, cliffs, and other landmarks in general) that you would expect from such an incredible area. I don't know if this is the author's fault or the publisher, but I'm inclined to avoid books from either in the future. Also, like other reviewers have said, the maps are cheesy, and not very useful. DO NOT go on a trip to the area with only this book - you need either a book with much better maps, or even better, a detailed topographical map. If you're looking for a guidebook on this "new" area, I suggest finding another book.

2 comments about Moon Utah (Moon Handbooks).

1. This travel guide provides up-front and honest opinions of accomodation, eating, things to do (both city and backcountry). The authors have provided plenty of ideas that allow you to design your own trip that doesn't have to follow the crowds. (They don't exclude the popular destinations either, if that is your preference.) The book is layed out in a nice logical fashion broken down by the 7 regions and Salt Lake City. Included is a good background on the State and its history, without turning into a textbook. As someone from the other side of the world, I found the advice on customs (such as tipping, Utah's liqor laws) very useful.



2. I'm lucky to have a good public library near me and I checked out every guidebook on Utah they had--nine or ten. The Moon guide is the best of the lot. I liked it so much I bought it and took it with me to a recent 8-day visit to the state, and was able to give it an "on the ground" trial.
   
   The Moon guides are unique in the depth of coverage. No sketchy descriptions of attractions here--each place is covered in detail and depth. The Utah guide includes the "little things" that might interest you no matter what kinds of scenery or attractions you like--or you can pass them by. The maps are good, but of course no book map can replace a good full-size folding map. Sidebars or "boxes" in the text pick out particular bits of information that make the area come alive.
   
   The guide is not as complete about hotel/motels as some, but I belong to AAA for that kind of information, which becomes out of date as soon as any guide is published anyway.
   
   The quality of any guide book, whether Moon or Lonely Planet, or whatever, depends on its authors. This one hits the mark.

5 comments about Sandstone Spine: Seeking the Anasazi on the First Traverse of the Comb Ridge.

1. From the moment I saw this book on the shelf, I couldn't wait to get to a computer and order it from Amazon. I neglected to write down the name, but was able to find it with a search. This book is one I had a very hard time putting down. Roberts is a fine writer, however, some terminology will most likely have you pining for a dictionary! Roberts has you feeling the burn of the climb and the heat of the desert, along with the blisters on ones' feet! I am just about done with it, and already ordered "In Search of the Ancient Ones" for my next read.



2. I enjoyed reading "The Secret Knowledge of Water" and "House of Rain;" both books written by Craig Childs. So,I bought and read this book because Greg Childs acted as photographer in this traverse of Comb Ridge. And, Indeed, the photos are good. Unfortunatly, David Roberts, the author and traverse participant, comes off as needing total control of his hike companions. The writing seems choppy and more a personal journal than an adventure.



3. After reading David Roberts other book "In Search Of The Ancient Ones", I had to pick this one up as well. As a native Southwesterner and interested in ancient southwestern Indian history, I was eager to read about his trek across the "The Comb" with two friends. There was some interesting tidbits on how they went about placing their water caches and meetings with some of the locals before and during their trip. It was a fairly interesting read if you are an outdoors person but I as far as the Anasazi ruins, while several are mentioned, it would have been more interesting if more photos were included. Like a few previous reviewers I did find it annoying to read about David's arguments with his fellow companions as they all seemed to be instigated by David himself. I got the impression that he thought he was the "leader" of the group and the others were supposed to listen to him and follow "his" rules. It wouldn't have been too bad except he brings it up about 4 or 5 times throughout the book which I thought was a little excessive. Also, he makes a few remarks about others he has met or traveled with in the back country of the Southwest which, to me anyways, he thinks that we are not worthy of visiting these ancient ruins. Because others have vandalized ruins (which has been going on for about a hundred years now)does not mean that there some of us who are just as interested in the Anasazi and want to experience the thrill and wonder of finding an undiscovered site on our own or visit some of the ruins that are accessible, without looting them or damaging them. He gave me the impression that he is one of the "elite" who is one of the few who is knowledgable and because he's done some extensive backcountry travelling, "qualified" to visit these sites. Overall I thought the book was a good read. Not as good as his earlier one, "In Search Of The Ancient Ones." (Which I highly recommend). You should consider "House Of Rain" by Craig Childs.



4. The photography draws me into 'Living With Wolves' with a yearning to be there. Jim Dutcher and Helen Cherullo uniquely reinforce my beliefs towards the reintroduction efforts of the White Mountain Apache Tribe Sensitive Species Agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.



5. I particularly enjoyed this book because I've canoed the San Juan River many times. It took me back to strenuous climbs up San Juan Hill, where the layers of rock are turned up, as one geologist states, "like layers of bedding." "Baseball Man" was also an often seen and photographed site. I hope all of the sites that he explored will remain protected from the collectors of artifacts, so that many generations will be able to see them and think on what life might have been like there, more than a thousand years ago.