No comments about Utah Trees & Wildflowers: An Introduction to Familiar Species of Trees, Shrubs and Wildflowers (Pocket Naturalist - Waterford Press).

1 comments about Rock Climbing the Wasatch Range (Regional Rock Climbing Series).

1. It has finally arrived. The bible that everyone in the Salt Lake valley has been waiting for. No, it's not another religious doctrine. It is the guide to the diverse canyons of the Wasatch Range surrounding Salt Lake City, Utah. It's bigger and a whole lot better than the Ruckman's old guide. The guidebook covers all of the canyons that were in the previous guide, plus it covers new developments such as City Creek and Neffs Canyon. The Ruckmans follow the same format they used in their old guide, so don't expect many changes in that department. However, to say that this is only a revised edition is an understatement.

   The guide is twice as thick as previous editions and covers almost twice as many routes. It is a little bit more expensive, but it is worth it if you want to find the areas like the Shore Line Crag, Broads Fork and a plethora of new routes throughout the Wasatch. The only shortcoming of the guide is its short mention of the bouldering areas. The guide des! cribes the locations of the bouldering areas but it does not describe any of the routes. This was probably done in order to save space and money but it would be nice for the Ruckmans to pass on some bouldering beta. Overall impression, the guide is an excellent investment and a good excuse to replace your old torn up guide.

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 River Runners' Guide To Utah and Adjacent Areas (Revised and Updated).

1. Gary and his brother have paddled every river and creek that is described in this book. If you plan on running any Utah river and creek, this is the guide to use for specific beta, when the best running time frames are (cfm wise), all permit requirements, put-ins and take-outs and all geography characteristics that may preclude a good time. Get it and take it with you! Awesome detailed route maps that can't be beat.



2. Gary and his brother have paddled every river and creek that is described in this book. If you plan on running any Utah river and creek, this is the guide to use for specific beta, when the best running time frames are (cfm wise), all permit requirements, put-ins and take-outs and all geography characteristics that may preclude a good time. Get it and take it with you! Awesome detailed route maps that can't be beat.

1 comments about Canoeing and Kayaking Utah: A Complete Guide to Paddling Utah's Lakes, Reservoirs & Rivers.

1. I agree with the author when he says that this is the only guide to flatwater in Utah. Even though it is the default choice, it is a well thought out book. It hits the obvious places and a few out of the way places I'd never heard of. Each individual review does a good job of describing the location. The book would have benefited from individual closeup maps for at least the "best bets" destinations.
   
   Also, for the destinations that are reservoirs (most of them) it might have been helpful to have listed the water level required for the paddling that is described. Some of the destinations flat out don't exist in a dry year.
   
   Of course, any travel guidebook is outdated the day it is published and this book is no exception--the kayak rental place on Antelope Island is closed as of September 14, 2007.
   
   While you could eventually discover most of the destinations yourself (there just isn't much water in Utah), this book can will save you a lot of time and miles. Recommended.

No comments about Best Easy Day Hikes Canyonlands and Arches, 2nd (Best Easy Day Hikes Series).

2 comments about Camping Utah (Regional Camping Series).

1. Whether you are a summer visitor traveling in a Class A motorhome or a weekend tent camper in Utah's backcountry, you shouldn't be without this indispensable resource guide. Camping Utah is a reference guide that to the best of my knowledge covers all of Utah's three hundred and seven public campgrounds. Included in the book are the campgrounds that are managed by the National Park Service, the National Forest, the Bureau of Land Management, Utah State Parks and Recreation, and local counties and city-owned parks. The guide is packed full of information on the campgrounds and their surrounding areas. There is detailed information on road conditions and driving directions, any recreation vehicle restrictions, the number of campsites, the elevation, the setting, the amenities, a reservation source, best season to visit, and activities in the area. The details in the book describes the types of toilets you'll find, whether or not there's a horseshoe pit, and if a trailhead is located near a particular site. The book is organized in regions that match the Utah's Department of Tourism literature. You will find that the book is more accurate than the literature put out by the managing agencies. The author was able to visit all the campgrounds listed in the book except four, due to either the campground being under construction or because of road closure. This book will simplify your task in searching out where to stay so that more time can be spent enjoying Utah's great outdoors.



2. This guide provides reasonable information on campgrounds. I found it hard to use for trip planning purposes and there is no index.

No comments about Utah Trails Northern Region.

5 comments about Hiking The Escalante.

1. I not only enjoyed reading this book, but found it extremely useful in planning my first trip to the Grand Staircase region. It gave me an accurate idea what to expect from each trail.



2. The Escalante is a vast area of great charms. This is a nice hiking guide to some of the more accessible areas of the Escalante. These hikes are not for the faint of heart - they require good backcountry skills. What makes the book truly great is Rudi's natural history background. Extensive drawings and text add richness to our visits to the red rock country of the Escalante. 43 hikes listed, drawings, maps and many b&w photographs.



3. Having hiked the Escalante canyons a lot before reading this book, I found upon reading it that the book seemed to match my memory of places fairly exactly. That doesn't mean a lot, so I took it with me on a few of the more backcountry trips and found it so extremely accurate and useful that I am now using it as the primary information source for some trips to areas that are new to me in the Escalante region. I'd definitely recommend this book.



4. Hiking the Escalante Wilderness can get very confusing even if you are proficient at the use of USGS topo maps. Hence, whenever I have gone I have taken this book. He devoted a lot of time to not only giving you a much-needed guidebook, but also to giving you a lot of history, biology, botany, and even deals with hundreds of side canyons/routes... But some of the information might be outdated (e.g. the pools in Death Hollow) and his descriptions that seem clear can be vague (how to safely scale the last 50 yards to Phipps arch); there are other, wrong, places that look exactly as he describes the correct place (e.g, finding the mail route west and out of Death Hollow - there is a bend lower in the creek that looks the same, but is not the route). He also relies heavily upon his odometer readings to find trailheads and all car odometers don't jive with his readings.



5. I bought this book and went to the area covered.
   And I advise anyone planning a trip there to change their plans.
   
   It is hot, too hot.
   There is no water or shade.
   The flying insects, there are millions, bite every inch of unprotected skin.
   Every plant has needles that leave you pierced.
   The crawling creatures will find you where you sleep and bite you.
   And for what - a bunch of red rocks and dirt.
   
   
   Safer to stay in the car and look at it from the road.
   Or better yet stay home.

3 comments about Raven's Exile: A Season on the Green River.

1. A meditation on the Green River, water in the West, and wilderness.
   
   I first read Meloy's EATING STONE, a book about desert bighorns. In comparison to that book, where the specificity of the theme reined in the author's imagination somewhat, RAVEN'S EXILE ranges widely. I think it should be read as a meditation/rant rather than as a factual account or even a memoir. At times the language is poetic; at other times I found it imprecise and over-the-top. Sometimes Meloy's outrage at American culture's lack of concern for wilderness, the hubris of building huge cities in the middle of the desert, and the arrogance of wanting to replace native fish with others that give better "sport" is acutely expressed and trenchant; sometimes the text degenerates into idiosyncracy and misanthropy.
   
   Recommended, but I tend to think Craig Childs' book on water in the desert addresses the topic better.



2. This book is a gem. If Abbey had a feminine counter-voice Meloy's would be it. Like Desert Solitaire Meloy speaks of the raw, untamed beauty of the southern Utah wilderness. We travel with her and her husband Mark down the Green River through Desolation Canyon and deep into the wild places of the human psyche. Meloy takes us back to our more primitive self with an eye for detail and a soft, gentle humor. She transports us on a journey that few of us will ever take. Through her eyes we see the river from a myriad of uses and view points: the prehistoric Fremont culture, early river runners to the modern river rat. Like Abbey before her, Meloy gives us a sense of place that comes alive through her words. This is an ode to a wild river and as she feared, possibly a eulogy. Desolation Canyon its environs remains one of the more endangered places in the southwest. The wild in all of us lost a voice with her untimely death in 2004.



3. my family has been reading and then re reading this book for at least 10 years.. for us its like poetry and takes us all back to some faboulous river trip memories..