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Canyon Hiking Guide to the Colorado Plateau
by Michael Kelsey
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Kelsey Publishing (Utah) (1995-01)
ISBN: 0944510116
EAN: 9780944510117
Dewy Decimal #: 917.904
Paperback: 288 pages
Edition: 3rd
SKU: 00933
Condition: Used: Acceptable
Comments: Pages have no writing, coffee stain on edge of first several pages, some edge wear on cover
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
This is a canyon hiking guide to the Colorado Plateau, which covers the southeastern half of Utah, the northern half of Arizona, the western 1/5 of Colordo, and a small part of NW New Mexico. This new 4th Edition has been undated significantly beyond the 3rd. The author went back to almost all canyons, or at least to the trailheads, to check out the mile post markers, etc. Also, about half a dozen less-interesting canyons or hikes from the 3rd Edition were eliminated; while about a dozen new & more challenging hikes have been added, plus another 32 pages. This 4th edition contains 320 pages and 191 fotographs, about 90 of which are new. The new canyons are from scattered locations in southern Utah, primarily in Zion National Park, and the Escalante River, San Rafael Swell & Robbers Roost country, along with major updates on slot canyons on the Navajo Nation. Other big changes to this edition are the addition of about a dozen new technical slot canyons; that is, canyons where you need ropes and rappelling gear to get through. This adds another dimension to excitement and challenge, and opens many new hiking areas previously closed to many of us. All these technical canyons are now either bolted-up, or have slings or webbing around boulders, making them ready for rappelling. The general direction for this book, is toward slot canyons, which everybody likes; but it retains easy & fun hikes to canyons with Anasazi ruins, another favorite. So if you're looking for petroglyphs or pictographs, and cliff dwellings or ruins, which some people try their best to hide, then this is your book. In the back of this book is a section listing the Best Hikes, including for the most part Slot Canyons, then best hikes to see Indian ruins, and Native American rock arts sites. Below is the Table of Contents.
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Customer Reviews
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5th edition is a must!
Rating  (5)
Date: 2008-11-23
If you already have an older copy of this book, you need to get the updated 5th edition. In 2003 the Utah Department of Transportation (DOT) decided to update the mile post markers throughout the state of Utah. It is only in this 5th edition that the mile post markers for the state of Utah are accurate, that is not the case with the previous 4 editions This edition also has many wonderful color photos in it. My interests lie in the many archaeololgy sites that Kelsey gives the directions to. These are the seldom seen ancient Anasazi ruins that most of the 500,000 visitors a year to Mesa Verde never see. I have posted a blog of photos of many of the hikes that are in this book.
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Excellent, if a bit busy.
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-06-30
An ton of useful information is packed into this book. That leads to what I think is the only real fault, which is the denseness of the type and the lack of white space. But I'm not going to mark it down for that. There is more covered here than any other guidebook I've seen on the subject. Some fine photos, too, although I also find his spelling "fotos" annoying.
As to directions, in the wilder parts of the southwest it only takes one small mistake and you're off the route pretty quickly. Anyone who used the guidebook only and didn't have a good map and compass or GPS would be making a mistake.
In response to those who think guidebooks like this are a bad thing, since they expose the natural and archaeological sites to more people, I can only say: How would you feel if you hadn't yet found this treasure, and those who had tried to keep you out? I know it's an instinctive thing to want to protect certain areas from overuse, but really, not that many people will visit this area. It's too harsh and unforgiving for all but those who are serious hikers, so we don't really need to worry about hordes of people overunning the canyons.
While I'm as concerned as anyone about the effect more people will have on the Colorado Plateau, I applaud Mr. Kelsey for giving us the benefit of his many years experience in book form.
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A must read for the canyon hiker !
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-05-24
Just looking at this book makes want you to go, let alone reading it ! Clear description of all the 120 hikes on this subjects :
- Location and acces
- Trail and route
- Elevation
- Time needed
- Water
- Maps
- Main attractions
- Best time to hike
- Author's experience, adding a personal flavour.
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A phenomenal book
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-05-23
Controversy surrounds this hiking guide. On the one hand are those who criticize Kelsey for giving innacurate directions, exposing the pristine lands of southern Utah and northern Arizona to more people, and giving ridiculously fast hiking times. On the other hand are those who find this guide extremely helpful in exploring the Colorado Plateau canyon country, land which is open to all. I used different editions of this book for over a decade and found the book invaluable. This newer edition contains many beautiful color photographs and updated maps.
Admittedly, the book is a bit eccentric. Kelsey insists on giving directions in metric, though this is certainly helpful to the many foreign visitors who visit the Colorado Plateau. I agree that an index would help as well. But the amount of time and energy that went into the research for this book must have been staggering. I never had a problem finding a trailhead or route with Kelsey's directions and maps. And after one hike, I had a general idea of how my hiking times compared to Kelsey's. His books have always contained ample warning about potentially dangerous canyons like the Black Hole.
His book has helped me to explore canyons in one of the most beautiful places on earth.
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Excellent book
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-05-07
Color photos, through coverage of hikes, lots of tips for traveling the backroads to these trails.
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