Canyon Hiking Guide to the Colorado Plateau [Paperback]

Michael Kelsey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1995

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.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The author was born in 1943, and experienced his earliest years of life in eastern Utah's Uinta Basin; first near the town of Myton, then Roosevelt. In 1954, the family moved to Provo, where he attended Provo High School, and later Brigham Young University, where he earned a B.S. degree in Sociology. Shortly thereafter he discovered that was the wrong subject, so he attended the University of Utah, where he received his Master of Science degree in Geography, finishing that in June, 1970.

It was then real life began, for on June 9, 1970, he put a pack on his back and started traveling for the first time. Since then he has seen 223 countries, republics, islands, or island groups. All this wandering has resulted in a number of books written and published by himself. Here are his books, listed in the order they were first published: Climber's and Hiker's Guide to the World's Mountains and Volcanos (4th Edition), Utah Mountaineering Guide (3rd Edition); China on Your Own and the Hiking Guide to China's Nine Sacred Mountains (3rd Edition-Out of Print); Canyon Hiking Guide to the Colorado Plateau (4th Edition); Hiking and Exploring Utah's San Rafael Swell (3rd Edition); Hiking and Exploring Utah's Henry Mountains and Robbers Roost (Revised Edition); Hiking and Exploring the Paria River (3rd Edition); Hiking and Climbing in the Great Basin National Park (Wheeler Peak, Nevada); Boater's Guide to Lake Powell--Featuring Hiking, Camping, Geology, History and Archaeology (2nd Updated Edition); Climbing and Exploring Utah's Mt. Timpanogos; River Guide to Canyonlands National Park & Vicinity; Hiking, Biking and Exploring Canyonlands National Park & Vicinity; The Story of Black Rock, Utah; and Hiking, Climbing and Exploring Western Utah's Jack Watson's Ibex Country.

He also helped his mother Venetta B. Kelsey, write & publish a book about the town she was born and raised in, Life on the Black Rock Desert--A History of Clear Lake, Utah. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Kelsey Pub; 3rd edition (January 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0944510116
• ISBN-13: 978-0944510117
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,856,454 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Opens the door, February 24, 2000

By 

josinc (San Francisco Bay Area, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Canyon Hiking Guide to the Colorado Plateau (Paperback)

Before Kelsey, all the guide books declared many canyons impassable. In this book, Kelsey has provided the information to hike canyons safely that were unvisited before his book. I've used this book since the First Edition in 1986. It's a classic and still tops. One warning. Kelsey is a stronger hiker than most of us. Add about 50% to his hiking time estimates if you're not under 35 and in good shape.

34 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a Friggin' Adventure Bible, but Treat with Respect, February 28, 2001

By 

Joshua A. Gerak "AdventureTrekker" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Canyon Hiking Guide to the Colorado Plateau (Paperback)

This is the bible of Canyoneering in SE Utah. The simple maps, concise descriptions and knowledgeable tips will get you into as much trouble as you want . . . and that's why we do this, right? The park service has baned Kelsey's books from their bookstores because he "reveals too much," and they claim people "get into trouble" following his guides -- bugger to them! People can be unprepared idiots. If you read the damn book you'll realise that only trained people should be stemming up slot canyons, swimming hypothermic plunge pools and gingerly investigating delicate Anaszi ruins -- not your average hee-haws looking for a good place to swill a 12-Pack of beer. The beer swillers don't want this book, go to Lake Powell instead.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The One and Only Classic, August 8, 2001

By 

Kreg (Salt Lake City, Utah USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Canyon Hiking Guide to the Colorado Plateau (Paperback)

My son and I have personally hiked many of Michael Kelsey's routes as described in this book. Yes, you need to know something about hiking and route finding, Michael does not baby you along the way or remove responsibility from the hiker. But he does not overdramatize the hikes to avoid liability, and he also does not preach to his readers. What he does do extremely well is concisely give you an idea of how to get to some of the most remote, pristine, and special places in the entire world, places innaccessible merely because most people were unaware of their existence. Michael has opened the door to these places. For this I will be forever grateful.