Hiking and Exploring Utah's Henry Mountains and Robbers Roost [Paperback]

Michael R. Kelsey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1987

This book centers on the Henry Mountains of southeastern Utah, which are just south of the small town of Hanksville, and east of Canyonlands National Park and the upper end of Lake Powell. The main emphasis of this book is a climbing guide to the half dozen major peaks in the Henrys; plus canyon hiking in the area just east of the mountains, and along the Dirty Devil River, which runs through the Roost Country. There are 37 mapped areas for hiking and climbing.

This book combines a hiking & mountain climbing and a travel guide to the Henry Mountains, as well as the Robbers Roost Country, an area made famous by Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid and the Wild Bunch. The Roost Country is east of Hanksville.

Other chapters center on the history of the Henry Mountains and its mining and old historic ranches, including the Robbers Roost Ranch. In this section are lots of old miners tales about lost Spanish mines, and of course a discussion on the unique geology of the Henrys. There's also a chapter on some of the archeology ruins and the usual assortment of rock art sites in the area. But that part in the history section that takes up the most space is the Life and Legend of Butch Cassidy. Butch is dead as a doornail, but researchers are still hard at work trying to find out what happened after he returned to the USA from South American; so his final chapter has still not been written.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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 alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Kelsey Pub; 1st edition (June 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0960582460
• ISBN-13: 978-0960582464
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,271,327 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a little bipolar but good, June 27, 2009

By 

Evelyn Johnson "New Mexico Penstemon Fanatic" (Farmington, New Mexico United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hiking & Exploring Utah's Henry Mountains and Robbers Roost (Paperback)

As usual, Michael Kelsey delivers a ton of current information plus historical research. No one else seems to have half the energy of this man and I am grateful.
I just wish he would decide if he wants to write a technical guide or a hiking guide. I notice he has now divided his Colorado Plateau guides into separate technical and non-technical editions. Would be great if this could be done for the Henry Mountain area too since there sure is enough out there for both.
The slot canyon photos are fun to look at and a great reminder why I gave up all the ropes and hardware and stunts. Really worth its weight in gold for those of us who just like to go out and mosey around in a beautiful, remote area.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exploring wild Utah, far from the madding crowd, May 18, 2005

By 

George Alderson (Catonsville, MD United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hiking and Exploring Utah's Henry Mountains and Robbers Roost : The Life and Legend of Butch Cassidy (Paperback)

Had enough of trails where you bump into somebody every hundred feet? Michael Kelsey's books take you far from the crowd, and way off the trails, into spectacular wild country of southern Utah. (Many are proposed wilderness areas.) This book on the Henry Mountains and the Dirty Devil River is a good example. We used it for day hikes and were well pleased with the results. The maps of access roads can be hard to match up with what exists on the ground (county roads in Utah are seldom equipped with signs helpful to hikers looking for the trailhead). As for the hiking part, his maps tend to show suggested routes rather than actual trails. Mr. Kelsey writes for experienced hikers who know how to get lost and then how to find themselves again. But when you follow his advice, you'll get into places you will never forget. His books also supply a wealth of history and geology about the area.