Customer Reviews

Hiking and Exploring Utah's San Rafael Swell

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've done several hikes based on the 2nd edition of this book (and other Utah hiking books by Kelsey), and I've learned that for the simple hikes, he offers plenty of good help. For the longer or more complicated hikes, I will always consult both Kelsey and Steve Allen's canyoneering books and several maps. I've also learned that Kelsey walks much faster than I do. Once you figure that kind of thing out, it's a pretty helpful guide. This edition has added some new hikes that look pretty interesting (that are not in Steve Allen). If you're planning hikes in the San Rafael Swell, you don't have much choice besides Kelsey and Allen. I say buy them both.

The Swell is a great place for exploring interesting slot canyons difficult and easy. This guide has a very good history section, but is a little weak on the hiking info. Why do I say this? Because Kelsey's information is not always accurate - he often makes a few guesses, underestimates difficulties or distances, and sometimes just gets things a little confused. Steve Allen's 'Canyoneering' is a much better primary source, and this makes a good secondary source.

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.

I've used this books for years, and Kelsey's descriptions and maps are fairly well done. Sometimes he underestimates the difficulties of hikes, but if you're going to the Swell, this is the book you want.

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.

This book has a lot of great information, and it arrived quickly. It was very helpful during our desert adventure.

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.

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.

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