San Juan Adventure Guide: Hiking, Biking, and Skiing in Southwestern Colorado (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Located at the southern end of the Rocky Mountains, the San Juans are one of the most complex mountain systems on the North American continent..." (more)
Key Phrases: avalanche hazard, snowbound road, elevation gain, Lime Creek, Bear Creek, Rio Grande (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This guide will satisfy outdoor recreationists' thirst for adventure with descriptions of more than sixty scenic trails to hike, gnarly single tracks to bike, and winter wonderlands to ski. Covering the entire region of the San Juan Mountains in Colorado, these trails are accessible from anywhere in the southwestern United States. Jeff La Frenierre is a professional cartographer and award-winning photographer. He shares his knowledge and appreciation for the awe-inspiring beauty and terrain of the San Juan Mountains. Each trail description begins with a profile that provides distance, elevation range, and trail conditions, and suggests the necessary maps to help navigate a safe journey followed by in-depth directions. Also included is an Adventure Locator at the end of the book, which is divided into four sections with maps and tables. This is a quick and handy reference for planning activities from day-long skiing excursions to afternoon mountain bike rides, with suggestions for base camps in the towns nearest to each trailhead.

From the Back Cover

The San Juan Adventure Guide will satisfy any outdoor recreationists' thirst for adventure with descriptions of more than sixty scenic trails to hike, gnarly singletracks to bike, and winter wonderlands to ski. Covering the entire region of the San Juan Mountains in Colorado, these trails are accessible from anywhere in the southwestern United States.

Author Jeff La Frenierre, a professional cartographer and award-winning photographer, shares his knowledge and appreciation for the awe-inspiring beauty and terrain of the San Juan Mountains. Each trail description begins with a profile that provides distance, elevation range, and trail conditions, and suggests the necessary maps to help navigate a safe journey followed by in-depth instructions.

Also included is an Adventure Locator at the end of the book, which is divided into four sections with maps and tables. This is a quick and handy reference for planning activities from day-long skiing excursions to afternoon mountain bike rides, with suggestions for base camps in the towns nearest to each trailhead.

Whether you enjoy escaping into the wilderness for a skiing trip, viewing wildlife on a leisurely hike, or thrill-seeking on a mountain bike, you will find this book an irreplaceable guide to the beautiful mountains of southwestern Colorado.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 242 pages
• Publisher: Pruett Publishing (May 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0871089092
• ISBN-13: 978-0871089090
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #779,038 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #91 in

  Books > Outdoors & Nature > Outdoor Recreation > Skiing > Excursion Guides

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars very good text but somewhat disappointing on the graphics, March 4, 2002

By A Customer

The book gives you roughly 100 pages of hiking trail descriptions, 50 pages of bike trails and 50 pages on snowtrails. The text is a smooth and detailed narrative, not just a list of a few facts about each trail's location, distance, major route turns, and elevation change as in many trail guides.

However- I expected more and better photos & maps based on the other evaluation of this book and the backcover proclaiming this to be a book from "a professional cartographer and award-winning photographer". There are about 20 black & white photos and a small insert of 10 color photos which are ok but not fully satisfying. The "maps" are minimal- small hand-drawn sketches of the region that only show bumps to represent "mountains" and major roads- but no trail lines, topographic details, or any real value.

3.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected, September 13, 2009

By	Karl A. Rodriguez "mactaka" (San Antonio, Texas United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I guess I expected a more complete review of the trails in the area, but it did not hit on even some of the more popular ones.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A complete outdoor recreation guide and reference planner., September 4, 2000

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Jeff La Frenierre's San Juan Adventure Guide is a complete outdoor recreation guide to hiking, biking, and skiing in southwestern Colorado's San Juan Mountain range. Of special note is an "Adventure Locator" which is divided into four sections with maps and tables. This quick and handy reference for planning activities will admirable serve any excursion from a day trip to an extended weekend to a major vacation outing. Ideal for the armchair traveler and the on-site thrill-seeker, San Juan Adventure Guide is enhanced with b/w and color photography and a "must" for anyone heading out for the San Juan country.