Utah Mountaineering Guide (Paperback)

by Michael R. Kelsey (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The all new 3rd Edition of the book, Utah Mountaineering Guide, has been completely rewritten--this time on a computor--which wasn't the case with the first edition back in 1983. This one has a new format, which is now the same as for all the other hiking or climbing guides the author has writen; except for one new catagory, that of Winter Climbing. In previous editions some canyon hikes were included, but they have all been eliminated and this edition covers only the highest or the most interesting mountains in Utah. Most of the mountains covered in this edtion are the same as in previous books, but some new and interesting peaks were discovered and added. Among them are Granite Peak and nearby volcanos, snow-white Crystal Peak, and Frary Peak on Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake.

For this edition, the author returned to about 96% of the peaks and climbed them in winter. So there's lots of new information about winter access & climbing. He would have winter climbed at least one mountain on every map in the book, but ran out of winter in the spring of 1997. Also included is a discussion on Heliograph Stations build by the first surveyors in the 1880's, and Bristlecone Pines, the oldest living things on earth, and of course a section of geology. About 95% of the fotographs in this edtion are new.

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.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Treasure Chest Books; 3rd edition (July 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0944510140
• ISBN-13: 978-0944510148
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #512,533 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good overview of Utah mountains, March 27, 2000

By A Customer

The book describes how to hike basically any Utah mountain range. It's divided according to a particular area, and larger mountain ranges are split into several sections. Kelsey's writing style is quite specific, each section includes a sketched map, several photographs and description of hikes, difficulties, access routes, ... Once you get used to it, though, it is a quick, general and informative reference for anyone who wants to hike Utah mountains. A word of warning, the author is a fast walker, his times are e.g. about 1/2 of those from Vernath's Hiking the Wasatch