[.ca] Hiking the Southwest's Canyon Country (ISBN 0898869498)

From Amazon.com:
With its first-rate information on how to make your trip to the American Southwest's Canyon Country a safe and pleasant one, this is an excellent guidebook. But if you're interested in learning more about the geology, archeology, native cultures, and natural splendors of red rock territory along the way, it's downright indispensable. In this new edition, six completely revised two- and three-week trip itineraries give information on some of the high desert's most enjoyable trails and breathtaking scenic attractions in Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. For each trip cluster, Hinchman provides handy, easy-to-read maps and enticing photographs, along with natural and human history of the area, basic geologic and archeological history, and an overview of the area's climate and plant and animal life. Hikers will come to understand and appreciate, for instance, the Anasazi dwellings at Mesa Verde as well as the natural forces that converged to create the Grand Canyon. Whether planning to stake out whimsical hoodoos in Goblin Valley, explore Chaco Canyon, or feast your eyes on any number of cliffs, arches, and petroglyphs, this is one guidebook you'll be glad you packed.

A great Planning tool:
I picked this book up at a Ramsey Outdoor store in New Jersey. It was the only Utah book they had. Pretty sad statement since Utah has some of the best hiking on the planet. Anyway, I was reluctant to buy a hiking book until I could flip through it and see if it covered what I needed it too. At first glance, I almost put it back. It did not have elevations or GPS coordinates and the distance information was rounded not exact. Then I started reading it and looking at the maps. What I realized was this was a book that purposely ommitted the gory details to simplify the process. The maps (and there are a lot of them) are handdrawn and include easy to follow symbols. The descriptions on each hike are short and easy to digest. I found myself using it to learn more about the hikes and which ones I would be interested in. There are also lots of B & W photos with 2 sections of color panels. The best part of this book is that it focus' on the four corners area (Utah, Arizona, New Mexico & Colorado) and has a lot to offer those interested in rock art and ruins. It is a very easy read and it will be one of the books that makes the cut in my luggage when I go out to Utah in August. A great big thank you to Ms. Hinchman for writing a hiking book for the rest of us.