Sandstone Way: Hiking Cedar Mesa

Rating:
Summary: Excellent hiking info for Cedar Mesa/Grand Gulch
Review: A hiking guide book for Cedar Mesa, SE Utah. Also contains essays about hiking, Anasazi, and some imaginary concepts.

Rating:
Summary: A GREAT BOOK THAT IS NOT FOR EVERYONE
Review: First of all, the reader has to understand that this book was self-published and contains many idiosycracies of the author. Second, this book serves as a companion to Jim's website: www.anasazis.com. For whatever reason, the author chooses to spell according to his own vernacular. However, the words still read clearly and the meaning remains intact. While sometimes annoying, one has to respect the right of an author to use his language in whatever way he sees fit.

This book is useful to those experienced in hiking the wonderful canyon country of Cedar Mesa. Many routes discussed can not be found anywhere else (book or Blog type of website). Furthermore, interesting sites can be gleaned out of the readings with enough previous knowledge and insight.

Very few people have hiked Cedar Mesa as thoroughly as Jim Beard, and intrepid hikers looking to get off the standard Grand Gulch, Fish/Owl, McLoyd and Road canyon routes will appreciate the author's information.

When not detailing nearly every hiking route into a myraid of canyons, the author offers his thoughts about the country and hiking (and his dogs..). This desert rat's mind is sharp and his ramblings interesting. But, only if you love this county and avoid the crowds.

Rating:
Summary: A GREAT BOOK THAT IS NOT FOR EVERYONE
Review: First of all, the reader has to understand that this book was self-published and contains many idiosycracies of the author. Second, this book serves as a companion to Jim's website: www.anasazis.com. For whatever reason, the author chooses to spell according to his own vernacular. However, the words still read clearly and the meaning remains intact. While sometimes annoying, one has to respect the right of an author to use his language in whatever way he sees fit.

This book is useful to those experienced in hiking the wonderful canyon country of Cedar Mesa. Many routes discussed can not be found anywhere else (book or Blog type of website). Furthermore, interesting sites can be gleaned out of the readings with enough previous knowledge and insight.

Very few people have hiked Cedar Mesa as thoroughly as Jim Beard, and intrepid hikers looking to get off the standard Grand Gulch, Fish/Owl, McLoyd and Road canyon routes will appreciate the author's information.

When not detailing nearly every hiking route into a myraid of canyons, the author offers his thoughts about the country and hiking (and his dogs..). This desert rat's mind is sharp and his ramblings interesting. But, only if you love this county and avoid the crowds.

Rating:
Summary: Get Peter Tassoni's book instead
Review: I don't know what the author intended, but this book is of little value to anyone. It is not useful as a guidebook (the few bits of practical information are written in a way that would be more appropriate in a magazine) and the rest rambles on about the author's personal experience. Much of the book has a superior and sanctimonious tone. Even more irritating is the author's use of shorthand words or non-words, such as "vue" instead of view, or "thru" rather than through. Worst of all is a chapter called "Thots", which I guess was supposed to be Thoughts. Please don't insult readers this way. There is nothing inherently uncool about clarity and good spelling.
Bottom line: Don't buy this book. I can't see it being of any value to someone contemplating a visit to Cedar Mesa. There are two other books sold by Amazon about Cedar Mesa, both of which I found far more useful or enlightening.