As Steve Allen proclaims in his introduction, "Canyoneering 2 is not for everyone." Utah's local canyoneering guru has carefully laid out seven multiday backpack trips that are very demanding and only recommended for advanced hikers with technical rock-climbing skills. Muddy Creek, the Dirty Devil, Dark Canyon, White Canyon, and the Escalante east are all remote and seldom-seen routes. In fact, Dark Canyon is considered one of the most remote areas in the country, which sees only six to eight visitors every year. Still interested? Allen's guide gives you a good head start with preparation chapters, plenty of helpful tips, and excellent landmark descriptions for the confusing, often baffling desert terrain. --Ben Tiffany
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Mixed feelings:
This book has a lot of good information in it. The two problems with the book are that with the exception of the hike, Escalante South, the rest of the loops cross well-used roads. What is the point of carrying a pack for a week while crossing well-used roads, especially if the author fails to explain that nearly all points on the loop can easily be reached by dayhikes? A second dislike is that the author also takes you some less interesting sections of some canyons in expense of some of the... more info
An excellent book for the wilderness of Southern Utah:
This is an excellent book for the more hardcore backpackers out there. The loops described are a lot of fun, and provide access to spectacular views plus a chance to explore true wilderness. As for bringing too many people... after going on several of the hikes, I must admit we were hard pressed to find footprints less than a year or two old along the tracks, if any at all. Enjoy!
Canyoneering In a Differant Light:
The last review on this book felt that Allens book would cause the public to swarm the remote Utah regions and spoil this PUBLIC land for him. While he contends that the land is fragile and that anyone else besides him will destroy it, Allen emphasis time and again in his books the Low-impact camping tecniques essential to this land. This book describes in detail many fablous and beautiful hikes. Some of the most beautiful and marvelous scenery in the world is located in the bad, no-man lands of Utah. These... more info
Destruction of Pristine Areas:
The guide is a good one. I have hiked the Long and Gravel Canyon area for over 20 years with friends and family. It can be amazingly fun but also amazingly dangerous country. My main feeling about guide books like the one Steve has written is negative, however. I am used to hiking in areas with only a topo map and a compass, as this provides much more of a wilderness experience. Hikes with a guide book destroy this aspect. Also, the land is very delicate in these riparian areas, and cannot tolerate large... more info
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