Colorado Books

Mark's books are easy to read and offer the thoughts and insights of a true horseman. His methods are gentle and honor the horse. Delightful.

This is my favorite of Mark's books. Although I love them all. I have read all 5 and am waiting for more. I read them in 1-3 sittings, cannot put them down! I am starting to buy this book for friends and family, I think Mark's books should be a prerequisite for horse ownership! I have raised and trained horses for close to 30 years. I have read a lot, try to keep an open mind & keep learning. Anyway I have pretty much developed my way of doing things and had found in the past, by checking out more trainer's books that either I did not agree or they were for the "new to horses" person. I had read the reviews here on Mark's books, then just happened to find a couple Mark Rashid books used at a sale & thought okay, they're cheap, I'll try them! I could not put them down! Some things that Mark shares reinforce what I've learned myself, but I found lots to learn in these books too. We had an old cowboy/trainer/farrier/castrater/teeth floater/friend who lived around here for years. If I needed to learn anything about horses, I'd ask Sonny, the thing was Sonny never "gave" you the answer! He told you a story & let you learn the answer yourself! Mark's books remind me of that. Mark's books will follow you through your life. He offers the teachings of truly living well & with compassion in your daily life. 2 things always come into my head since reading his books . . . WHAT DOES MY HORSE THINK ABOUT THIS? and IS THIS REALLY WORTH WORRYING ABOUT? 90% of the time we worry about the little things that we don't need to. Mark's books are an AWESOME read for anyone!

Another good one from Mark. Makes you think of horses in a whole new way has you step into their world so to speak. A must read!

Mark has written a nice book, not clearly a manual or a How to.. book but a text full of experiences. It's not literature about horses but a book about different horses and experiences, giving clues about horsenalities and personalities. A fun and interesting book.

Quite simply, I love horses, and I loved this book.

What Mark writes about horses and humans gets to the heart of what life's all about. If I was the CEO of a big company, I'd bring this cowboy in to talk horse with my upper management, let them figure out why. I relate to his idea of quiet leadership.

I've since read three of Mark's other books. All of them have something unique to say, Mr. Rashid is a man with sharp prespective on life and a way with words.

The author does a good job of showing contrasts in this entry. Not just between the families, but from one scene to the next. To open with the tee ball practice and go to the shooting was a brilliant depiction of how quixotic life can be. Great job.

When I first read the story line, I wasn't sure it could all come together well. But this 15 page sample changed my mind. It is well written, flows and leaves the reader wanting more. Well done. I hope we will see more of this work and more from the author. She deserves to be in the top 100 and more.

This excerpt grabbed our attention immediately. The characters are very realistic.The setting is complex. When do we get to read the rest of this story? We are intrigued.
We feel this author has a reservoir of talent and hope she does very well. Looking forward to reading more of Ms. Shank's works.

An incredible start for this author. The characters are immediately engaging and real and the insight involved in the plot is one only someone who knows the issues can achieve.


I can't wait to read more!

It's easy to write a tense melodrama about the clash of good and evil. It's the mark of real talent to show the inadvertent evil committed by decent men. Many authors would have made Ed O'Fallon their bad guy, a cop out of control. Shank shows him struggling to coach his daughter's team of six year old girls in tee ball. He has been set on to this by his wife, for his sin of taking his sons' sports too seriously. The picture of this tough guy taking on an organization named "The Purple Unicorns" is savory indeed. Then in the afternoon, he accompanies a SWAT team on a no-knock raid.

But something goes badly awry. They are at the wrong address and Ed shoots the wrong guy. In the next chapter, we meet Patrica Santillano, a nurse and now a widow as she learns of her husband's death.

The author has made the reader care equally for both families. This is thoughtful, exciting literature, asking big questions. I have only one question: why hasn't this been published already?

This book, like the Little House books, gives a true look at what life was like in the past. I was amazed at what such a seemingly young boy was able to do. Kids really did grow up a lot faster then.

The story tells about farming, raising cattle, cowboys (real cowboys), making do, being neighborly, dealing with not-so-neighborly people, taking responsibility for your actions, and so much more.

The author tells a story that is believeable and satisfying. This is a great read-to-yourself or read-aloud. Please note there is some 'cowboy language' but nothing horrible and you can easily substitute other words in their place.

This book was read to our class when I was in the 6th grade. I loved it! When our kids were growing up, I read all of the series to our kids as we traveled. Because I am a speed reader, sometimes I would "read" a funny part and start laughing, before my out loud reading would be there. Who would think that modern-day kids would be entranced with stories about early 1900 kids, but they were. Ralph Moody caught the imagination as we could see this kid getting into situations before he was there. These are marvelous. Every child in America should read them. This is the stuff of the sturdiness, resiliency, & character we come from. Adversity happens, it is happening right now...the question is can we face it with strength and imagination. Laugh until you cry. Love greatly. This is a splendid series.

I just finished this book tonight. I laughed and cried and couldn't put it down. Every family in todays society needs to read and reread this book as it is all about character and goodness. I am a better person because I read this book. I will read it to my kids immediately!

Oh I am speechless. This is a book full of grace, character, This is the writers real life boyhood and apparently thought he could make a good book out of it. Boy was he right! I could read this book about three hundred times and then maybe think about putting it down! This man had such a life as a kid! man you would think it was fictional but when you know its not it makes you well... Speechless!

This is a wonderful look into how life was... I found myself thinking about the work load on children back then and thinking "and I worry that unloading the dishwasher and keeping their bath clean is too much to ask?!?" Well not any more. A great "classic"

While this is Mark Stevens' first novel, you'd never know it. Stevens exhibits a mastery of storytelling and a thorough knowledge of the Colorado Rockies where the story is set.

Allison Coil, recovering from the trauma of surviving a commerical airline crash, leaves her fast-paced world and finds herself working as a hunting guide on horseback in the Eagle-Vail area. A blinding snowstorm doesn't stop animal rights activists from camping out and protesting, and Allison also forges her way home from a camp when a shot rings out. She sees something suspicious in the distance, but can't be sure of what it means. However, it soon becomes clear that a protestor and another hunting guide are both missing. While risking her life and facing real threats, she acts on instinct and slowly begins to unravel the mysteries to find the truth.

A plot filled with twists and nasty, greedy characters keep the suspense at a high level and are nicely interwoven in an easy style with good character development and a terrific setting. Mark Stevens as an author to watch - a great read!

Superb! Mark Stevens develops a group of interesting characters and thrusts them into a compelling story set in the fascinating world of guided Elk hunts (about which I previously knew nothing, but which I enjoyed learning about). For me, the book was a real page-turner in two respects: I eagerly turned the pages forward as I became engrossed in the story, and I found myself turning them backward to re-read Stevens' moving descriptions of the mountains and the ever-changing Colorado weather. This book would be particularly absorbing if read while traveling on an airplane (for reasons related to the plot that I will not divulge here), or if read within sight of the spectacular terrain that Stevens describes so well.

I went on a guided trip into the flat tops last summer. Wish I would have had the book with me. It would have made the trip that much more enjoyable. I liked Allison the main character. Her strength and charater were easy to imagine in that setting. The book is a real page turner. As a hunter and lover of mysteries, I found this book to be enjoyable on many levels. It is a must read for anyone that loves outfitting and guided hunts.

Mark Stevens brings a new voice to fiction wtih Antler Dust. Allison Coil was believable and tough even with all the high country mayhem.

Hooray for Mark Stevens in setting an evocative, fast paced, groundbreaking crime-adventure story in the gorgeous and storied Flattops of Colorado. The country breathes and lives in this new novel--you can smell the fir trees and hear the strange echoes of hoof on stone in the high country bowls. Stevens knows this country by heart and he takes you there with expertly crafted prose. Groundbreaking because the heroine is a hunting guide--a female hunting guide in a world of tough--and in this case--often ruthless men. The characters are great. They speak as they were born to speak and the reader gets sucked right into this high country drama. I welcome this brave new practitioner for making this crack-the-case story fresh and fun and gripping. Bravo.

We have used several other camping guides to Colorado and this one is the best. Information is up to date and accurate.

I've used this book so much over the past 2 years I may need to replace it soon. While the rating system took me a little while to figure out (the numbers do NOT represent the ranking, just the location on the map), the book is very user-friendly. In addition to giving accurate directions to each campground, it directs you to the correct page and area in both the Colorado Atlas & Gazetteer and Colorado Recreational Road Atlas. By rating Scenery, RVs, Tents, Shade, and Privacy, the book helps you locate the campgrounds based on what is important to you. The elevation info is great if you have young children who might not appreciate waking up in the snow and I love that the book tells you which tent sites are the most popular since we tend to reserve campsites well in advance of trips. This is a great book.

We have camped in Colorado for years, but this guide gave us new campgrounds to explore and try. We like the idea that the author includes ratings on both tent and RV "friendly" places, as well as including shade and sun, spacing and privacy aspects.
Love the pictures!
We find the format easy to use and the organization by regions is good, too, although the San Luis Valley should be kept separate from the Eastern slope.
This is the first summer we've used the guide, but will keep it in use for many years.

I do not own an RV, but noticed that the book is full of campsite info from all around the state, and includes whether the sites allow RV's, tents, pets, if they have hook-ups, ect.

The book is a very good reference on a large number of campgrounds. It has a strength in that it provides pictures, unlike for instance the Moon guide. In my opinion, the book would be better if it covered the CGs more evenly: the authors' choices of "best" very often coincide with "most popular" (read: "most crowded") and the quieter campgrounds do not get the coverage that may be of interest to readers.
Another annoyance I found is numbering of campgrounds. They are not numbered and listed in a logical order that would allow reading about closely located ones in a sequence. Instead, you can read on one and the adjacent one on the map is fife pages down, yet the next one in the text is 50 miles away. This makes one go back and forth between the map and the text if you are trying to get impression on CGs in a certain area.
However, all this notwithstanding, I think this book is well worth having.

At one time or another we all have our dreams of what we want in life, sometimes we work hard to get it, and sometimes fate shows us a different path. Budding photographer Elizabeth Westbrook journeys to the small town of Timber Ridge in the Colorado Territory hoping to capture an award winning photo and procure her dream job as a photo journalist. Her second reason was in hoping that the clear mountain air and reputed hot springs would help cure her mysterious lung ailment.

Daniel Ranslett is a renowned hunter/tracker haunted by the memories of his Confederate war experiences and guilt over not keeping his younger brother safe. Daniel will do anything to protect his land and privacy but when called upon to repay a debt he is honor bound to comply. Elizabeth, the brash young Yankee photographer has taken photos which could provide a key to solving a murder. In the meantime she is forcing Daniel to guide her on a perilous journey that brings about secrets revealed and a healing that changes both their lives.

*** From the first book I read by author Tamera Alexander (REKINDLED: The Fountain Creek Chronicles) I've been impressed with the rich portrayals she gives to her characters and lifelike imagery of the surroundings. Elizabeth and Daniel were both amazing characters with great depth which the author capitalized on making their personal trials a big part of the story as both worked to overcome their demons.

A big part of what makes Ms. Alexander's stories so amazing are not only the leads but rich supporting characters such as Josiah (Elizabeth's hired man) once a slave whose faith in God had made him strong and whose wise counsel helped Elizabeth to see things differently. Another part is the well-paced romance and love story, where the attraction and love story gain momentum right along with the suspense of who was behind the murder Elizabeth and Josiah had stumbled upon early in the story. Couple all this with portrayals of love, loss and life in general and she will treat you to an emotional read that will have you reaching for tissues more often than not.

Bottom line: I'm usually a very fast reader but with Ms. Alexander's books I find myself slowing down to savor all the fine nuances of life and faith that she brings forth within the pages. The Timber Ridge Reflections starts off what promises to be a wonderful new series I highly recommend.

Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com

I loved this book! I hated to see it end. The discription of the landscape put you right there! I have loved all of her books but this was by far my favorite!

From the moment it hit Amazon.com for preorder, I knew I had to read Tamera Alexander's first book in her Timber Ridge Reflections series, From A Distance. Not because of the striking cover, although it certainly is. Not because of Ms. Alexander's rich, fluid prose which sets her far above many historical authors today, and not because she completely captures the essence of an era when our country was rugged and new and burgeoning with strength. Although all of these points are certainly true, the reason I run--not walk--to preorder Ms. Alexander's latest work of art is the confidence I have that it will be one of the best reads of the year. And I was right--it is! Kudos to an amazing author who tops my favorites list.

Elizabeth Westbrook's dream of becoming a newpaper photographer whose work is accepted under her own name (instead of a male pen name), is put to the test when she travels to the untamed Colorado Territory. Her assignment is to take pictures of the area's majestic countryside and surreptitiously investigate the feasibility of investors back east developing the area around the town of Timber Ridge into a resort property. Elizabeth is a strong, prickly character whose occasionally abrasive manner can be a little hard to take. However, Alexander does an excellent job of balancing Elizabeth's drive to succeed with her fears and insecurities. Her brash manner is extremely realistic compensation for a lifetime of hurt and struggle. In a society that held certain limited expectations for the role of women, Elizabeth bucks convention on multiple fronts.

Daniel Ranslett, who served as a Confederate sharpshooter in the war, immediately clashes with Elizabeth. He doesn't understand her drive and she doesn't understand his enigmatic manner and reluctance to serve as her guide. However, his loner status masks pain of a different sort - the mental and emotional toll of combat. Daniel is a wonderful hero - though he's a wounded, gentle spirit he possesses a core of unwavering moral strength and character. He's the perfect foil for Elizabeth, who has some tough lessons to learn about truth and honor while in turn he must learn about brokenness and trust.

From a Distance is a beautifully crafted, thoroughly absorbing novel full of richly drawn, unforgettable characters. There's a dash of mystery, but the real strength of the novel is the journey Elizabeth and Daniel undergo towards surrender. Elizabeth and Daniel are two of the most well-drawn, imperfect characters I've ever run across - you know characters are "real" when you alternately want to shake them when you're frustrated, empathize with their hurts, and cheer at their triumphs. As a native of Tennessee and an amateur Civil War history buff, I loved how Alexander wove together snippets of Tennessee and Civil War history into her Colorado frontier-set story. While the action of the novel takes place ten years after the end of the Civil War, Alexander does a beautiful job of showing the heartbreaking, far-reaching cost of that conflict on its survivors. I also enjoyed learning about photographic processes in the 1800's - it's eye-opening to read about the processes and Elizabeth's job struggles in an era when cameras (and women in the workforce) are taken for granted. This is a novel about choices - how one chooses to overcome tragedy, health problems, trust issues - and God's sovereignty and care over even the most minute details of one's life. When the dreams they cling to are stripped away, Daniel and Elizabeth's story shows how in vulnerability and brokenness God pours out blessings and strength and dreams much greater and more rewarding than one's human frailty can possibly imagine.

Reviewed by Bethany L. Canfield for Reader Views (9/08)

"From A Distance" is a tale of hope, of dreams and the road to accomplishing them. Elisabeth is a budding journalist. Society may think that she is past her prime, that she should just worry about getting married, but she sees a dream that she is about to capture and cannot rest until she does. Elisabeth dreams big, and she will do whatever it takes to get her to her desired goal. Is everything fair game? Are there things that are not acceptable in our pursuit of what we want, or is it every woman for herself? Decisions made in the past will impact the future; however, there is grace to forgive. Will it be enough?

This is a five-star read for sure. It is believable, well-thought-out, well-written, and intriguing. I could not put it down because the storyline was a dream to read, and as I read, the only thing that I didn't like was that the end was coming! "From A Distance" is filled with interesting topics from that day: female rolls, corsets, male-female relations, propriety, the wild west, slavery, racism, mistrust, civil war, healing from lives lost in the war and much else that I am always interested to read about.

All humans are flawed, and in this book the flaws are not smoothed over, and they are not made pretty. Flaws are evident and they cause guilt to surface. I admire the way Tamera Alexander portrays loss and life, but especially her take on forgiveness. This book contains so many relationships, and they feel completely real -- mainly because they are deep -- deep enough to have times when forgiveness is necessary. Forgiveness is something that is either given or not. I loved the realness of the problems and the distances formed through hurt and pain in "From A Distance." It felt so real, so relatable, and through the flaws of the characters, I was able to really feel a bond. A great read all around!

I have read the Romantic Suspense books by this author,The Edge of Recall,Halos: A Novel,and Freefall which were all wonderful. I couldn't get enough of her writing skill,so decided to try her Christian Historical Romance.

Mrs. Heitzmann has not disappointed me yet! Her skill amazes me.

This book and the whole trilogy,was almost painful to read,due to the heartbreaking life histories of the two main characters Quillen and Carina. The author goes into great detail letting us in on their sad backgrounds.

However,we are also treated to the development of some new wonderful friendships for Carina,and a few older ones of Quillens,and some genuine humor. I loved Quillen's fascination with Carina's hand gestures and expressions as she speaks,especially when she is annoyed/angry.

There was also some real suspense and mystery concerning possibly fraudulent property deeds. Carina had gone from Sonoma,CA to the mining town of Crystal,CO on the belief that she owned a house she saw and purchased,from a newspaper advertisement,to get away from the man who had betrayed her love.

I believe Kristen Heiztmann is without a doubt one of the best Christian Fiction authors out there,and I am so thankful to have come across her books,which make me doubly thankful that the Lord blessed me with a love for reading.

Her books will also amaze you with how descriptive she is of the surrounding and weather,so that you feel that you are in the scenes.

Excellent book!!!!!
In my opinion the beggining of the book was a little boring, but when I was around page 100 the story became very compelling, a page-turner, full of action, suspense and even romance !!! I highly recommend you to read it.

When Carina DeGratia finds out her fiancé has been unfaithful, she leaves her beloved Sonoma, California and heads for Crystal, Colorado. With the deed to her dream house in her hand and little else, she quickly finds out things are not always what they claim to be. Once in Crystal, Carina grabs the attention of two men. One a town leader, the other a man she just as soon wished she'd never met. Again, Carina learns a hard lesson in trust when she begins to realize neither man is who he seems. When violence begins to escalate in this small mining town, Carina must decide who it is she will turn to for help.

THE ROSE LEGACY, the first in a three part series, was a very enjoyable read. I'm glad I already have book two so I can plunge right in and see what else is in store for Carina, her husband, and the town of Crystal.

I have looked at Kristen Heiztmann's books on the bookstore shelves for years now, and never once bought one, thinking they were just the run of the mill historical Christian fiction, with not much meat in them. However, when I recently bought her books Secrets and Unforgotten when they were on sale for half price, I couldn't put them down! Upon finishing those two, I immediately took the Rose Legacy series books out of the library (whose storyline precedes that of Secrets and Unforgotten), and had them read in less than a week (ignoring other important tasks at times!) I love them even more than the first two I read. The characters are real and it was easy to hear the voice of the Lord in my own ear as I read their words. The Lord knew when and where I needed to read these!

I hadn't read Heitzmann before tackling this series, and I've got to say: she's good. The names struck me as a mite corny, but what did I expect from a historical, romance series? Once I got over Quillan, Flavio, etc I thoroughly enjoyed reading the series.
Only buy it if you're ready to put in the time though, cause you won't want to put it down for anything mundane like eating or sleeping:-)

Best Read. John Annerino's CANYONS OF THE SOUTHWEST. -Tucson Weekl

CANYONS OF THE SOUTHWEST by John Annerino features the author's photographs of towering red rock and rushing waters. -Travel-Holiday Magazine

CANYONS OF THE SOUTHWEST by John Annerino. A stunning overview of the "inverted mountains." -Summit Magazine

For people who love the West, especially those who seldom leave the concrete road, this book provides unbelievably beautiful pictures and stories about gorgeous places in the wilderness. -Rocky Mountain News

Foremost are the photographs. I would call Annerino's canyon portraits the best of a really good lot, even over big-time large-format photographers. While the large-format works are stunning artistic studies of light and color shot with impossibly huge f-stops, Annerino's canyon photographs give expression to the phrase "wearing one's heart on the sleeve." His photos have an active passion that others lack. Anyone who knows him will say he is among the "hardmen' to tackle the Southwestern mountains and canyons, but that he is definitely the most sincere in his passion for place. Perhaps, because of this he lacks a calculated commercial view of the places he photographs. His images also record his own passion, creating compelling and unique photographs. More than any other contemporary outdoor photographer, Annerino's photos mirror his love of the land's people. In the text, Annerino portrays canyonlands people as part of what makes the places special. He has a deep affection for past and present native peoples, but unlike some Anglo North Americans, Annerino isn't a lost 20th century soul. Rather, he seems to have a straightfoward and genuine admiration for native people, and has learned a great deal about them. His research on each canyon's history is impressive. Annerino writes with an immensity commensurate with his subject. His style is old-fashioned, evoking an older, more grandiose era of writing of explorers like Powell and Pattie. While many modern writers seem bent on infusing themselves into as much of the story as possible, Annerino's style is not so full of himself as full of the intensity of his canyon experiences...Annerino is at his best when he writes about Mexico, especially the Big Bend passage where he talks about the injustices served the Mexican across the river at the hands of our national park there. An optimist who sees great things in the canyons, Annerino neither ignores nor dwells on the obvious problems facing the West like pollution and development. And fortunately, CANYONS OF THE SOUTHWEST is not a treasure map guidebook to these areas. -Desert Skies

I recently purchased this book because I was going on vacation to Breckenridge, Colorado and could not find any decent trail maps on the web. The maps,mileage, and trail difficulty descriptions were accurate. I am looking forward to more excursions using this book as a guide.

A must have book if you are planning to 4-wheel or jeep these trails. Very helpful GPS waypoints included that can be used with your GPS to mark & find highlights along the trails.

My wife and I went on vacation in Colorado and rented a Hummer to drive around in. I took this guide with us and we went on several adventures with it! It is pretty good, though some details were lacking and some trails hard to find. Overall, a great guide to seeing some back country in CO!

This book is the best trail guide that I have been able to find. I use an ATV as most of the trails are open for ATV's. The descriptions of the trails and directions to navigate the trail have been excellent. The distances to the turn points have been accurate. Mr. Wells is now writing books especially for ATVs and I can't wait.

I've lived in Colorado since 1989 and have spent an unbelievable amount of time in the mountains here. I purchased the first edition of this book at a little gift shop at the top of Monarch Pass, gave it a permanent home in my Jeep, and I haven't looked back since. It's a fairly pricey book, but given the accuracy of the information contained within, not to mention the time and effort it takes to amass that information, it's worth every penny and then some. Mr. Wells has driven every trail personally, and the maps, presumably created from a fusion of USGS maps and personal observation are very clear and useful.

Apart from the individual trail guides, which are laid out cleverly using Colorado's ski slope difficulty symbols (green circle for easy, blue square for moderate, black diamond for difficult), there is a lucid and very in-depth introduction as well. This isn't a couple of hastily written paragraphs admonishing you to use caution and get out there and have fun, but rather a nearly 20-page essay on how to be a safe, conscientious, and well-informed backroad and trail driver. It's very useful and relevant information, thoughtfully and intelligently presented.

Bottom line: If you plan to explore Colorado's wonderful backroads and trails, buy this book, period. Give me this book, my GPS, camping supplies, food and drink, and my camera, and I could happily wander the Colorado Rockies in my Jeep for weeks!

This book and the references it makes, particularly to websites, will give you accurate and fun information about getting to the highest point in each of the fifty states. There is useful general information about hking, and each of fifty descriptions is excellent. If you buy the book and join the club, you will have something to do on vacations for years to come.

This is the second copy I have purchased as a gift. Also I have one that was a gift to me. The book is outstanding for the hiker/traveler. My copy is dog-eared from all the attention it gets. It is well organized and accurate in its descriptions and directions.

After thru-hiking the AT, my wife decided she wanted to go to the highest point in at least the continimerous 48 states (plus Hawaii as a reward). I bought a membership to the Highpointers Club and a copy of this book. We've used it to summit 13 states so far including easy drive-ups like Florida and Arkansas as well as challenges like Colorado (second highest point in the lower-48) and New Mexico.

While the book isn't a detailed hiking guide, it does contain information that is absolutely necessary to reach certain highpoints, especially those on private property. Additionally, the book contains a list of local highlights and interesting sites to see.

P.S. Our favorite highpoint, so far, is Kansas' Mount Sunflower!

Highpointing is a great way to see all 50 states and get a little exercise (or a LOT of exercise in some cases), and this book is the perfect guide. I have climbed 22 Highpoints and own 4 Highpointing books. I would definitely consider this my favorite of the 4. I would still recommend owning more than one Highpointing book, but like I said, this is definitely my favorite. This one also seems to be the quickest revised and the best kept up to date. Though I suppose you can always get updates on highpointing very easily off of www.highpointers.org.

Excellent guidebook. Provides everything you need in a few concise pages for each "mountain": Location, directions, summary statistics and comparisons, maps, alternate routes, nearby attractions, and human interest. The hiking distance and vertical elevation charts for each route are instantly helpful. The absence of errors is truly amazing for a book category that is continuously travel directions, distances, and routing. This book is so reliable that I have occasionally gone into the backcountry without procuring the mandatory real map. I own many dozens of mountain guidebooks--this may be the best for quick lookup of needed information! It is even a very convenient page size for fitting into a day pack. The authors have made these journeys a much simpler task compared to the days of the Frank Ashley book.