Book Description
Detailed descriptions and maps to get you to 40 wilderness trails in the range and offering suggestions for day hikes, extended trips, and off-trail exploration.
Customer Reviews:
Hiking August 17 - 22 - 2005.......2005-08-25
I just completed a six day haike in Soutghern Wind River area and I found the book Hiking Wyoming's Wind River Range very informative prior to making the hike. However, it could be more complete as to the various hikes and it needs some update in regard to the tails that i took. I will at a later date give my comments in more detail
Hiking Guide Review.......2005-07-22
This guide was a good introduction to a new hiking area for us. The trails were well described and easy to follow and the prose was useful in suggesting the prominent features of each hike.
Detailed trail descriptions, but poor maps, no index.......2003-06-26
This is a frustrating book to use although the meat of it---the trail descriptions and stats---is very detailed and well written. The lack of an index, or any way to use all the maps together, and the fact that the maps are very incomplete, make it very annoying to use. Add to this that there is an almost explicit LACK of information or routes for any of the peaks, and one wonders why one bought the book at all. There is no route to the top of Square Top Peak, nor over Dinwoody Pass, or up to Gannett. Even the non-technical peaks are omitted. There is also no "About the Author" section (although it says that there is one), and this is important when one is going to rely on him to guide you into the Wind River Range.
The most complete descriptions of Wind River trails.......2002-05-03
The most complete descriptions of Wind River trails are in this book. Each trail is characterized as to its length, difficulty, and traffic volume. An elevation profile for each trail is provided as well as brief descriptions of key points along the trail and their mileage points. There are detailed driving instructions to each trailhead. There is also a fairly lengthy narrative regarding the topography of each trail. Additionally, each trail is numbered and it is fairly easy to use the maps in the book to string trails together to design a multi-day backpacking trip. The book is 262 pages long and is one the Falcon guide series. Other features of the book include brief sections on the history, vegetation, wildlife, and geology of the Wind River Mountains. There is information about US Forest Service Wilderness Regulations, and since part of the Wind River Mountains are contained in the Wind River Indian Reservation, there is information about that, too. To round things out there is a backcountry checklist (what to take), information about hiking with children, and information on zero impact camping. Drawbacks include the lack of an index, the lack of a bibliography and little, if any, information about off-trail hiking.
If you plan to hike in the Wind Rivers on established trails and you don't mind the absence of an index, then this is book is excellent.
well written but poorly lay out. No index or cross reference.......1998-06-27
The author does a very good jop at trail discriptions and gives a good feel for the lay of the land. How ever the guide would benifit greatly with better maps, specifically a much more detailed overview map which shows the major peaks and their relationship to the trials dicussed. An index with the trials and peaks that is cross referenced would make it much easier to plan trips. The author should take a look at the AMC White Mt guide book, the bench mark for all guide books. This book did not met my expectations and I am looking into others.
Customer Reviews:
The poorest of the three main guidebooks to the Winds.......2006-08-03
I have spent over 15 years fishing and hiking in the Winds and have relied heavily on guidebooks to help me plan my itinerary and proper routes. Of the three main guidebooks I use, this one by far is the poorest in terms of descriptive ability and angling information. I am particularly bugged that she clearly doesn't fish, yet touts the book as a fishing and hiking guide. As far as fishing information, she merely photocopied the Forest Service maps from a FS brochure that was originally published in the 1950's! I have already found multiple examples where her information lists brookies, only to go to the lake and find that cutties and/or rainbows have taken over. The pictures and maps are very poor, and I rarely, if ever, use this book anymore. For hiking and trail information, Joe Kelsey's book is far, far superior. Although he is a climber, his information on fishing is impecable. Buy that one and stay away from this poorly written, poorly researched "guide book" from Rebecca.
Another Great Hiking Book for the Collection.......2006-02-10
I really enjoyed Rebecca Woods' Walking the Winds, it wasn't so much about the different hikes and such that impressed me the most. It was the research prior to the readings, the history, geology and wildlife. That research gave me great insight as to the area I would be hiking in. It was very detailed with the better fishing areas in the Winds. Enjoyed it very much.
Could have been better.......2002-08-18
I recently used this book for an overnight hiking/fishing trip in the Winds. I found the information on distance, total elevation, and elevation gained (or lost) quite useful. Also, I wanted to fish in the Winds, so knowing which lakes have fish was very useful. However, there are a few aspects of the book that I found lacking. First, although it is billed as a hiking and fishing book, the information on fishing is confined to just identifying fish species in the lakes. A few paragraphs of information on the fishing methods used by successful fisherman would have been helpful, and some information on the biology of the local fish would have been interesting. Second, there is a general map in the beginning of the book on the locations of trailheads, with little else. There are various other maps throughout the book that detail information in the particular chapters. If you are confining yourself to single chapters, then the maps are okay. However, trying to flip back and forth between maps was not easy. The book would benefit greatly from a better overall map, as well as a more easily cross-referenced set of maps throughout. Lastly, I used the book to plan my trip to Twin Lakes, and then on to Gadsby Lake. I easily found Twin Lakes, but because of a small error in identifying what hill the author described to go around to get to Gadsby Lake, I made a long and tiring trek to locate the lake. I ended up exhausted and never reached the lake. That, of course, is largely my fault. However, a guidebook should be more explicit as to which hill to go around, especially when the area is surrounded by several hills.
A detailed hiking and fishing guide and more........2002-05-05
A detailed hiking and fishing guide and more. The author resides in the vicinity of the Wind River Mountains and clearly is has an abundance of general knowledge of the area. Her book not only has excellent hiking and fishing information but much other information. There is a comprehensive index as well as an extensive appendix with much information such as an index of Wind River Peaks and their elevations, first ascent information on various peaks, lodgings and outfitters in the area, a list of endangered, threatened, and sensitive species of wildlife and sensitive plants, and visitor use statistics in the Bridger Wilderness. The book begins with a review of Wilderness Regulations since most of the Wind River Mountains are located in Wilderness Areas administered by the US Forest Service. There are short sections on minimal impact hiking and camping and on bear safety. After a short, but fascinating, section on the history of the Wind Rivers, there is information on the geology and wildlife of the area.
The core of the book, of course, is the information about the hikes. Hikes are grouped according to the trailheads they start from. Detailed driving instructions to the trailheads is provided. One can fairly easily plot multi-day backpacking trips by thumbing back and forth between the maps for various hikes Each hikeýs distance, elevation gain and loss, and the maximum elevation reached is cited. Relevant topo maps for each hike are listed as are fish species likely to be encountered in the streams and lakes reached on hikes. A nice feature of the book, not found in some other Wind River hiking guides, is that significant attention is paid to so-called "non-maintained" hiking trails--that is trails that are not cleared by the forest service or whose signs are being left to deteriorate or have been removed. The author points out the location of these trails, which often are not to be found on either the Earthwalk or USGS topo maps, and she also suggests where a cross-country route may be more scenic or more adventurous than staying on the trail. Another plus is the authorýs familiarity with the local history of the Wind River area. For example, she frequently describes the derivation of the names of mountains or lakes, often with brief, colorful anecdotes.
This book is 255 pages long and there is a 33 page section devoted to fishing in the Wind Rivers. This reviewer is not a fisherman, but I would think that the maps of the streams and lakes and their drainages and the fish they contain would be very useful to fishermen. Fishing licenses and regulations are discussed and Finis Mitchell's devotion to stocking 300 lakes with fish is reviewed in detail.
This book is highly recommended for dayhikers, backpackers, and fishermen. Hikers who are interested in walking on non-maintained trails or hiking cross-country may especially appreciate this book. The author clearly is familiar with the local history of the area and this too adds to the bookýs interest.
Customer Reviews:
Perfect.......2000-06-10
The Wind River Range is spectacular and lonely, and this book takes you there -- nature, history, glorious photographs. I can't recommend it enough, both for the arm chair traveler and for the visitor to Wyoming.
Pictures for Thousands of Words.......2000-05-29
Joe Kelsey's love letter to Wyoming's Wind River Range finally brings pictures to match the mountains. An acknowleged expert on the peaks and valleys of the Winds, his selection of photographs is perfect counterpoint to the crisp, slightly awestruck descriptions of the range. This is the perfect book for those long winter nights spent waiting for the mountains to open up again.
Average customer rating:
- words that flow
- Premier Book and Author
- C.L. Rawlins is to Sky's Witness as H.D. Th. is to Walden P.
- If you love the Western Mountains, this is a must read!
|
Sky's Witness: A Year in the Wind River Range
C. L. Rawlins
Manufacturer: Owlet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Reference & Tips
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
| Beaches
| Business Travel
| Cruises
| Essays & Travelogues
| Food & Lodging
| Guidebooks
| Pictorial
| Reference
| Spas
| Tips
| Tourist Destinations & Museums
| Travel Writing
Air Travel
| Specialty Travel
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
Ecotourism
| Specialty Travel
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
Travel with Pets
| Specialty Travel
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Wyoming
| States
| United States
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
Nature Writing
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Reference
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Wyoming
| State & Local
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Broken Country: Mountains and Memory
ASIN: 0805032088 |
Customer Reviews:
words that flow.......2000-12-01
The books you have read in your life likely fall into one of several classes ranging from extremely poor to unsurpassed worth. On that worthy end of the spectrum, there have probably been those books that caused a pause in you upon reading the final sentence; a pause followed by a nod of thanks to the author for having given you so much pleasure. And then there are those even more rare instances where you reach that final page and feel that sense of want for more. Its a mixed feeling of love for what you have just read combined with the emptiness that follows upon closing the pages for that final time. It is as if you have lost a friend. Rawlins hit that chord in me with Sky's Witness. The Wind River Range is probably my most favorite place to wander, and I was led to this book after searching for all I could find written about it. But one does not have to go to The Winds or appreciate their grandeur in order to be captivated by the author's writing style here. His ability to describe thoughts and places and to reflect on their nature is almost a gift of magic. He covers a lot of territory, both physical and emotional over the course of a year. It has been about five years since I read it, and I still miss the times it gave to me. If I were to have any reservations it its regard, it would only be the put-offish nature that his personality occasionally evokes in his writing and some of the personal encounters that he describes. Put simply, he is certainly not one to be with when he is in a foul mood. But in praise, this again also speaks to his ability to convey all those elemental spokes of our humanity. If you are one who loves the outdoors, this book will go a long way for you. But even if you are not inclined to the rugged nature of the backcountry, this book will still bring rewarding moments to you during that time spent in that soft leather chair.
Premier Book and Author.......2000-11-15
I own six copies of this book (four are loaners). My life revolves around literature, and this is one of the best books I've read. It's definitely my favorite. Rawlins uses relatively simple language with a powerful, poetic effect. If you have any kind of interest in the environment, backcountry travel, or the mountains--and even if you don't--read this book. Rawlins' writing is beautiful and intense; overall, I think the writing carries more impact than even authors such as Ed Abbey or Aldo Leopold.
Phrases such as "The cabin is a frozen skull" jump out, as do passages such as this: "At first you're a stranger to the forest. It's too quiet. You feel as if your every move is seen and judged. Then, without noticing a difference, you feel more at home here than anywhere else. It's as if your heart skips a beat and then begins on an older pulse." If you're not an environmentalist when you start the book, you might begin seeing things in a new light. If you were already concerned about the human impact on the world before you started it, you'll feel it more deeply.
Richard Nelson, author and Burroughs Medal winner, might have said it best in his review of "Sky's Witness:" "A very fine writer...as lavish and varied as a jazz musician--lively, funny, sometimes outrageous; poignant, tender, engaging; richly informative; and deeply poetic. Filled with the joys of working on the land, Rawlins documents the subtle wounding of America's remotest wildlands, where rain and snow are tainted by the breath of distant cities."
C.L. Rawlins is to Sky's Witness as H.D. Th. is to Walden P........1999-02-06
Anyone willing to endure the physical hardship involved in self-supported mountain travel will appreciate Rawlin's extrordinarilly beautiful soliloquies on the mountain wilderness experience. Example: "But it wasn't the smell of the air that played in me so much as the light. The moon and sun lay opposite each other in the sky, exchanging their gleams, and the country was laid out below all rough and golden. The ridge was a strong point, the hardest rock in the range. On it you could meet the wind, face it, draw it in and breathe it out. And I felt a desire with no object or reason, except the land and the wild light."
Clearly Rawlin's regards the essence of the mountain wilderness and the essence of himself as one. He writes of the experience of being alone in a small raft on a clear summer night on a high altitude lake in the Wind River Range. "I've touched this water, tasted it. I've caught and eaten its trout, scooped it into pots for coffee, mixed it with my blood, taught it to walk and tell lies, and pissed it back steaming onto the ground. The lake and I have more than a casual acquaintance, yet in the dark, it seems not to know me. I can't see my reflection. The water that has claimed a part of my life now holds me in a star-flecked indifference."
I believe that all mountain travelers grapple with words to express their most intimate feelings about their mountain experiences. Rawlins gives these experiences expression with the skill of a violin virtuoso who is able to prolong the playing of a single note with haunting clarity and seemingly project it into eternity. So also does Rawlins project his love of the Wind River Range to a spiritual level. The drawings of Hannah Hinchman are exquisite!
If you love the Western Mountains, this is a must read!.......1996-09-12
If you want to hike, back pack, and live in the Wyoming Wind
River Mountains for one year, C. L. Rawlins will take you
there in these 300 pages. You will not find a better
companion: his writings proceed in a rythmn -- moving from
intricate description of rock, snow, and lake, to insightful
and stunning explanations of nature itself, followed perhaps
by a down-to-earth philosophical reminder. His humor catches
one off gaurd and he tests more than a few other emotions.
I returned from a four-day back pack trip in the Wyoming
Wind River Mountains August 1996. Several days thereafter, by
happenstance I noticed this book. In the early pages,
Rawlins and his companion, John are skiing with fully loaded
packs on the exact trail. up the Big Sandy Opennings,
that I traversed. This book was an extra treat for
me.
Rawlins loves to walk and hike. He writes: "Walking feels good.
It helps me think. The Grail, Mecca, Lourdes, the Frontier,
Everest -- all are simply good excuses for going." C.L. Rawlins
might be considered the "Annie Dillard of the Wind Rivers."
When enthralled with a certain spot in his mountains, Rawlins writes,
"Words make no sense at all. Being here does." He is humble.
His words do make undeniable sense.
Book Description
Technical climbing, hiking and peack bagging routes are described and mapped for this outdoor playground in Wyoming.
Customer Reviews:
Mountaineering Book for more than just Mountaineers.......2003-07-22
I bought this book to plan a week-long backpacking trip. It is very similar in concept to Secor's "High Sierra" guide for CA's Sierra Nevada: Adequate description of the trails and off-trail passes, and comprehensive information for climbers on about everything climbable. I am not a technical climber and cannot judge the book's usefulness as a real "climbing guide", but I like to take off-trail excursions, shortcuts, and scrambles. Together with the "Earthwalk" topos (which are excellent) this book was just the right thing for planning a backpacking trip with "side adventures". If you stay strictly on the trail, you might find a pure trail guide more useful, as trail descriptions only make up 10 or 20% of the text. Off-trail travel turned out to be easy in the Wind Rivers, though.
The book has a short and very interesting account of the history of Wind River exploration.
Awesome guide for the experienced mountaineer.......2002-08-08
This book outlines hundreds of different routes up all of the Wind's well-known peaks (as well as several not-so-well-know ones). He did a phenomenal job amassing all of this information. There is enough here for a short lifetime of awesome mountain trekking.
The information Kelsey gives is mean, lean, and straight to the point. Novices beware, this book makes no attempts to come down to anyone's level. It is written for those grounded in that arts of route-finding, technical climbing, and alpine survival. It is not a hiking book. If you are uncomfortable with this, either buy a more toned-down Wind River guide, or pick up a book to build your skills like "Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills" and start psyching yourself up for some world class backcountry.
A must for the Wind River hiker and mountaineer.......1998-06-07
Joe Kelsey has taken the old trail book of Finis Mitchell's and turned it into a Trail and Mountain Guide that leads you to every nook and crany, you would want to go.
Many years before Joe's book, I would hike the Winds with Mitchells book in hand as if I was following an old adventurers pencil notebook. Today, Joe Kelsey's "Wind River Hiking/Climbing Guide" is as necessary as the matches.
Average customer rating:
- Wind Rivers: Ultimate Mountain Range
|
Wind River Range Impressions (Impressions (Farcountry Press))
Manufacturer: Farcountry Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Nature & Wildlife
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Travel
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| United States
| Travel
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
West
| United States
| Travel
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| How-to
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Wyoming
| States
| United States
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
Wyoming
| State & Local
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
How-to
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Nature & Wildlife
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Travel
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| United States
| Travel
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
West
| United States
| Travel
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
State & Local
| United States
| Americas
| History
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
| Arizona
| California
| General
| Mid-Atlantic
| Midwest
| New England
| New Mexico
| New York
| Northeast
| Pacific Northwest
| Pennsylvania
| South
| Southeast
| Texas
| West
Wyoming
| States
| United States
| Travel
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Wind River Wilderness
-
Climbing and Hiking in the Wind River Mountains, 2nd
ASIN: 1560372915 |
Customer Reviews:
Wind Rivers: Ultimate Mountain Range.......2007-03-16
Great photos leaving you wanting more or actually quit work and spend a whole summer backpacking the range and taking your own pictures. Anybody who loves the Wind Rivers will like this book. Not as good as Joe Kelsey's "Wyoming's Wind River Range" photo book (I believe out of print) but still a good one to add to your collection on the Wind Rivers.
Customer Reviews:
Old-time hiking guide.......2006-03-18
This is a no-nonsense, old-style guide to the Wind River Range. The author has been a guide there since the Great Depression. He provides some autobiographical information about his guiding business. He recounts, with pride, stocking high-mountain lakes that had never had fish before -- a practice that runs directly counter to today's views about preserving ecosystems.
The book is small (about 4x6 inches, 144 pages) with poor production values -- Courier font that has not been typeset, old black and white pictures, hand-drawn maps. It's organized by access point. You'll need a road map of the region to make sense of the directions, however, and there is no map of the Winds as a whole. There is elevation information for some peaks (not all), and no elevation for anything else.
The prose is straightforward. He tells you where the trail is, and how to follow it. Mitchell doesn't provide any information about why you might choose this route or that, this destination or that one. He just tells you that Trail X goes to point Y by route Z. There is no sorting of routes by day hikes, overnights, week trips, or the like, which have become standard in hiking guides.
Mitchell clearly knows every inch of these mountains well -- so well, in fact, that mileage information is irrelevant to him. So too is elevation, for the most part. Sometimes he'll tell you that "a Boy Scout troop would make this trip in two or three days," or similar information. He also sounds entirely credible when giving advice about likely snow conditions on peaks.
Standards for hiking books have changed. A LOT. Don't rely on this one all by itself, and buy a Wyoming map and topos for your route. But when I go to the Winds, I'll carry this little book in my pack. It's full of an old-timer's sharing of his wisdom.
An inspiring and informative guide to hiking the Winds.......2003-06-26
Finis Mitchell is the real thing; a true nature lover who hiked the Wind River Range so many times, that he can actually give you landmark by landmark directions to hikes, fishing and scaling peaks. He has a no-nonsense wisdom paired with a poetic nature. The story of how he stocked many of the lakes with trout is fascinating. Very clear routes to Gannet and Dinwoody Pass.
A hiking guide by the original Wind River mountain man.......2002-05-03
A hiking guide by the "elder statesman" Wind River mountain man. One of the highlights of this short book is the autobiographical sketch. Finis Mitchell has hiked the Wind Rivers since 1909, taken 105,345 pictures and has scaled 244 peaks. The book provides short descriptions of numerous hikes, gives directions to trailheads, and, for fishermen, describes the fish species that the lakes along the trails contain. Scattered throughout the book are poems and sayings by Mitchell. Only 144 pages long, the book lacks details found in other Wind River trail guides, but nonetheless is a gem.
Best book on Wind Rivers by man who explored every inch.......1999-06-25
Finis Mitchell (Author) is known as the ultimate authority on the Wind River Range (Wyoming). He began exploring the Wind Rivers as a teenager (1920s), later worked as a guide and outfitter there, planted most of the lakes with fish. Book is small (fits in backpack). Has maps (including USFS/USGS references), photos, very detailed written descriptions of trail systems in Wind Rivers. Marvelous detailed accounts of how he planted hundreds of lakes with Fish back in the 30s. Great detail on which trails are best for which purpose, etc. There are other, fancier, newer-style books on the Wind River Range, but only this book is written by a man who literally walked every single inch, scaled every peak, fished every lake in the entire range....the book is sort of a novelty item as well, in that it is actually printed in what looks like his original typewriter font...the maps are hand-drawn, but are actually more reliable in some ways that actual USGS maps of same area. FANTASTIC BOOK...A COLLECTORS ITEM..AND A VERY USEFUL TEXT AS WELL.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from OnEarth, published by Thomson Gale on June 22, 2007. The length of the article is 625 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Go tell it on the mountain: in Wyoming's Wind River Range, two backcountry skiers scale new heights to save our shrinking glaciers.(OutThere)(Forrest and Amy McCarthy)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication:
OnEarth (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 22, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 29
Issue: 2
Page: 10(1)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Books:
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- Honor Among Thieves
- Hot Springs of the Eastern Sierra
- Ill Nature: Rants and Reflections on Humanity and Other Animals
- In All the West No Place Like This: A Pictorial History of the Coeur d'Alene Region
- India Series: Wildlife Reserves of India (India (Antique Collectors Club))
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: The Bestselling Guide to Doing Business in More Than 60 Countries
- Five Minutes to Orgasm Every Time You Make Love: Female Orgasm Made Simple
- Global Productions: Labor in the Making of the "Information Society"
- Electrical Engineering Reference Manual, for the Electrical and Computer PE Exam, 7th ed.
- Hashish!
- History: Fiction or Science
- Flights of Fancy/a Treasury of Bird Quotations
- The hydrogen economy.
- Bond Pricing and Portfolio Analysis: Protecting Investors in the Long Run
- Selecting the Right Retirement Plan for Your Practice
Wind River Trails
Southern Wind River Range Hikng Map
Northern Wind River Range Hikng Map
Hiking Wyoming (rev)
