The First Rule Of A Hiking Book Should Be To Do No Harm

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This is not really about hiking. After keeping my mouth shut for 20 years, I must perform a public service announcement.

This is not a rogue opinion. I have seen very knowledgeable people quake when hearing this fellow's name. Michael Kelsey writes killer desert hiking guides. It's not a joke, I wonder how many people have died using them. If this guy hasn't killed anyone I would be amazed.

The biggest tragedy is that one can find this fellow's books on the shelves of National Park Service stores. That would infer that the guidebooks are appropriate for "family outing" hiking. The nicest thing that I can say is that the NPS is obscenely irresponsible.

Say something positive? M. K. discusses hikes that no one else knows about. That is small consolation if you ain't comin' back to tell. Oh, one more positive. When we got caught in a flash flood (see "Hiking and Exploring the Paria River") it wasn't his fault. Act of God was responsible.

Here are some general weaknesses with his books:

1) He walks at a speed of 4-5 miles an hour in all terrains (and doesn't tell you that). No one can do that. Everything is a freeway to this guy. His books are not very descriptive (in my humble opinion) because he is going too fast to see anything. So he is great, because allowing enough time and water for hikes as he describes them, gets you halfway. DOUBLE ALL TIMES ALLOTED IN HIS BOOKS!

2) He writes trail descriptions in kilometers. It's very difficult to convert linear measurements when you are out of your mind with dehydration and sunstroke, since he has underestimated difficulty of a hike. Let this sink in, he WRITES U.S.A. DESERT HIKES IN METRIC DISTANCES. Nice! So at best, he is just unconscionable.

Just an experience that my wife and I had using one of his hiking guides ("Hiking and Exploring Utah's San Rafael Swell"). (By the way we are very good hikers, but not Supermensch). One of his "hikes" was a swim and dive. We can't swim. Truly one of the miracles in our lives happened on the day in question. My wife and I should have died that day-100% certain.

At the beginning of the "hike" narrative in the book, Kelsey says to take a nearby river measurement to see if it's safe to hike in the canyon. The measurement was "safe". Oh by the way, he said "you might want to put inner tubes on the kids." Guess what. the kids would have been dead. No miracles could have saved them. So we figured we would play it safe and take inner tubes.

So, I'm floating down the lazy river on my stomach, my wife on her butt, in inner tubes. We are just waiting until, for sure, there will be plenty of bank for hiking. I guess we were thinking it wasn't really a hike yet, but it was mellow.

We had tried dozens of this fine fellow's hikes, had allowed double time and water for the hike, and made sure that the "measurement" was safe for hiking.

Keep in mind, the place we were at, is the type of place where you might run into no one for years. The population per square mile is zero. We often hiked in the Utah desert without seeing anything alive except for rattlers and bighorn sheep. If you're familiar with the San Rafael Swell you know what I mean.

THE MIRACLE: As we are floating la, la, la, I hear a little whoosh. Now we are going fast. All of a sudden two guys are standing above us on huge boulders with wings on their backs, yelling "Don't go that way!" It was a waterfall, we would have died, me going headfirst. I certainly believe that help materialized from our need.

Conscientious book writer didn't say a thing about navigating waterfalls on the hike. We wouldn't have tried it. We can't swim. The angels had a good book by another author. They had ski poles and an extra raft for their equipment. We had backpacks and inner tubes.

I'll make it short now. Well, they saved our lives by pulling us out with the ski poles just before we went over the falls. I still spent the rest of the "hike" under water hanging onto my inner tube, getting sucked into whirlpools, fun stuff like that. There were many more waterfalls, many torrential rapids.

My wife, who can't swim at all, went out of her mind having to do dives from boulders. She didn't know which method of death to choose.

Well we made it, and I only got hypothermia. Our guardian angels' river trip was ruined babysitting us. At least they had known what they were in for.

Oh by the way, there is a second part to the hike. We didn't try it. It was rated more difficult with some minor log obstacles. I can imagine. The part we did supposedly had no obstacles. I've had a number of the fine fellows books, all in the garbage now.

Steve Allen's guides are pretty realistic (the most important thing) for Utah hiking (University of Utah Press).

My sis gave me a good book which highlights hikes in the Superstition Wilderness near Phoenix, Arizona. It is by Jack Carlson & Elizabeth Stewart (Clear Creek Publishing).

If a person is interested in Oregon hiking I recommend William L. Sullivan's guides. He explores the state in 5 books, regionally. He is a good photographer too (Navillus Press).

Here is a website I enjoy: www.americantrails.org. Just put in the state where it says "Select a State" and there you go! Some bicycling is discussed as well as hiking. There are all lengths of trails on the site, up to thousands of miles long. Well, you don't have to do the whole trail, or do it all at once. For long distance (multi-day, state, week) trails don't click a state.

Here's what I do: I go to http://www.nps.gov/nts/ and click "National Trails System Map" (there is also a "Visit the Trails" format there). Then there are 3 map formats available. I use "Adobe Acrobat PDF". Now you have the trail that you are interested in, and the American Trails site can direct you to some printed guidance by putting the trail name in their "Search Our Website" area and hitting GO.

Southwestern USA desert hiking blog=http://swhikes-maven.blogspot.com

Jim William, e-mail: maven@winterlakeresearchcenter.org, is an avid hiker.

Website: http://themaven.synthasite.com/

A Useful Google Map Help Guide

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If you want simple, no-nonsense directions, then MapQuest might be the best site for you. The website is very user-friendly and easy to use. On the other hand, the maps Google create can be easy as well, but there are many options for tinkering and having fun as well. You can create your own one, browse other people's maps, change your driving direction route and take a virtual sightseeing tour in a faraway place, even Mars or the Moon! This is a map help guide for Google, showcasing a few of the hints, tips and tricks to making your mapping experience more enjoyable.

Many people are looking for map help to print or save their directions. The default print option is the step-by-step directions with a tiny one that is barely legible. For you map-mongers, you can get a larger full-size one by canceling out of the print dialog box (in Firefox), at which point a new window will pop up, allowing you to check a box that says "Show original map view."

The preview then changes to a full overview of street maps and driving directions, where you can modify the zoom level on your print window. When it comes to saving your directions, it may be surprising but you can't actually just save your driving directions map on the Google map site; you can save place-marks and maps but not the full shebang. Instead, you have to click on and copy the link to the map (on the top right corner of the map that says "Link to this page"). If you save that link as a bookmark or in a Word document, then you will be able to access the exact same set of directions for next time.

Perhaps you need map help customizing your own map on Google. Did you know that you can change the place-mark icon? This can be very helpful if you are creating a map of your city or a road trip one that features several different kinds of places. For instance, you can use a comedy/tragedy mask icon for theaters, a martini glass icon for bars, a bed icon for hotels or a burger and shake icon for eateries.

Once you drag and drop the basic icon and place it on the map, you can click on it and select "Edit" to change your place-mark. Here you can also change the title that appears on it, the description and the icon (by clicking on the upper right-hand picture of the icon). The My Maps feature is pretty straightforward, but you can share yours with others by selecting "copy link location," emailing your map or embedding the map to your website or blog (by clicking on the "link text" button, copying and pasting the embedded link.)

Travelers often need map help finding notable landmarks. You may not necessarily know the address of the Eiffel Tower, but you can zero in on the location by typing in "Eiffel Tower." Now say you are in the car driving but you have no idea where you are. You can turn your cell phone into a GPS device using Google Maps for Mobile right on your cell phone. (Check out the video for this on the Google Maps site). You may also want to explore the country of Japan to decide where you would like to visit, just by typing in "Japan." You can also search for zip codes, airport codes, latitudes and longitudes.

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Comparing the Most Popular Map Websites

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Finding maps online makes a lot of sense. You will have the latest information updated in real-time for a new street in your neighborhood or up-to-the-minute traffic reports to help you plan your commute. Step-by-step driving directions make any trip a breeze. Yet which online map site reigns supreme: Google, Yahoo or MapQuest?

First let's look at simple directions. That is why most of us find driving directions online after all, is it not? If you are worried about road hazards, construction zones and thick traffic, then Yahoo Maps is good for that function. MapQuest lets you check boxes to avoid highways and tolls, choose the shortest distance or take the route with the shortest time. The user-friendly, simple nature of this site is also a good perk for someone who wants their directions right away.

They also have recently added the drag-and-drop function that Yahoo has had, which helps you navigate around traffic obstructions. If you are walking or jogging, then Ask is the only site that lets you plot your pedestrian course. Google Maps can zoom in for close topographical views of any continent. To sum up, Yahoo is the best site when traffic or construction sites are a concern, while MapQuest provides quick point-A-to-point-B directions.

So what about maps of sightseeing? MapQuest does not offer satellite images currently, although if you have the addresses, you can plot out multiple points on your sightseeing tour to discover an efficient route. Google can show you extremely close-up views all around the world from Nairobi and Lima to Baghdad and Tokyo.

Yahoo also takes you right to the heart of the world's most far-flung continents using a number of sources for its images, although Google and Ask have more display pixels. Conclusively, Google Maps probably has the most comprehensive database of real-world images and the fastest response time for your sightseeing needs. In fact, there are entire websites dedicated to "sightseeing without leaving your living room via Google satellite maps."

Another site not detailed here, but worth looking at, is the newer Microsoft Windows Live Local. You can stick a pushpin on favorite locations, record notes and upload pictures to your sites to save or share with friends, which is sort of like the Google map creator function. You can also view traffic reports and get the clearest route, explore collections of sightseeing landmarks and tour 3-D cities.

This new player seems to perceptibly take the best of the other sites and do it better. As you browse, you will notice that all the sites have similar interfaces (except for that rebel, MapQuest) but the subtle differences are what make people so adamant about their favorite mapping engines.

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Maps, Guides and the State of the World Atlas

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Each year groups of concerned stakeholders and citizens of the world get together to collect data. Many of them have an agenda, but all of them care about their cause; that is to say the cause and future of humanity. Perhaps, you have heard of such projects at the United Nations, Pew Research Institute or various environmental groups.

Lately, we see many of those who are quite concerned about Global Warming are busy gathering data for such books. Now then in case you have never heard of this, well let me recommend a book that you can look up to learn all about it. The book is called;

"The State of the World Atlas" by Michael Kidron and Ronald Segal (a Pluto Press Project). 1981.

Now realize, that much of these charts, graphs and maps are somewhat driven by the need of the authors and those involved with the project to make a statement. The data can later be interpreted as to cause, but the concept is to have the data show results and then back track to the causes and effects of what has transpired.

We have all heard that 1% of the populations controls most all of the wealth, and no one is too surprised about those findings. We also know that the US produces most of the World's energy and up until now has thus, produced quite a bit of its air pollution. In this book each region of the world and country is sized based on such resources and uses.

Thus when it comes to population density, China and India are largest and when it comes to wealth, the US dwarfs all the others, so you get the idea. And the book is very interesting to peruse and think on, in fact, I have a copy in my library, you need one too.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Blog Content Service. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance Winslow's Bio

Visualizing Density By Julie Campoli and Alex S. MacLean

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Visualizing Density By Julie Campoli and Alex S. MacLean, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, 113 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, ISBN 1-55844171-9 , 978-1-55844-171-2, $39.95, 160 Pages, 2007

Planners and designers must make room in their reference library for this engaging new book that explores land density in the United States. The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a think tank, in conjunction with the authors, Julie Campoli whose focus is landscape change, sprawl, and density and Alex MacLean, an aerial photographer, have produced an authoritative book for both professionals and the layperson. Green building and design is more than a trend and this in-depth book outlines the current density problem and as well as offers solutions to uninspired sprawl and urban housing concentrations that strain infrastructure and residents.

Content covers: Growing Closer: The Count, The Coming Boom, Spreading Out or Growing In, Crosscurrents, The Benefits, Why We Hate Density, How We Can Love Density and Patterns of Density: Planning for Density, Designing for Density The Density Catalog features aerial photos of density of Less Than 1 Unit Per Acre to More Than 200 Units Per Acre . Additional features include a forward, references, acknowledgements, about the authors and background information about the Lincoln Land Institute. Also included is a handy CD-Rom for educational use.

The aerial photography tells a compelling story of how many cities and suburbs can learn and visualize density patterns, which Mr. MacLean does in a impressive way, with crisp, clean and interesting photographs. Highly recommended for urban, suburban and ex-urban planners, designers, city and village administrators, smart growth advocates and residents of areas around the country looking for a birds-eye-view of their community.

Mark Nash is a Chicago based residential real estate author, broker and columnist. His advice, analysis and tips have been featured on: Bloomberg TV, CBS News, CNN, Fox News Channel, NBC News, The New York Time, The Washington Post, Business Week, Parade, and Smart Money Magazines, The Library of Congress, Washington, D. C., HGTV.com, and RealtyTimes.com. Nash's annual survey "What's In, What's Out with Homebuyers" is utilized by more than 500 news organizations in the U.S. and Canada.

Answering Your Questions About Maps

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This is a very big world and it is very easy to get lost in it if you do not have precise directions on where you are going. Thousands of years ago people would look at the stars to guide them to their destination. They had no idea how long it would take if they had never been there before and they had no clue as to whether or not there would be certain landmarks along the way.

Cartographers changed the world for people everywhere by developing maps. The map is one of the most used tools humans use every single day of their lives. It may be the simple road map or it may be a complex map of the terrain and geography. This is a subject that everyone should know something about and in this article you can find out some of the basic information that you may need.

What are maps?

Maps are a representation of a certain space. The map is used to find geographical information about a certain area. While there are many different types of maps, the most heavily used map is the one marked with streets and highways. People will use this type of map to find out how to get to a certain destination. The map has changed considerably over the years. Whereas it was once mainly topographical and showed just large landmarks, the modern map is digital and spoken through a GPS unit.

When did maps become electronic?

For the way that most people think of electronic maps, it would be with the invention of mapping websites such as Google Maps or Mapquest. These websites allowed people to come in, type in their destination, and provided them with exact turn-by-turn directions in order to get to where they needed to go. At first the directions were entirely reliant upon paper maps that have been inputted into the systems but these changed as satellite images and details became more readily available. In fact you could actually say that it was satellite images and satellites that were the first electronic maps. They helped the military extraordinarily by showing them the layout of the land.

How often are maps updated?

Unfortunately there is not a set answer for this question. Obviously a paper map is updated far less than a digital map or one found on the internet. A paper map may be updated every one or two years as new subdivisions are added and new streets are formed. This is especially true of a local city map. The map you find on the internet through Google, Mapquest or any other mapping site usually take less time but it can still be up to a year or more before the information is put in.

The problem is that all addresses have to be confirmed and verified. This takes time. GPS maps are updated usually the most frequently because there are more users inputting data that helps the GPS provider increase their coverage areas. If you are trying to find a location and cannot locate it on a map, you may want to find out the closest town and call the City Hall for directions. They can at least point you in the right way. You may even have to stop at a gas station for directions.

What is Google Earth?

Google Earth is a brand new feature provided by Google. It is an entirely new way of viewing a destination or a location. It gives you the versatility and freedom of actually seeing real time data on locations that you type in. You can explore the entire world with Google Earth. It is the ultimate in maps because you can see things as they happen and even visit places that would be impossible typically. To get Google Earth all you have to do is download the software from the Google website and you will be off exploring the world.

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Finding the Best Atlas of the World

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Every home needs a good world atlas. While MapQuest, Yahoo Maps and Google Maps may have edged out traditional street maps for our directional needs, there will always be a place for a nice hard-cover, full-colored atlas. You can read at-a-glance profiles of different countries or cities, gain travel tips, reference information, teach the kids about other places and cultures or simply explore the world right from your sofa. But which one of the world reigns supreme? This question is a difficult one to answer, but here are some classic selections, as well as some new options to unearth.

One of the most frequently used atlases is Goode's World Atlas, edited by Edward B. Espenshade, Jr. This pocket-sized book contains a number of high-quality maps from a cache of professional geographers. Another great selection is the National Geographic Road Atlas of the United States, Canada and Mexico, which features, hands-down, the best street maps of North America. The 10th Edition Times map of the World boasts 125 color maps and a quarter of a million place names.

The DK World Atlas is full of entertaining facts, while also providing geographic information about every country in the world. You will also want to add the DK Atlas of World History, which includes maps, timelines, photographs and historical notes, and the DK World Reference Atlas, which has 1 to 6 pages about each country, discussing politics, climate, world affairs, economics, crime, health, media, education and communications.

Sometimes you can find a map the world that reveals the current state of our planet. The State of the World Atlas does just that, displaying the most current statistics, profiles and realities about world politics, economics, food supplies, military power, energy resources, pollution levels and biodiversity. In a nutshell, what a hardcopy atlas of the world delivers, which online mapping lacks, is that historical, worldview of mapmakers and cartographers who take the great time and effort to color code our world and combine data with maps in a sensible way, thus painting the larger picture.

If you are looking for an atlas of American history to inspire the kids, then consider Elspeth Leacock and Susan Buckley's "Places in Time: A New Atlas of American History" (for 7-14 year olds), which teaches kids about fascinating stories behind 20 little-known American places using oral narratives, old maps, drawings and contemporary accounts. Don't forget to get Lynn Kuntz's "Celebrate the USA: Hands-On History Activities for Kids" (for 8-10 year olds), which will have you playing musical inventions like Ben Franklin or creating liberty wind socks from oatmeal boxes, glues, yarn and paper.

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