Read Don't Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies The Opinionated Hiking Guide Kathy Copeland craig Copeland 9780968941973 Books

Product details Series Don't Waste Your Time Paperback 539 pages Publisher Hikingcamping.Com; 5 edition (July 2004) Language English ISBN-10 0968941974

Don't Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies The Opinionated Hiking Guide Kathy Copeland craig Copeland 9780968941973 Books Reviews

• I really like the writing style and layout of this book, and it's one of my go-to favourites whenever I head to the Rockies. It gets to the point quickly, and splits up the sections by "Opinion" and "Facts", which is great as I don't need to try and parse the bits that are important for getting there vs the opinions of the authors. A must-have guide if you're going to be heading to Jasper and Banff for sure.
  
  This is a review of the 6th edition.
• Overall this was a good resource for choosing which hikes to do. However, it isn't perfect. First, it is a book for hikers by hikers - if they say a trail will take you 6-8 hours, it certainly will. If they say it is moderate or strenuous then you will be tired at the end of the day... in fact, I would say that they don't use the strenuous label often enough.
  
  The directions for getting to the trail heads are clear enough, but the included maps could be seriously upgraded.
  
  Sometimes I am a little baffled by the ratings systems... some of their highest-rated hikes were just okay, while some of their mid tier ones offered better scenery.
  
  Overall though, it is a good read.
• "Don't Waste Your Time in the Canadian Rockies," by Kathy and Craig Copeland, bills itself as an opinionated hiking guide to the Banff, Jasper, Yoho, Kootenay, and Waterton Lakes National Parks in western Canada. The Copelands are experienced and obviously very fit hikers who offer their take on worthwhile hikes.
  
  The book is divided into a series of chapters, each covering a hike or area of interlinked hikes. Each chapter offers basic data such as the distance of hikes, elevation change, and a rating for difficulty. The Copeland's rating system of easy, moderate and challenging presupposes at least some level of basic fitness and should be taken seriously with respect to the challenge posed by the terrain and the highly variable weather in the Canadian Rockies. Each chapter includes commentary on the special aspects of the terrain covered by the hike, typically grouped with sketch maps and photos and a recommendation for the appropriate supplemental map.
  
  The Copelands also offer much useful information on the weather, wildlife, and other potential hazards in the Rockies, along with sound recommendations for equipment and trip planning.
  
  The Copelands write in an entertaining style; this author found their opinions on what can be experienced on various hikes to be well-founded, based on several seasons of hiking in the Canadian Rockies. This book is highly recommended to the non-technical but enterprising hiker looking to explore the Canadian Rockies.
• If you're planning an itinerary in the Canadian Rockies and are looking for the best trails for you, this book is perfect. Rather than describe individual trails, it helpfully groups them into "trips". (If you have to hike 20 miles along a boring trail to get to another fabulous trail, the whole trip isn't as fabulous.)
  
  This new edition includes color photos showing many trails' incredible beauty, as well as basic maps that show how the trails link together. You'll probably want to buy a real trail map, but if you're hundreds of miles away planning a trip, the maps in this book are incredibly helpful at figuring out where you might want to hike. Since both long and short trails are included, we also used it during our trip to see where we should stop along the road for a quick gorgeous hike. We had a wonderful vacation using this book.
• I've read a lot of hiking guides my life and agree with the authors of this book that most are banal and are poorly written. This book is an exception to the rule and I think it's one of the best hiking guides that I have ever read and is entertaining too. True, it might not have the best maps, but the hike descriptions and maps in the back of the book are really all you need to have an awesome hike. The authors divide the book into day hikes, backpacks, and shoulder season hikes (out of season hikes where snow plays a big factor). Then the authors rate the hikes premier, outstanding, worthwhile, and don't do. I've hiked 17 of the 21 premier hikes and was not disappointed by any of them. One thing the author's don't suggest is where to camp. If you want to do the premier day hikes, than I would suggest you camp in the Lake Louise Campground, as all but 5 of the hikes are within a 30 mile radius. One of the reviews complained about bear closures and how the book didn't mention that. Well, the book does mention that a lot of the trails do get closed from time to time when there are bears located in the area. So, it doesn't really matter what guide book you buy, there is always the possibility that a trail you want to hike may be closed. And yes, one of the reviewers was right, most of the premier hikes require that you are in good physical condition read the elevation gain and distance to determine whether you are capable of completing the hike. All in all, I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who is planning to hike in the Banff, Jasper, or Yoho Provincial Parks in Canada.
• I've been reading this guide all winter and spring taking virtual hikes in my mind. It's by far the most expensive hiking book I own, but it's also totally worth the money. The photos are beautiful, the trail descriptions tell you everything you need to know, and the segment distances are given in both kilometers and miles. I also own three other hiking guides by the Copelands, and all of them are equally as good. Another benefit is that the authors are always quick to respond to email inquiries with helpful tips and advice about hiking locations or particular trails.
  >