La Plata Mountains: Comprehensive Guide to Peaks and Trails (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798218365172)

This guidebook is a compilation of twenty-four hikes encompassing every peak in the La Plata Mountains of southwest Colorado. It is organized by increasing levels of difficulty, ranging from trail treks for families to scrambles with breathtaking exposure. The array of offerings will appeal to hikers, adventurers, and mountaineers. All of the hikes can be safely done without the aid of climbing gear, so this is not a book for technical climbers.

The La Plata Mountains are a cluster of twenty-nine consolidated peaks hidden away in the southwest quarter of Colorado. This guidebook is a compilation of twenty-five hikes encompassing every mountain in the range. It is organized by increasing levels of difficulty, ranging from trail treks for families to scrambles with breathtaking exposure. All of the hikes can be safely done without the aid of climbing gear, so this is not a book for technical climbers.

The book opens with two introductory chapters covering how to use the guide and some basics of hiking, as well as a chapter about the natural and human history of the region. The hike descriptions follow, divided into three sections titled "Hikers," "Adventurers," and "Mountaineers."

Each hike entry opens with a quote to set an emotive tone, followed by a one paragraph summary calling out its distinctive features. The degree of difficulty is specified and driving instructions are detailed. Explicit hiking and climbing route descriptions are accompanied with images and accurate maps. Historical photographs supplement the discussion of human history. Notes on natural history, including flora and geology, are interwoven.

A generous number of color photographs expand each chapter to five or six pages. Total page count is 208.