Boundary Waters Canoe Area: Western Region

The latest edition is a step backward in quality in my opinion.I am nostalgic to be sure. That alone I am sure creates bias in my review. I still have the canvas #3Duluth Pack with the rugged leather straps from my teen years. It has a slight musty scent and one can still smell the leather to this day. There is perhaps a hint as well of a campfire when one breathes deep. And, unlike me, it still has retained its strength over all these years. Every time I pull the pack off the shelf and inhale; I am reminded of some of my fondest memories.The same sentiment is true for my collection of Beymer BWCA guidebooks. Over the years I have spent hours paging through the various routes. With the help of Beymer's books I have lead scores of youth and adults on myriad trips through the BWCA over the last two decades. Through his books, Robert Beymer, has been a true friend.Part of the fun was in the planning. I loved reading through the routes and tracing them out on the PREVOIUSLY INCLUDED 21x14 inch map that was provided in the prior editions. The map was just the right size to get a flavor of the route. The new book has essentially a worthless map printed in the pages at the beginning of the book.This new edition may have a few new updates, but has lost the charm.Here is what I miss:-The separate map.-The bold font of the lake & river names in the route descriptions. That was nice to help quickly trace out a route. IT MAY SOUND TRIVIAL, BUT THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR DID THAT FOR A REASON!-The glossy pages of photos. The rare photos in this latest addition are "blah" and unappealing.-The slightly slimmer field book profile. The earlier editions slipped nicely into a vest pocket. I always took the Beymer guide on every trip in case a route deviation ensued.- The cover. Although not hardbound, the previous editions had a sturdier cover that could stand a few water splashes.-Popularity rankings. I actually found the rankings a way to avoid the more "popular" routes. Some folks gravitate to the more popular entry points thinking them the "best"; others (like me) found the rankings a way to avoid a bunch of traffic. When I read, "readers can build their own personal popularity rankings", I saw it as a copout for not wanting to review the data. It is certainly not useful advice for the BWCA neophyte.Ultimately, I am sure many a coureur du bois will continue to find these books quite worthy, but for those that have the older editions - the lack of quality may be a bit of a letdown.

This book is great for planning BWCA trips as a guide. We use it to decide where to go when we take the trip. We have previously checked it out of the library but since we have gone every year for the last four years, we decided to invest in our own...along with the Eastern Region book. The bonus we LOVE is that it lists the lakes with the type of fish that you find in them at the back of the book. That's one of the biggest selling points, in our opinions!

Great for maps and explanation of portages. Remember those that write it are active canoeists. All portages are slightly harder than what they make it out, but the explanation of maps, campsites etc. are a must.

Excellent book! The author offers details about portages and lakes that I couldn't find online anywhere...it's always good to know what you're getting into in the wilderness so you can plan for it. I like that routes are offered that include campsite, fishing, and scenery tips, and that those routes are rated for difficulty and approximated for travel time. I'd recommend this book (and its companion for the Eastern Region) to anyone planning a trip into the BWCA!

Great book with excellent route suggestions. This was purchased as a gift I've had an older version for at least 30 years. Use it quite often for new trip ideas. Same goes for the eastern edition.

In this edition, they eliminated the folded maps in the back cover that were really useful.

The book is detailed enough for thorough route planning and time estimates. I suggest that readers study the route chapters with a detailed map of the Western portion handy for quick reference. This will allow you understand the proposed routes and to modify them to suit your wants and time constraints.

Its a shame the latests editions of these book do not include pull out maps like the older ones did. The Falcon Guide BWCA book includes a nice map for all its Suggested routes but does not have as much detail about the actual route like this book does.