Rockhounding Utah Author:William A. Kappele As William A. Kappele reminds us in the introduction to Rockhounding Utah, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Accordingly, he gives us "just the facts" that rockhounds need to know to find their way to the best collecting sites in the Beehive State and what mineral samples, rocks, and formations are to be found there. Still, most reade... more »rs will find between the lines that Kappele can't quite squelch his enthusiasm for the grandeur of Utah's exposed formations, its canyon walls etched with fossils, and the spires and arches of the Needles District in Canyonlands National Park. Kappele, who has traveled the western United States for 30 years in search of rocks, gems, and other lapidary pleasures, brings his experience to bear on Utah's 54.4 million acres, providing detailed descriptions of 86 sites. Each description includes concise information on the material to be found there, the tools to bring, the best season to visit, the vehicle to drive, or when a remote find suggests it's time to lace up the hiking boots. Readers can glean new insights into the obsidian of the Black Rock sites, jasper at Hell's Backbone, petrified wood at Bullfrog Turnoff, and fossils of sea lilies along the Wasatch Range. May your journeys be fruitful and your bag be heavy on the way home. Somewhere in that bag among your rocks, we hope you haven't forgotten your copy of Rockhounding Utah.« less