Canyon Interludes: Between White Water and Red Rock

The subject of Rea's first book is a marvelous one--an exploration of the colorful Colorado Plateau--but he renders it lackluster. Clearly, Rea (who teaches at St. Mary's College in California) has a passionate connection to this part of the world, for his well-trained eyes seem always open to new experiences. He pilots an 11-foot raft down the Colorado River (with his friend Jeff, who is never properly introduced), hikes through the Needles District National Park and covers many regions of the Plateau, ""an enormously enchanting region, a truly magical place that takes hold of the soul."" Each chapter is followed by a more philosophical interlude, which may explain why the publisher categorizes the book as ""natural history/ecopsychology."" Few areas of the world have attracted and inspired as many nature writers as has the Colorado Plateau. Unfortunately, Rea's narrative, hampered by prose that is choppy, dry or cliched in turn (""flat-bottomed towering cumuli sailing like clipper ships on a vivid blue sea""), does little to enhance their legacy. Ultimately, readers may feel as if they're looking at a map of the region rather than being transported to the Grand Canyon itself. (Mar.)