I have an ongoing admiration for the Rigg brothers, who in 1951 set their 53-hour record (scouting only Lava Falls; no Crystal then, no night rowing) with a cumulative experience of only three trips total between the two of them. "The Emerald Mile" by Kevin Fedarko is now on my short list of all-time favorite books, 5 stars plus! Your email address will not be published. To add the following enhancements to your purchase, choose a different seller. The 135 miles that we experienced, never lost its magic. In the midst of this crisis, the decision to launch a small wooden dory named "The Emerald Mile" at the head of the Grand Canyon, just fifteen miles downstream from the Glen Canyon Dam, seemed not just odd, but downright suicidal. Three days later as we approached the Redwall Cavern . For many boaters, Im sure hearing about Orkins swim puts him in a super-human category, but swimming Crystal Rapid at 72,000 cfs sound equally terrifying! Grua resting in the Emerald Mile. Kenton felt (I disagreed) that such a dory custom-designed for this purpose would allow him to break 24 hours on a solo run. In the midst of this crisis, the decision to launch a small wooden dory named the Emerald Mile at the head of the Grand Canyon, just fifteen miles downstream from the Glen Canyon Dam, seemed not just odd but downright suicidal.The Emerald Mile, at one time slated to be destroyed, was rescued and brought back to life by Kenton Grua, the man at . As a writer, he'll make you understand it, savor it, and ultimately love it as you never have before. Both your 1983 descent and Ben Orkins recent run required overcoming some pretty intense swims to go on and set the record. Please try again. This is my first book ever listening to, and I think listening to some of the names rather than being able to see them on paper might have helped keep track of some of the names, but that's largely unimportant. A really brilliant work that encompasses both the natural and man-made history on the Colorado river. This I would come to appreciate as the novel is propelled to its crescendo. In addition to his travel narratives in, , where he worked as a senior editor, Fedarkos work has appeared in, , and other publications, and has been anthologized in, in 2004 and 2006. This past August 2018, I had the great privilege to take a 5 day journey down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. A steady flow (not in the cards) would be essential. In the midst of this crisis, the decision to launch a small wooden dory named "The Emerald Mile" at the head of the Grand Canyon, just fifteen miles downstream from the Glen Canyon Dam, seemed not just odd, but downright suicidal. That spring, a massive snowmelt sent runoff racing down the Colorado River toward the Glen Canyon Dam. I sent an email to my party promising to find the Emerald Mile and to visit the grave of famous river guide Kenton Grua. The author really takes you there with all the details of the history of the Grand Canyon, John Wesley Powell and his explorations, geology of the area, background of all the characters involved, the history of the Glen Canyon Dam and many others and the environmentalist fighting against their construction. Photo by Kenly Weills. Thou shalt not is soon forgotten, but Once upon a time lasts forever. Can an adventure story be as beautiful as it is heart-stopping and exciting? , The book is at its heart an engrossing meditation on the eternal struggle between man and nature. But, thank God, Crystal Rapid let us through, all thirteen of us, with just big splashes. That is not at all accurate. I knew almost nothing about the Grand Canyon or the Colorado River watershed when I picked up this book, now Im swimming in information and loving it! Now a resident of. Wally quit waiting for a sustained pulse after the 1978 season, whereupon Kenton, silently, took over the watch. Here is an instant classic of adventure literaturea story shot through with bravura but also touched by the rarest kind of grandeur." Emerald Mile : the Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon Item Length: 8.4in. I really enjoyed that book, especially Kevins deep dive on Glen Canyon Dam and Crystal Rapid. Kenton Grua in the Emerald Mile, the dory used on the speed run. This book is built around a record human-powered speed run in a wooden boat through the Grand Canyon. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. Lol, just kidding (barely). Best book about a true story that I've read in a long time! This is terrific narrative nonfiction. This resulted in a temporary steady release of 37,000 cfs, which brings us to factor number two: OPPORTUNITY! At normal flows, definitely not. Kevin Fedarko lives in northern New Mexico and works as a part-time river guide in Grand Canyon National Park. Fedarko earned a Masters of Philosophy in Russian history at Oxford in 1990. He writes so vividly that your favorite reading chair becomes a spray-soaked perch on a bucking boat hit hard by a river running high and fast." My only regret is that I didn't read this book before going. What makes the book so compelling is the broader narrative - this is not so much a book about a rafting trip it is a book about the Grand Canyon and America's relationship to wilderness. Do yourself a favor and check out this exciting literary adventure! I didnt find the narrator annoying at all (neither was he fantastic). It takes almost 3/4 of the way into the book to actually get to The Emerald Mile water run, but it is so worth the wait! It is a dramatized documentary of the personalities among the renegade dory-drivers, the law-abiding dam-builders and the adventurers along the Grand Canyon. And read the book first. That these came as a bonus and lasted a third of a century was truly unexpected. I live in Page, Arizonaand was in High School during these eventsso I watched it all happen and took my first Whitewater rafting trip in 1985 with Western River Expeditions. I would have rated it higher if the first part of the book werent so slow. The Emerald Mile is so much more than the epic tale of the 1983 dory speed run through the Grand Canyon, though that adventure is brilliantly told. Fedarko seems to be well-read in many genres, and is able to seamlessly pull up references to other literature to add dimensions to an already 3-D book. I didnt expect it to be so dense looking! For the son of a dory boatman from the Golden Age of Guiding it was a joy and vindication to read of the superheroes of my childhood in print. He absolutely devoured this book. In fact, it would not be overblown to say The Emerald Mile deserved a spot on the bookshelf alongside such enduring classics as Cadillac Desert, Desert Solitaire and Encounters with the Archdruid. From one of Outside magazines Literary All-Stars comes the thrilling true tale of the fastest boat ride ever, down the entire length of the Colorado River and through the Grand Canyon, during the legendary flood of 1983.In the spring of 1983, massive flooding along the length of the Colorado River confronted a team of engineers at the Glen Canyon Dam with an unprecedented emergency that may have resulted in the most catastrophic dam failure in history. He really went deep on those. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in the outdoors or natural history. This book announces Fedarko as a major writing talent and at last sets forth the full story of an American legend--the legend of The Emerald Mile. Reading this book is a great escape to what feels like a simpler time with the high drama of a dam that may fail and river guides who may not survive a stunt that only those who run rivers would ever conceive of undertaking. The event I am about to reveal to you CAN NOT be explained away as coincidence. Eloquently written and well researched the boom covers many facets of the Grand Canyon all focused through the lens of the "speed run." The ebook version of The Emerald Mile is epically BAD. -- Bob Shacochis author of Swimming in the Volcano and Easy in the Islands"Fedarko's effortlessly engaging narrative is a labor of passion from an adventurous journalist who still calls the Grand Canyon home." Some of it, like the struggle for protection of the grand canyon itself and how it almost got turned into a reservoir, was v. This is my first book ever listening to, and I think listening to some of the names rather than being able to see them on paper might have helped keep track of some of the names, but that's largely unimportant. Fedarko was a staff writer at. He answered that he had been a good friend of Grua. One of the best non-fiction books Ive had the privilege of reading. In his new book The Emerald Mile - the name of the wooden dory that made the trip - Kevin Ferdarko chronicles their record-breaking and illegal run though the canyon. But Reality check: many (though by no means all) of Kentons hair-brained ideas turned out to be not only feasible but also practical. A unforgettable journey of 188 miles from Lake Powell to Lava Falls. Firstly, such a project would require sponsorship (which Kenton recognized) and long-term planning. The Emerald Mile, at one time slated to be destroyed, was rescued and brought back to life by Kenton Grua, the man . This was a fantastic book! FWIW, ebook is not the same as an audio book. The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon Paperback - July 1, 2014 by Kevin Fedarko (Author) 1,998 ratings 4.4 on Goodreads 9,369 ratings Editors' pick Best Nonfiction See all formats and editions Kindle $14.99 Read with Our Free App Hardcover From one of Outside magazine's "Literary All-Stars" comes the thrilling true tale of the fastest boat ride ever, down the entire length of the Colorado River and through the Grand Canyon, during the legendary flood of 1983. The flood Let me count the ways I love this book! It must be required reading for the guides as their tales and behavior reflected the ones served up in this book. Theres a rumor that Kenton built another dory specifically for a speed attempt. The big stumbling block was fluctuation, which would cause a speed run begun on the high to stall out as it rowed itself into the preceding low. This was a fantastic book! The popular highlights below are some of the most common ones Kindle readers have saved. Having (met many of the characters as a part of my river family and) grown up hearing these legends and histories told while gathered around the Dories at cocktail hour, I enjoyed reliving this in my imagination. I told the guide my storyhow Tom had given me the book and how Kit and I had gone to Oars Dories to see the Emerald Mile. Accessories such as CD, codes, toys, may not be included . What I didn't expect was the beauty and depth of the writing. Lol, just kidding (barely). I decided to go over to the Dory and talk to the guide. Clearly he interviewed everyone from river guides to Bureau of Reclamation and National Park Service officials, but he never really seems to take sides. This book started out slowly, and I found some of the flowery prose to be ponderous, but the second half was much better than the first. Enjoy a great reading experience when you buy the Kindle edition of this book. It was an. Wasnt that like comparing apples and oranges, or, as river historian Tom Martin put it in a comment on our website, apples and pasta? *Unsubscribe Anytime See Our Privacy Policy. The saga of The Emerald Mile is a thrilling adventure, as well as a magisterial portrait of the hidden kingdom of white water at the bottom of the greatest river canyon on earth. Once I get my mind into that mode, I then try to make myself believe that this is only my second or third trip, and my admiration for Bob and Jim Rigg goes up another notch. Granted, the waters were coming out of the dam at 94,000 cfs rather than 6-8,000 cfs but can't you drown in a bathtub? We dont share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we dont sell your information to others. Try again. To float, to drift, savoring the pulse of the river on its odyssey through the canyon, and above all, to postpone the unwelcome and . Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2022. There were two equally important factors that determined our attempts. My expectation based on the title, the cover and the synopsis I read was that it would be an exciting, adventure read. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price. "The Emerald Mile is the rarest of creations-a magical convergence of words and paper, wood and water, rock and sky, human character and cosmic caprice. And on one of the biggest rapids on the river, boats were being torn apart and people were dying. I would have rated it higher except for the fact that the first 100 pages were a struggle. At age 12, Grua was enthralled by a whitewater rafting trip taken with his father on the Green River, a tributary of the Colorado River. The written version of the book is absolutely brilliant! Highly recommend. If you are interested in the Colorado Rive and the Grand Canyon, then I highly recommend it. Some of it, like the struggle for protection of the grand canyon itself and how it almost got turned into a reservoir, was very cool and helped provide context for the attitude of the people who were sort of the spiritual forefathers to the rafting guides. The Emerald Mile ties together a clear line through the tumult of the high water 1983 flood on the Colorado River of a dorys speed run through the Grand Canyon. We were the first raft of the season on the back of high spring rains (but far less than The Emerald Mile had to cope with) and we camped out taking 10 days Holiday of a lifetime! I had wanted to pay my respects to Kenton Grua and had resolved my self that I would not. One thing Team Beer emphasized was how, for them, making the speed attempt wasnt so much about getting the record as it was about bonding with good friends under very demanding circumstances. Toys, may not necessarily reflect the product 's prevailing market price on... 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