Lose this wild place America, and you will lose a big chunk of your soul. Enjoy! Amazon has encountered an error. His descriptions brought every scene to life for me - even when (or especially when) he goes off on a lyrical tangent - e.g., " And peeking over the cliffs like a Chinese lantern was a swollen, yellow globe that draped the folds of the surrounding plateau in moonbeams" sigh. We dont share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we dont sell your information to others. Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2022. The 'Emerald Mile' was the prototype and the most famous among the wooden dories that . Orkins Lava flip and recovery has every bit of the drama and suspense of the Emerald Miles Crystal episode in 83. His descriptions brought every scene to life for me - even when (or especially when) he goes off on a lyrical tangent - e.g., " And peeking over the cliffs like a Chinese lantern was a swollen, yellow globe that draped the folds of the surrounding plat. The Emerald Mile is a fantastic read, and an instant throw-back for me to those days on the river. By kayaks, definitely! Especially some of the descriptions of the river and its currents, eddies and rapids. 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. The story telling (based on true events) was fantastic. Kevin Fedarko is a painter - he just uses words instead of paint. Emerald Mile Oarsman Rudi Petschek on the Breaking of his Grand Canyon Speed Record. -- 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." 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? 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! This one is, and Fedarko's book is as inspiring as a dory itself, flying down a wild river. Most of them couldn't conceive of living anywhere else to do what they do. As this the emerald mile the epic story of the fastest ri pdf, it ends taking place physical one of the favored ebook the emerald mile the epic story of the fastest ri pdf collections that we have. As a boatman, Fedarko knows this world intimately. Theres a rumor that Kenton built another dory specifically for a speed attempt. But once I started reading I was enamored by the stories of the history of the canyon and those that experienced and changed it over the years. The Emerald Mile crews that set the 1980 and 1983 records were, although very experienced in Grand Canyon, just journeymen commercial river guides attempting our speed run during a break in our commercial boating schedule. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. He juxtaposes the Glen Canyon Dam engineers' race to avoid catastrophic failures during the huge 1983 spring runoff with what was happening on the river with the many commercial trips caught in big water. This past August 2018, I had the great privilege to take a 5 day journey down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. Let me start, I am not a boating person. He absolutely devoured this book. The Emerald Mile. Three days later as we approached the Redwall Cavern . This book. The Emerald Mile was the name of a boat, a legendary wooden dory that was once thought dead. The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon is a 2013 non-fiction book written by Kevin Fedarko. I highly recommend "The Emerald Mile" by Kevin Fedarko. The fascinating characters are pretty much universally attached to this river and canyon at the hip. It must be required reading for the guides as their tales and behavior reflected the ones served up in this book. FWIW, ebook is not the same as an audio book. It was there, less than fifty miles southwest of the present-day city of Gallup, that the explorers stumbled upon Hwikuh, a pueblo of the Zuis, whose adobe abutments Coronado immediately prepared to storm in the belief that he was about to pillage the first of Cbola's great cities. The Emerald Mile, at one time slated to be destroyed, was rescued and brought back to life by Kenton Grua, the man . Not to mention I live next to Glen Canyon Dam and love Lees Ferryso, this book Gripped me hard too! 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. First, the idea of breaking the record set by the Rigg brothers originated with Wally Rist as far back as 1973. What I didn't expect was the beauty and depth of the writing. I feel like if I would have read this before, I would have had a much greater appreciation for all that I was seeing and doing. -- Bob Shacochis , author of Swimming in the Volcano and Easy in the Islands, put readers inside the adventurers' boats, even if they have only ever imagined the Grand Canyon or seen it in pictures an epic-sized true-life adventure tale that appeals to both the heart and the head." "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. For instance, the three of us took turns at the oars, while paddlers are on their own the whole way. Kevin Fedarkos superb book presents the Grand Canyon in a way most people will never see it from the bottom up, with a strong emphasis on the river that carved the Canyons unique features and which provides the most accessible route for the much smaller number of tourists lucky enough to experience the beautiful natural and geologic features of the lower Canyon. Crystal scares the living hell out of me after reading the book but life should be filled with adventure, right? It appealed to two of my interests: engineering, with its descriptions of how the personnel at the Glen Canyon Dam dealt with the huge water inflows from the El Nino event and the damage caused to the spillways, and whitewater rafting, with its descriptions of the fastest ride and how rafting companies, their customers, and the river rangers dealt with the danger of the increased water flows and changes to rapids through the Grand Canyon. Each piece of the extensive back story is assembled as lyrically as the epoch-spanning walls of the canyon itself and as assuredly as the soaring concrete face of its dams. Beautiful writing, simply beautiful. I didnt expect it to be so dense looking! This is a fantastic combination of storytelling and research. First, high praise for Kevin Fedarko! The entire first half is more of a history and geology lesson about the Grand Canyon and river rafting. In 1983, following a devastating flood that led to one of the most disastrous dam wreckages in history, a trio of rafters launched a small wooden dory named The Emerald Mile just 15 miles from the failed Glen Canyon Dam. It took me a while to understand the author was painting a broad picture of the background leading up to the main event, and after my initial impatience to get to the adventure, began to really enjoy the detail of the lead up to the speed run. Safe and Secure Mailer. Product Identifiers As soon as fluctuations gave way to a steady flow, Kenton called Wally and told him the time had come to do it. I purchased my copy that nightbut it has sit dormant on a shelf until a second friend told me how good it was. Plans were limited to the highest releases that occurred regularly each summer. If you are interested in the Colorado Rive and the Grand Canyon, then I highly recommend it. Author: Kevin Fedarko Genre: Nature, Travel, Sports & Recreation, History Topic: Fedarko was a staff writer at. This book announces Fedarko as a major writing talent and at last sets forth the full story of an American legendthe legend of The Emerald Mile. - NY, USA | October 4, 2021 Dear Friends and family, The event I am about to reveal to you CAN NOT be explained away as coincidence. One of the most enthralling books I have read in a long time. Experience a 3 to 7 day expedition filled with whitewater excitement, spectacular waterfalls waterfalls and starry nights. Mens Journal has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. I've loaned Emerald Mile to my brother, but it's a keeper! I noticed a Dory painted in the colors of the Emerald mile. Slept under the stars every night and cruised, swam and hiked during the day. The flood Let me count the ways I love this book! WOW, best book I've read this year (Of course, it is only Jan. 12th), Unlike the record-chasing canyon run recounted in. That trip was something I will never forget. 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. This was a book that told the story of an incredible 36 hours by backing up and providing as much context as humanly possible to make it into the length of a novel. Eloquently written and well researched the boom covers many facets of the Grand Canyon all focused through the lens of the "speed run." Until the Marble Canyon Lodge burned down in 2013, they had a large photo of the 1983 flip of Tour West hanging on the wall that was taken by Richard Kocim. The Emerald Mile, at one time slated to be destroyed, was rescued and brought back to life by Kenton Grua, the man at the oars, who intended to use this flood as a kind of hydraulic sling-shot. At normal flows, definitely not. Fedarko is a great writer (I've enjoyed his pieces in Outside for years), and he puts the speed run in context with the Grand Canyon's history, geology and hydrology, river-running culture, and the dam-building era. 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. 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 good story but way too much detail. Publisher: Scribner Publication Year: 2014 Format: Trade Paperback Language: English Item Height: 1in. A good friend of mine suggested I read a book titled the Emerald Mile prior to going to the Grand Canyon I did that. This resulted in a temporary steady release of 37,000 cfs, which brings us to factor number two: OPPORTUNITY! So much history and info! As a writer, he'll make you understand it, savor it, and ultimately love it as you never have before. Let us know whats wrong with this preview of, Published The first few chapters stumble a bit but once you get to the beginning of Powell's adventure, Fedarko has found his stride. This book was hard to put down. Lots of pertinent information. This book is a kind of love letter to the Colorado River and its Grand Canyon. 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. To see our price, add these items to your cart. Wed love your help. The Emerald Mile, at one time slated to be destroyed, was rescued and brought back to life by Kenton Grua, the . Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. While some visitors undertake back-country hikes, most people are content to enjoy the views from the South Rim, and do not venture much below the rim. This book was hard to put down. I had wanted to pay my respects to Kenton Grua and had resolved my self that I would not. Holly Black Recommends Monstrously Good YA Reads. 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. Wasnt that like comparing apples and oranges, or, as river historian Tom Martin put it in a comment on our website, apples and pasta? 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. Expecting a mild adventure read, I ordered this book based on some comments in the Outside book club Facebook group. I love Fedarkos description of what was going on in Glen Canyon Dam and the accident at Crystal Rapid. 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. There was a problem loading your book clubs. Kevin Fedarkolives in northern New Mexico and works as a part-time river guide in Grand Canyon National Park. Just finished it and I am exhausted - what a beautifully crafted story. It was truly spectacular! Even though the whole thing is very detailed, he wrote it in a lovely, almost kind of sentimental, reverent style. It details the setting of the rowing speed record through the Grand Canyon during the 1983 flood at Glen Canyon Dam by river guides Kenton Grua, Rudi Petschek, and Steve "Wren" Reynolds. I purposefully avoided reading much about the trip and didn't look at videos or pictures before I went because I wanted everything to be a surprise. Kevin Fedarko lives in northern New Mexico and works as a part-time river guide in Grand Canyon National Park. We won't post to any of your accounts without asking first. This book takes me right back there. This was a trip of a lifetime for this decidedly no camping, I need to sleep in a bed at night, no discomfort, but adventurous soul, middle-aged lady. I have no doubt it will become an instant classic, a timeless chronicle of what can still be legitimately called the American spirit." This I would come to appreciate as the novel is propelled to its crescendo. With arguments still flying, we decided to get an expert opinion on these questions. There is also a lot of information about dams and the environmental aspect of building them. An ebook can be read on an electronic device and has no narration. Fedarko has supplied astonishing facts, lyrical, magical atmosphere, and extreme sports all woven into a witty and far-reaching history. The Emerald Mile Quotes Showing 1-30 of 34. That spring, a massive snowmelt sent runoff racing down the Colorado River toward the Glen Canyon Dam. Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2022. "if there is a point to being in the canyon, it is not to rush but to linger, suspended in a blue-and-amber haze of in-between-ness, for as long as one possibly can. Dallas Morning News"Crafting a tale as graceful and powerful as the natural wonder of which he writes the books goes beyond your typical river porn, offering a wide appeal to everyone from history buffs and the Popular Mechanics set to environmentalists and outdoor enthusiasts. "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. His writing style was just beautiful! I deviated from the book to look up the facts of the events of the time periods. He then said, "I was here for the memorial service and his cremated remains were spread here. . 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As a writer, he'll make you understand it, savor it, and ultimately love it as you never have before. Can an adventure story be as beautiful as it is heart-stopping and exciting? Where did you come from? .orange-text-color {font-weight:bold; color: #FE971E;}Enjoy features only possible in digital start reading right away, carry your library with you, adjust the font, create shareable notes and highlights, and more. Fedarko was a staff writer at. Instead of finding Kenton he found me on the Colorado River in the Redwall Cavern. "Kevin Fedarko's new brilliant work is the story about wilderness and the American mind, albeit an American mind juiced on Class V adrenaline Perhaps because we sympathize so strongly with the characters of The Emerald Mile--thanks in no small part to Fedarko's flowing prose--you'll feel yourself lurching along with them on wooden boats, in ocher-hued canyons, beneath cobalt skies, into the frenzied thrashings of the Colorado river as the very lanscape of the West attempts to choke it." My expectation based on the title, the cover and the synopsis I read was that it would be an exciting, adventure read. Kenton felt (I disagreed) that such a dory custom-designed for this purpose would allow him to break 24 hours on a solo run. The two back-to-back speed records set in the Grand Canyon last week sparked off a series of debates across social media and in river runners living rooms: Could racing through such a beautiful place ever be justified? This book is full of adventure, chronicling the fastest journey through the Grand Canyon on a watercraft. But once I started reading I was enamored by the stories of the history of the canyon and those that experienced and changed it over the years. In the midst of this crisis, beneath the light of a full moon, a trio of river guides secretly launched a small, hand-built wooden boat, a dory named the Emerald Mile, into the Colorado just below the dam's base and rocketed toward the dark chasm downstream, where the torrents of water released by the dam engineers had created a rock-walled . The people rafting downriver through the Canyon (out of touch with the rest of the world) were receiving warnings about high water levels from park service helicopters. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club thats right for you for free. Well-told, deeply-researched, engaging to re. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water, Revised Edition. He spoke to the BBC about an . The authors writing style was very cumbersome and he seemed to take two or three sentences to say what could have been said more simply with one. 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. It appealed to two of my interests: engineering, with its descriptions of how the personnel at the Glen Canyon Dam dealt with the huge water inflows from the El Nino event and the damage caused to the spillways, and whitewater rafting, with its descriptions of the fastest ride and how rafting companies, their customers, and the river rangers dealt with the dang. Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt, The book may have minor cosmetic wear like creased spine, cover, scratches, curled corners, folded pages, minor sunburn, minor water damage, minor bent. The Emerald Mile by Kevin Fedarko Summary: The Emerald Mile by Kevin Fedarko is a novel about the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon. Di Bonaventura Pics adds Emerald Mile to its extensive development slate. I could picture the landscape, the rapids, the boats and remember the feeling of being free from the outside world for just a little bit, as I read. Yet, I found myself learning details or stories that I had not heard as the flood was taking place. This is almost a perfect book it combines the story of an event (a speed-run through the Grand Canyon in a dory) and backstory, both near and old in an extremely readable way. Do you think a team in such craft could challenge the Emerald Miles time at normal flows or on a 40,000 cfs pulse flow? I have no doubt it will . Long story short, in 1983 Kenton and two friends secretly launched their boat at midnight during a historical 'superstorm' and went on to successfully set a new Grand Canyon speed record. He answered that he had been a good friend of Grua. Enhancements you chose aren't available for this seller. I only gave it four stars because the font was rather small for these old, tired eyes. And I had no id. Kenton Grua and Georgie White, first professional river guide. This one is, and Fedarko's book is as inspiring as a dory itself, flying down a wild river. Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2022. Also, the depth and level of detail that Kevin Fedarko takes us towhile weaving much of the background story of Grand Canyon into this epic tailis fundamentally necessary to help us fully understand those moments surrounding the speed 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 authors writing style was very cumbersome and he seemed to take two or three sentences to say what could have been said more simply with one. Read the book last month. Just reading the account had me on pins and needles and induced tachycardia. Recommended! We see Dorys all the time here in Flagstaff, but this one is special, it's the Emerald Mile, the boat used by Kenton Grua (who was also the first person to walk the entire length of Grand Canyon), Rudi Petschek and Steve Reynolds in 1983 to make the historic "speed run" through the Grand Canyon. Enjoy!! Wow, this was truly amazing. According to his obituary he is buried in Flagstaff. We could intermittently relax our bodies because we took turns rowing, but not our minds because of the extreme turbulence. Fedarko has supplied astonishing facts, lyrical, magical atmosphere, and extreme One of the most enthralling books I have read in a long time. May 7th 2013 The book may have some highlights, notes, underlined pages. Grua resting in the Emerald Mile. Worthwhile. In addition to his travel narratives in Outside, where he worked as a senior editor, Fedarkos work has appeared in Esquire, National Geographic Adventure, and other publications, and has been anthologized in The Best American Travel Writing in 2004 and 2006. Three whitewater guides, one wooden dory, and the Colorado River, swollen by record snowmelt and raging with a fury that boatmen hadn't seen since the days of John Wesley Powell. Downstream of the Dam, the massive amount of discharge presented the opportunity for a trio of the best river runners the Canyon had seen to not only set the speed record, but to run the river as Powell had - unfettered, wild and free. In the tradition of Kon Tiki or Touching the Void, The Emerald Mile is a story of adventure that transcends most writing of extreme exploits. Kevins book should be required reading for anyone taking a Colorado River trip. Clearly he interviewed everyone from river guides to Bureau of Reclamation and National Park Service officials, but he never really seems to take sides. comes the thrilling true tale of the fastest boat . Hi! Against that backdrop, three river guides pushed their dory, the Emerald Mile, into the torrent. It's not really a story just about the fastest ride, which is a small part of the book. Be the first to ask a question about The Emerald Mile. The history of The Grand Canyon, the Glen Canyon dam are so interesting. I recently went on a Grand Canyon river rafting adventure. First, you cup a hand in the river and run the water over the back of your neck and face to reduce the cold shock of whats coming. Both your 1983 descent and Ben Orkins recent run required overcoming some pretty intense swims to go on and set the record. The unprecedented weather, the inner workings of a dam, and how threatening it was to downstream USA. This is a story of a super-man deliberately pushing himself physically to his limits, which the Emerald Mile story is not. What are your thoughts? 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 I want to rate this book higher - the subject matter is exactly what I want to be reading all the time, but I had a couple issues with the book. Still holding the record, even with a recent attempt at breaking it on January 7th, 2015 by Ben Orkin and Harrison Rea in Kayaksof 37 hours and 48 minutes, Kenton Grua, Rudy Petschek, and Steve Reynolds still hold the record of 36 hours and 38 minutes! Now a resident of Nevada City, California, the 82-year-old river guide whos been down the Grand Canyon a whopping 94 times, shared his thoughts on the recent events over email. No, no such dory exists, but Kenton did have plans for such a boat. ${cardName} unavailable for quantities greater than ${maxQuantity}. Brilliant! This book announces Fedarko as a major writing talent and at last sets forth the full story of an American legendthe legend of "The Emerald Mile". I often wondered if that was to remind the River Guides to respect the Colorado River in the Grand Canyonas they would be dining there just before embarking on their next trip through The Great Unknown. I was not roughing it, I was experiencing life!! 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. Okay. In the midst of this crisis, beneath the light of a full moon, a trio of river guides secretly launched a small, hand-built wooden boat, a dory named the Emerald Mile, into the Colorado just below the dams base and rocketed toward the dark chasm downstream, where the torrents of water released by the dam engineers had created a rock . In the midst of all this chaos, three river rafting guides took a dory and . The history of Crystal Rapid is detailed and very appropriate to prepare us for the ride ahead. When all was said and done, the pent-up fury of the Colorado wreaked havoc on the dam to the tune of $32 million. The guide, his back to the river, looked me in the eye. Specifically, this book is about the 1983 flood that washed down the Colorado Basin into Lake Powell, forcing a massive, unprecedented flood down the Colorado River and through Grand Canyon. Down the Great Unknown: John Wesley Powell's 1869 Journey of Discovery and Tragedy Through the Grand Canyon, There's This River Grand Canyon Boatman Stories. The boat flipped in a mammoth incarnation of Crystal Rapid, but through combination of luck and honed whitewater skill, the trio was able to climb back aboard the dory in the runout to the swollen rapid, right it, and go onto set the record time.