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The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story Of The Fastest Ride In History Through The Heart Of The Grand Canyon

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.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. 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 the oars, who intended to use this flood as a kind of hydraulic sling-shot. The goal was to nail the all-time record for the fastest boat ever propelled—by oar, by motor, or by the grace of God himself—down the entire length of the Colorado River from Lee’s Ferry to Lake Mead. Did he survive? Just barely. Now, this remarkable, epic feat unfolds here, in The Emerald Mile.

Paperback: 448 pages

Publisher: Scribner; Reprint edition (July 1, 2014)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1439159866

ISBN-13: 978-1439159866

Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1.2 x 8.4 inches

Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (699 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #6,571 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #5 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Miscellaneous > History of Sports #6 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Outdoor Recreation > Boating #14 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Water Sports

30 years ago my wife gave my son and me a trip down the Grand Canyon in a dory. Over the years, I've traveled extensively in over 100 countries and on all of the continents. That Grand Canyon boat trip was one of the greatest travel experiences of my life.This book captures all of the thrills, excitement and history of that wonderful experience. We had five guides on the trip, all of whom were extremely knowledgeable and at night we sat by the campfires and learned about many of the stories contained in this account.In many respects, I was torn over leaving the canyon. Except that I had a wife and two little kids, I would've loved to sign on as a guide on the river trips. Had I taken the trip before I was married, I really believe I might have ended up a River Rat on the Colorado River.The book joins the other great Grand Canyon books in my library:The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons (Penguin Classics); who can ever forget a one-armed war hero hanging from a tree branch over the raging river -- did they really think they could run a railroad down that massive gorge?

The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon, Monument to an Ancient Earth: Can Noah's Flood Explain the Grand Canyon? Grand Canyon: The Complete Guide: Grand Canyon National Park Beach Walk: An Emerald Isle, NC Christmas Novella (An Emerald Isle, NC Novel) Down the Great Unknown: John Wesley Powell's 1869 Journey of Discovery and Tragedy Through the Grand Canyon Grand Canyon: A Trail Through Time Canyon of Dreams: The Magic and the Music of Laurel Canyon Arizona Highways 2017 Grand Canyon Calendar Arizona Highways 2015 Grand Canyon Wall Calendar Arizona Highways 2016 Grand Canyon Calendar Child's Introduction to the World: Geography, Cultures, and People - From the Grand Canyon to the Great Wall of China G Is for Grand Canyon : An Arizona Alphabet (Alphabet Series) Where Is the Grand Canyon? Grand Canyon National Park (Road Trip) The Grand Canyon Cookbook National Geographic Trails Illustrated - Grand Canyon Bright Angel Map - AZ Arizona Rocks & Minerals: A Field Guide to the Grand Canyon State (Rocks & Minerals Identification Guides) Grand Canyon Plants and Animals Coloring Book (Dover Nature Coloring Book) Paria Canyon, Kanab [Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument] (National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map) Lasting Light: 125 Years of Grand Canyon Photography