I highly recommend "The Emerald Mile" by Kevin Fedarko. 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. On the other hand, the physical demands on a record-breaking kayaker on a continuous 277 mile run through Grand Canyon are such that they require a top-rated athlete in peak condition performing at 100 percent. .orange-text-color {color: #FE971E;} Explore your book, then jump right back to where you left off with Page Flip. Discover why The Emerald Mile by Kevin Fedarko is such a great book to 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. Yet, I found myself learning details or stories that I had not heard as the flood was taking place. So much history and info! Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2022. My expectation based on the title, the cover and the synopsis I read was that it would be an exciting, adventure read. The night sky is so much better than anything I could have imagined. It's that goodFedarko will have you posied on the edge of your seat like a high-sider at in Lava Falls." 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. Learn how your comment data is processed. The Emerald Mile. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. Secondly, a longer dory would sacrifice ease of pivoting. 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. Thanks for giving me a mention in your review. 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. If you are interested in the Colorado Rive and the Grand Canyon, then I highly recommend it. 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? Holly Black is theauthor of more than 30 fantasy novels, including Tithe, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, and her 2022 adult debut,Book of To see what your friends thought of this book, The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon. That trip was something I will never forget. This book is a kind of love letter to the Colorado River and its Grand Canyon. Bens recovery from his Lava experience, solo in the dark in mid-winter, makes his feat infinitely more impressive. As a boatman, Fedarko knows this world intimately. Mens Journal has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. 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. From Kevin . 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. The challenges faced by kayakers attempting a Grand Canyon speed run are, for the most part, entirely different from those faced by an oar-powered row boat, so much so that it becomes a stretch to compare the two (apples and oranges). I have no doubt it will become an instant classic, a timeless chronicle of what can still be legitimately called the American spirit." List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price. Book Synopsis 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 . I listened to the audio book on a road trip. He answered that he had been a good friend of Grua. One of the most enthralling books I have read in a long time. The Emerald Mile is a fantastic read, and an instant throw-back for me to those days on the river. 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! Emerald Mile : the Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon Item Length: 8.4in. And even if your acquaintance with the two is fleeting (as is mine), you may want to read this thorough account of a speed run down the Colorado River in 1983 after one of the biggest water years in the western. This lost treasure still evokes wonder in what lies in Glen Canyonthe 170-mile natural paradise legendary for its secret grottoes, waterfalls, beautiful ravines and isolated side canyons like Hidden Passage before it was flooded by Lake Powell upon the completion of the Glen Canyon Dam in 1963. Pub Date: May 7, 2013 ISBN: 978-1-4391-5985-9 Page Count: 432 Publisher: Scribner Especially some of the descriptions of the river and its currents, eddies and rapids. Please use a different way to share. 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. So fascinating, was such a great audio book! Fedarko was a staff writer at Time magazine from 1991 to 1997, where his work helped garner an Overseas Press Club Award for a story on the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. Try again. The 'Emerald Mile' was the prototype and the most famous among the wooden dories that . It's that goodFedarko will have you posied on the edge of your seat like a high-sider at in Lava Falls." This I would come to appreciate as the novel is propelled to its crescendo. Almost five million people visit Grand Canyon National Park annually. A great read before or after a run down the CO. Format: Paperback Publisher: Scribner favorite Add to wishlist It is spiritual and there is no better place to connect with God than the Grand Canyon. I noticed a Dory painted in the colors of the Emerald mile. 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. Well-told, deeply-researched, engaging to re. -- 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." Eloquently written and well researched the boom covers many facets of the Grand Canyon all focused through the lens of the "speed run." A wonderful, satisfying read, and a great job in getting this tale of camaraderie, adventure and courage - beauty and the river culture down on paper in such a though well researched way. But we were only after the oar-powered record, not the non-motorized nor the human-powered records. This book takes me right back there. 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. Where did you come from? Kevin Fedarko is a painter - he just uses words instead of paint. -- Hampton Sides , editor-at-large at Outside magazine and author of Blood and Thunder and Ghost Soldiers, lives in northern New Mexico and works as a part-time river guide in Grand Canyon National Park. Fedarko has supplied astonishing facts, lyrical, magical atmosphere, and extreme One of the most enthralling books I have read in a long time. 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 didnt find the narrator annoying at all (neither was he fantastic). Rapid snowmelt in June of 1983 created the highest water in the Grand Canyon in 25 years, the likes of which hadn't been experienced since before Glen Canyon Dam was built. 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. Grua resting in the Emerald Mile. Also, I have issues with people taking extreme risks just to set a record but that doesnt affect the quality of the book. Safe and Secure Mailer. Was there story that inspired you in the early 80s? For me, because I grew up in Page, Arizona and witnessed this great event, the story starts off a little slowbecause I had already lived that part. The Emerald Mile, at one time slated to be destroyed, was rescued and brought back to life by Kenton Grua, the . As a boatman, Fedarko knows this world intimately. The entire first half is more of a history and geology lesson about the Grand Canyon and river rafting. Brilliant memories for us we rafted down the Colorado just around Easter 1989 with Colorado River & Trail. 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. Orkins Lava flip and recovery has every bit of the drama and suspense of the Emerald Miles Crystal episode in 83. According to his obituary he is buried in Flagstaff. 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 item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt. Photo by Rudi Petschek. But as readers will discover, it's much, much more! Book has great history lessons as well. Three days later as we approached the Redwall Cavern . Okay. 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. "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 I had no id. I recently went on a Grand Canyon river rafting adventure. 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. Kenton Grua in the Emerald Mile, the dory used on the speed run. To add the following enhancements to your purchase, choose a different seller. Fedarko earned a Masters of Philosophy in Russian history at Oxford in 1990. The story of this epic run became widely known through Kevin Fedarko's 2013 book also called The Emerald Mile, which relied heavily on interviews conducted with Petschek. The guide, his back to the river, looked me in the eye. 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 all this chaos, three river rafting guides took a dory and . , The book is at its heart an engrossing meditation on the eternal struggle between man and nature. This past August 2018, I had the great privilege to take a 5 day journey down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. 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 l. Almost five million people visit Grand Canyon National Park annually. Start by marking The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon as Want to Read: Error rating book. 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. Let me count the ways I love this book! 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. This book is built around a record human-powered speed run in a wooden boat through the Grand Canyon. His 2013 release, The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon, won a NOBA- a National Outdoor Book Award. Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2022. The first few chapters stumble a bit but once you get to the beginning of Powell's adventure, Fedarko has found his stride. Wow, Fedarko is a superb storyteller. I was not roughing it, I was experiencing life!! He really went deep on those. The fascinating characters are pretty much universally attached to this river and canyon at the hip. Many people have been discussing whether its fair to put your dory run in the same category as a kayak descent. 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. 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. Just reading the account had me on pins and needles and induced tachycardia. Clearly he interviewed everyone from river guides to Bureau of Reclamation and National Park Service officials, but he never really seems to take sides. Read the book last month. 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. The story telling (based on true events) was fantastic. Ok, if you have an issue with whitewater, don't read this before going on a Colorado River trip. Highly recommend it. This was a fantastic book! I didnt expect it to be so dense looking! Beautiful writing, simply beautiful. Slept under the stars every night and cruised, swam and hiked during the day. "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." This is terrific narrative nonfiction. This book is built around a record human-powered speed run in a wooden boat through the Grand Canyon. 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. 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. To float, to drift, savoring the pulse of the river on its odyssey through the canyon, and above all, to postpone the unwelcome and distinctly unpleasant moment when one is forced to reemerge and reenter the world beyond the rim-that is the paramount goal., But they have preserved an aspect of the American persona that is uniquely vital to the health of this republic. Enjoy a great reading experience when you buy the Kindle edition of this book. by Scribner. I didnt expect it to be so dense looking! For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube! However, an understanding of the political context behind the significance of what Kenton Grua and those other guys did on that boat, especially right after a fatality occured on the water, was a wild and entertaining read. Enjoy the rides! "The Emerald Mile" by Kevin Fedarko is now on my short list of all-time favorite books, 5 stars plus! 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. - 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. Rudi Petschek: I have written congratulatory messages to Matt Klema and Ben Orkin expressing my admiration. it was in a wooden dory, with the legendary boatman Kenton Grua, "The Factor" as he was known, and the character at the center of this book. What if the reward that you were chasing lay not in the result to which you were ostensibly striving, but in the simple doing of the thing? 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. But Reality check: many (though by no means all) of Kentons hair-brained ideas turned out to be not only feasible but also practical. Lots of pertinent information. 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. On normal flows, I dont think the extra straight-line speed would have sufficed; on a 40,000 flow the boats extra length would have been a handicap in the turbulence which began to manifest itself at that level. So I asked him if he knew Kenton Grua. "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. This one is, and Fedarko's book is as inspiring as a dory itself, flying down a wild river. Fedarko was a staff writer at Time magazinefrom 1991 to 1997, where his work helped garner an Overseas Press Club Award for a story on the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. .orange-text-color {font-weight:bold; color: #FE971E;}View high quality images that let you zoom in to take a closer look. Lol, just kidding (barely). As a writer, he'll make you understand it, savor it, and ultimately love it as you never have before. Watch "The Emerald Mile" Intro: The Fastest Ride in History through the Heart of the Grand Canyon Watch on I just completed this Epic Novel on the Grand Canyon Dory speed run in 1983. So I re-engagedand what a story it has to tell. Am a water engineer, and know what makes a 20 foot standing wave. 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