The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon (Signed!) [B2137]

2014 signed PB in nice clean condition. From one of Outside magazine's "Literary All-Stars" comes the thrilling true tale of the fastest boat ride ever through the Grand Canyon, atop the legendary Colorado River 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-through the heart of the Grand Canyon atop 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.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "So well done - thoroughly researched, made me feel like I was right there."; "Wow this was just spectacular and I want to go back to the Grand Canyon a million times over. I think this book is amazing for any audience but this was such a perfect crossover of my experiences/interests rafting down the canyon, hydraulics, civil engineering, and environmentalism. It was highly recommended by a guide on the trip. This book does such a perfect job capturing the history of the canyon from so many perspectives."; "This book is a gem, it seems to have it all - adventure, history, science, and deep love for our natural world. The author does a great job of telling the story and also providing context of their own role in ensuring this worthy story lives on."