The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon

In 1983, a massive El Niño event triggered record-breaking snowmelt, threatening to overwhelm the Glen Canyon Dam. To manage the floodwaters, engineers opened the spillways, creating a violent, hydraulic surge down the Colorado River. Kevin Fedarko tracks Kenton Grua, Rudi Petschek, and Steve Reynolds as they launch an oversized wooden dory, the Emerald Mile, into these catastrophic rapids. The narrative details the physics of river hydrology, the mechanical failures of dam infrastructure, and the high-speed navigation required to break the speed record through the Grand Canyon’s entire length.

This book serves outdoor enthusiasts and students of Western water management who want to understand the tension between wilderness preservation and civil engineering. Readers gain technical knowledge of geomorphology and the internal mechanics of Bureau of Reclamation dams. By studying this specific speed run, the reader learns how human ambition interacts with volatile natural systems and the ecological consequences of damming the American West. The text provides a precise lookup of river history and the specialized craft of whitewater rowing.