The Emerald Mile

In the spring of 1983, massive flooding along the Colorado River almost resulted in a catastrophic dam failure. In the midst of this crisis, a decision was made to launch a small wooden dory called ‘The Emerald Mile’ at the head of the Grand Canyon, which was not just odd, but suicidal. The goal was to nail the all-time record for the fastest boat ever propelled down the entire length of the Colorado River. Author Kevin Fedarko tells KGNU about the fastest boat ride ever.

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