In 1869, a one-armed Civil War veteran who was mad about geology gathered a small crew to explore the last blank space left on the U.S. map: the Colorado River. A description of the areas natural history segues right into the adventure. Powell and his men were the first on record to run the rivers rapids from a tributary in Wyoming down through the Grand Canyon. It was a wild ride–rowboats smashing, Powell dangling from a canyon wall by a rescuers long underwear, brutal conditions, resentment of the leader, disappearing men–and this book does it justice. Well-chosen thrills, spills, and conflicts are spliced into a narrative that highlights the danger underlying this scientific mission.
TCI LESSON 11: A CASE STUDY IN WATER USE: THE COLORADO RIVER