Down The Great Unknown: John Wesley Powell's 1869 Journey Of Discovery And Tragedy Through The Grand Canyon (2002) - Plot & Excerpts
Spoiler Alert: There are whitewater rapids in the next chapter!The story of John Wesley Powell's journey through the Grand Canyon is undoubtedly epic and an amazing testimony to the indomitable determination (and luck) of the rag-tag group of men who were first to brave the cliffs and rapids of the mighty Colorado River and the first to survey the full length of the Grand Canyon. Author Edward Dolnick provides an accessible narrative that captures not only the spirit of the adventure, but something of the character of this strange group of men -- not the least of whom was their group's leader, John Wesley Powell himself, who made the grueling journey with only a single arm and displayed(at times) a curious aloofness to the suffering and travails of his men. This is a good book, but unfortunately, even a skilled writer like Edward Dolnick, can't quite convey the overwhelming majesty and intimidating size of the Grand Canyon and the fury and danger of the Colorado's killer rapids on the printed page. As much as I enjoyed reading about Powell's journey -- there's only so many ways to describe rafting through some of the most dangerous whitewater on earth -- and a bit of unavoidable tediousness sets into the story in the latter half of the book. Dolnick does a good job of spicing things up with asides: recounting Powell's Civil War exploits, the physics of whitewater rafting and boat construction, and detailing the fates of many lesser known Grand Canyon explorers -- but these additions are a bit hit or miss. Some tales, particularly those about other explorers, I found connected well to the main tale. The book's epitaph for Glen Canyon -- now drowned behind a man-made dam and lake -- is environmentally heart-wrenching. On the hand, some of the more modern discussions on whitewater rafting become a bit distracting. Regardless, after what begins to feel like an Tolkien-esque tromp to Mordor, the pioneers' quest culminates in a tragic split of the fellowship within the walls of the aptly named Separation Canyon(seriously ... was Tolkien on this team?). One group of the splintered company survives to reap the rich rewards of history; the other disappears into the sands of history without much of a trace -- though Dolnick's speculations about what became of the missing explorers and his research into the finals fates of all the surviving members of the expedition helps make for a very satisfying conclusion.
Gripping tale fleshed out with highly useful commentary on shooting rapids, river craft, boater drownings and other material designed to make you realize how very extraordinary or foolhardy the expedition led by the one-armed Powell was. In 1869 they did not even face down river, as they rowed their absurdly heavy Whitehall boats towards the rapids. Powell would hold onto a strap to keep from being thrown, as he called out rock hazards. They lined and portaged the heavily loaded boats, as their provisions were repeatedly dumped and soaked, making the rations nearly inedible towards the Grand Canyon stretch of the journey. Powell set out as soon as the railway connected East and West in Utah, shipping his boats to Wyoming where he could start down the Green River to the Colorado. Imagine speeding down canyons where you can't see round the bend to falls, and have no possibility of turning back or tying up! Dolnick is also good at comparing historical sources, and applied a high dose of skepticism to many of the words written in the journals, and the subsequent rewrites that have become the template for Grand Canyon adventure writing.
What do You think about Down The Great Unknown: John Wesley Powell's 1869 Journey Of Discovery And Tragedy Through The Grand Canyon (2002)?
The Clockwork Universe was hard to put down, and I am not usually real intrigued with reading a book on science! I do hike and camp and always wanted to raft a river, and enjoy a good tale of an exploration/journey/courage in the face of danger. This journey through the Grand Canyon has all the necessary elements, but somehow it fell short for me. The hardships were great, and the men were brave. The story was well told, but on occasion I was skimming through, wanting to get to the end. I am glad though that I learned about their terrible journey.
—Jan
This is a non-fiction account of the first Powell expedition down the Green River on through the Colorado River and Grand Canyon. The account is based on journals from three of the ten men who started the hard and desperate journey. Having lived in Green River, WY and having hiked in that region as well as the Grand Canyon, I was keenly interested in the descriptions and series of events. The multiple perspectives presented made it a good first choice to read about the expedition. I enjoyed it and think those who know the rivers and regions would as well.
—Cris
I'm not a river / rafting type and I'm not a non-fiction reader by nature, but I have to admit - I really liked this book. The author can be a bit long-winded at times to make his point clear, but often it is worth it in the end. The story is amazing. You'll be blown away at the sheer courage of the expedition members and the trials they suffered through. They were the FIRST to go down the Grand Canyon and no one thought it possible. They had the wrong boats, no experience, and no knowledge of what lied ahead, yet they did it. So if you are in for a bit of history, a spoonful of geology and civil war, with a compelling human story, you'll like this book. Again a non-fiction book that is rather captivating. And for those interested in Mormon history, the book talks about the Mormons on several occasions due to the proximity of the Mormon settlements, including the alleged massacre that we hear little about.
—Daryl Conley
