The Story Behind the Name

One of my favorite books of all time is The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon by Kevin Fedarko. The book gives a detailed account of the history of Grand Canyon exploration and the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam. Its real focus, though, is on one man’s quest to complete the fastest Grand Canyon speed run in history.

Kenton Grua was the fearless mastermind behind the speed run. His boat of choice was a small wooden dory called the Emerald Mile (named after a stretch of old-growth redwoods in Northern California that was sadly clear-cut by a logging company). Long story short, in 1983 Kenton and two friends secretly launched their boat at midnight during a historical ‘superstorm’ and went on to successfully set a new Grand Canyon speed record. They floated the 277 treacherous miles along the Colorado River in a blistering 36 hours and 38 minutes. The Emerald Mile’s record stood for 33 years.

Grua’s feat in the Emerald Mile dory wasn’t accomplished out of pursuit of fame. Instead, he was fueled by his zest for life, his desire to explore the limits of human potential, and his passion for raw, pristine natural wonders.

The Grand Canyon with the Colorado River far below

The Emerald Mile dory enabled Grua to live out his spirit of adventure. We chose the name Emerald Mile Bus ("Emmy") to enable and remind us to do the same... to keep exploring, to appreciate and experience the world that God created, and to not take life too seriously. The inspiring story of the Emerald Mile dory is unconventional and bold. We hope our stories with Emmy can be the same, encouraging people in all walks of life to pursue their dreams, have no regrets, and live a full life for God’s glory.

It’s also worth noting that the bus has an emerald green stripe down both sides and will rack up countless miles on the open road… Hence, the Emerald Mile Bus.