Deep Black
by Robb Magley
Colorado's Black Canyon, one of the nation's newest National Parks, is steeper and narrower than the Grand Canyon. There are many spots where the Gunnison River that runs through the canyon is exposed to the sun for only a few hours each day and dangerous rapids often fill the entire space between the stark canyon walls. After his first visit to the Canyon, Robb Magley knew he wanted to write about this unbelievable place. During the research for what he thought was going to be a magazine article, the author learned about William Torrence and Abraham Lincoln Fellows who in 1901 completed the first full passage of the Black Canyon using rubber boats for portions of the trip. After reading their accounts of the trip the author made up his mind that he needed to make an attempt at following Torrence and Fellows into the Canyon. Deep Black, therefore, not only tells the history of the various attempts at exploring the Black Canyon but also chronicles Robb Magley's own adventure of traveling on foot with a friend through thirty-three miles of narrow, dangerous canyon. The adventure required seventy-six river crossings with no boat and almost cost them their lives. As Robb puts it, "We had no food and no way to purify drinking water. The sun was going down, and we had nothing but shorts, T-shirts, and life jackets to keep us warm. The only piece of gear either of us had left was our river knives, clipped to our life vests in the event that we had to free ourselves from a fouled rope. The canyon was getting darker, and we had run out of options." Robb Magley has written articles for several well-known magazines such as Adventure Journal, Western Style, Montrose Style, and Telluride Style. This is his first book.
- Published
- 2002
- ISBN
- 1-890437-68-9
- Pages
- 144
- Place
- Telluride
- Publisher
- Western Reflections Pub.
- Listed at
- $12.95
Publication details from Open Library. The price shown is the last one on record and is historic, not a current offer.
- Direct from us info@westernreflectionspublishing.com or (336) 565-6915. We pack and post from Lake City.
- Amazon Buy from Amazon.
- Any bookshop Quote ISBN 1-890437-68-9 and your local bookseller can order it.
About this book
Deep Black is Robb Magley's book about Colorado's Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Our description calls the canyon one of the nation's newest national parks, steeper and narrower than the Grand Canyon. It says there are many spots where the Gunnison River is in sunlight for only a few hours a day, and that dangerous rapids often fill the entire space between the walls. The description goes on to say that Magley learned of William Torrence and Abraham Lincoln Fellows, who in 1901 completed the first full passage of the canyon using rubber boats for parts of the trip, and that he decided to follow them. The book tells the history of the attempts to explore the canyon and chronicles his own trip on foot with a friend through thirty-three miles of narrow canyon, which took seventy-six river crossings and almost cost them their lives.
The National Park Service says Black Canyon of the Gunnison was made a national monument in 1933 and renamed a national park in 1999. That fits the description's reference to a new national park. Wikipedia's article on the park lists the Painted Wall at 2,250 feet, the tallest sheer cliff in Colorado, and says the canyon is 40 feet wide at the river at its narrowest. It also records that Abraham Lincoln Fellows and William Torrence made the first recorded descent of the river in 1901, in a small rubber raft over about ten days.
The National Park Service's own list of books about the park shows Deep Black by Robb Magley dated 2002, with the cover only. Our catalogue subject headings are adventure and adventurers, biography, description and travel, and history. We know no more about the author than that.
Who it is for
This book is aimed at readers drawn to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, its river and its adventurers.
Ways to use this book
Preparing for the canyon rim
Before driving to the park, use the park service planning page to check alerts and permits, and read the geology page on the way. The rock story is easier to follow when you can see the walls.
Adding local history to the trip
The canyon is only part of the Gunnison country, so pair the park history page with a look at the museum site in town. It gives a visit some human history to set beside the cliffs.
Go deeper
Deep Black is about the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. The National Park Service pages below are the official source for the park, from its geology and history to practical planning for a visit.
Geology of the Black Canyon
The park's own account of how the Gunnison Uplift, volcanoes and the river carved a deep, steep and narrow canyon in very old rock.
History and Culture
A National Park Service overview that says people have used the rims for about 9,000 years and covers the national monument of 1933 and the national park of 1999.
Plan Your Visit
The park's planning page, with links to entrance fees, park alerts, reservations and permits.
Gunnison Pioneer Museum
A museum of the Gunnison country's past run by the county pioneer and historical society. Check its website for the current season.
Good to know
What place is the book about?
Is it fiction or nonfiction?
When was it published?
Where can I buy it?
Have a book of your own?
This is the kind of book the house publishes: regional history, biography, memoir and the stories that belong to a place. Send us yours and a person will read it.