One Last Cast
From Alaska Outdoors Radio Magazine
By Evan Swensen
Chapter Seven
Devil’s Canyon
Steve Mahay asked me to produce a movie and video of his attempted run up Devil’s Canyon on the Big Susitna River. A few kayakers had successfully navigated down the canyon during a low-water time. A rafter tried the canyon, but was thrown out of his boat and floated the river in his life jacket, barely escaping with his life. Other attempts to go down Devil’s Canyon have been frustrated, and some adventurers have paid the ultimate price for their try at the canyon—they were killed.
One brave, but foolish, boat manufacturer tried to take his product up the canyon and was turned back when the canyon’s hydraulics sucked his boat under the water, never to be found. He and his crew were plucked from the river by a passing helicopter and saved from their folly.
Then came Steve Mahay, master riverboat operator. Steve watched the canyon and its surging water, decided he would attempt, and asked Alaska Outdoors to film the results. We agreed on the condition we could record the results, whether fame or failure.
Steve spent the better part of September modifying his craft, overhauling its powerplant, and contemplating his run at Devil’s Canyon. Although September had been a rainy month, a few days before Steve’s window of opportunity for the attempt weather cleared, and water levels in the Big Su decreased to such a level that Steve felt his boat would have a chance of making the run.
On the day of the attempt, Steve was prepared. He wore a wet suit and crash helmet, hired a helicopter occupied with an experienced rescue worker to fly cover, and filled his boat with flotation material.
Our film crew was also ready for whatever happened. We agreed that our job was to film the event, not assist Steve on his run or participate in a rescue if the attempt turned sour and Steve needed help. We would record the outcome no matter if Steve succeeded or even lost his life in the attempt.
Filming from strategic points along the route, being placed there by helicopter, we shot the scene as Steve was pounded by waves of rushing water into a solid rock wall, puncturing his boat, but not doing enough damage to stop the run. Cameras rolled film as Steve picked his way through class six rapids where his 50-mile-an-hour boat barely moved, his speed almost matched by the descending river cascading over boulders bigger than Steve’s boat. We recorded the run around Hotel Rock, up over Heaven’s Gate, and finally into the calm water above the canyon.
I met Steve at the end of his run, and we shook hands and hugged, grateful that he’d succeeded, and relieved that he’d not been hurt or killed. Barrels of fuel were flown in, and Steve continued up the Susitna to the Denali Highway, where he could get his boat out of the water and return to Talkeetna.
The following spring, Steve’s film was shown at the Great Alaska Sportsman Show, and his video was released for purchase. I suspect that if you visit Steve Mahay’s Riverboat Service in Talkeetna today, you can meet the only man to take a boat up Devil’s Canyon, and he’ll probably sell you a copy of his video. It’s an exciting video, and although I was there, and filmed the climbing of the canyon, and know Steve made it to the top, there are times shown in the video that were so very close, when it could have gone either way, I almost expect a Twilight Zone ending and see Steve and his boat sucked under the Su. But, that’s how close Steve came to meeting his Maker—in Devil’s Canyon on the Big Susitna River at the foot of Denali.
Author Campaign Method (ACM) for Authorpreneurs
This is Publication Consultants’ motivation for constantly striving to assist authors sell and market their books. Author Campaign Method (ACM) of sales and marketing is Publication Consultants’ plan to accomplish this so that our authors’ books have a reasonable opportunity for success. We know the difference between motion and direction. ACM is direction! ACM is the process for authorpreneurs who are serious about bringing their books to market. ACM is a boon for them.
Release Party
Web Presence
Book Signings
Amazon Author Page
Facebook Profile and Facebook Page
Active Social Media Participation
Ebook Cards
The Great Alaska Book Fair: October 8, 2016
Costco Book Signings
eBook Cards
Benjamin Franklin Award
Jim Misko Book Signing at Barnes and Noble
Cortex is for serious authors and will probably not be of interest to hobbyists. We recorded our Cortex training and information meeting. If you’re a serious author, and did not attend the meeting, and would like to review the training information, kindly let us know. Authors are required to have a Facebook author page to use Cortex.
Correction:
We take the quote by Marcella Smith, Small Press Business Manager, Barnes & Noble seriously: “The author is essential to the success of the book, giving energy behind the book to make it something that a customer will come in and ask for. That is what makes the difference in a book that sells, that develops legs, and has a life of its own. Otherwise the book goes on the shelf and stays there for three months. Then it gets returned.”
This is Publication Consultants’ motivation for constantly striving to assist authors sell and market their books. ACM is Publication Consultants’ plan to accomplish this so that our authors’ books have a reasonable opportunity for success. We know the difference between motion and direction. ACM is direction! ACM is the process for authors who are serious about bringing their books to market. ACM is a boon for serious authors, but a burden for hobbyist. We don’t recommend ACM for hobbyists.
We’re the only publisher we know of that provides authors with book signing opportunities. Book signing are appropriate for hobbyist and essential for serious authors. To schedule a book signing kindly go to our website, <
An Author Page on Amazon Author Central is a serious author ACM requirement and desirable for the hobbyist. Author Central is a free resource designed to help authors become more active participants in the promotion of their books. In Author Central you can manage an Author Page, update information about your books, and view Customer Reviews and sales information for your bibliography. If you don’t already have an Author Page on 
We hear authors complain about all the personal stuff on Facebook. Most of these complaints are because the author doesn’t understand the difference difference between a Facebook profile and a Facebook page. Simply put, a profile is for personal things for friends and family; a page is for business. If your book is just a hobby, then it’s fine to have only a Facebook profile and make your posts for friends and family; however, if you’re serious about your writing, and it’s a business with you, or you want it to be business, then you need a Facebook page as an author. It’s simple to tell if it’s a page or a profile. A profile shows how many friends and a page shows how many likes. Here’s a link <> to a straight forward description on how to set up your author Facebook page.
Active Social Media Participation
Mosquito Books has a new location in the Anchorage international airport and is available for signings with 21 days notice. Jim Misko had a signing there yesterday. His signing report included these words, “Had the best day ever at the airport . . ..”
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When he published those overseas blogs as the book The Innocents Abroad, it would become a hit. But you couldn’t find it in bookstores.
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