Andrew Skurka

Andrew Skurka is an accomplished 27-year-old professional backpacker who is most well known for his two monumental long-distance hiking firsts -– the 6,875-mile Great Western Loop and the 7,778-mile Sea-to-Sea Route. He was named the 2007 “Adventurer of the Year” by National Geographic Adventure (which described him as “a Gen Y version of Henry David Thoreau or John Muir”) and the 2005 “Person of the Year” by Backpacker.

In November 2007 Skurka completed the Great Western Loop, a superb 6,875-mile journey that links together 5 long-distance hiking trails, 12 National Parks, and over 75 wilderness areas, which he blazed in 208 days, an average of 33 miles per day. And in July 2005 he completed the Sea-to-Sea Route, a transcontinental network of long-distance hiking trails from Quebec to Washington, which took him 11 months and which involved 1,400 miles of snowshoeing. Skurka’s shorter hikes include the 1,700-mile California section of the Pacific Crest Trail (in 44 days), the 480-mile Colorado Trail (twice), the 2,170-mile Appalachian Trail (in 95 days), a 385-mile trek through northern Minnesota in January, and many week- and weekend-long trips in Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming.

In addition to expanding the limits of long-distance backpacking, Skurka has defined the light-and-fast style of backcountry travel. The contents of his pack cumulatively weigh a mere 6.5 to 8 pounds, sans food, water, and fuel; and he regularly logs 35-45 miles per day, day after day.

For Skurka, backpacking has become his preferred means of connecting with the natural world that both enlivens and humbles him, and that he is increasingly working to protect by drawing attention to important environmental issues, personally leading a “lightweight lifestyle” that emphasizes simplicity and sustainability, and by giving people (particularly youth) the confidence, skills, and inspiration to develop their own connection with the natural world.

In addition to the distinctions from Adventure and Backpacker, Skurka was featured in Outside’s 2007 “Outside 100” list and in Men’s Journal’s “2005 Adventure Hall of Fame.” He has appeared in numerous newspapers and television broadcasts, including The Wall Street Journal and the Fox News Channel.

A graduate of Duke University, Skurka has eschewed a traditional career and has instead managed to become a sponsored athlete, articulate speaker, and capable writer. He is a member of the prestigious Explorers Club, has given over 140 presentations about his adventures, and is a frequent contributor to Backpacking Light Magazine.

In 2007, Andrew Skurka became the first, and only person so far, to complete thru-hiking the Great Western Loop.

References

* [http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/best-of-adventure-2008/achievements/andrew-skurka.html, National Geographic Adventure's 2007 "Adventurer of the Year: The Walking Man"]
* [http://www.andrewskurka.com/assets/aboutskurka/media/backpacker_personoftheyear.pdf, Backpacker's 2005 "Person of the Year"]

External links

* [http://www.andrewskurka.com/ AndrewSkurka.com]