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About 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.

Accolades

Top 10 Media Appearances

Timeline

  • Growing up in southeastern Massachusetts, Skurka occasionally went on outdoor trips with family and/or friends to New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. But most weekends were spent at cross-country and track meets -- Skurka was a two-time Massachusetts All-State runner, with personal records of 4:21 and 9:31 in the 1- and 2-mile, respectively.

  • Summers 2000 and 2001: Made the pivotal decision to work as a counselor at Camp Carolina in Brevard, NC, adjacent to Pisgah National Forest. Up to that point Skurka had been gung-ho about a lucrative Wall Street career after graduating from Duke; but after two straight summers of trail running, mountain biking, rock climbing, caving, hiking, and shaving cream fights (see image to right) his passion, interests, and outlook on life had completely changed.

  • Summer 2002: Hiked the Appalachian Trail in 95 days, starting with a 49-lb pack (minus food and water) and with absolutely no idea how to backpack.

  • January 2003: Read an article in Backpacker Magazine about the then never-been-done-before 7,800-mile "Sea-to-Sea Route," and instantly decided that he would be the first person to do it once he graduated from college.

  • Summer 2003: Interned for GoLite in Boulder and spent just about every weekend in the Front Range's Indian Peaks Wilderness, where he advanced his backcountry skills and fell in love with the West.

  • December 2003: Graduated from Duke University with a double major in Economics and Political Science.

  • June 2004: Hiked the 480-mile Colorado Trail in 15 days after working for 3 months on GoLite's website.

  • August 2004: Began the Sea-to-Sea Route from Quebec's Cape Gaspé, at the northern geological terminus of the Appalachian Mountains.

  • April 2005: Emerged successfully from the North Country winter, during which he snowshoed 1,400 miles and endured -20 F temperatures.

  • July 2005: Reached the Pacific Ocean at Washington's Cape Alava, 11 months and 7,778 miles after starting from the Atlantic.

  • Fall 2005: Worked for Backpacking Light Magazine in Bozeman, MT.

  • Jan-May 2006: Gave over 90 slideshows during a 5-month-long nationwide slideshow tour, entitled "Two Seas, Two Feet: One Man's Journey Across the Continent," sponsored by GoLite and Balance Bar. Shared the dias with the likes of Edward O. Wilson, Buzz Aldrin, and Ed Viesturs as a Guest Speaker at the 2006 Explorers Club Annual Dinner.

  • Summer 2006: Hiked the 1,700-mile California section of the Pacific Crest Trail in 45 days (38 miles/day avg.); hiked the 480-mile Colorado Trail in 14 days; and did a 180-mile loop around Yellowstone National Park.

  • January 2007: Completed the "Ultralight in the Nation's Icebox" hike, a 385-mile trip along northern Minnesota's North Shore and through the Boundary Waters. His pack weight (minus food and water) was a mere 14 lbs.