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Hunter Education Course Review: a wasted opportunity for CPW to meaningfully educate a first-time hunter

By Andrew Skurka / May 7, 2013 /
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Last month my friend Rob and I took a Hunter Education Course offered by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW). This course is a prerequisite to applying for or buying a hunting license, and it’s taught by volunteer instructors that are trained and certified by CPW. The twelve hours of instruction were split over a Saturday…

Advice to “Strider,” aspiring NCT thru-hiker, overwhelmed and beaten down by the Spring melt

By Andrew Skurka / April 26, 2013 /
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Earlier this week I received an email from Bruce Matthews, Executive Director of the North Country Trail Association, asking a small favor to place an encouraging phone call to Luke Jordan (a.k.a. “Strider”), who is currently attempting a thru-hike of the NCT. Luke started his trip on March 27 at the NCT’s western terminus, Lake…

Associated Press story about “hardcore hiking” in Yosemite’s remote backcountry

By Andrew Skurka / April 24, 2013 /
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The Associated Press released a story earlier today about one of my guided trips from last year: “Hard-core hiking on Yosemite backcountry adventure.” It was written by John Pain, a member of the group who works for the AP, though not as a journalist; it wasn’t a press trip, though I suppose I should think about…

What does Doug think about my guided trips?

By Andrew Skurka / January 23, 2013 /
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Last September Doug Laity of San Diego, CA, joined one of my 7-day High Sierra Adventure trips. He is returning for 2013, having already registered for both the 3-day Winter Backpacking trip in Colorado and the 7-day Alaska Adventure. (Nine other alumni have already registered for 2013 trips, too.) Below I have copied a recent…

“Essential Gear” article for Geographical magazine

By Andrew Skurka / November 16, 2012 /
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In the June 2012 issue of Geographical, the official magazine of the Royal Geographical Society (IBG), I wrote about the gear I used on my Alaska-Yukon Expedition. But the article is not a colorless evaluation — the model for this “Essential Gear” series is to embed a discussion about gear within a story narrative, which makes…

Photo diary: Inaugural Ultimate Hiking Course in Yosemite National Park

By Andrew Skurka / May 23, 2012 /
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The inaugural Ultimate Hiking Course was held last weekend in Yosemite National Park. If you missed this one, don’t worry: I’m offering this same course in five other locations this year: Pisgah National Forest (June 2-4) Shenandoah National Park (June 9-11) Rocky Mountain National Park (August 17-19) White Mountain National Forest (August 24-26) Porcupine Mountains…

I scared the $hit out of a grizzly bear, literally

By Andrew Skurka / March 7, 2012 /
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Warning: This video contains profanity. Hope you can understand why. Of all the stories that came from my Alaska-Yukon Expedition, scaring the shit out of a grizzly bear is certainly one of the most memorable. The accompanying video footage is also a guaranteed crowd-pleaser during my “Circling Alaska & Yukon” slideshows. Speaking of, my Spring speaking and book…

Questions on Planning, Grizzlies, Ladies, and more

By Andrew Skurka / October 19, 2010 /
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1. What would you do without your mother? — George Eichman III My mother is certainly an integral and critical part of my trips, though my father should get some credit, too. My mom’s most functional role is serving as my logistics coordinator: She ships me food, supplies, and fresh gear; acts as a messenger…

Three Ways the Expedition Changed Me

By Andrew Skurka / September 28, 2010 /
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Boulder, Colorado This past weekend, just two weeks after finishing my trip, I moved back to the exceptional city of Boulder, Colorado. My life does not appear to have changed much since I left seven months ago: I’m living in the same house, hanging out with the same friends, and running the same trails; I…

On Finishing: Chocolate, Bears, Feeling Humbled

By Andrew Skurka / September 8, 2010 /
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On Monday Andrew Skurka finished his epic Alaska-Yukon Expedition, covering 4,700+ miles and finishing a few weeks early, even! We’ll hear more from him later in the week. Until then, here are some of his initial thoughts on finishing. Check out our photo gallery with highlights from the expedition. Thoughts on food? After six months…