Andrew Skurka

Who is Andrew Skurka?

Andrew Skurka is a professional backpacker who is best known for his two 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 and the 2005 "Person of the Year" by Backpacker Magazine.

In November 2007, Skurka completed the Great Western Loop, a 6,875-mile journey that links together 5 long-distance hiking trails, 12 National Parks, and over 75 wilderness areas, which he hiked in 208 days, an average of 33 miles per day. In addition, in July 2005 Skurka 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, the 480-mile Colorado Trail, the 2,170-mile Appalachian Trail, a 385-mile trek through northern Minnesota in January, and many week and weekend-long trips in Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming. In 2010 he hiked a 4,679 mile route around Alaska, which took him 176 days.