Skurka Begins 4,700-Mile Odyssey
Boulder-based uber-hiker Andrew Skurka has begun his 6.5-month, 4,720-mile journey around Alaska and the Yukon, by skis, foot, and pack raft, almost entirely off-trail, through some of North America’s most rugged wilderness. On Saturday, Skurka landed in Kotzebue, Alaska, north of the Arctic Circle, and yesterday he began skiing southward toward the Iditarod Trail. Forecast high: –15°F. If all goes well, he’ll return to Kotzebue around the end of September, having averaged more than 23 miles per day. Surely one of the most ambitious outdoor adventures ever conceived.
Buzz Burrell has posted a good story and short interview with Skurka at his Adventure Running blog. And you can follow The Man himself through updates at Twitter. What do you think? Can he do it?
He can do it. But the questions is: will he?
The difference between the two is Lady Luck.
Analyzing what this route requires, Andy can do it (the only person I know who could). But during almost every mile, of every day, for over half a YEAR … some little thing could go wrong. The potential for small pratfalls is huge, the odds keep adding up over the duration, and his location is always absurdly remote. Mt Everest is the Mesa Trail by comparison.
Again, Andy is incredibly smart, attuned, and knows himself, so he can do this. And I am very very glad he chose to bring a sat phone.