Last year long distance trekker Andrew Skurka set off on his most ambitious and challenging expedition to date. He was already a legend in the thru-hiking community, but his 4679 mile (7530km) Alaska-Yukon Expedition set a new standard for all others to follow. The route passed through some of the most remote places in the U.S. and Canada, crossing eight national parks and several mountain ranges in the process. As is typical, Andrew went alone and spent 176 days on the trail hiking, skiing, and rafting his way through the unforgiving wilderness. Now, his full story is finally being told in the pages of National Geographic Magazine, which will feature Skruka's adventure in the March issue that will be hitting newsstands soon. Fortunately, we can all read the story online now, simply by clicking here.The piece is written by Dan Koeppel, who does an excellent job of getting Andrew to open up about his trek through the Alaskan wilderness, which included a challenging traverse of the Brooks Range, which remains one of the most untouched and wild places on the planet. But this story isn't just about the journey, but the man behind the trek as well. Skurka comes across as a very the kind of guy that you'd love to share the trail with and you get the sense that while he's had plenty of adventures, this one touched him in unique ways and changed his outlook on his long distance hikes forever.
In typical Nat Geo style, this isn't just a story about a hike through the wilderness. It's much more than that, and I recommend that you give it a read. Andrew truly is one of a kind and his approach to life is one that should be applauded. This is a very good read. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
