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Introduction
Andrew Skurka is a veteran of long-distance hiking. Perhaps best known for his sea-to-sea hike in 2004-2005, he also does long routes at unusual times like his winter 2007 trek through northern Minnesota. On April 9th he began a seven month, 6,875 mile trek through the heart of the American West. He will pass through a dozen national parks and over 75 wilderness areas using both established trails and cross-country bushwhacking.
In the third and final part of this series Ryan Jordan and Andrew Skurka discuss philosophies behind backpacking in general and long-distance backpacking in particular, and how these philosophies relate to the wilderness lands so many of us cherish.
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Forum Index » Editor's Roundtable » The Great Western Loop
( bugbomb - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
South Texas
Companion forum thread to Articles(s):
Great Western Loop Portal Page - An entry point for all things related to this trek.
Podcast: The Great Western Loop, Part 1 - Overview
Podcast: The Great Western Loop, Part 2 - Gear
Podcast: The Great Western Loop, Part 3 - Philosophy
Edited by bugbomb on 05/29/2007 22:36:50 MDT.
( JHC88@MSN.COM - M )
Locale:
Maryland
Ryan -- is there any way of posting how long the podcasts are, so that we know the amount of time to listen to them? I enjoy them, so keep up the good work. Thank you! John
( richard295 - M )
Locale:
San Francisco Bay Area
I couln't find any podcast link for interview 2. The only thing I could access was the text from Andrew's site.
( awsorensen - M )
Locale:
South of Forester Pass
Richard,
Go to page 1 and you'll see page 2 right below it.
John,
It only takes about 10-20 seconds to down load the podcast.
All you need to do is grab and scroll to the end, (to the right) once it's down loaded and it will tell you how long it is.
Hey is there any way we can get the packlist posted?
He talks about most of his gear, but a list would be nice to see what he's using during the trip.
Edited by awsorensen on 05/16/2007 23:24:56 MDT.
( kenknight - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
SE Michigan
Aaron, check out the podcast interview we did with Andy were we talk about his gear. It came out last week and the companion article and podcast player are accessible from the GWL Portal page as well as the "podcasts" page. A gear list is included in the companion article.
Edited by kenknight on 05/22/2007 00:20:09 MDT.
( jshann - M )
Locale:
North Texas
Skurkas gearlist is also on his website.
( kenknight - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
SE Michigan
I've just posted about 30 new photos for Andy's Great Western Loop hike. Other the next few days I'll be adding many more so keep an eye on the page for them.
To prevent confusion: Andy's latest photos are here.
Edited by kenknight on 05/30/2007 13:45:52 MDT.
( dstenberg1 - M )
Locale:
South
I can't find where you posted the pictures.
UPDATE:
I found the pictures. Thanks for posting!
Edited by dstenberg1 on 05/30/2007 05:29:28 MDT.
( mikeclelland - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
The Tetons (via Idaho)
Hey Andy & Ryan,
Huge thanks for this podcast.
It felt so relevant and important to take the discussion far beyond
just lightweight camping. I truly appreciated bringing up the very serious issues of simple living and our loss of wilderness.
A big reason that Lightweight camping appeals to me is because it's a very real chance to live simple. It's a renewal exercise for my soul, and with a revitalized "self" I can better change the world. Yes, I know that sounds lofty - but it's true.
This is an enormously important issue - but it can be hard to articulate, and Andy was wonderful at speaking his truth. It was refreshing and inspiring.
This web-site has lot's of cool tricks and specialized gear, but after listening to this podcast - I realize that it can achieve SO MUCH MORE!
well done!
M!
( blister-free - M )
Locale:
Puertecito ruins
Phenomenal podcast.
Re: global warming and the lightweight lifestyle, the notion of Pascal's Wager comes to mind. To wit, that the expected value of believing (in god, as the wager goes) is always greater than the expected value of not believing.
If we choose to believe that global warming (and the net long-term negative impact of humanity on planet earth) is real and consequential, and if we, individually, take measures to address it (ie, by living a "lightweight lifestyle"), then the result is that we benefit both ourselves and the planet regardless of future outcomes had we chosen not to believe or to act.
But there's also a more sharply defined advantage to living simply, particularly as it relates to the skills we develop in order to, and as a result of, living with less. In Pascal's Wager, believing is at its least a harmless and contrived conviction, and at best it gets him to heaven. For us, today, believing in and following a simpler lifestyle is also a form of life insurance. It can increase our own individual odds of survival in the face of climate change and the "sudden" disasters it may spawn.
Planet Earth will almost certainly host life for a few more billion years. The life forms that hang around through and beyond humanity's growing crisis will be the Adapted Ones. And each of us, individually, has the power to adapt. Our power is our intelligence. On the grand scale, our collective power will always work both for us and against us, and chaos may rule. But individually, we have a choice in how we use our power. And so I say, choose wisely - for the planet, certainly, but also for you.
Edited by blister-free on 06/03/2007 23:48:59 MDT.
( kenknight - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
SE Michigan
I've added 30 more photos to the colleciton. This brings us up to May 21, 2007. Enjoy.
( gmatthews - M )
Locale:
USA
Really awesome coverage of Andrew's journey.
It's nice having both the audio and visual.
( jbrinkmanboi - M )
Locale:
Idaho
Is the Interactive Map (BETA) up yet? I just get a white square - no map. Maybe I have browser issues.
( kenknight - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
SE Michigan
Jason, you may indeed be having browser issues. Clear your browser's cache and try again.
Their was a problem for a few hours yesterday, but it was fixed mid-afternoon.
( kdesign )
Locale:
Mythical State of Jefferson
Map is up----no problems w/ Safari on a Mac. Make sure you have latest version of whatever browser you use. Also make sure you have Adobe's Flash player installed and possibly download another browser if issues still not resolved. My back-up browser is the lean, mean "Opera".
( awsorensen - M )
Locale:
South of Forester Pass
Andrew getting skinny!
( kenknight - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
SE Michigan
Andy has sent us more photos spanning a little more than a 2 week period from late May to early June.
Expect some new videos soon too.
( ptgandw )
I have not seen a new podcasts since July 13, yet I have received Andy's Update e-mail indicating that there should be more recent postings. The URL that I have been using is
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/andrew_skurkas_great_western_loop.html
What am I doing wrong?
( kenknight - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
SE Michigan
As you have noticed by now we're undergoing a big change. Articles are a bit in flux and you should see the podcasts appear in the article shortly.
The best way to get the podcsts though remains subscribing to them via iTunes. This is especially true for the videos.
Sorry for all the dust.
( ryan - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
Greater Yellowstone
I spoke with Andy today. He's in Anaconda, MT, and about to do a 380 mile section w/o resupply. His spirits are very good considering his past week. His body is holding up well, and he seems pretty excited to get the Montana smoke behind him, he made an interesting comment: that the smoke actually robs him of about 30 minutes of daylight each night. Go figure.
( kenknight - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
SE Michigan
I have just uploaded 66 new photos covering the two week period of June 8 to 22.
More to come.
( kenknight - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
SE Michigan
Even more photos. Another 2 week span tht takes us up to July 7th. Just think
( mattbrodhead )
Locale:
Michigan
Kenneth,
Just checked out your Web site and browsed through your Isle Royale pictures. I am 99% sure that I ran into you on the trail last year. I was taking a break with my brother and I on top of Mount Franklin. You briefly discussed your water craft.
It's a small world.
( kenknight - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
SE Michigan
I'm sorry to say I don't recall. I'm lousy with faces, but I do recall a conversation like that lsat year. Yep, the Alpacka drew some attention during that trip. I'd planned on going back this year and checking some different spots but nether got the travel set up and now it's too late (well really just too expensive).
( dtaggart )
Locale:
Central Indiana
8/29/07
My dad and 2 friends were on a 5 day trip in the Wind River Range in Wyoming on a trip up to Squaretop mountain. We were resting in the shade when some dude came zipping by. By the size of his pack, I thought he was out for a dayhike. :-) We started asking him where he was headed and after a couple of minutes it was clear we were obviously dealing with some sort of nut who was trying to walk from Glacier down to the desert with hardly any gear. My dad, starting to get suspicious, asked his name and immediately recognized him, since my dad has been occasionally following Andy's journey. We had a good talk and Andy looked fit, happy, and was all smiles.
After he left us, we went through a variety of emotions. My dad informed me that he didn't actually start in Glacier, but that he walked up there from Arizona, up the PCT, and over from Washington. I felt dirty for having such a large pack. :-) We all felt inspired and legged out the next mile at record pace for our rag tag group. We also felt like total losers for only making 7 or 8 miles that day. The running joke is that everytime we talk to each other now (no matter what time of day), we say "Andy's still walking."
Good Luck Andy, Stay Safe,
Your pals laying under the tree in the Winds,
Don Taggart, Harvey Taggart, Craig Fitzparick, and Chris Pyle
Edited by dtaggart on 09/07/2007 08:30:16 MDT.
( plove )
Locale:
Northeast
Ryan:
I just wanted to thank you, Andy and all of backpackinglight staff for all of your effort in putting together one of the best podcasts I follow. I look forward to the updates that detail information on geological history, current conditions, and details of the trail. Also, it's so nice to get updates on Andy's mind frame and challenges he encounters and how he handles them.
Also, I love the song at the end of the Andy's podcasts. "I show them my backpack, walk away from the car, step on the dirt path on journey not too far." What song is that and who sings it?
( kenknight - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
SE Michigan
Kelley, it's actually "I shoulder my backpacking..." but that's alright.
The group is Storyhill and you can find out more about them from their website here.
( plove )
Locale:
Northeast
Ha ha ha...That's too funny. Yeah, I typically don't get the lyrics right...The real lyrics make more sense. Thanks so much for the info.
I'm still looking for the song. I was also told that Chris Cunningham, one of the artists in Storyhill, might have done this song as solo work. Do you know the name of the song?
But thanks for the Storyhill link. I'm digging their sound...and of course downloaded their most recent album.
( kenknight - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
SE Michigan
yes, that's right. The song lyric was composed, as I recall, jointly by Chris and Ryan.
( jshann - M )
Locale:
North Texas
Ryan said the song would be posted for free on this website during the summer, but I never saw it. I could be wrong.
( sharalds - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
Montana
Andy's still walking.
I think about that on a daily basis.( kenknight - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
SE Michigan
130 new photos covering five weeks from July 7 to August 11. More are on the way.
** Ken **
( kenknight - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
SE Michigan
And the photos keep coming. 74 new photos take take you from Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness through fire shrouded areas, Yellowstone National Park, and into Teton National Forest.
** Ken **
( Jkrew81 - M )
Locale:
White Mtns
is it just me or does it seem like every time a new batch of Andy's photos come out it looks like his pack just keeps on shrinking?
( halfturbo - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
Northern Ka-Le-For-Nee-Yuh
Nah, he's still growing :-)
( kenknight - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
SE Michigan
Over this period of time Andy shot his usual large number of photos. Looks like I selected about 25% this time around. The Wind River Range through Wyoming's Great Basin, and into Colorado.
** Ken **
( kenknight - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
SE Michigan
72 more photos for your viewing pleasure.
** Ken **
( fairweather8588 )
Locale:
The Desert
Met up with him today on the El Oso road here in az, just to chat about trail conditions etc. to be expected and to give him some water. Had a nice lengthy conversation with him, he's really a great guy and I'm glad I made the journey to see him
( sharalds - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
Montana
Andrew -
That's cool you went out there to say hello. I don't know how many folks he's been running into on this hike but when they're few and far between I know he likes the chance to chat.
I met up with him and camped a night this winter during his Icebox hike and he was very excited for some companionship - especially someone who liked chatting ultralight stuff.
- Sam
( fairweather8588 )
Locale:
The Desert
Well he ran into another group of AZ hikers that I know of a two days before, but I could imagine with the unforgiving area he just traveled through that he was having his share of solitude
( Buster )
Locale:
Currently a plains dweller.
Hi Ken,
Is there a trick to viewing the new pictures in full size, when I go through them, they remain thumnails where they used to enlarge. The thumbnails look great, I wish I could see them in large scale.
Any thoughts?
Garrett
( jcolten - M )
Locale:
MN
same here, using either IE or Firefox running under XP Pro
( aroth87 )
Locale:
Missouri Ozarks
I just happened to be browsing with a Mac at work and thought I would check how the pictures worked for me. I'm having the same problem with the pictures only displaying thumbnail size when you click on them. Using OS X and Safari.
Adam
( kenknight - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
SE Michigan
Actually this is a bug. I'm fixing it right now. I'll post a message to the forums when it is repaired. This is not computer or browser specific. Everyone is affected.
** Ken **
( kenknight - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
SE Michigan
The problem some of you noticed with large photos not displaying at full size has been fixed. Thanks for catching that. It's something I really should've noticed when I posted the new code.
** Ken **
( jcolten - M )
Locale:
MN
Ken,
Is it your intent that the "leftward pointing" arrow move us forward to the next photo (the one to the right on the same row or the first one on the next row) and the "rightward pointing" arrow move us to the previous photo?
( kenknight - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
SE Michigan
The big arrows move you forward (right arrow) and backward through the photos. The Sort menu only affects how the thumbnails are displayed (oldest to newest or vice versa per index page).
So if you are viewing in "descending order" the left arrow causes you to move through thumbnails left to right top to bottom (like writing). If in "ascending order" the left arrow would appear to move right to left and bottom to top.
** Ken **
( jbrinkmanboi - M )
Locale:
Idaho
Thanks BPL, the coverage on Andy's trip rocks. Only a couple days to go. Good luck to Andy on the conclusion of one of the greatest backpacking trips ever.
One nitpick: the video update titled "September 7, 2007—Elk Show." is actually a large bull moose!
( Buster )
Locale:
Currently a plains dweller.
Congratulations to Andy on his expected completion today. I've very much enjoyed keeping up to date via your Podcasts, videos, and photos posted on Backpackinglight and your website.
If you put together a slideshow there's an outdoor retail store in Delaware that would like you to stop by.
Again, Congratulations! Phenomenal accounts, looking forward to a wrap up Podcast.
Garrett
( kenknight - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
SE Michigan
THE GREAT WESTERN LOOP IS COMPLETE
Andy is sitting ten feet away from me here in Flagstaff, Arizona, the champagne has been spritzed, and the Great Western Loop is closed.
This has been a remarkable finish for Andy and I think for those of us who were able to be here for this moment in history. The day could not have gone any better.
We will have a great deal more to share with you in the next several days. Right now everyone, especially Andy, is savoring this wonderful moment.
** Ken **
( aroth87 )
Locale:
Missouri Ozarks
Congrats Andy! What an amazing accomplishment. You're really quite an inspiration.
Adam
( ryanf - M )
Locale:
Mid atlantic, No. Cal
thanks for the update Ken,
and thanks to andy for sharing his experiences with us through his podcasts and photos and videos,.. this trip will definatley help me in planning big trips for myself in the future.
( TomClark - M )
Locale:
East Coast
Andy,
Congrats and thanks for the podcasts! I enjoyed listening to them on my commute and during my hike thru the Three Sisters Wilderness.
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/forum_thread/10125/index.html
I heard you talk about your sea-to-sea route in Madison, NJ and hope to hear a similar review of this hike. Hope you can put some captions on your photos to further educate us on some of these great places.
Tom
( sharalds - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
Montana
Andy,
Congratulations, man. Don't go walking for a few days, ok?
- Sam
( djohnson - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
Washington State
This is a great accomplishment Andy! It's been so fun to hear updates on your adventure- I'm really proud of you!
Enjoy the coming weeks at home- and best of luck on the reentry.
Thank you!
Doug
( cmcrooker - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
Desert Southwest, USA
Woo Hoo!!!!
( slnsf - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
Northern California
Congratulations, Andy - can't wait to hear more of the story.
( jcolten - M )
Locale:
MN
Ya mean Andy's not still hiking;-)
Truly amazing, well done!
( thortberg )
Locale:
Midwest
Congratulations on an EPIC achievement. I have enjoyed your reports and the images are beautiful. Thanks for taking us along on your adventure.
Gotta Run
Tim
( oysters - M )
Locale:
South Australia
Andy, I think you have completely reset the limits and have shown us all, once again, what is possible with the right gear, techniques, training and most importantly attitude.
I look forward greatly to an article (please!) on what gear, techniques, etc worked well on such a long trip, and any improvements you will make for your next extended adventure...we all know there's another on the cards somewhere.
Congratulations mate!
( SaltsMcDar )
Well, I was so excited to listen to the final podcast about Skurka's amazing journey. I settled down here at work, put my headphones on, and pressed play.
Three minutes later I had to turn it off. WHAT IS UP W/ THE HOST'S BREATHING. Every time Skurka talks you can hear the hosts wheezy, relentless breathing. Put the microphone down or mix it properly. Are you out of breath from saying one sentence? It is distracting and fairly disgusting.
This podcast has basically been ruined and I am disappointed because I followed Skurka all the way.
( kenknight - BPL STAFF - M )
Locale:
SE Michigan
Perhaps everyone has already noticed but 52 more photos covering the time from October 1 to 18 are now online.
Soon to come more wonderful video from Andy over that same period. After Thanksgiving the last set of photos and videos will appear.
( askurka - BPL STAFF - M )
Salts - Please take it easy bud. Ken Knight, the host of the last podcast, did an amazing amount of work to bring you and other listeners all of the Podcasts and photos throughout this trip. It was very fitting that Ken was there for the finish and that he did the last interview -- he lived this trip more than anybody else (he saw every photo I took and watched every video I shot before selecting the best to show you), except for me. Please accept our apology that the last podcast is not perfect, but please look beyond it too. Thanks.
( Greyhound - M )
Locale:
Sierra Nevada
Good to see you back on the boards Andy! Now that you've completed the Great Western Loop, what are you going to do next?
Que answer: I'm going to Disneyland!
As for the breathing on the final broadcast, yes it was somewhat irritating, but totally understandable.
The newspaper I work for is going through many of the same growing pains as BPL for video and podcasts, and I myself had to deal with my own breathing (along with snorts and sniffs), wind, and an untold number of other variables while doing daily video interviews on my tahoe Rim Trail thru-hike.
I guess I just appreciate Andy and BPL attempting to introduce multi-media into the website, regardless of imperfections.
( rswanson )
Locale:
Midatlantic
I'm late to the party with this...I still wanted to post a congratulatory note on your successfully completion of possibly the single greatest hiking trek I've ever heard of anyone undertaking.
( Joshjknapp - M )
Locale:
Northern Mn, Superior Hiking Trail
Great Job to both Andy and Ken!
I had a great time living vicariously through these podcasts. Got to give a big applause to both of them for putting in all the time and effort it took to bring the podcasts to us. I'm quite sure it was a lot of work for both of them, and I'm sure after putting in a 40 mile day, Andy had other things he wanted to do (i.e. eat and sleep), than give an trip update.
Love all the BPL podcast! Keep bringing them to US! They are Very Interesting and informative. And great for all those times we want to be out on the trail but can't.
josh
( bobbycartwright )
Locale:
i don't need no stinkin badges!
Who interviewed Andy for this podcast? I think a quick lesson in broadcasting etiquette is in order. I couldn't make it halfway through the broadcast due to the interviewer's constant breathing into the microphone, which almost drowned out Skurka at points.
While the guest is talking, it would be good to make the interviewer's mike go dead, or at least hold it far enough away from the face, nose, mouth areas to ensure that we don't hear you breathe throughout the interview.
Otherwise, apart from the incessant loud breathing, it was a good interview.
( jshann - M )
Locale:
North Texas
Someone already brought it up months ago and it was explained by Andy....if you read the thread first.
Edited by jshann on 07/25/2008 08:14:55 MDT.
( bobbycartwright )
Locale:
i don't need no stinkin badges!
I won't split hairs but I don't think that was an adequate explanation, whatever.