Podcast: Andrew Skurka in the Nation's Icebox

Andrew Skurka is best known for his hike of the Sea-to-Sea Route, a 7770 mile hike stretching from the Atlantic to Pacific Ocean, in 2004-05. This winter he embarked on a 400-mile hike through northern Minnesota, an area known as the Icebox. While this region of the country may not receive the most snow, it consistently records some of the coldest temperatures in the lower 48 states. Dealing with this constant cold and varying amounts of snow makes for a challenging backpacking trip under any circumstances, but especially when going ultralight.

Andy began his trip in Duluth, Minnesota and tracked along the western edge of Lake Superior for ten days. During a brief stop over in Grand Marais, MN he took the time to talk about his trip so far. After his stop, he'll continue on to Ely, MN. Although temperatures were unseasonably warm at the start of his trip, he reports below zero nights and single digit days. Some contingency gear added at the last minute - crampons - have gotten lots of use while his snowshoes have remained unused. Andy is carrying only 16 pounds of gear. One key to staying warm with so little gear is his use of vapor barrier layers (VBL). During our interview he discusses VBL and his other gear choices and how each piece is performing. To wrap up our mid-point interview Andy shares what he considers the most important points for any cold weather traveller to abide by and how he does so.

For additional information about Andrew Skurka and his hikes visit his website here.

To get a sense of where the Superior Hiking Trail, Border Route Trail, and Kekekabic Trail are located follow this link to this Google Map.