I had the honor of interviewing Andrew Skurka this week. For those of you unfamiliar with Andrew; he is a long distance backpacker who has some amazing records under his belt. His most recent feat was to complete the Great Western Loop, a 6,875-mile footpath that consists of a network of five existing long-distance hiking trails. Yeah, almost 7,000 miles! It was also announced this past week that Andrew will be recognized as a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year. I've caught up with him a little over a week after he got off the trail from this 7 month journey, and here's what he had to say.

Wade: With so many challenges and such an amazingly long trip, what was the lowest point for you on this trek?
Andrew: There were a handful of lows, all mental, not physical, though sometimes
the physical part exacerbated the situation. The first low was in
late-May/early-June in California, from around Donner Pass to Castle Crags
State Park -- I had just had one of the most amazing backcountry experiences
in my life (through the High Sierra in mid-May, 5.5 days without seeing
anyone and 400 miles of this outdoor crown jewel all to myself) and then
walked into the logged-over and scenically inferior stretches of northern
California. Another low was near Washington's Glacier Peak Wilderness -- it
was the end of a 5-week 900-mile stretch in which I'd walked on snow and had
been tortured by mosquitoes every day while maintaining a 37.5-mile pace,
and I was completely mentally drained. The last low was after the Weminuche
Wilderness in southwestern Colorado, which represented the last major
challenge of the hike -- once I entered New Mexico I knew I was going to
make it (because I was no longer at risk of getting caught by the winter
weather) and the terrain really mellowed out.

Wade: You're known for going ultralight. What was the one item you wish you could
have had room for in your pack?
Andrew: While I'm ultralight I'm not a masochist. If I really wanted an item I
would have just carried it. So, to answer the question, nothing; I had
everything I needed and wanted. Gear is just a means, tools, to enjoying
the outdoor experience more -- I don't go light for the sake of going light.

Wade: What is the one piece of advice you would give to a would-be long distance
trekker?
Andrew: Long-distance hiking is incredibly romantic -- the idea of spending weeks
or months at a time in some of the most beautiful backcountry areas in the
world is almost universally appealing, especially when contrasted to the
fluorescent lights, traffic jams, and overwhelming email inboxes of modern
life. But long-distance newbies need to realize that the reality of
long-distance hiking is not always pleasant: you can't just "float" by like
you can in "the real world" -- there are always miles to be walked, stormy
weather to fend off, fatigue and soreness to treat, discomforts to cope
with, etc. You have to earn the "Wahoo! moments" -- the sunsets, wildlife
encounters, 12,000-foot ridgewalks, and trail magic from generous locals.
If you understand the work-to-reward ratio of long-distance hiking, and if
you're okay with it, you'll have much more success and you'll enjoy yourself
much more.
I also strongly recommend to newbies that they get a step-up on the
learning curve before they begin their hike by: (1) reading backpacking
books and online content (start with the "How to GoLite" section on
GoLite.com and "Lightweight Backpacking & Camping," edited by Ryan
Jordan); (2) following the experiences of others on your trail of choice
(like through trailjournals.com); and (3) most important, GET OUTSIDE in
order to develop skills, become more familiar with your gear and
maps/guidebook, and understand better the terrain and weather. Ideally go
with a more experienced backpacker who can transfer knowledge they have
learned from others and from their trials and errors.

Wade:What's next?
Andrew: I just finished 1.5 weeks ago and I don't have anything concretely planned
at the moment. I envision some "small" hikes this summer that share a
similar environmental message with the Great Western Loop and/or that I will
equally enjoy and learn from. The next opportunity to do a BIG hike will be
in 2009 because of the time it takes to develop the idea and to do all of
the planning. I'd have to imagine that this hike will be in Alaska or
overseas.

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