He never says anything to provoke cutting remarks from the snark-o-sphere (must drive the poor kids at GoBlog batty). Here’s another interview with him in his hometown paper, the Boulder Daily Camera. Earnest, honest, straightforward, and even though I’ve never met the guy, I’m tempted to say: probably somebody you’d want to hike with (if you could keep up with his 30-mile-a-day pace). What’s next for National Geographic’s Adventurer of the Year?
I don’t have any specific plans right now, and I say right now because I’m sure I will. I have been looking over some maps and trying to plan some things. This summer I could definitely see myself going to Alaska. I would love to go to Scotland for two weeks. For the most part I’m done with mega trips in the lower 48. I’ve seen most of what I want to see, but there are certainly places I want to get back to, like the Wind River Range, the Cascades and the Weminuche (Wilderness Area).
There’s a video at the bottom of the interview. More NatGeo honorees here.
I had the opportunity to hike with Andy in January of 2007. I organized for him to present his 2Seas2Feet slideshow in Duluth before he set off on his “Ultralight in the Nation’s Icebox” hike. I met him about one week into his hike near Grand Marais, MN and we camped out in lovely -12 deg F temps. He’s a real guy – down to earth, not full of himself. He just wanted to talk about gear.
– Sam
“For the most part I’m done with mega trips in the lower 48. I’ve seen most of what I want to see”
Just imagine if Carl Sagan had said the same thing about the universe, John Muir about the Sierra Nevada, or Hugh Heffner about the female form. Skurka is a madman, a mad businessman I fear.