Skurka Finishes Great Western Loop

Andrew Skurka, the guy who’s been hiking the 6,875 mile Great Western Loop, has finished the trail. Last time we talked about him, he was about three quarters of the way through the loop — and he’d been hiking since April. When he arrived at his final destination in Arizona on Saturday, he’d been walking an average of 33 miles a day for 6 months.

The Great Western Loop stretches from the Grand Canyon to the Canadian border and back. Skurka hiked through 12 national parks and 75 wilderness areas to bring attention to the changes these wild areas are experiencing due to climate change. You can read all about his journey, see photos, and get backpacking advice from Skurka on his website.

This isn’t the first time Skurka, a lightweight trekking ambassador for Go Lite, has attempted a backpacking trip of this caliber — in 2005 he hiked the 7,778 mile Sea to Sea Route from Quebec to Washington and was named Backpacker’s Person of the Year because of it. He’s also conquered the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the Colorado Trail (twice). After finishing the Great Western Loop, he has now hiked nearly 20,000 miles (not including his countless “short” hikes). As a reference point, the circumference of the world is only 24,906 miles…

Way to go, Andrew. Now get yourself a pair of soft, fuzzy slippers and take a nap.