Pioneer hiker bringing inpsiring story to Lodi

By News-Sentinel Staff
Last updated: Thursday, Mar 30, 2006 - 07:23:26 am PST

During his senior year at Duke University in 2003, Andrew Skurka was struggling with what he wanted to do after graduation.

An economics and political science major from Seekonk, Mass., Skurka knew he didn't want to be an investment banker, or to follow any conventional Duke track, for that matter.

It was while reading a backpacking magazine that the avid hiker and cross country runner finally found his post-graduation inspiration — to become the first person to complete the Transcontinental Sea-to-Sea trail.

In August of 2004, Skurka, 24, set out from Cape Gaspe, Quebec at the Atlantic Ocean. He scaled the high peaks of Canada and the Northeast, trudged through the freezing winter temperatures and deep snow of Minnesota, and spent pleasant days on the northern prairies before encountering snow again in the Rockies.

But after enduring three weeks of snow in the high Rockies, Skurka says it was smooth sailing once he reached Washington. Last July, almost a year and 7,778 miles later, Skurka completed his historic hike when he reached Cape Alva, Wash., on the Pacific Ocean.

Skurka will share his inspirational journey and recount the highlights from his odyssey — the people, the landscapes and wildlife — when he visits Sierra Adventure Outfitter in Lodi next Tuesday at 7 p.m.

A question-and-answer session will follow Skurka's presentation.

North Campus to Offer Classes for Outdoor Enthusiasts

Mar. 14, 2006, 5:39 a.m.

If you like the outdoors and want to learn how to backpack or rock-climb, Pennsylvania College of Technology’s North Campus has classes for you.

The noncredit Introduction to Backpacking and Rock Climbing 101 will be offered this spring at the North Campus, located three miles east of Wellsboro on Route 6.

Introduction to Backpacking is a fun, six-week course geared toward the novice. It covers basic equipment and skills for two- to five-day trips in the backcountry. Classes will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, April 4 through May 9. No previous knowledge or experience is needed. Some of the course will be held outside on the grounds of the North Campus. Students should wear appropriate outerwear and footwear.

Rock Climbing 101 is for those who are interested in vertical adventures but don’t know where to start. The workshop is an introduction to the basic components and safety measures used in the sport. Instructor Ben Nevin is a certified rock-climbing specialist and brings much experience in the increasingly popular sport. Classes will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Mondays, April 3 through May 15.

The cost for each course is $49, and pre-registration is required at least a week before classes begin.

For more information, or to register, contact the North Campus at (570) 724-7703.

Backpacking In The Sleeping Bear Dunes

February 28, 2006

by Steven Gillman

I was backpacking in the Sleeping Bear Dunes. It was March, so when I made it through the woods and over the dunes, I'd have miles of beach to myself. It was an over-nighter, a chance to test new ultralight backpacking equipment. I hiked the wooded hills quickly, enjoying the cold air.

Halfway through the forest, I stopped to cook noodles. The cheap 3-ounce pot was from a dollar store, and it worked fine. I was happy, because from the catalog descriptions, the expensive titanium pots are all heavier, probably because they're too thick and with too many gadgets.

I had to use a small twig-fire when my homemade alcohol stove didn't provide enough heat. I later learned that isopropyl alcohol doesn't burn as hot as the alcohol used for a gas additive, but the twigs worked in any case.

Backpacking On The Beach

After eating, I hiked to Lake Michigan, and sat up on a large sand dune. I watched the waves push ice up onto the empty beach. Coyotes began to howl in the distance, and the clouds rolled in. I was on the beach looking for petoskey stones when the snow began. Backpacking in March has its risks.

I was in running shoes, and it would be below freezing that night. In northern Michigan, March is definitely part of winter. My feet stayed warm while I hiked, but I hadn't planned on them getting wet. At least I had a pair of warm, dry socks for sleeping.

Ultralight Backpacking Equipment

It was the first time I used my GoLite Breeze backpack, which weighed only 13 ounces. I was hiking with about nine pounds on my back, and that only because I threw in some canned food. I was going light, but I knew the forests here and felt comfortable with my abilities.

My down sleeping bag was a 17-ounce Western Mountaineering HighLite. It was the first time I would use it below freezing (It hit 25 degrees fahrenheit that night). Fortunately, it wasn't too windy.

At the edge of the forest, behind the dunes, I set up my small tarp. I piled pine needles and dead bracken ferns under it, finishing just as it became dark. This made a warm mattress, and I slept well, listening to the coyotes, and to the waves pushing ice around in the lake.

In the morning I was happy to see only a dusting of snow. My one-pound sleeping bag had been warmer than my three-pounder - and I thought that was light. I poured alcohol in the cut-off bottom of a pepsi can (my 1/2-ounce backpacking stove) and made tea. After some crackers I was soon hiking in my mostly-dry shoes, along the Lake Michigan shoreline.

Backpacking Lessons Learned

I ended my trip that afternoon, with a hike to the village of Empire, seven miles away. I was mostly satisfied. Only two problems: My tarp was too small, and the alcohol I brought was the wrong type.

After backpacking in Michigan for years, I know it well. I know where to find dead grass and bracken ferns, for example, to make a warm mattress in a few minutes. Knowledge, obviously, can be as valuable as expensive backpacking gear.

Steve Gillman is a long-time backpacker, and advocate of ultralight backpacking. His advice and stories can be found at http://www.TheBackpackingSite.com.