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.