Sea-to-Sea Route; Andrew Skurka

“I have been getting this guy's updates for a while now. Don't know why it never occurred to me to post it. He is making an incredible long distance hike. Here's his introduction from his web site:


Two Seas, Two Feet: My Hike Across the Continent on the Sea-to-Sea Route

On August 6, 2004 I set out from Quebec's Cape Gaspe in Forillon National Park to become the first person ever to hike the entire 7,700-mile Sea-to-Sea Route (C2C), which is a network of existing long-distance hiking trails that span almost continuously between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, with the exception of a 700-mile gap in North Dakota and Montana along the Missouri River and a less formidable 30-mile gap in Vermont. I hope to arrive at the C2C's western terminus, Cape Alava in Washington's Olympic National Park, by August 2005.
My objectives in hiking the C2C are to establish a transcontinental pathway for adventurous hikers, to increase awareness of long-distance hiking trails, and to inspire others to set high goals and tough challenges for themselves. I am also motivated by the opportunity for a lifetime experience and by the unprecedented challenge (for me) of this hike.

My ability to achieve these objectives has been significantly bolstered by others. I want to particularly thank my parents for their support and patience and my sponsors for their great products and encouragement. I also want to thank everyone who has taken an interest in this hike -- you give it greater meaning and give me another reason to keep going.

Happy Trails,
Andy



http://www.andrewskurka.com/”

“From his web site you can sign up for email updates of his progress. Here is the latest installment.


Andy Skurka’s Update: Monday April 16, 2005 (Valley City, North Dakota)
Andy has hiked 5326 miles, 69% of his 7,700 mile hike across the continent)

There were four defining moments during the week ended April 16th.
First was that Andy had three full days of rain. Each day was all rain,
falling every way but vertical. That made for a tough beginning of the
week.
The second was that Andy crossed the border to North Dakota on Tuesday,
April 12, 2005.
The third is that he crossed from the land of lakes to the prairies.
Lastly, Andy has been pushing all week to get to Valley City, ND. Andy
hiked 178 miles in five days to reach his destination. He was enjoying a
nice B&B in Valley City when he called home on Sunday April 15th.
Sunday, April 10, 2005 found Andy in the Tamarack Wildlife refuge. There
is a high concentration of waterfalls here and Andy saw a bald eagle swoop
into the lake and grab a fish right before his eyes. The Chippewa Indians
have deep history in this region and Andy found it interesting.
Monday, Andy made the dramatic transition from the lakes and hills to the
prairie. Andy said that he reached the top of a ridge and the prairie was
in front of him and all of a sudden he could see for miles. It was quite
dramatic. On Monday it was still raining and Andy was hiking in the Red
River valley. He said that he has never seen suck sticky red mud as he
found in this valley. Some of dirt the roads are not maintained and after
hiking for miles in the red sticky mud, his shoes weighed a ton. This is
also the first time Andy had an uncomfortable encounter with the police. He
was getting water from Jeff and Heidi Sell when the local sheriff drove up.
The sheriff reported that someone had asking him to check out a stranger
walking through the area with a backpack on his back Andy explained his sea
to sea hike and where he was going etc. The sheriff allowed him to
continue. Heidi and Jeff allowed Andy to camp on their land that evening,
but the encounter left Andy unsettled. He was upset that anyone would
report him as a suspicious person. Andy has worked so very hard to represent
hikers in a favorable light. This town is on the North Country Trail so they
should be familiar with hikers. Andy finally reconciled the incident as
realizing that these are small, close knit towns and he is a stranger.
Tuesday, April 12- Andy entered the state of North Dakota at the town of
Abercrombie. It was still raining.
Wednesday April 13- the weather cleared and Andy hiked 25 miles through the
Cheyenne National Grasslands. The soil here is very sandy as opposed to the
rich organic soil in the river valley. This land is owned by the government
and used for grazing of 11,000 cattle in the summer. At this time of year,
the grasslands are empty and Andy felt he was the closest he would ever be
to seeing the prairies in their original state. The grass was anywhere from
ankle to waist high. There were no roads or noises. That night, Andy
slept out at the Rotenberger farm. He enjoyed his conversations with Doug
and Charles, who own the farm.
Thursday, April 14, Andy entered the town of Lisbon. He entered a local
café for the early lunch. As he entered, the entire group of café customers
stopped talking and looked at Andy. He smiled and gave a general “good
morning” and the crowd resumed eating and talking. The rest of the day,
Andy hiked along the Sheyenne River Valley. This valley was settled in the
late 1800’s, and was the major roadway for the early settlers. The valley
is 100 to 300 feet deep. Farming occupies the bottom and grazing occupies
the sides of the valley. The plains are high above the valley. The road
has been declared a “scenic byway,” so the history of the area has been
preserved in the form of old farms and machinery etc. Andy has really
enjoyed this section. At one point the valley is very deep so a “negative
ski area” has been built. People ski from the prairie/plain, down the
valley toward the river.
Andy arrived in Valley City, ND. His arrival was announced in the local
paper, a pleasant surprise that he was recognized as the hiker when he
entered town. On April xx, he stayed in a nice bed and breakfast. He had
the entire house to himself and loved it.

************************************************************************
Andy Skurka’s Update: Monday April 25, 2005 Riverdale, ND
Andy has hiked 5,632 miles, 73 % of his 7,700 mile Sea to Sea Hike.

There are six points that Andy wanted to make about the past week (Monday
April 19 to Monday April 25).
First, Andy has transitioned from the headwaters of the Sheyenne River to
the Mississippi River watershed. He has been following a “diversion canal
trail” that was started in the 1940s and never completed. The plan was to
use water from the Missouri River to irrigate Eastern North Dakota. It was
described to Andy as a “boondoggle.” Two canals run side by side for 110
miles. The trail and adjacent canals are on federal land. The trails have
been scenic and pleasant.
Second, as Andy has been moving west, the area has become more desolate.
The farms are becoming very large, some as large as 3,000 acres or 5 square
miles. Andy sees only one house every two miles. One car passes him per
hour. About half of the drivers stop, ask where he is going and if he needs
help. This has been very nice for Andy. The area is dotted with abandoned
homesteads because of the loss of farm jobs departure of young people who
will not be able to continue the farming traditions.
Third, spring is an exciting and pleasant time in this area of the country.
Andy has witnessed enormous farm machinery. He saw a 12 wheel, 400
horsepower tractor with a 60 foot wide seeder. He is amazed at the
technology on the machines- GPS locators, computers measuring the supply and
density of the seeds etc. This is also the calving season. Andy is hoping
to see a cow give birth, but may not be lucky enough.
Fourth, the weather in early spring brings large fluctuations in
temperatures and a steady wind. It was 90F degrees on Monday and 15F
degrees on Friday morning. There is a chance of snow on April 26th. The
wind is a constant 10-15 miles per hour.
Fifth, a trail angel left another full can of beer on the trail. Andy is
hoping the trail angel who is being so kind will begin using a cooler since
that can of beer was a bit warm after a day in the sun.
Lastly, Andy will finish the North Country trail on Monday April 26th. The
North Country Trail is 4,400 miles long and is the longest distance trail in
America. Andy will be the first person to finish the trail in a linear
fashion (4,400 straight miles vs. most people hiking sections at various
times). He will now be hike a 900 mile gap between the North Country Trail
and the Continental Divide Trail.
Andy is ahead of his schedule and has decided to add 140 miles or so to his
hike. He will walk south to Medora, ND and the South Unit of the Theodore
Roosevelt National Park, hike to the North Unit of the park and then
continue on his previously planned route. He has been told the Roosevelt
National Park is something he should not miss.

Total miles hiked: 5,632, 73% of Andy’s 7,700 miles Sea to Sea hike.

April 27, 2005: Halliday, North Dakota
April 29, 2005 Killdeer, North Dakota
South Unit of T. Roosevelt Park on May 2
Reach the North Unit of the Park May 7-8

Karen Skurka”

“What this guy is doing is really, really cool and admirable. I wish some of you would read this thread. (tapping my foot impatiently)”

“quit being so impatient.

that is very interesting.

when i get home i'll probably go sign up for the updates.

Thanks!”

“Ruby...go stand in a corner LOL Yeah I rad it...just didnt post on it. Hey ruby...wanna be my trail pardner? we could do the Sea to sea :D”

“Oh sure! Let's see if I can find a year where I'm not busy. LOL!


I thought it amazing that Andrew hiked the northernmost part of the NCT through the winter solo. And that he's so far ahead of schedule. This guy is putting in major miles.”

“Got a new update over the weekend. This guy is amazing. It's lengthy, but a very good read.



Andy Skurka’s Update:
Sunday May 8, 2005 Fort Peck, Montana
Andy has hiked 5980 miles, 78% of his 7,700 mile Sea-to-Sea hike across the
continent

On Monday April 25th, Andy finished hiking the 4,400 mile North Country
Trail. He then began a 900 mile section of terrain without defined hiking
trails. He made an intentional 130 mile detour southwest into the Theodore
Roosevelt National Park, which he had heard had “great trails, wild animals
and beautiful scenery.”

Tuesday, April 26th - Andy made the transition from farming land to ranch
land. The land appears to be pock-marked with 100 foot high stone towers.
This was the first of five days of colder temperatures with heavy wind and
snow squalls. He did not see the sun for five days as constant snow squalls
passed through the area. The Go-lite Ether Wind Jacket was a stellar piece
of gear during the week. He had his hood tied tight and the bottom cinched
for protection against the wind and snow. The only body part exposed was his
nose.

On Wednesday night, Andy stayed at the Kukla family farm. The family was
very friendly and Andy really appreciated their fine hospitality. The week
before Andy’s arrival, the family had a 150-pound calf delivered by
C-section. Andy has been hoping to see, but has still not seen the birth of
a calf...

On Thursday night, the Brueni family hosted and entertained Andy. The
people in the area have been wonderful. Mr. Brueni, who is 85 years old,
had stories to share about taking the “horse-drawn school bus” to school and
“homesteading on the land.” He told Andy: “If I were you, I would find me a
horse. It would get you to Seattle a lot faster.” Andy laughed and
thought: “Where else, other than North Dakota, would a horse be the
recommended mode of transportation?”

On Friday, April 29th, Andy reached Medora, ND. This is a tourist town at
the South Unit (geographic section) of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
The town is full of frontier architecture, wagon wheels, etc. Andy found
all of this very interesting. From Medora, Andy began the 96-mile hike from
the South Unit to the North Unit. The park was thrilling. Andy was the
first hiker of the season and had the place to himself. He saw several
bison. Suddenly come upon a bison grazing on the trail, Andy smartly gave
the trail up to the bison, but did take quite a few close-up pictures. One
evening, Andy was looking for a place to pitch his tent. He spotted a
grassy area some distance off the trail. As he approached the area, he
noticed that a bison was already grazing there. Andy decided it would be
safer to “let the bison have his space” and he found another place to pitch
his tent. Andy described the park as: “…like the Grand Canyon with colors
of tan and yellow rather than pink and red. The cliffs are like dribble
castles we made as kids at the beaches in Rhode Island.” This was a
wonderful diversion trail for Andy since he felt like he was walking through
a “Jurassic Park” environment where Bison roam in the wild just as they did
200 years ago.

Monday, May 2nd- Andy hiked through the North Unit of the Theodore Roosevelt
Park and had one of his most memorable hiking days. The weather cleared and
Andy was able to see the tremendous, beauty of the park. It was a wonderful
sun-lit day for great pictures. He wanted to have more buffalo experiences,
so he went out of his way to find some. Andy found five bison grazing in
different areas and then had a close encounter with another bison that was
climbing up a narrow trail that Andy was hiking down. In the excitement of
the moment, Andy forgot the warnings about the dangers of bison and he began
to take pictures of the bison as he descended a side trail. When the bison
began to run up the hill, Andy ran up the side trail to continue taking
pictures. It was an exciting moment for Andy. We are looking forward to
seeing these pictures!

Tuesday, May 3rd- Andy began a day and a half walking through the Little
Missouri grasslands. In the summer, this is a huge pasture for grazing
livestock from local ranches. At this time of the year, it is empty.
Because it is federal land, Andy was able to hike in the direction he
pleased, without trespassing on any private property. That night, Andy had
one of his best campsites, on a bluff, overlooking the Yellowstone River
with a great view of the town of Fairview, MT. He hiked 42 miles (14 hours
at 3.0mph). That was Andy’s first day of hiking over 40 miles and has since
hiked two more days “over 40 miles.”

On Wednesday, May 2nd Andy crossed the border of North Dakota and Montana as
he reached Fairview, Montana. He has found this section of the hike very
difficult because the available maps do not differentiate between private
and county roads. Andy was having difficulty finding a clear route to travel
in the correct direction. Western North Dakota was quite rural and remote.
Eastern Montana is even more rural and remote. Thus, finding potable water
has become a real challenge, and he is hesitant to use standing water
because of the number of cow pies in the area. The weather has been
inconsistent, with temperatures in the 40s one day and in the 70s two days
later. He traveled north to the Missouri River and followed the river to
Fort Peck, MT. At this point, the river is narrow with steep 100 to 200
foot bluffs on the sides.

On Friday May 6th, Andy stopped at Harry’s Nightclub, where he had a
delicious burger with fries, and enjoyed the company of some local residents
who meet at the club on Friday nights. One member of the group, a Native
American and a physician, gave Andy a lesson on the living difficulties of
people on the reservation. Andy found this very interesting. As Andy
traveled through the Indian Reservation over the past few days, he found the
Native Americans to be very friendly, consistent with other people Andy has
met throughout North Dakota and Montana.

Saturday, May 7, 2005- Andy called from a grocery store (the first store and
town in many days) at Wolf Point, Montana. The area of Montana is mostly
used for ranching and is very remote. Farms are now 10,000-15,000 acres,
compared to parts of North Dakota where the farms were 3000 to 5000 acres.
There are fewer houses and roads in this area of Montana. The people are
very nice and friendly and seem to know everyone living within a 40-mile
radius.

On Saturday evening- May 7th, Andy met up with the Core Discovery Group of
the Lewis & Clark Re-enactment expedition. Andy had decided to camp in the
same area with this group. The group and Andy had a great time, sharing
their stories of trail and outdoor hardships and experiences. This group is
traveling in authentic-looking canoes, fitted with 60hp motors. They wear
authentic clothing and use authentic gear and are following the same route
in the same time of the year as Lewis and Clark. Andy was invited to stay
with them in one of their 16ft. x 20ft. canvas tents. When it began to
rain, Andy pulled out his waterproof, ultra-lite rain jacket while the
others were putting on their bear skin jackets. It was quite a contrast.

On Sunday morning, Andy continued his hike on foot while they went to their
motorized canoes. Andy arrived at Fort Peck, MT in mid-day and found a room
at the Historic Fort Peck hotel. This was Andy’s first opportunity to take a
shower in 14 days. A new record. Andy will pick up his food box at the Post
Office on Monday morning. Thus, he will be well prepared for the next remote
section of hiking- about 322 miles, from Fort Peck, MT to Great Falls, MT.
There are only two small towns along this section- Winifred and Geraldine,
MT. More adventure stories to follow.
Karen Skurka

Andy’s Itinerary from May 8th to May 27th:
Sunday May 8, 2005: Fort Peck, Montana
Saturday May 14, 2005: Winifred, Montana
Tuesday May 12, 2005: Geraldine, Montana
Thursday May 18, 2005: Great Falls, Montana
Saturday May 20, 2005: Augusta, Montana
Friday May 26, 2005: East Glacier Park, Montana

------------------------
Andrew Skurka
H: 508-336-7489
www.andrewskurka.com”

“awesome!”

“Andy Skurka’s C2C Hike Update: Saturday May 21, 2005 (Augusta, Montana)

Andy has hiked 6,365 miles, 83% of his 7,700 mile hike across the continent.



Andy left Fort Peck on Sunday May 8th and began hiking through the Charles Russell National Wildlife Refuge. This was the week of heavy storms rolling through the Midwest..



On Tuesday, May 10th, it was raining as Andy was setting up his shelter. Andy woke up at 5:15am and it was still raining, so he went back to sleep. He awoke again at 7:00am and it was snowing. Andy described his first experience with “gumbo mud,” which is a “true, well-known, Montana thing.” Andy said: “Gumbo mud is wet, sticky clay/mud that attaches to the bottom of your shoes and continues to accumulate pine needles, cow manure and other stuff as it works its way up the sides and top of your shoes. Eventually, the weight of the mud surpasses its ability to stick to the shoes and it falls off…. all at once. Unfortunately, one never knows when that will happen. Shoes that weigh an extra 4 pounds with one step are 4 pounds lighter with the next. Your leg suddenly rises quickly without all of that extra mud/weight. When the gumbo mud dries, it is like cement. It quickly accumulates in the wheel wells of cars and trucks so it also very difficult for vehicles to navigate through gumbo mud.” Fortunately, the snow did not accumulate, but it certainly added variety to Andy’s hiking adventure.



The Charles Russell National Wildlife Refuge is 140 miles of beautiful terrain along the Missouri River. At this point the Missouri is free-flowing. Andy said: “The willow trees were budding and the mule deer were grazing in the meadows.” As he approached the western edge of the Refuge, he began to meet people fishing for paddlefish. On Andy’s advice, we checked out pictures of paddlefish on the Internet. These fish can reach 80 pounds and have a 15-inch nose that resembles the tail on a beaver. Andy got excited when a fisherman showed him a “40 pound paddlefish, which was very cool.”



During the week of May 15th, Andy hiked toward Great Falls, Montana. He enjoyed the hospitality and companionship of two families this week. One family, the Molines, live on a large ranch outside Geraldine. Andy enjoyed the company of the parents and their five children. The kids are home-schooled. They are so familiar with ranching and farm animals that they jump on their horses, bare-back, without a second thought. Andy was amazed, since he has only ridden on a pony (in a saddle) when he was very young. Andy also enjoyed the hospitality of a family on their Big Sag Ranch. Andy had never met anyone who owned about 40,000 acres of land. This equals approximately 62 square miles. Andy found the people and conversation about life on the ranch very interesting.



Andy reached Great Falls, Montana on Wednesday, May 18th. This city environment was quite a surprise and change for Andy. After hiking through very remotes sections of Montana for the past few weeks, it was an adjustment to enter Great Falls, a city of 80,000 people. Andy enjoyed this opportunity to stay inside at a hotel, get a real shower and order pizza for dinner.



From Great Falls, Andy hiked along the road to Augusta, Montana, arriving on Friday night, May 20th. The hike was beautiful with buttes, mesas and small island ranges.

Dark rain clouds and rain storms came upon the ranges with rapid speed, dumped huge amounts of rain and then raced into the distance.



The Rockies have come into view. Andy has been watching the Rockies loom ever larger, as he hiked all week. Andy has been mentally preparing himself for the challenges of hiking through the Rocky Mountains. He told us: “My head is already in the Rockies and my body will get there on Sunday morning, May 22nd.”



Andy admitted that he is both excited, intimidated and nervous about hiking through the Rocky Mountains. He bought “bear spray” (a 20 oz. container of something akin to mace). Andy will take all recommended precautions, including “no cooking in the encampment area, tying my backpack and food via ropes off a high limb of a tree, etc.” We are saying extra prayers for Andy as he proceeds through this area with all of its new challenges.



Andy plans to meet Ryan Jordan, of Backpacking Light, on May 26th in East Glacier Park. Andy is really looking forward to hiking with Ryan and having a skilled hiking companion to enjoy this adventure in the Glacier Park area.

Karen Skurka



Andy’s anticipated schedule and itinerary:



Sunday May 22nd: Entering the Rocky Mountains

Thursday May 26th: East Glacier Park, MT

Monday May 30th: Polebridge, MT

Thursday June 2nd: Eureka, MT”

“hey ruby...u do know that we are leaving in a couple of weeks right? heeheehee
last edited: 5/23/05 3:57:49 PM”

“Can I come?”

“Andy Skurka's C2C Hike Update:
Sunday June 5, 2005 (60 miles beyond Eureka, Montana)
Andy has hiked 6,785 miles, 88% of his 7,700-mile hike across the continent.

Andy left Augusta, MT on May 21st and passed by a ranch that was hosting a
"branding party". He was invited to join and had his first experience with
this real Montana tradition. Everyone, including family, remotely related
family, friends, and friends of friends, come to a branding party. Everyone
has a job- from ropers to wrestlers. The steers are brought in and receive
their injections, ear tags and other medical procedures. This was quite an
experience for a New England suburbanite. Andy experienced it all, right
down to seeing the bucket filled with "Rocky Mountain Oysters," and, for
those who know what they are, no, Andy did not eat any of them. It was
quite an experience.


From the branding party ranch, Andy hiked to the Bob Russell Wilderness
Area. On Andy's first night in this wilderness area, he met some bear
hunters. They gave him more tips about dealing with bears. He was really
wishing the hunters had "bagged their bear- one less bear" for Andy to deal
with. The first night in the Wilderness, the bears had really "gotten into
Andy's head." Andy couldn't find a tree to hang his gear and ended up
stashing the gear in an abandoned horse trailer. He hardly slept, as every
noise woke him up. The following days and nights were better, as Andy
realized that the bears seemingly avoided contact with him- just as Andy
avoided contact with the bears. May 25th was Andy's older sister's birthday,
so he sang "Happy Birthday".very loudly.all day long, as he hiked along the
path, letting the bears know he was there.

Andy arrived at East Glacier, MT on Thursday, May 26th and Glacier National
Park on Friday May 27th. The Rangers in the park informed Andy that the
snow pack was still very deep with high avalanche danger conditions. They
informed Andy that he would be placing himself in a great deal of danger if
he tried to travel the Continental Divide Trail over the mountains. Andy
was extremely disappointed at this news. Timing the hike to allow safe
passage over the mountains had been one of Andy's goals from the very
beginning of his hike. Andy was able to get over the mountains by taking
some trails, frequently using his snowshoes and using an ice pick borrowed
from a ranger. Then, Andy hiked along the "Going to the Sun Road" over
Logan Pass. This "Auto Road" had been open for less than a week. Andy said
that he: couldn't believe engineers even thought of building the road, never
mind completing it. The road is extremely narrow and just climbs straight up
the mountains. New Englanders compare mountain roads to the Mt. Washington
(NH) auto road, which winds its way up to the top of the highest of all New
England peaks. Andy said the Mt. Washington auto road was seemingly nothing
compared to the Going to the Sun Road.

One of Andy's biggest disappointments was that he could not hike the high
country in Glacier and in the Bob Wilderness Area. He is determined to
return and hike this area in the future.

From Glacier National Park, Andy hiked into Polebridge, MT. This is a very
remote town that receives US Mail only twice weekly. The weather was "off
and on rain and snow, depending on the altitude of the trail. The trail was
difficult to follow because of the snow pack and the fog" when he was hiking
in and above the clouds. From Polebridge, it was a couple days of hiking to
Eureka, MT. Many people in the town of Eureka turned out to welcome Andy.
The Pacific Northwest Trail Association arranged an informal gathering at
the Arena Grill. Andy really enjoyed this special gathering and he sends a
"hearty thank you to Catherine Hogan and Melanie for all of their efforts."

The past two weeks have been good times for Andy. He is really beginning to
feel a special excitement and amazement as he approaches the end of his
7,700-mile trek. Andy planned his C2C trip for 12 months. He expects to
complete the hike in about 1 month (around July 10, 2005). Andy has almost
achieved his goal.

Itinerary for the upcoming weeks:
Monday, June 6th Copeland Bridge, Idaho
Wednesday, June 8th Pyramid Pass
Friday, June 10th- hiking near Melanie Falls
Monday, June 13th Northport, Washington
Saturday, June 18th Bonaparte Lake Camp Ground, WA

------------------------
Andrew Skurka
H: 508-336-7489
www.andrewskurka.com”

“C2C Update: June 19, 2005 Oroville, WA (Andy has hiked 7,181 miles. He has completed 93% of his 7700 mile hike.)



Another good, interesting week on the trail. After leaving Eureka, on June 2nd, Andy had two days of solid, heavy rain. Then it rained or sprinkled every day for the week. He has found the Pacific Northwest Trail to be very interesting. People hike selected parts of the trail but other parts are overgrown because of lack of use. In addition, he said that the trail was designed for purposes other than hiking; like logging or mining etc. He met the Amoth family on Monday, June 6th. They sent him on with a great dinner and warm memories. Then he turned his focus to the Selkirk Mountain Range. He climbed Parker’s Peak on Monday evening, in the rain. At 6500 feet, the rain turned to snow. Andy welcomed the snow because it is dryer, but now everything was covered with 4-6 inches of white powder. He had a ten mile ridge walk in the snow, trying to follow a trail with markers under the snow. A common thread of the week has been a daily climb to 7000 feet and a descent to 2000 feet. The mountain range is aligned in a north-south direction. Andy is traveling East to West.



On Tuesday, June 7th, Andy reported that the trail travels the wrong direction for a 2.5 mile ridge walk and then descends to a five mile bushwhack through elder bushes. The navigation and compass work was intense, but Andy used his well-honed skills and did fine, except for some pretty scratched legs from the elder bushes.



Wednesday, June 8th was a better day. He hiked to the Priest River Valley. This is a popular destination during the summer, but it was deserted. Andy saw some wonderful beach campsites. That night he camped in the Reindeer forest. Again, it rained during the day. It was impossible to dry his gear.



The PNT guidebook is like following a scavenger hunt, which actually added to the fun and adventure. Thursday, June 9th, the rain stopped and the mosquitoes came out in force. Andy put in an additional 10 miles because he spent two hours being chased by mosquitoes. The clearing weather was a good thing though. The climb at Priest River was similar to others he had been doing. The CCC had built this particular climb during the Roosevelt era. There are 88 switchbacks on the trail.



On Friday, June 10th, Andy crossed the Boundary Dam. This dam supplies water to Seattle. He had to call and be escorted across the dam because of security. The guards were very nice. Andy is so far north, that at every ridge, he can look out and see the boundary swath between the US and Canada. The last climb on Friday was Abercrombie Mountain. A thunderstorm had hit just prior to him reaching the summit, so he waited it out for a hour. When he did summit, the storm was moving out and the valley was beautiful with lifting clouds and vapors. He had a wonderful 10-15 minutes at the top of Abercrombie.

(Boundary Dam)



Saturday, June 11th Andy hiked to the Columbus River Valley and the Kettle Range. He is now finding only patches of snow and does no longer have to take detours. He said that he is feeling good and is re-energized with the end of the hike coming.



The week of June 12th, Andy continued to hike the Pacific Northwest Trail. He lost the trail while traveling XC. The weather and the daylight made finding points difficult, and Andy chose the wrong path. Eventually, knowing he was heading in the correct direction, he made an unexpected stop in the town of Republic. It was nice for us to have an unexpected phone call. We were able to share with him that the advance copy of the August issue of Backpacker Magazine had been sent to the house. Andy has been chosen as a “Person of the Year” and a nice article accompanies a picture.



The trail the past week continues to climb between valleys and ridges. Andy particularly enjoyed the Kettle Crest trail, which is 15 miles along a ridge. The valleys are fertile, but the high slopes are arid with sagebrush and cactus. Andy was concerned about the water quality because the cattle graze on the slopes and he saw cow pies that he suspected were two years old.

(Grizzly on the ridge)


On Friday, June 17th, Andy arrived in Oroville, WA. He was very tired, having spent Thursday, June16th hiking 42 miles to find a safe water source. Andy spent the night with Ellie Braman, a member of the local Pacific Northwest Trail Association. They invited Andy to a reception to meet local members and talk about his hike. Andy enjoyed the evening very much. He got a slow start the next day, taking time to watch the boat races on the lake.

(Cozy home away from home)

Andy is looking forward to the upcoming trail through the Pasayten Wilderness. This 150-mile section is reported to be the best of the trail.

Karen Skurka



Itinerary for the week:

Wednesday, June 22: Ross Lake Resort

Sunday, June 26th: Concrete, WA

Wednesday, Thursday: June 29,30: Anacortes, WA



Cape Alava (Trail’s end) July 10, 2005



------------------------
Andrew Skurka
H: 508-336-7489
www.andrewskurka.com
------------------------”