I have a new hero and his name is Andrew Skurka. Why? Not only because he was the first person to hike the Sea-to-Sea Route from Quebec to Washington. For those who can't measure distance, that's 7,778 miles. More than that, he hiked a piece of it in the middle of the winter.

Now, the Duke University alum and "outdoor ambassador" is attempting to hike the Great Western hoop (6,875 miles) in eight months. He's hoping to hike between 30 and 37.5 miles a day. The purpose of his mention is simple: to raise awareness about global warming.

Meet Andrew Skurka, 26-year-old backpacker and long-distance hiker extraordinaire.

This summer, he is hiking the Great Western Loop, a 6,875 mile loop of the Western United States that has him scheduled to log between 30 and 37.5 miles per day. He is hiking through 12 National Parks, 75 wilderness areas, and passing through many areas that could be deeply affected by global warming. He is hoping to raise awareness of the ecological damage global warming would cause.

In 2005, Skurka became the first known person to complete the 7,778 mile Sea-to-Sea Route from Quebec to Washington state. The route is by no means the shortest way across the continent, taking a roundabout way and connecting existing hiking trails across most of the North America. Many long distance hiking trails run south-to-north, allowing hikers to get an early start with warm weather while the northern areas finish thawing out. However, the Sea-to-Sea path is mostly northern, which caused Skurka to be in the Great Lakes region in the dead of winter.

A glutton for punishment, Skurka took on a wintry challenge reminiscent of the Sea-to-Sea hike in January 2007 with his Ultralight in the Nation's Icebox adventure, hiking 385 frigid miles (carrying only 14 pounds of supplies, excluding food and water).

He also has a long list of other hikes behind him, as well as a degree from Duke University and an impressive career as a professional hiker, speaker, and "outdoor ambassador".

Learn more about Andrew and his journey on his website.

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