If you are interested in new and perilous expeditions (I usually find them quite fascinating), we’ve got one more for you to add to your list. Michael Ferrara of Colorado is planning to be the first person to cross-country ski the nearly 900-mile distance across Alaska, south to north.

Just to give you a little background, Ferrara is the founder of the First Responder Recovery Project, which provides support and resources for First Responders dealing with post traumatic stress disorder. Ferrara has worked as a first responder in Colorado for nearly 30 years, having served as a a paramedic, a firefighter, a police officer, a ski patroller, a climbing ranger and a search and rescue technician!

Currently, Ferrara is still doing his pre-expedition prep, trying to optimize his pack load in order to make skiing long distances as efficient as possible. After starting out in Anchorage, his course will take him from the Pacific Ocean all the way north to the Arctic Ocean. His only traveling companion will be his faithful rescue dog, Lhotse.

Clearly, skiing the length of the Alaskan wilderness will be a pretty exciting endeavor. However, Ferrara’s main goal for the expedition is to raise awareness of the high level of post traumatic stress disorder that is found amongst emergency response personnel. Taking his 30 years of experience into consideration, Ferrara has a keen sense of the difficulties many first responders face while working in high-stress environments.

Assuming the expedition goes as planned, Ferrara should be leaving soon and hopes to complete the journey sometime in May. For more info, check out frsos.com.

Via the Adventure Blog

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