AK

AK: Bacon

This week on AK, bacon. From its sound to its smell, it’s safe to say most meat eaters love everything about bacon. But few love it as much as Erik Johnson. He makes his homemade. Over the years he’s experimented with different bacon recipes, once even using an entire bottle of whiskey as a marinade.

AK: Getting Started

A group of teenagers from the valley just released their very first CD. Gerygone & Twig used Kickstarter to raise money to produce the album called, “The Slee-py.” The Wasilla based indie-folk band already has a small group of devoted fans. Now, with the new CD they are reaching more listeners in zip-codes across the nation.

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AK: Raising Funds

It’s not easy to get people to fork over hard-earned cash. Even for a good cause. But over the last decade Juneau resident Marc Wheeler has perfected the art of fundraising for the annual Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Bowl for Kids’ Sake. Wheeler has a secret weapon that involves throwing in some extra fat.

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AK: Competitive Fishing

Each year, hundreds of fishermen brave the cold weather and sometimes choppy seas to compete in the Winter King Salmon Tournament in Homer. Pete Wedin has tried his hand at catching the heaviest fish for the last 16 years. And he was out on the water again last week in search of that sweet spot. KBBI’s Ariel Van Cleave hopped on the Early Dawn with Wedin and three other anglers and brought back this story.

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AK: John Muir

Muir is one of the most renowned naturalists of the last two centuries. President Theodore Roosevelt turned to Muir when planning America’s first National Parks. In the late 1800s, Muir decided to journey to the far north. And the first stop on his great Alaskan expedition was Wrangell Island in the Inside Passage. KSTK’s Shady Grove Oliver traces the history of Muir in Wrangell from his first steps on the island to his continued influence today.

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AK: A Fashion Show

Right now, as you’re listening to this, a group of Sitka residents are preparing to walk the runway. But they’ve traded in the usual fabrics for more eccentric media. Maybe it’s a dress that’s all zippers. Or a suit made out of nautical charts. Or a purse composed of bicycle valve stems. In the fashion world, this might be called madness. In Sitka, it’s called wearable art.

AK: Judge Jamming

What do Alaska’s judges do when they are not sitting on the bench? Do they ponder weighty tomes, or engage in deep discussion about the legal issues of the day? Maybe some of them do that, but KSKA’s Ellen Lockyer found that quite a number of Anchorage judges get together and play ukulele’s for after hours fun.

AK: The Tiniest Catch

They are often overshadowed by the larger Bering Sea fleets, but Unalaska has a handful of small boat commercial fishermen who make their living in the waters around the Aleutian Islands. During the recent tanner crab fishery, KUCB’s Stephanie Joyce headed out to see what it’s like to be a small boat in big boat territory.

AK: Repair

There are thousands of miles of fiberoptic cables snaking along the ocean floor. They bring telephone service, television, and the Internet to much of world. When an earthquake struck off the coast of Southeast Alaska in January, the cables that provide Internet to Wrangell were damaged. And a cable repair ship, called the Wave Venture, was called in to help. KSTK’s Shady Grove Oliver went onboard the unique ship to get a closer look at cable repair.

AK: Hope

If you’re in the habit of running East Anchorage trails in the winter in the dark, then you might have run by a compact, dark-haired doctor named Joanie Hope, jogging slowly with her headphones on, singing. She is the state’s only gynecologic oncologist. But she’s also in a rock band, that tours nationally to raise awareness for gynecological cancers. Their first Alaska concert is tomorrow.

AK: Restoration

For the past three years, a small group of dedicated volunteers has been putting in countless hours restoring a Watchmen’s cabin for the Kasilof Regional Historical Association. Each Friday they get together and make a few small steps toward bringing the once-ailing cabin back to life.

AK: Growing

Alaska’s summer months may be limited, but the growing season has no bounds. That is, as long as you grow indoors. AK’s Anne Hillman found out that indoor gardens in Anchorage are blossoming even in unexpected spaces.

AK: Recovering

It’s been almost four years since the largest flood in the history of the city of Eagle and Eagle Village devastated both communities. In the spring of 2009, a series of extremely warm days melted a higher than normal snowpack. When a massive ice jam broke free, a deluge of water surged toward the city and the nearby native village. KUAC’s Emily Schwing visited both communities last summer to find out how locals have fared since the flood.

AK: Going to Extremes

It’s hard to imagine a person crazy enough to want to climb Denali alone in the depth of winter. But Minnesota adventurer Lonnie Dupre has tried – and failed – twice in the last two years. Earlier this month, heavy winds forced him to abandon his latest attempt and retreat back to base camp.

AK: Holiday Brass

Some of the nation’s top brass musicians appeared in Sitka this week. The trumpeters, trombonists and more performed Monday night at the community’s performing arts center. All 6xx seats regularly sell out for the concert which has become something of a holiday tradition in the southeast community.