Climbing Denali
While most of us are storing our skis for the summer, the Denali climbing season is just beginning. Climbing rangers are putting in Kahiltna Base Camp and the first climbers are on the mountain soon to be followed by 1000s of others. Join us for the next Outdoor Explorer as we talk with two veterans of Denali, climber Colby Coombs and Denali Ranger Melis Coady.
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Diversifying the outdoors in Alaska: Jody Potts -Joseph
Alaska Indigenous Peoples have been living, playing, and thriving in Alaska for thousands of years. Outdoor recreation and tourism is perceived as being primarily a white person's game. Jody Potts-Joseph, Han Gwich'in and founder of Native Youth Outdoors is breaking that stereotype. Join Outdoor Explorer host Paul Twardock to hear Jody tell her story
Volunteering in the outdoors
Volunteering in the outdoors is a great way to contribute to the quality of our outdoor experiences, and is rewarding in itself. More and more land managers rely on volunteers to maintain the quality of trails, pull invasive weeds, and monitor campsites. On this week’s show we’ll be talking about opportunities to volunteer in the outdoors.
Alaska’s storytellers
On the next Outdoor Explorer, author Chris Lundgren and videographer Max Romey, will share stories of Alaska. Chris is
the author of Accidental Adventures: Alaska, a book about mishaps with good outcomes. Max is a videographer who
uses watercolors, photography and film to tell stories about Alaska and beyond.
Train and ferry to the outdoors
We Alaskans have a unique way to get into the backcountry, on our state-owned railroad or ferry system — two of the most fun forms of transportation around. On the next Outdoor Explorer, we’ll celebrate how the train and ferries can get families out to adventures hiking, skiing, paddling, floating and exploring in some truly exotic places. We’ll learn about the opportunities, and how you can do it with your family.
KSKA: Thursday, Oct. 1, at 2:00 p.m. and Thursday, Oct. 8, at 8:00 p.m.
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Mayor’s Marathon and other marathons
The marathon is the pinnacle of physical challenges, an event that few are able to finish, much less excel in. But more and more people are taking the challenge to train and to run 26.2 miles, and this weekend Anchorage’s oldest marathon is taking place, the Mayor’s Marathon, which also includes a half-marathon. Join host Charles Wohlforth and guests to discuss tips and training advice, and also the philosophy of the race. Why do something that is so hard?
KSKA: Thursday, June 19, 2:00 and 9:00 p.m.
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Ski Trail Intel
Cross-country skiing is all about the trail. In your mind’s eye, that’s where you are when you think about skiing. The beauty of the place, and also the challenge, and, of course, the conditions. That’s why we talk about trails so much. On our very first episode of Outdoor Explorer, we explore the trails of southcentral – the old favorites, and some brand new trails in Girdwood and near Hatcher Pass. Read More...
KSKA: Thursday 2/21 at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm
A conversation with Lael Wilcox
KSKA: Thursday, Jan. 26, at 2:00 p.m. On the next Outdoor Explorer an interview with Lael Wilcox, whose life is one of Alaska’s most remarkable stories of physical accomplishment. Wilcox left to see the world on her bike, and never stopped, becoming a top endurance racer without really planning to.
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National park journeys
On this next Outdoor Explorer, meet Mikah Meyer who traveled to every national park. And not only the big ones, but also all the historical parks and the obscure places, a trip that has taken years. We’ll also be chatting with legendary Alaska hiker Shawn Lyons, who is publishing a completely encyclopedic set of books covering every route in southcentral Alaska.
Yea parks!
Wildlife and bear viewing
Wildlife and Alaska are like apple pie and ice cream, it’s hard to imagine one without the other. Every year over a million people...
River Safety Techniques
KSKA: Thursday, September 22, at 2:00p.m. and Thursday, September 29, at 8:00p.m. Alaska’s rivers are the best path to see the backcountry for non-motorized adventures, traveling in relative comfort and seeing the grandeur of Alaska. Still, cold moving water in remote areas can also be dangerous. Every summer, we hear stories of tragedies and of near misses on Alaska’s rivers and in this episode we'll tackle that topic head-on.
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Viewing coastal brown bears
We’re talking about bears on Outdoor Explorer. Our region of Alaska happens to be the best place in the world for ordinary people to get out in the woods and see lots of gigantic bears. The coastal brown bear can grow to enormous size, but while they are gorging on the salmon that make them so large, they don’t pay attention to anything else. Visitors to certain key streams can get very, very close. We’ll talk about that experience, and the life of the bears.
KSKA: Thursday, Sept. 24, at 2:00 p.m. and Thursday, Oct. 1, at 8 :00pm
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Sailing the Northwest Passage
KSKA: Thursday, Jan. 12, at 2:00 p.m. On Outdoor Explorer, we're fortunate to meet some of the world’s most amazing people, and that was especially true when Dario Schwoerer was in town to talk about his 100,000-mile sailboat voyage. On our next show we'll hear from Dario about his amazing family, some scary moments they've endured, and their hopes for our planet.
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Winter Sports and Climate Change
If winter defines us as Alaskans, as skiers and outdoor enthusiasts, what happens when we start to lose winter? Strange weather is becoming the new normal and we’re forced to adapt to climate change, because we don’t have a choice. On the next Outdoor Explorer, we'll look at what that means from scientific and a practical perspective.
KSKA: Thursday, Jan. 22, at 2:00 and 9:00 p.m.
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Noise and light pollution
KSKA: Thursday, April 20, at 2:00 p.m. One way of thinking about wilderness is to remember what’s not there. Wilderness is never crowded, or full of artificial noise or electric light. Noise and light would cover up the good qualities in nature - the delicate sounds and the bright stars and aurora of a winter night. On the next Outdoor Explorer, we’re looking at the problem of keeping the wilderness quiet and dark, which unfortunately takes some effort for us, in our bright noisy world.
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Gold Prospecting
It’s a fair bet that the stampeders who flowed north during the Klondike Gold Rush never thought of mining as recreational, but the hunt for gold is something people do for fun, as well as profit. We’ll find out how and why modern recreational miners persist in sifting Alaska’s streams with pans and other obsolete equipment, going after glittering flakes of gold, and hoping for something much richer. It’s a hobby that gets them outdoors, and it’s a treasure hunt.
KSKA: Thursday, June 26, at 2:00 and 9:00 p.m.
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Catching up on Eklutna, ski prep & helping young girls
This week we’re checking in with the outdoor community here in southcentral Alaska, which is all about getting ready for the coming winter and being involved in the positive stuff that so many of our neighbors do for one another. We’ll have segments on reviving fish runs in the Eklutna River, getting your skis ready for winter, and volunteering to help girls in Guatemala stay active through puberty.
Thanks for listening!
Made in Alaska: Revelate Designs | Outdoor Explorer
Eric Parsons started designing bags that fit on bike frames to enable his epic trips. Eventually he quit his day job and made it a business.
NOLS: 50 Years in Alaska
The National Outdoor Leadership School, or NOLS, has been operating in Alaska since 1971
This week's Outdoor Explorer highlights the many influences NOLS has had on Alaska and the outdoor industry. We'll be joined by John Gans, former NOLS President, and Ashely Wise, current NOLS Alaska Operations Manager.
Emotional intelligence in the outdoors
What is emotional intelligence how does it affect our outdoor activities? This week we'll discuss why it's important in contributing to enjoyable outdoor experiences.