A Tongass Odyssey: John Schoen
John Schoen spent 20 years working for Alaska's Department of Fish and Game as a scientist studying Sitka black-tailed deer, mountain goats and brown bears in the Tongass National Forest. He is a wealth of knowledge for anyone interested in field science and conservation. John joins host Paul Twardock to discuss his fascinating career and memoir titled "Tongass Odyssey: Seeing the Forest Ecosystem Through the Politics of Trees, A Biologist's Memoir."
Rick Steves and The Art of Europe
On this show, our guest is Rick Steves. If you’ve watched public television in the last 20 years, you likely know him from his travel shows Rick Steves Europe and Travel with Rick Steves. Our discussion covers how he turned his passion for travel into a business as well as climate change and travel, why it’s important to say yes to travel opportunities, and his new show The Art of Europe.
1970 Denali Climb
What was it like to climb Denali in 1970? This past summer the Denali climb C-4 M-4 gathered in Talkeetna to reminisce on the 50th anniversary of their climb up the Muldrow route, and host Paul Twardock was there to record and share with the Outdoor Explorer audience.
Avalanche equipment and rescue
KSKA: Thursday, Jan. 19, at 2:00 p.m. Everyone knows that winter backcountry travelers need to know how to avoid avalanches, how to prepare for them, and what to do if someone is caught in one. On the next Outdoor Explorer, we talk to experts about the right gear and how to use it, we'll also get a step-by-step scenario of what an avalanche recovery is like and what you should do in that terrible event.
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Reprise: Historic Alaska Expeditions
Alaska’s outdoors people may think they’re tough, but how about paddling 40 days in a dugout canoe in the rains of Southeast Alaska in October and November, dressed in wool, without modern gear? That’s what John Muir did, and his writings about the experience changed science and started the Alaska tourism industry. On the next Outdoor Explorer, join host Charles Wohlforth and guests to talk about Muir’s historic expedition and others. What these guys did will amaze you.
KSKA: Thursday, January 14 at 2pm and Thursday, January 21 and 8pm
Alaska Adventure: 55 Ways
Need ideas for summer adventure? Join your host Paul Twardock and guests Helen Nienhueser, and John and Rebecca Wolfe as they discuss their new book Alaska Adventure 55 Ways Southcentral Wilderness Explorations. Not only will they introduce us to the new book, but they'll share about researching and writing it as a family.
Glacier Trekking
A huge proportion of Alaska is covered with ice. A lot more than has towns and cities or anything man made on it. That’s a lot of country to explore, and its truly beautiful, like another world.
KSKA: Thursday, Oct. 30, at 2:00 and 9:00 p.m.
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Winter Bike, Ski, and Foot Races
Alaskan’s like to do crazy things, and few are as crazy as the ultra-marathon races across the wilderness by bike, ski or foot that are happening over the next few weeks. We’ll be talking to organizers of the 1000-mile Iditarod Trail Invitational and the 100-mile Susitna 100, to races that pioneered this kind of adventure, and inspired the new technology of fat bikes. Join us for the next Outdoor Explorer and get inspired! KSKA: Thursday, Feb 11, at 2:00 and Thursday, Feb 18, at 8:00 p.m.
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Chugach Front Linkup 2023: New Peak, New Record
In March, Ben Americus accomplished many firsts on the Chugach Front Linkup: the first late winter completion, the first to ski off the peaks and the first to complete the Linkup since Ptarmigan Peak was added as the 13th summit over 5000 feet. This week on Outdoor Explorer Ben joins host Lisa Keller to talk about how he added his name to Chugach Front Linkup history.
Alli Harvey, outdoor writer, and artist in Anchorage
On this next Outdoor Explorer, our guest is Alli Harvey, outdoor columnist for the Anchorage Daily News.
Her columns often explore the connection between happiness and outdoor adventure. Alli is also a
landscape artist and is about to start her next adventure in her new mobile art studio and gallery, an
Airstream trailer that she will take on the road to the places she wants to paint.
Wrangell-St. Elias backcountry
This edition of Outdoor Explorer comes to you from the backcountry of Wrangell St. Elias National Park. Earlier in the summer, Charles flew with friends to a mountain pass in the massive, incredibly spectacular Wrangell mountains where they spent an extended weekend on dayhikes in the alpine environment, near the Russell Glacier. We'll learn about the park, the trip, and how you can do a backcountry adventure in this amazing park.
KSKA: Thursday, August 6, at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
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Whittier, gateway to the Prince William Sound
The town of Whittier is surprisingly close to Anchorage. With luck on hitting the tunnel schedule, you can be there in an hour. That hour puts you on the edge of one the the world’s largest and modest spectacular marine recreation areas, Prince William Sound. On the next Outdoor Explorer, we’re going to talk about going to Whittier. It’s not just for tourists, it’s a threshold to the ocean and the wilderness.
The Olympics, athletes and their moms
KSKA: Thursday, Feb. 1, at 2:00 & 8:00 p.m. The winter Olympics are here, and Alaska is sending the most athletes ever. Half the nordic ski team is from Alaska, and six of those skiers are going with their siblings. We’ll talk with America’s top skiing siblings, Erik and Sadie Bjornsen, and their mom, Mary, and I’ll have Rosie Brennan and her mother, and Rose Mancari’s mother, too.
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Revisiting getting your own piece of Alaska
KSKA: Thursday, August 10, at 2:00 p.m. The dream of getting your own piece of Alaska is as old as the North, the idea of staking land, proving up, and ending up with a big homestead that is your own estate. We’ll talk about how you can buy a remote piece of Alaska, too, and hear the story of a real Alaskan pioneer who lived alone in the wilderness years ago.
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Ski swaps and Hatcher Pass Lodge
Winter is coming, and that means it’s ski swap time! This week on Outdoor Explorer, we'll talk to Sparky Anderson about how to buy and sell your outdoor winter gear at your local ski swap. Sparky is the head coach of the UAA Ski Team. And in the second half of the show, we’ll be speaking with Hap Wurlizer, proprietor of the Hatcher Pass Lodge.
Revisiting Rowing
KSKA: Thursday, July 28, at 2:00. Last summer Charles was contacted by the Anchorage Rowing Association to row crew in the Dave Thorsness Challenge, a regatta mostly for beginners, as well as getting a couple of rowing lessons to make sure he could do it. For this week's show, we're going back to hear the result, as Charles took a recorder along on this aquatic adventure.
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Action and Scenic Photography
Using a camera to capture the spectacular places and outdoor sports we love can seem like an impossible task. On the next Outdoor Explorer, join us with two guests who have dedicated their lives to making amazing photographs that bring the outdoors to life.
KSKA: Thursday, May 28, at 2:00 and 9:00 p.m.
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Active vacations
In 2017, Men’s Health named Anchorage the most adventurous city in the United States. We do love to adventure in our state with our friends. We also love to travel; why not combine adventure, travel and friends into a vacation? On this week’s Outdoor Explorer we’ll be talking with avid swimmers, bikers and runners who combine their vacation with activity. And although we all love to spend some time on the beach doing nothing, there is no better way to see the world than through movement in the outdoors.
Thanks for listening!
Making the Musher
On this edition, we ask what it takes to become an Iditarod musher, not by talking to the star, but with a conversation with a rookie and two handlers who work with top kennels. It’s the Iditarod for the rest of us.
KSKA: Thursday, March 5, at 2:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Outdoor Explorer’s new hosts
For our first show of the year, something completely new on Outdoor Explorer. Charles Wohlforth is leaving as the program's host. On the episode, we’ll be introducing four new hosts who will carry it onward, and make it better, with more diverse perspectives and deep knowledge about the Alaska outdoors. Charles has hosted the show for 6 years and will still be listening and taking part and we look forward to where the show goes in the future.
Thanks for listening!