Sifting Through The Goods: Ski Swaps
Ski swap time is upon us. It’s become a season in Anchorage, when used gear comes out of the garage and goes on sale in these giant rummage sales, which can be as competitive as a Walmart on Thanksgiving. But is this really a good way to get quality gear?
KSKA: Thursday, Oct. 16, at 2:00 and 9:00 p.m.
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Walking Across America: Advice for a Young Man
Andrew Forsthoefel set out at age 23 to walk across America, East to West, 4000 miles, with a sign on him that said, "Walking to Listen." This hour, co-produced with Jay Allison, tracks his epic journey. It's a coming of age story, and a portrait of this country -- big-hearted, wild, innocent, and wise. Outdoor Explorer returns next week.
KSKA: Thursday, July 2, at 2:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Waterfowl
KSKA: Thursday, Sept. 07, at 2:00 p.m. The time of the year is coming when that strange and wonderful sound arrives of geese forming up in great "V" formations and heading south from Alaska. Their migration, and that of other waterfowl, is one of the most impressive movements of life across the wilderness, something amazing and even moving to behold. On the next show, we’ll be learning about those ducks, geese and swans that nest here in Alaska in the summer, how they live, what they eat, their habitat and breeding, and about the incredible journeys they make each year. LISTEN HERE
Revisiting Community Skating
KSKA: Thursday Dec. 29 at 2:00pm & 8:00pm. Here’s an Alaska moment. It’s a weekend afternoon, you’ve been stuck indoors all day, you see that beautiful winter light in the sky, and you say, ‘let’s go skating.’ Half an hour later, you’re gliding over a frozen pond with your neighbors. We're talking about ice skating, the casual community kind, where everyone can participate and enjoy a winter day with friends.
Long-Range Snow Machine Expeditions
For the next Outdoor Explorer we’re in Fairbanks for a kind of adventure that is uniquely arctic and Fairbanks hard-core: long range expeditions by snow machine. We'll be joined by UAF scientist Matthew Sturm, whose studies of snow led to a career of traveling the breadth of North America on snowmachines with a team of very tough motorheads. We’ll learn about those trips, and how to prepare for motorized travel in some of the most remote spots on the globe.
KSKA: Thursday 12/55 and 2:00 and 9:00 pm.
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Scientists in nature
Scientists in Alaska spend weeks at a time in remote locations gathering information to better inform us about the world we live in. On this week’s show we learn from two USGS scientists what it’s like to work in the field.
Wildlife Hazards in Context
The terror of being attacked by a bear is a nightmare for many outdoors people, and a lot of time is spent worrying and planning for it. We’ll put wildlife hazards in context. What should you know to be safe, how can you improve your chances, and why aren’t you thinking about all the other things that could get you, and that are a lot more common. Join us for an opinionated discussion.
KSKA: Thursday, May 1, at 2:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
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Nutrition for an active life
On the next Outdoor Explorer, our guest will be sports dietician Rikki Keen. We will have a wide ranging discussion of the latest trends in sports nutrition, from a plant-based diet and intermittent fasting to the use of intravenous hydration and CBD oil.
Revisiting the history of Anchorage’s trails and greenbelts
KSKA: Thursday, Nov. 9, at 2:00 p.m. On the next Outdoor Explorer, we're revisiting an episode that was dedicated to our city’s centennial. We’ll hear stories of how we built the greenbelts, bike and ski trails that are now the defining characteristics of Anchorage. Each of our three guests played a part in providing us with the spaces to get out, enjoy nature, and safely get to work or just some exercise. This episode first aired in June of 2015.
LISTEN HERE
Carol Seppilu: Strong resilient indigenous
On the next Outdoor Explorer, Carol Seppilu from Nome will describe her journey from suicide survivor to ultrarunner. September is Suicide Awareness Month and her shared message of Strong Resilient Indigenous is proving inspirational
both state-wide and nationally.
Paddling around North America
What’s it like to sea kayak around south and north America, including Alaska? On this Outdoor Explorer we’ll talk with German paddler Freya Hoffmeister who is doing just that.
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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Preserving Wild Food
Fall is in the air and it is time to put up the food you caught and gathered over the summer so it will last you till spring. On the show, we’ll roll up our sleeves and get down to the details about the best ways to butcher, smoke, can, and freeze what you caught and picked over the last few months, and the next few weeks, so that when the snow flies you can taste a little of the summer and make the most of your harvest.
KSKA: Thursday, Sept. 4, at 2:00 and 9:00 p.m.
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Denali National Park and Preserve
On the next Outdoor Explorer, we will be exploring Alaska’s most iconic park, Denali National Park and Preserve. Sharon Stiteler, the park’s Public Affairs Officer, and Tucker Chenowith, the park’s South District Ranger, will cover ground from the first successful summit of Denali to the impact of the Pretty Rocks landslide on travel in the park.
Sea Kayaking
On the next Outdoor Explorer we’re talking about sea kayaking in Prince William Sound. It’s a short drive from Anchorage, and it’s one of the most famous places to paddle on Earth. Many of us have great memories of paddling trips in the Sound. Others would probably like to try it but aren’t sure how to go about it, to be safe, and to break away on your own. Join us to share the feeling of silence in a quiet cove in the sound, and the practicalities of how to get there.
KSKA: Thursday, 5/30, 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm
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River stories
The summer season is here and Alaska’s waterways beckon. We’re taking the topic from four perspectives. An interview with a pioneer who made a lifelong career of floating remote rivers with inflatables. A story by a Minnesotan who got in some trouble on an Alaska river. A buyers guide to pack rafts. And a bear story that comes from an epic float trip.
Thanks for listening!
The First People in what is now Chugach State Park
In this Outdoor Explorer, we will learn about the First People in what is now Chugach State Park. My guest will be Aaron Leggett, Senior Curator of Alaska History & Indigenous Culture at the Anchorage Museum and President of the Tribal Council of the Native Village of Eklutna.
Safe food and water in the backcountry
KSKA: Thursday, June 01, at 2:00p.m. Staying healthy in the backcountry is a prerequisite to having a good time. But it’s more important than that. Getting sick in the wilderness, away from health care, can magnify the hazards of a situation. On the next show, we’ll talk about health issues, mostly having to do with food and water, and how you can keep your group in good shape on backcountry hiking or remote boating trips this summer.
LISTEN HERE
Nordic skiing in Alaska
Alaska has a plethora of cross country ski trails and the clubs that groom them. This week’s
Outdoor Explorer talks with the people that make Nordic skiing happen in Alaska.
Sports Psychology
KSKA: Thursday Nov. 17 at 2:00 p.m. Successful athletes often say the mental game is as important as physical training, but what does that really mean? We’ll find out on the next show. What you’ll learn on the next show could make you a better athlete, and it can also make you more successful in life.
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