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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Beach and Creek Cleanup
A few years ago I got interested in a group that was cleaning up marine debris from beaches in Prince William Sound. I volunteered, and I was blown away by what a rewarding experience it was to pick up trash. On today’s show, we’re talking about beach cleanup, both on the wild, outer coast where stuff is washing up from Japan, and on our beaches here in Anchorage. And we’ll talk about creek cleanup too, which is coming up shortly, and where we get to tend to our own back yard.
KSKA: Thursday, May 7, at 2:00 and 9:00 p.m.
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Revisiting Wildlife Hazards in Context
KSKA: Thursday, Oct. 27, at 2:00 p.m. On the next show 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?
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Caving in Alaska
The caves of Prince of Wales Island are magnificent and truly weird. Alaska has deep, complex caves that have never been fully explored. And there are many caves of ice, too, with incredible shapes and colors, that are constantly changing. Join us to talk about exploring caves in Alaska, caves of rock and of ice.
KSKA: Thursday, Nov. 6, at 2:00 and 9:00 p.m.
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Bringing Your Dog Along
Our biggest dog park in Anchorage seems to be Chugach State Park. On any sunny day on the trails into the mountains, you will encounter a lot of dogs and their people. Host Charles Wohlforth and guests will talk about enjoying the outdoors with your dog, fun stuff you can do, what to be careful of, and how to avoid being a jerk around non-dog people.
KSKA: Thursday, June 12, 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.
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Funding your outdoor lifestyle
Enjoying the outdoors can be done on a tight budget or with all the latest gear and gadgets. All you really need is a pair of shoes and a sense of adventure. But what about when you want to go on a big trip or you need to upgrade your jacket? On this Outdoor Explorer our guest is financial planner and outdoor enthusiast Mike Branham. We talk about finding balance between your outdoor pursuits and saving for your future, ways to maximize your gear budget, and more.
LISTEN: Imagine hiking all the tallest summits of the Chugach Front Range in one trip. These people did it this year.
The Chugach Front Linkup is the connection of the 12 summits over 5000 feet in the Chugach Front Range in a single
outing. This past summer saw an unprecedented known number of people who have successfully linked the peaks;
between them they produced 6 new records.
Youth downhill ski racing & raising Olympians
KSKA: Thursday, February 15, at 2 & 8 p.m. On the next Outdoor Explorer, we’re focusing on winter sports and, for all those Olympics junkies listening, the question on your mind, how do I get my kid on a Wheatie’s box? The best answer seems to be-- cool it. Those amazing elite athletes create themselves. We’ll learn from the people who know best, with tips on how parents can -- and should -- give kids the opportunity to get outside and compete.
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Chugach State Park
On the next Outdoor Explorer, we will dive deep into the history, planning and development of Chugach State Park with guests Monica Alvarez with the Department of Natural Resources, Ben Corwin the Park’s Chief Ranger, and Ryan Yelle, the Chairman of the Park’s Citizen Advisory Board.
The history of Kincaid Park
On this week’s Outdoor Explorer, we’ll talk about the development of the ski trail system at Kincaid Park with Jim Burkholder, who was a young school teacher at Dimond High School in the early 1970’s when he and other visionaries began cutting ski trails around Beercan Lake in Kincaid Park.
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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Revisiting Small Game Hunting
KSKA: Thursday, Dec. 4, at 2:00. Small game can be an entry for young people into hunting, but it’s also is a tradition for sportsmen going back centuries and shows up in classic literature from all over the world. On the next Outdoor Explorer, the topic is hunting upland game birds and small mammals.
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Weekend Pilots
Imagine getting up on Saturday morning, hopping in your plane, and going anywhere in Alaska. It’s the ultimate way of getting outdoors in a huge wilderness with unlimited opportunities. We’ll be talking with weekend pilots about their expensive and challenging hobby, and what makes it worthwhile. What would you like to know about learning to fly, or even owning your own plane? Where would you go if the sky was the limit?
KSKA: Thursday, 6/13, at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm
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McKinley Disasters
In 1967 the Wilcox Expedition attacked Mount McKinley with 12 young men. Only five came back alive. The disaster was the worst in the history of the mountain, and changed many lives and the way people thought about climbing it. Two authors have recently released books on the event, and both join us on the show to rehash what they remember from the deadly event.
KSKA: Thursday, July 17, at 2:00 p.m. 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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Kodiak archaeology with Patrick Saltonstall
On the next Outdoor Explorer, we’ll be talking with Patrick Saltonstall. Patrick is the curator of archaeology at the Alutiiq Museum, which means part of his job is to explore the Kodiak Archipelago, documenting the ancestral culture of the area.
Backcountry Skiing
Backcountry skiing opens more of Alaska to access by muscles alone than any other sport, and can take you to the most awesome and fearsome spots, too, for self-reliant adventure. But it’s complicated. We’ll learn about the several kinds of backcountry skis and techniques -- telemark, randonee, touring -- what each is best for, and the most reasonable route to find your way into the sport.
KSKA: Thursday, 2/27 at 2:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
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Athletic Injury Prevention and Avoidance
This week we have an important show for anyone who exercises to keep fit. We're talking about injury prevention and recovery. You can avoid a lot of the injuries that come from overuse and excessive effort, and we’ll tell you how to speed your recovery if you do get hurt. As with so many things, a lot of it is mental.
KSKA: Thursday, March 31, at 2pm and Thursday, April 07 at 8pm
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Amateur Mushing
Iditarod dog teams have as much in common with your pet as an Indy car and a tricycle, but there is something in between. Dog mushing is a recreational sport for families, too. On this Outdoor Explorer, we’ll learn about using sled dogs for fun and transportation with the mom of a local mushing family, and a Denali guide who takes out newbies daily.
KSKA Thursday 3/7 at 2:00 pm, repeating at 7:00 pm