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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Rockwell Kent centennial
Rockwell Kent was one of the most important artists to picture Alaska. And the legendary winter he spent with his son on Fox Island, in Resurrection Bay, happened 100 years ago. On the next Outdoor Explorer we’re joined by an expert on those events, and on Kent’s colorful life in general, to learn about landmarks in fine art and writing about nature that were created right here.
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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.
Alaska Mountain Rescue
When Alaskans get lost or hurt in the high country, they rely on a team of volunteers and professionals who are tough enough to come get them in the worst conditions. This week on Outdoor Explorer we'll find how how they do their work and how we can help as outdoor users when we are lost.
KSKA: Thursday, 2/13 at 2:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
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Travel School: Parks of the northwest
On the next Outdoor Explorer, we will be joined by a family that took school on the road this winter. Jodi Harskamp and her husband Neal Stanbury, along with their children Tui and Leif and dog Nukka, traveled in their retrofitted truck to state and national parks across the lower 48 for a back to nature education.
Solstice trees and holiday wishes from Anchorage
As the year of 2021 comes to a close we feature two traditions in Anchorage: The Nordic Ski Association of Anchorage's Solstice Tree Tour at Kincaid Park and the Alaska Botanical Garden's Holiday Lights. This week's Outdoor Explorer features these winter festivities, plus some holiday wishes with co-host Lisa Keller and others.
Revisiting minimizing your impact
On this Outdoor Explorer we're revisiting an important topic: “Leave only footprints.” — It’s an ambitious philosophy. Most of us who recreate outdoors like to think we do a good job of this. We pack out our trash. We travel across landscapes with a light footprint. But how good are we? We’ll hear experts talk about what it really means to leave no trace — from scattering your fire circles to packing out human waste.
Thanks for listening!
National champion skiers & avalanche forecasting
KSKA: Thursday, January 18, at 2:00p.m. On this Outdoor Explorer, we're excited to have two national champions in cross country skiing. Caitlin and Scott Patterson also happen to be siblings, and totally charming and real. You’re going to love them. We'll also have a discussion about avalanche awareness and forecasting. After an accident in December killed an experienced skier, what do we all need to know?
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Bird migration in Alaska
Every spring millions of birds stream into Alaska from all over the globe to feed, mate, and raise their young. On this Outdoor Explorer features Dan Ruthrauff with the USGS Alaska Science Center and Melanie Dufour with the Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival.
Skijoring and winter dog care
KSKA: Thursday Feb. 23 at 2:00pm & 8:00pm. A dog can pull you on your skis faster than you believed possible. The feeling is much like dog mushing, but much easier to get into because you don’t need an entire team. In the first half of this show we’ll talk about skijoring, how it is done, and what it takes to start. In the second half, we’ll focus on the subject of dogs and winter, with tips for taking your dog on winter outdoor activities. Dog lovers should definitely stay tuned for the next show.
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Outdoor photography
On the next Outdoor Explorer, we’ll be discussing outdoor photography with mountain photographer Charlie Renfro. There's a lot to talk about. Later in the show, we’ll be talking with Gus Schumacher, an Anchorage cross-country skier who recently won gold at the World Junior Championships.
Thanks for listening!
Anchorage Bike Trails
KSKA: Thursday, May 19, at 2:00 and Thursday, May 26, at 8:00 p.m.
Anchorage people love their bike trails. Still, while we want more, the trails we already have are worn out in places, and one trail had a bridge collapse. On the next Outdoor Explorer we’ll be talking with folks responsible for the paved bike trails, as well as a mastermind of the fun, world class single track mountain bike trails at Kincaid Park and on the Hillside.
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Arctic Valley Ski Area
KSKA: Thursday, Dec. 8, at 2:00 p.m.
Arctic Valley is easily forgotten, because doesn’t advertise and is far off the beaten track, but it has the highest elevation, the fluffiest powder and some of the steepest slopes around. On the next show, we’ll learn about Arctic Valley, the changes happening there, and why you might want to go and try it out this winter.
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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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80 years of climbing, skiing, and boating with Sepp Weber
Sepp Weber has climbed, skied and kayaked for 80 years, mostly in Alaska. Join him and your host Paul Twardock as Sepp shares his stories on Outdoor Explorer.
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.
Outdoor skating
KSKA: Thursday, October 26th, at 2:00 p.m. The weather is getting colder and that means the fun of pond and outdoor skating cannot be far off. Ice hockey may be a year-round sport for competitors, but pond hockey happens only when the weather cools. In Alaska that goes for speed skating and backcountry skating, too. On this show, we’ll explore the joy of outdoor skating, the ease of getting into the sport, and the amazing opportunities it creates to love winter.
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Fishing Charters
Taking a fishing charter from a small boat harbor is a classic Alaska experience. It’s a time to bond with friends and family, to enjoy the thrill of excellent fishing, and it's a way for many Alaskans to stock their freezers for the winter. This week on Outdoor Explorer, we're taking our show on board a fishing charter outside of Homer. Host Charles Wohlforth gets the rundown on new halibut regulations in effect this year and an insider's perspective on what makes a fishing charter fun and successful.
KSKA: Thursday, August 14, at 2:00 and 9:00 p.m.
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Veterans outdoors
This Outdoor Explorer is dedicated entirely to two of the most impressive people we’ve recently met, both military veterans whose service became deeply linked to the outdoors. We’ll hear from Kirk Alkire, who has made climbing in the Chugach Mountains a form of therapy for other grieving veterans. Then we'll talk with David Shuman, who retired from a long career as a pararescuer, doing the most difficult and daring rescues in Alaska’s wilderness.
Outdoors and activism
On the next Outdoor Explorer, we have an interview with one of the world’s top professional snowboarders, Jeremy Jones, who has made more than 50 films about his exploits in Alaska alone. But that’s not all Jeremy is about anymore. As he saw winter eroding, he has become an activist to do something about climate change, and recruited other top skiing and boarding pros to become activists as well.
Thanks for listening!