Outdoor Explorer

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.

Rookie mushers come and go. It takes countless hours and training to become an Iditarod great. On the next episode of Outdoor Explorer, we're talking to a handful of mushers who are on that journey. They scoop poop. They cut up a lot of raw meat. It's not glamorous work, but they're chasing down a dream as Iditarod sled dogs gun it for Nome. KSKA: Thursday, March 5, at 2:00 and 9:00 p.m. Listen Now:

Late summer and fall are the time for picking blueberries, hunting for mushrooms, and getting ready for winter. Gathering edible berries and plants has many benefits besides their great taste. Jackie Qataliña, Tony Perelli, and Dana Diehl join me, your host Paul Twardock, to discuss what their favorite edible and medicinal plants and mushrooms are, their uses, the physical and emotional benefits of foraging, and ethical considerations.

It’s been a bad year for avalanches in south central Alaska, with several deaths occurring in the mountains. Still, we have more information to avoid avalanches than ever before. On the next Outdoor Explorer we'll visit with the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center to learn how the staff there studies the snow and predicts whether or not backcountry activities will be safe, and what you need to know for your own adventures. KSKA: Thursday, March 17, at 2:00 and Thursday, March 24, at 8:00 p.m. DOWNLOAD AUDIO

On the next Outdoor Explorer, we're talking about the Iron Dog, billed as "the world's longest, toughest snowmobile race." We’ve got racers in the studio who have done it, and won. And we’re going to talk about how you put on a race of this scale, which starts Feb. 21, and for the first time this year, will take off with a ceremonial starting line in Anchorage. KSKA: Thursday, Feb. 12, at 2:00 and 9:00 p.m. Listen Now:

For a week or two in mid-April, a remote mountainside in the Alaska Range becomes one of the biggest towns in Alaska. It’s Arctic Man, a kind of Burning Man for the snow machine set, with the craziest extreme skiing competition you’ve ever heard of. We’ll preview Arctic Man, the speed, the parties, the family fun, and the backcountry travel, with an organizer, a competitor, and a spectator. KSKA: Thursday 4/4 at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm

In April of 2018, Kikkan Randall sat down with Charles Wohlforth on Outdoor Explorer and reflected on the final race of her skiing career....

On the next Outdoor Explorer, we spend a full hour sitting with Roman Dial, one of Alaska’s greatest adventurers, to learn about his extraordinary life, and the tragic disappearance of his son, and how that ordeal was horribly exploited by reality TV. We’ll also get into many other tales, including how he helped start wilderness racing and developed the pack raft as a tool for Alaska travel.  Thanks for listening!

KSKA: Thursday, March 16, at 2:00 p.m. Boat building is much more than carpentry. Boats can be an extension of a builder’s heart, connecting to traditions and place, and relating a paddler’s physical and spiritual being to the ocean. The guests on this show are skilled craftspeople who have spent their lives building and repairing wooden boats, and building traditional Inuit kayaks. LISTEN NOW

If Alaska were a country, she would be our national hero. Kikkan Randall, the Olympic gold medal skier, joins us on the next Outdoor Explorer. Randall is, of course, a household name in Alaska, where we’ve been watching her progress over the course of an amazing international career. As she retires from skiing and settles down with her family, we’ll have a chance to learn about her life, her racing career, her future--and, of course, that thrilling relay in Korea when she brought home the gold. Thanks for listening!

Whereas having somebody else along is often safer and more fun, solo trips into the wilderness can sometimes be the most memorable. Whether by choice or necessity, these experiences offer a chance to get to know oneself better. We'll speak with three guests about what it's like being truly alone in the great outdoors. KSKA: Thursday, Jan. 15, at 2:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Listen now:

KSKA: Thursday, May 18, at 2:00 p.m. What do you do if you find an injured animal in the wild? If it’s a bird or a seal, there may be hope for a rescue. We’ll be traveling to the Alaska SeaLife Center, where marine mammals and birds are nursed back to health, and Bird TLC, a center for injured avians here in Anchorage. LISTEN HERE

Have you ever thought you needed to live in a yurt off the grid in order to be more connected to nature? This week on Outdoor Explorer our guest is author Chri/stine Byl. We discuss how you have to be a beginner in order to become an expert and misconceptions around what being more connected to nature actually means.

Youth Employment in Parks offers Anchorage High Schoolers the opportunity to work on trails and parks in Anchorage. Host Paul Twardock visits a trail crew at University Lake to learn about the program

Do you remember what it's like to be a beginner at something? This week, on Outdoor Explorer our guest is Sarah Histand, she'll talk about overcoming the things that keep us from getting started, how to be a beginner when it seems everyone else is an expert, and functional strength at home.

On today's show we’re going to talk about how to buy a bike. We’ll focus first on the high end and the creative stuff that hardcore cycling folks are doing these days, building crazy bikes and putting together the perfect bike. Then we’ll focus on the practical details of getting the right bike for you at a price you can afford, whether you buy new or on Craigslist. KSKA: Thursday, April 16, at 2:00 and 9:00 p.m. Download Audio

KSKA: Thursday, Feb. 2, at 2:00 p.m. The next Outdoor Explorer focuses on polar bears. Polar bears are a unique symbol of the Arctic and their ability to thrive on the sea ice is a testament to the power of nature. LISTEN NOW

In 2017, Jen Johnston and Sam Hooper hiked the length of the Alaska Range, 1000 miles from Port Alsworth to McCarthy. It’s a tremendous accomplishment, but their story is not one of hardship and heroism. They love it out there, and on the next Outdoor Explorer, Jen and Sam talk about the privilege and pleasure of getting deep into Alaska with one another. Thanks for listening!

Planning for the outdoors comes at all levels, both personal and for State Park staff. On the first half of this Outdoor Explorer we'll talk to Ricky Geese, Director of Alaska's Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation, and Zach Babb with the National Park Service's Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance program about the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, or "SCORP." This document is in draft form and the state is looking for input from the public. It help sets the state's priorities when it comes to managing state parks for the next five years. It is also full of interesting data about outdoor recreation and tourism. On the second half of the show Rick Roth of Alaska Mountaineering and Hiking discusses the newest outdoor gear in time for the holiday shopping season.

On the next Outdoor Explorer, we’ll listen to an Alaska Outdoor Alliance Lunch & Learn session, Bikes Belong. The weekly series is open to the public and addresses topics important to the Alaska outdoor community. The Bikes Belong discussion brought together a diverse group of stakeholders in the future of Alaska biking.