Outdoor Explorer

KSKA: Thursday, August 31st, at 2:00 p.m. We’re going a little bit off the reservation with the next show's topic-- we’re talking about rugby. We got the idea to cover something that you do on a field rather than out in the wild when we saw a photograph of a new rugby pitch right here in Anchorage. It is the product of one man’s imagination and drive, and we’ll have him here to talk about this amazing personal project. This may be the last thing you thought you wanted to know about, but the enthusiasm of these rugby players is totally contagious, and as you listen to our interview it's a sure bet you’ll pick up on it too. LISTEN HERE

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!

The Alaska Marine Highway System has been in the news a lot lately, beginning with the governor's veto of the ferry budget in the...

One of the most spectacular biological events in the world is going on in Alaska right now, the migration of hundreds of thousands of caribou from their northern calving grounds to wintering areas to the south. On the next Outdoor Explorer, we’ll learn how do they do it, and why, and what makes them change the routine sometimes, using new areas after many years on the same course. Thanks for listening!

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

Athletic events in Alaska often have a purpose. The heart run, the ski for women. We look at cause-driven events, and why they’re important to the people involved and to the entire community. Host Charles Wohlforth is joined by a bicyclist who lives with diabetes and rides to help raise money to fight the disease, and a runner who got inspired by Leukemia survivors to help get others involved. KSKA: Thursday, May 15, at 2:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Listen now:

On this Outdoor Explorer, the journey back to activity after a Covid infection. Our guests will include the team physician for the University of Washington football team who has been researching the impacts of Covid on athletes, a physical therapist who treats post-Covid breathing issues, and an Ironman athlete who has had his season turned upside down.

Salmonfest is Alaska's largest outdoor music festival held every year in Ninilchik Alaska, hosting around 8,000 attendees. Join host Paul Twardock as he roams the festival grounds and nearby camping areas recording people's experience with the music, camping, and their connection to salmon.

KSKA: Thursday, June 02, at 2:00 and Thursday, June 09, at 8:00 p.m. On Saturday, May 21st we took to the stage for the first ever live edition of Outdoor Explorer. We recorded our show on-stage at the TapRoot the way we do it in the studio, talking to Luc Mehl and Nancy Pfieffer. We are so happy to share the recorded version of our live show with you. DOWNLOAD AUDIO

Can you imagine biking around the world? On the next Outdoor Explorer, hear from two French cyclists - a CPA and a postal worker - who doing just that. We'll also hear about cycle-touring in Alaska, too, and the best routes and tips for your own trip. KSKA: Thursday, June 4, at 2:00 and 9:00 p.m. Listen now:

The annual statewide competitions are coming up soon, as well as the international Arctic Winter Games in Fairbanks. These games are spectacular, like the high kick, and sometimes require toughness and courage. Their cultural roots are for preparing for outdoor survival and hunting success. We'll have athletes and cultural experts in the studio. KSKA: Thursday, 3/6 at 2:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Listen now:

You can’t always assume the places you love to recreate will still be accessible for the next generation, especially on the edges of urban Alaska where development happens rapidly. The Matanuska Valley contains some of our favorite places. We'll discuss the work being done to conserve it by a private non-profit organization, and about fun spots like Bodenburg Butte, the Palmer Hay Flats, and the many other hiking, biking, hunting and fishing areas to enjoy. KSKA: Thursday, August 21, at 2:00 and 9:00 p.m. Listen now:

We’re talking about cycling on the next Outdoor Explorer. We’ll chat with a physical therapist and a bike fitter to learn about getting the perfect fit for your health, as well as your performance. And we’ll have an interview about the Texas 4000, a cross-country bike ride for cancer arriving soon in Anchorage from the University of Texas in Austin. Thanks for listening!

Navigating and avoiding getting lost is a bottom-line requirement for spending time in the wilderness. It’s also a sport and a source of competition. We’ll learn about orienteering, and along the way get tips about how to know where you are when you’re traveling in the backcountry. Navigation can be an interesting puzzle, and it can also save your life. KSKA: Thursday, June 5, at 2:00 and 9:00 p.m. Listen now:

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.

The summer season for sleeping outdoors is short, but there’s still a lot of Alaska out there in the winter with wonderful backcountry recreation and easy travel on snowshoes, when the rivers are frozen and it almost never rains. We’ll be talking about winter camping and snowshoeing. It’s not as crazy as it sounds. You can be comfortable, have great access to the backcountry, and sleep under the most amazing dome of stars. KSKA: Thursday 1/23 at 2:00 pm and 9:00 pm Listen Now

KSKA: Thursday, October 19, at 2:00 p.m. The old, increasingly inaccurate maps Alaskans have used for decades will soon be gone, as our state is being completely remapped. On this next Outdoor Explorer, we’ll learn how the changing climate has made the maps we all use outdated and even unsafe, and the huge effort to fix that. We're talking maps with the people who use them, make them and study them. LISTEN HERE

KSKA: Thursday, June 30, at 2:00 and Thursday, July 07, at 8:00 p.m. Something about human-power, pedals and wheels inspired inventors, and if you spend much time on Alaskan trails, you will see some odd contraptions rolling by. On the next Outdoor Explorer, I’m talking to guys who would like to convert you and everyone to recumbent bikes and unicycles. DOWNLOAD AUDIO

Jennifer Pharr Davis hiked the Appalachian Trail in 46 days, averaging 47 miles a day. David Johnston finished the 350-mile Iditarod Invitational in four days, running on snow. They’ll both join us as we try to understand what makes ultra-endurance athletes tick. Their accomplishments are almost super human. How do they get that way, and what makes them go? KSKA: Thursday, Sept. 11, at 2:00 and 9:00 p.m. Listen now:

KSKA: Thursday, Feb. 16, at 2:00 p.m. One of the biggest and best events of the Anchorage winter is a ski race that crosses the whole city, held the same weekend as the Iditarod start. It’s the Tour of Anchorage, and it’s coming up soon, with some of the nation’s best skiers and plenty of regular folks who just want to go the distance. LISTEN NOW