The Tour of Anchorage ski event
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.
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Chugach National Forest Town Hall Meeting
Chugach National Forest, and especially Prince William Sound, takes in some of the most extraordinary scenery and protected wilderness in Alaska. Charles Wohlforth shares what he learned when he attended a public meeting on changing management of the Sound, and you'll hear from people who think that’s both a good and a bad idea.
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Off the Chain Bicycle Collective
Anchorage's Off the Chain Bicycle Collective is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization that provides bike repair advice while aiming to increase bicycle ridership, awareness, and safety. Join host Paul Twardock as he visits the Off the Chain shop for a tour and bike repair advice
“Arctic Solitaire” book and adverse weather gear
Paul Souders wanted see and photograph polar bears for himself, by himself, in a new way, and he did something to accomplish that no one else would have thought of. He put a 22-foot boat on a trailer and drove to the Arctic, voyaging north, through Hudson Bay, to the pack ice. The photographs he came back with are stunning, showing bears in a way I’ve never seen them.
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Talking about the economic impact of outdoor activities with Lee Hart of the Alaska Outdoor Alliance
On this Outdoor Explorer, our guest will be Lee Hart, Executive Director of Alaska Outdoor Alliance, an organization that advances the political and economic power of outdoor recreation in Alaska. The outdoor economy is an under-
recognized economic driver in our state with the average Alaskan spending almost $5000 per year on outdoor gear and services.
Volunteering in the outdoors
Volunteering in the outdoors is a great way to contribute to the quality of our outdoor experiences, and is rewarding in itself. More and more land managers rely on volunteers to maintain the quality of trails, pull invasive weeds, and monitor campsites. On this week’s show we’ll be talking about opportunities to volunteer in the outdoors.
Group Led Outdoor Activities
On this Outdoor Explorer we’ll talk about the outdoors as a social space. Some folks think that groups are the best way to experience natural places, to hike, ski, climb or bird. They’ve set up ways to get together and meet new people while exploring and learning. Have you ever thought about finding new friends for an outdoor adventure? Learn how.
KSKA: Thursday 3/28 at 2:00 pm and 10:00 pm 
Getting your own piece of Alaska
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. The state of Alaska still has programs for residents to get inexpensive land, including the opportunity to pick your own site and stake the corners. 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.
KSKA: Thursday, Sept 10, at 2:00 p.m. and Thursday, Sept. 17, at 8:00 p.m.
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Ski jumping in Anchorage
On the next Outdoor Explorer, we’ll be talking about ski jumping with the Anchorage Ski Jumping Club. Our guests will be Karen Compton and Zak Hamill. Karen has been instrumental in the recent dramatic growth of the Anchorage Jumping Club, and she’s also a parent of two ski jumpers. Zak Hamill is the Club’s program director and head coach.
Ski Trail Intel
Cross-country skiing is all about the trail. In your mind’s eye, that’s where you are when you think about skiing. The beauty of the place, and also the challenge, and, of course, the conditions. That’s why we talk about trails so much. On our very first episode of Outdoor Explorer, we explore the trails of southcentral – the old favorites, and some brand new trails in Girdwood and near Hatcher Pass. Read More...
KSKA: Thursday 2/21 at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm
Arctic Valley Ski Area
Arctic Valley ski area has been in operation since 1941. On the next Outdoor Explorer we will be talking about the the future of the ski area and its importance to the community. We discuss the new concession agreement that will allow the Anchorage Ski Club to continue to operate the ski area as well as the resurrection of the Arctic Valley Ski Team.
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Fireweed 400
Close to the middle of nowhere, on the Glenn Highway at Sheep Mountain Lodge, 750 cyclists will take off for a race to Valdez, 200 miles away, an amazing highway ride, largely downhill, across some of Alaska's most beautiful country. And then the most competitive among them will turn around and ride back up the mountains another 200 miles to the starting point. We're focusing on the Fireweed 400, a unique, inspiring and fun summer event for the best cyclists and for a bunch off ordinary mortals who just want to challenge themselves.
KSKA: Thursday 7/11 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm
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Travel School #2: Parks of California
On the next Outdoor Explorer, we will continue the series Travel School with Jodi Harskamp and Neal Stanbury and their children, Tui and Leif. We will pick up their journey as they leave Oregon and begin exploring the parks of California. But just as they get started, they encounter trouble.
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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Backcountry babies
KSKA: Thursday, Sept. 14, at 2:00 p.m. How young can you take your kids outdoors? For some Alaska parents, there isn't much of a limit, and they are taking babies backpacking, boating and camping. It makes sense. Babies are more portable that bigger kids, and they are constantly amused by the passing world from a backpack. But there are cautions to be aware of, and on our next show we'll talk to a pediatrician as well as an adventurer to learn about taking babies to the backcountry.
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Sonja Wieck: Tales of Toughness
What happens when an 18-time Ironman athlete comes in second in her age group at the world championships and wakes up realizing she’s still the same person she was the day before?
Brewing coffee in the outdoors
If you’re a coffee lover and an outdoor enthusiast, at some point you’ve probably wondered how you can indulge in better coffee while also enjoying your favorite outdoor spaces. This week on Outdoor Explorer, our guests are Tim Gravel, co-owner of Kaladi Brothers Coffee and fellow lover of the outdoors, and Gina Shively, an avid outdoorswoman. We talk about making better coffee in the backcountry and our favorite ways to drink this magical beverage in the outdoors.
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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Different Wheeled Machines
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.
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The “Walking Monk” and his time in Alaska
On this Outdoor Explorer, we’ll go for a walk with a man known as The Walking Monk, because he’s walked across North America five separate times and he recently published
a book about the people he’s met along the way. Join host Adam Verrier on Outdoor Explorer to
hear our discussion about the joys and pleasures of taking a good long walk.