Outdoor Explorer

On this Outdoor Explorer, our guest is two-time Olympian and Licensed Professional Counselor, Holly Brooks. She recently released a documentary called “Winning at All Costs: Breaking the Silence on Athletes and Eating Disorders.” Her message to athletes of all ages and abilities is “You are more than your results, performance reviews and appearance.”

On this Outdoor Explorer our guest is Harlow Robinson, the executive director of Healthy Futures and the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame. On April 27, the Hall will induct the class of 2023. Harlow will tell us about the people, moment and event that comprise this year’s class, as well as the annual Director’s Awards and the popular 100 Miles in May.

KSKA: Thursday, April 13, at 2:00 p.m. Probably, like a lot of cyclists in Anchorage, you know our trails pretty well, especially the ones closest to home, because that’s where you ride on a regular basis. But bikes these days can go a lot farther than that. On our next show, we’re talking about mountain biking opportunities beyond the bowl, including in the Mat-su and on the brand new trails just finished near Eagle River, at Mirror Lake. LISTEN HERE

On this Outdoor Explorer, Harlow Robinson, executive director of the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame, will catch us up on the Hall’s class of 2020. The planned induction ceremony for the event, the moment and the individuals to be honored was slated for April, but the celebration has been delayed to next year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

KSKA: Thursday, Jan. 12, at 2:00 p.m. On Outdoor Explorer, we're fortunate to meet some of the world’s most amazing people, and that was especially true when Dario Schwoerer was in town to talk about his 100,000-mile sailboat voyage. On our next show we'll hear from Dario about his amazing family, some scary moments they've endured, and their hopes for our planet. LISTEN NOW

Denali and the Himalaya have attracted mountaineers since the early 1900s. Many climbers, including Alaskans, got their start on Denali's bitterly cold and windy slopes, then moved on to the Himalaya. This show features Steve Mock with the Denali Rescue Volunteers, the Alex Lowe Foundation, and the Khumbu Climbing Center.

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. KSKA: Thursday, Dec. 4, at 2:00 and 9:00 p.m. Listen now:

KSKA: Thursday, Aug. 25, at 2:00 p.m. On this Outdoor Explorer we’re saying happy birthday to the national parks by airing the show on the 100th anniversary of the creation of National Park Service, which takes care of some of the nation’s most dramatic and valuable wilderness. We’ll hear a little about that history and how the centennial is being celebrated during the show, but our main emphasis is on the parks themselves. LISTEN NOW

KSKA: Thursday, May 26, at 2:00 and Thursday, June 02, at 8:00 p.m. If you’re headed for Homer, learn about the tide pools, the forests or the critters living under the docks from an enthusiastic group of young educators. We recorded the next show at the Center for Alaska Coastal Studies, went to a remote field station, and got some ideas to enrich time outdoors with knowledge and insight. DOWNLOAD AUDIO

KSKA: Thursday, November 30, at 2:00p.m. What goes on inside those tents you see on the frozen lakes around town? On the next Outdoor Explorer, we’ll find out. The topic is ice fishing. Folks do it on stocked lakes all through the city – that’s another unique thing about Anchorage – and in the backcountry they catch great big fish through the ice. What’s the attraction of fishing in the middle of winter when the water is frozen? We’ll find out how to do it and why as we revisit this great show from a few years back. LISTEN HERE

You’ve seen the t-shirts. The ones with a picture of a mosquito with the caption “Alaska state bird.” Mosquito season is upon us. Join host Annie Feidt and two entomologists to talk about what's biting us. We'll also learn about the ecological role the buzzers and biters play in Alaska's ecosystem. KSKA: Thursday, May 22, at 2:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Listen now:

On the next Outdoor Explorer, meet Justin and Wella Jay. They met in Anchorage while serving in the Army. They were both deployed to combat in Afghanistan. They both came back with trauma from their wartime experiences. But as a couple they supported each other and found a way to walk off the war--on a six month hike over the Appalachian Trail. It helped them, and they think nature therapy could help other veterans. Thanks for listening!

On the next Outdoor Explorer, we’re talking about public use cabins. Why now? Well, they’re open in the winter, and perfect for a ski or snowshoeing weekend. Perhaps more importantly, the season for reserving cabins for summer will soon be upon us. Believe it or not, it’s time to start planning your cabin trips for 2014. We learn about remote cabins you can rent, how to do it, and personal favorites across the region.

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KSKA: Thursday 11/21 at 2:00 and 9:00 pm

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. Listen now:

KSKA: Thursday,June 15, at 2:00 p.m. Invasive plants on land and water can spread rapidly. Weeds entering a new system are something like viruses, or cancers, that can be dealt with relatively easy in the early stage, but become unmanageable if they go too far. The hopeful news is that Alaskans are tackling this challenge, and it is not too late to make a difference. LISTEN HERE

Taking kids on an outdoor vacation can be the most rewarding and memorable time of your life. And the most stressful. Ever been without a campsite with hungry, tired kids when its getting past bedtime? Now THAT’S an extreme sport. On the next Outdoor Explorer, we’re talking about family trips. Host Charles Wohlforth wrote a book on the subject and he is joined by two other authors of advice on family travel in Alaska and taking kids outdoors. KSKA: Thursday, April 24, at 2:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Listen now:

What goes on inside those tents you see on the frozen lakes around town? On the next Outdoor Explorer,we’ll find out. The topic is ice fishing. Folks do it on stocked lakes all through the city--that’s another unique thing about Anchorage--and in the backcountry they catch great big fish through the ice. We’ll find out how to do it and why. What’s the attraction of fishing in the middle of winter when the water is frozen? KSKA: Thursday 1/30 at 2:00 and 9:00 pm 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.

Alaska’s World Cup Ski Racers are a force to be reckoned with on the international racing circuit. On the next Outdoor Explorer, we’ll be talking with two of them who have been making an impact lately: Sadie Maubet-Bjornsen and JC Schoonmaker.

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