Outdoor Explorer

On “Outdoor Explorer” we invite you to step outside into Alaska. Follow us to a new trail or fishing hole, learn what to pack, when to go and most importantly, how to stay safe. Learn about life-long fitness and get inspired to go outside in the back country or on the bike trails.

We’ll hear from the people who know the land best – outdoor guides, park rangers, coaches, authors, lodge owners, bush pilots, educators and you, the explorer. Listen Thursdays at 2:00 & 8:00 pm on KSKA FM, streaming live at alaskapublic.org.

We’re looking for your show ideas! Please send your thoughts for upcoming shows to: bork@alaskapublic.org

Snow machine assisted skiing

KSKA: Thursday, Jan. 11, at 2 & 8 p.m. We have some fun people to introduce you to on the next Outdoor Explorer: twin brothers came in to talk with us. They're beer brewers, who are fanatic for snow machine-assisted backcountry skiing. This is where you ski or board remote powder slopes, but without spending the sweat to get there on foot or the money to get there on a helicopter--you ride out on a snow machine. There’s a ton of skill involved and a lot to learn, and these guys are great at talking about it. LISTEN HERE
Pat and Millett Keller with baby Lisa

Pieces of Alaska History, Part One

On this Outdoor Explorer, our guest is Millett Keller. Millett came to Alaska in the early 1960s with a great love for the outdoors. In his 30 years in Anchorage, he touched critical parts of our history. His influence ranged from the initial development of Prudhoe Bay to the first community YMCA to providing opportunities for girls in sports.

100th Anniversary of Migratory Bird Treaty

KSKA: Thursday, May 12 @ 2:00 pm. On the next Outdoor Explorer we mark the 100th anniversary of the migratory bird treaty, a conservation landmark and learn how migrations come through our state and where and when you can enjoy them. DOWNLOAD AUDIO

Alyeska Memories

Alyeska Resort is an amazing place to have as our backyard ski hill. On this edition of Outdoor Explorer, we’re talking about how it got that way. Recording in Girdwood, we have Chris Von Imhof, the father of Alyeska, at the Roundhouse museum up on the mountain, with many good stories. And we’ll have Rosey Fletcher, who became an Olympian on the runs that Von Imhof built. KSKA: Thursday, March 24, at 2pm and Thursday, March 31 at 8pm DOWNLOAD AUDIO

Nordic Combined: A Developing Alaskan Sport

At the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, the U.S. went from no medals ever in the sport of nordic combined to a gold and three silvers, more than any other country. Now there’s a push on to keep performing in this combination of jumping and distance skiing, and Anchorage is a key to the effort. On the next Outdoor Explorer, host Charles Wohlforth will be joined by a national team skier and coach, in town to build the athlete pipeline. KSKA: Thursday 4/18 at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm

Gold Mining

It’s a fair bet that the stampeders who flowed north during the Klondike Gold Rush never thought of mining as recreational, but the hunt for gold is something people do for fun, as well as profit. We’ll find out how and why modern recreational miners persist in sifting Alaska’s streams with pans and other obsolete equipment, going after glittering flakes of gold, and hoping for something much richer. It's a hobby that gets them outdoors, and it's a treasure hunt. KSKA: Thursday 9/5 at 2:00 pm and 9:00 pm Listen Now

Outdoor summer camps

On the next Outdoor Explorer we are learning about outdoor summer camps for kids. Once school is out camps are a ritual for many families, however camps have changed a lot in the last 20 years. Camps have become more professional and are not just a month living in the woods.

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. Thanks for listening!

Surfing and hiking

When most of us think of the outdoor activities that Alaskans love, we tend to think of hiking, biking, skiing, and skating. On the next Outdoor Explorer, we talk about one not so common Alaskan outdoor activity, surfing - we talk about where to do it and how to get started as a beginner. We also talk about a more common outdoor activity, hiking, and how one woman prepared for her trek up Mt. Kilimanjaro by hiking in Southcentral Alaska. Thanks for listening!

Outdoor Explorer: Onward and Upward helps kids through adventure and learning

There are many organizations dedicated to improving the quality of life of Alaska's youth. Many use the outdoors and nature to help kids overcome the challenges they face. Onward and Upward is a nonprofit based in the Mat-Su Valley and is one such organization. The group offers programs that use the concept of "one health" that incorporates adventure, challenge by choice, experiential learning and place based education while being sensitive to trauma. Randy Dowd, Executive Director and founder, and his staff join host Paul Twardock to discuss the programs they offer and benefits that youth receive from their program and ones like it.
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The 50th Anniversary of the Hillside ski trails in Anchorage

The first five-kilometer ski loop was cut by Service High School families and coaches in 1971.

Winter Camping and Snowshoeing

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

Women ski patrollers of Alyeska Ski Resort

2020 has been a great year to be a skier in Southcentral Alaska. This show features the women ski patrollers, avalanche specialists, medical staff, and Search and Rescue Dog handlers of Alyeska Resort.

Crossing the Alaska Range

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!

Whaling Photography with Bill Hess

Bill Hess is a photographer who has immersed himself in the Native cultures of the Arctic for decades, and came back with extraordinary images and stories. His book “The Gift of the Whale” is a classic on the subject of Inupiaq hunting. And he’s also a humble and funny person to talk with. KSKA: Thurs., Dec. 3, at 2:00 p.m. and Thurs., Dec. 10, at 8:00 p.m. Download Audio

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

Water Taxis to Wilderness

Coastal communities are the best thresholds to the wilderness for most of us who live in urban Alaska. That’s because a short boat ride can get you from the small boat harbor to a wild beach many, many miles from the nearest road, a place that likely is inaccessible any other way. On today’s show, we’re going to talk about using water taxis and where they can take you for hiking, paddling, or just setting up camp and enjoying incredibly beautiful, biologically rich places. KSKA: Thursday, April 30, at 2:00 and 9:00 p.m. Listen Now:

Writing About Alaska

KSKA: Thursday, Nov. 3, at 2:00 p.m. The next Outdoor Explorer will be focusing on writing about Alaska. We'll have two of Alaska’s best and most successful authors in the studio, each of whom have told stories that take into account the terrain and landscapes, the myth and grandeur of the state, in both fiction and in non fiction. LISTEN NOW

Boat building

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

Salmon and Alaska

Salmon are an iconic symbol of Alaska: plentiful and wild. On this week’s Outdoor Explorer we’ll being talking with Amy Gulick about her new book “The Salmon Way.”