Outdoor Explorer

Our biggest dog park in Anchorage seems to be Chugach State Park. On any sunny day on the trails into the mountains, you will encounter a lot of dogs and their people. Host Charles Wohlforth and guests will talk about enjoying the outdoors with your dog, fun stuff you can do, what to be careful of, and how to avoid being a jerk around non-dog people. KSKA: Thursday, June 12, 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:

On this Outdoor Explorer, we’ll talk to Alice Tower Knapp, who grew up in Anchorage, skiing on the local ski trails. She recently published a book about the history, the people, and the inner workings of the Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage.

On this Outdoor Explorer we're revisiting an important topic: “Leave only footprints.” — It’s an ambitious philosophy. Most of us who recreate outdoors like to think we do a good job of this. We pack out our trash. We travel across landscapes with a light footprint. But how good are we? We’ll hear experts talk about what it really means to leave no trace — from scattering your fire circles to packing out human waste. Thanks for listening!

On the next Outdoor Explorer, we’re talking about about remote power. Solar panels are small and portable enough now that it makes sense to take them into the backcountry to charge batteries, extending your electronics and communications indefinitely. My guest is also an expert in setting up remote power systems at cabins, technology that is advancing to make power in your remote site much simpler. Also, we'll hear about climbing and rafting on and around Spencer Glacier. Thanks for listening!

For outdoor families, it can be tough when children leave elementary school and suddenly don’t want to go outside anymore. There are plenty of exceptions, but middle school coaches and parents of tweens know that this is a critical age to keep young people going outside and active. We’ll be talking with parents and educators about how the outdoors can compete with the screen or the couch in the lives of tweens as we struggle to help them build independent lives that are healthy and active. KSKA: Thursday 10/17 at 2:00 pm and 9:00 pm Listen Now

KSKA: Thursday, May 04, at 2:00 p.m. A few years ago Charles got interested in a group that was cleaning up marine debris from beaches in Prince William Sound. He volunteered, and was blown away by what a rewarding experience it was to pick up trash. On the next show we’re revisiting the topic of beach cleanup, both on the wild, outer coast where stuff is washing up from Japan, and on our beaches here in Anchorage.

On the next Outdoor Explorer, our guests will be two authors whose books reflect on Alaska through their relationships with our unique and challenging environment. Monica Devine, author of “Water Mask,” and Bjorn Dihle, author of “AShape in the Dark: Living and Dying with Brown Bears.”

KSKA: Thursday, March 09, at 2:00 p.m. On the next Outdoor Explorer, we’ll talk about summer camp choices, and practical considerations for parents in planning your kids' summer. Summer may not seem close today, but it is definitely time to begin scheduling your kids’ activities. 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:

KSKA: Thursday, Sept. 07, at 2:00 p.m. The time of the year is coming when that strange and wonderful sound arrives of geese forming up in great "V" formations and heading south from Alaska. Their migration, and that of other waterfowl, is one of the most impressive movements of life across the wilderness, something amazing and even moving to behold. On the next show, we’ll be learning about those ducks, geese and swans that nest here in Alaska in the summer, how they live, what they eat, their habitat and breeding, and about the incredible journeys they make each year. LISTEN HERE

Dave Johnston has had many firsts: the first winter ascents of Denali and Mount Foraker, and the first Denali State Park Ranger being just a few. He also has climbed the 50 highest peaks in the U.S. with his family. Join your host Paul Twardock with Dave, his wife Cari and son Galen for the next Outdoor Explorer.

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

This week we revisit a conversation from 2014. Alaska’s outdoors people may think they’re tough, but how about paddling 40 days in a dugout canoe in the rains of Southeast Alaska in October and November, dressed in wool, without modern gear? On the next Outdoor Explorer, join host Charles Wohlforth and guests to talk about historic expeditions. What these guys did will amaze you. KSKA: Thursday, Jan 14, at 2:00 and Thursday, Jan 21, at 8:00 p.m. LISTEN NOW

KSKA: Thursday, Jan. 25, at 2:00p.m. We’re talking about dogs on the next Outdoor Explorer. Anchorage has a network of dog parks for different kinds of breeds that have different needs. Now there’s a group that wants to build a dog park with play equipment. We also have a guest to talk about dogs and the law. Later in the show, we catch up with our friend Dario Schwoerer, and his family. They've endured some tragedy, since we last spoke to them about their TOPtoTOP program, when a storm in Iceland seriously damaged the ship they live on. It's a harrowing tale to be sure. LISTEN HERE

On this week’s Outdoor Explorer, we’ll be talking about the disparate sports of rifle marksmanship and cross-country skiing that, when combined, create the sport of biathlon. Our guests will be Sara Studebaker-Hall and Zach Hall. Sara is the Director of Operations at TeamUSA Biathlon, and Zach is the Team Manager and Head Coach at the Soldier Hollow Olympic Legacy Program. They both have deep connections to Alaska; Zach grew up in Nikiski, and Sara was the UAA Ski Team’s assistant coach for several years. On this week’s show, Sara and Zach discuss the joys and tribulations of biathlon, the sport’s history, and how YOU can get involved in this unique and healthy sport!

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

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

What was it like to climb Denali in 1970? This past summer the Denali climb C-4 M-4 gathered in Talkeetna to reminisce on the 50th anniversary of their climb up the Muldrow route, and host Paul Twardock was there to record and share with the Outdoor Explorer audience.

The night sky is infinitely interesting, and, like any experience in nature, knowledge only makes the experience deeper. On the next Outdoor Explorer, we’re going to learn about the stars and watching them as an outdoor Alaskan activity. KSKA: Thursday, Dec. 18, at 2:00 and 9:00 p.m. Listen now: