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The history of Kincaid Park

On this week’s Outdoor Explorer, we’ll talk about the development of the ski trail system at Kincaid Park with Jim Burkholder, who was a young school teacher at Dimond High School in the early 1970’s when he and other visionaries began cutting ski trails around Beercan Lake in Kincaid Park. Over the following years and decades, the ski trail system expanded to eventually include the land that became available through the decommissioning of the Point Campbell Nike Missile Launch Site. Meanwhile, Kincaid Park has become a center for a broadening range of outdoor activities such as soccer, mountain biking, and disc golf. On this week’s show, we’ll discuss the timeline of developments in the park and the people whose energy and vision made the park into what it is today.

HOST: Adam Varrier

GUEST: Jim Burkholder

LINKS:
Kincaid Park Web Page
Kincaid Park Ski Trail Map

BROADCAST: Thursday, February 9th, 2022. 10:00 am – 11:00 a.m. AKT

REPEAT BROADCAST: February 9th, 2022. 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. AKT

Adam Verrier grew up in New Hampshire and has lived in Norway, Sweden, and Michigan, but moved to Alaska immediately after graduating from the University of Wyoming in 1992 and has lived here ever since. Adam enjoys all kinds of outdoor activities and was a member of the 1994 Olympic Team in cross-country skiing. After getting out of elite-level ski racing, he found a job appraising rural and remote real estate, primarily in the Aleutian Islands, Bristol Bay, Pribilof Islands, the Alaska Peninsula, Kodiak Island and Cordova – all places that require travel by air or sea. His work allows Adam to explore remote areas of the state and to meet the interesting people who live in those places. When not traveling around Alaska for work, he is a volunteer assistant coach for the University of Alaska-Anchorage Ski Team, and also does ski race announcing / commentating for major events in Alaska and around the country. A committed bicycle commuter, Adam enjoys going on bicycle and motorcycle adventures every chance he gets.