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Paddling into Summer | Outdoor Explorer

Alaska Public Media | By Paul Twardock
Published May 16, 2024 at 5:48 PM AKDT
A person kayaks in the ocean.
(Paul Twardock)

It is time for boating! After a long winter kayaks and canoes are finally appearing from beneath piles of snow, rivers are running, lakes are thawing, and the ocean beckons. This episode of Outdoor Explorer is about getting ready for rafting, kayaking, canoeing and other non-motorized paddle sports. Topics include preparing yourself and your equipment for a summer of paddling. We also talk about Knik Canoers and Kayakers, or KCK. The club is instrumental in river conservation, access, and education in Southcentral Alaska. It hosts a safety education meeting, a paddle film festival, Paddle Fun
Day and organizes trips.

HOST: Paul Twardock

GUESTS:
Jule Harle, packrafting author and instructor
Eric Downey, Knik Canoer and Kayaking club president
Chris Hellmann, organizer of the KCK paddle film festival and KCK vice president

Knik Canoers and Kayakers
Alaska Packrafter School and Jule Harle
American Canoe Association
Alaska Office of Boating Safety
Alaska Pacific University Outdoor Programs
Alaska Sea Kayakers
Alaska Coastal Safety
Fairbanks Paddlers
Paddlers Realm
Things to Luc At: Wilderness Safety and Alaskan Adventure
Turnagain Kayaks

Outdoor Explorer
Paul Twardock
Paul Twardock is a Professor of Outdoor Studies at Alaska Pacific University, where he has worked since 1988. He is the author of Kayaking and Camping in Prince William Sound and help found the Alaska Sea Kayaking Symposium/Paddle Sport Fun Day. At APU he teaches a variety of undergraduate classes included Sea Kayaking, Recreation Program Design, Nordic Skiing, The Business of Recreation, and Wildland Ecosystems and Human Impacts.  Paul received his BS in Outdoor Recreation from Western Illinois University, went to work instructing for NOLS in Alaska, then received his MBA from APU.  Paul’s  research includes monitoring of campsites in Prince William Sound and Chugach State Park for human impact, trail use in Chugach State Park, and the Alaska Recreational Boating Safety Incident Database. His passions include sea kayaking, river boating of all sorts, hiking, mountain running, climbing, skiing of any kind, and birding.  One of his last adventures involved a mule ride. Paul is one of several hosts for Outdoor Explorer.
See stories by Paul Twardock