Outdoor Explorer - Alaska Public Media

While mountain biking has been around for decades, its popularity in Alaska has taken off in recent years as more riders join the sport and more trails are added to the growing list of singletrack tra...

What’s it like to ditch work for a year and bike pack more than 16,000 miles across two continents? And what challenges—physical, mental and animal—do you encounter along the way?On this episode of Ou...

The Alaska Fellows Program matches young people with professional positions in Alaska, helping attract and keep their energy and expertise in Alaska. Many of the fellows focus on outdoor related field...

Peter Christian and Bradley Bethel met in an online J.R.R. Tolkien class which led to them making a documentary film titled Ranger of the North about Peter's time as a National Park Service ranger in ...

The Toolik Field Station is an Arctic research facility located 370 miles north of Fairbanks. In 2025, Toolik celebrated 50 years of inquiry to help better understand the Arctic and the role it plays ...

What's it like to commercial fish in Alaska? How does one get started in commercial fishing? What are the risks and rewards? Robert Atkinson commercial fished Cook Inlet and Bristol Bay for ...

Alaska has a lot of trails and backcountry areas with many users utilizing them in different ways. How do horses fit into that picture? How do you take care of horses during the cold winter months? Wh...

The summer fun is heating up in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, where parks and trails spread across an area the size of West Virginia offer plenty of space for recreation.  So what’s exciting in ...

Mike and Kelly Bender operated Lazy Otter Charters in Whittier, Alaska, for over 30 years. Decades ago, a random trip Mike took to Whittier on the Alaska Railroad led to him buying a boat and getting ...

On this episode of Outdoor Explorer, we're catching up with author and wildlife biologist Caroline Van Hemert — whose new book has grown from years of watching the natural world change and a convictio...

David Hart is one of many Alaskans with impressive mountaineering resumes that few people know about.Dave's early formative years were spent in his back yard of the Chugach Mountains. He left the stat...

Search and rescue in Alaska is complex and difficult. Even close to Anchorage, a city of around 289,000 people, search operations are challenged by steep mountains, thick brush, bears, avalanches, bad...

Eagle River residents and military veterans Justin and Wella Jay know what it’s like to spend weeks on a trail hiking and exploring together after tackling a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, an adv...

Alaska shapes you in particular ways. It teaches you to read weather, to know your exits, to pay attention to what's underneath the surface. For Kelsey Kroon, it also taught her to pick up the trash, ...

Alaska isn't always the first place that comes to mind when you think of sailing, but sailing clubs have a long history in Alaska. On the this Outdoor explorer, guest host Steve Cleary asks his guests...

Photographer Jeff Schultz has built a career in Alaska capturing stirring images of the state’s wildlife, outdoor spaces, and the people, drama and dogs of the Last Great Race, the Iditarod.How does a...

What do Chickadees, Polar bears, Kudzu and Alaska have in common? On this Outdoor Explorer Paul Twardock is joined by author Marybeth Holeman, artist Kristen Link and writer Brad Meiklejohn to discuss...

Join Outdoor Explorer for a conversation with Jerry Ross, one of Alaska’s most durable and well-known distance runners, about how to prepare for a marathon. We’ll discuss the methods and techniques fo...

For mushers, dog racing is not just how they explore Alaska—it’s an all-consuming lifestyle. But just what goes into this sport? In this episode, we hear from AddieAnn Randall, a teenage musher and fu...

Dr. Margaret Merritt arrived in Alaska in 1977 to visit a friend for two weeks, and instead got a job at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.The first-ever woman to tackle a wide variety of excitin...

The Mat-Su Borough is home to some of the toughest running races in the state. including the Mat Peak Challenge each August and the Susitna 100 in the frigid winter. Now one runner-turned-race directo...

The Alaska Rock Gym was founded in 1995 by local climbers wanting a place to train, socialize and expand the sport. For 30 years and at two different locations, the business has provided a facility an...

Alaska is a land of snow and ice, and southcentral Alaska has lots of great places to go ice skating. This week on Outdoor Explorer, we search for early-season skateable ice in the Susitna Valley, and...

Snow is on the mountains and that means it's time to think about recreating safely in avalanche terrain. There are many avenues to learn about avalanches and what causes them, how to assess slopes for...

"Arctic Alchemy" is a new documentary featuring Roman Dial and his life spent in the outdoors, including his work studying rusting rivers in the Arctic.Roman started in Alaska as a youth visiting his ...

Every year outdoor gear and clothing manufacturers introduce new items for backcountry enthusiasts. As Alaskans gear up for winter this episode discusses what's new in winter gear and clothing with Ri...

Can you imagine hiking the Cross Pass trail, all 24 miles of it, when you are over 80 years old? How about losing your beloved dog off the side of a mountain and then having a "Lassie" story? Or havin...

Our guests this week include Miles Brodski, a Combat Rescue Officer with the 212th Rescue Squadron, Chris Robertson, a recently retired Pararescue Jumper with the 212th Rescue Squadron, and ...

This week on Outdoor Explorer we sit down with Lisa Keller as she says goodbye to the show. We talk about her roots in Anchorage, how she’s inspired athletes of all levels, and the impact of bringing ...

Have you ever wanted to make your own outdoor gear? On this episode of Outdoor Explorer host Paul Twardock interviews two professional gear designers to help answers questions covering concept to fini...

Of the thousands of glaciers spread across Alaska, only about 700 have names. These ever-evolving features have lacked a centralized source for information about their status, names or interesting fac...

On this episode we sit down with writer and wilderness guide Michael Engelhard, who brings the history of Nome alive with a rare mix of lived experience and cultural insight in his new book "No Place ...

Many federal workers are retiring or moving on from their jobs studying the natural world. This episode features two field biologists with years of experience studying birds in Alaska. They share thei...

How does a family that camps together stay together? The Graziano family camps, hunts, paddles and skis year-round with each other and still enjoy exploring Alaska together. Starting when their daught...

Ready to get outside as a family and explore everything Alaska has to offer? If you’re new to the state, have very young kids or are trying to get your family outside together for the first time, the ...

Prolific author and longtime Alaskan Debbie Miller writes books that dive into nature and help both children and adult readers explore and understand the outdoors in the state. In this episode we hear...

As the summer speeds by, Alaskans are making the most of the long days playing and working outside. This episode features one young Alaskan family who make their livelihood mostly in the summer operat...

What does it mean to live a life shaped by wild places? This week on Outdoor Explorer, we talk with author and adventurer Jon Waterman. From rescuing climbers on Denali to crossing the Arctic alone, J...

It's spring and time to prepare to visit Alaska's lakes, mountains, oceans and rivers to enjoy the outdoors. Many of us head to our state parks and increasing use can lead to impacts on vegetation, wa...

On this Outdoor Explorer, we hear from Harlow Robinson, the executive director of Healthy Futures and the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame. On June 5, the Hall will induct the class of 2025. Harlow tells us...

Public use cabins are very popular in Alaska, with demand exceeding supply. Various organizations are working on new huts and on this Outdoor Explorer we highlight two: Arctic Valley Ski Area and Alas...

Since 1976, Jeff Lowenfels has been observing the climate and giving gardening and yardening advice in his weekly Anchorage Daily News column, the longest running gardening column in the United States...

Seward’s hometown Mount Marathon Race holds legendary status among professional and novice runners alike as the world’s toughest 5K. Each year, more than 1,000 runners enter a lottery for a chance to ...

Every year thousands of hawks and other raptors migrate into Southcentral Alaska by Gunsight Mountain on the Glen Highway. Redtail Hawks, Rough Legged Hawks, Northern Harriers, Golden Eagles, Sharp Sh...

As spring approaches and the snow disappears, summer trails reemerge from their own hibernation. At the same time, trail crews are gearing up for their summer projects. On this Outdoor Explorer Haley ...

Well cared for outdoor gear makes for successful outings, and saves money! On this episode of Outdoor Explorer host Paul Twardock talks gear care and repair with three experts: Jaime Hirano teaches t...

Hitting the trails is a great way to explore Alaska, but it can also be a deeply personal experience about so much more. That’s something Alaska mountain runner Denali Foldager Strabel has experienced...

Trail builder and Anchorage ski racing pioneer, Jim Mahaffey, visits the studio to discuss his arrival in Alaska in the 1960s, the early years of the Alaska Methodist University Ski Team and the const...

On the top of Mount Gordon Lyon, overlooking Anchorage and the Arctic Valley Ski Area, is a set of buildings holding an important piece of Alaska's History. Nike Site Summit is one of three Nike Hercu...

Lisa Roderick spent 22 years managing Denali Basecamp on the Kahiltna Glacier, acting as flight control for glacier pilots, weather reporter, first responder and more. In her time at base camp manager...