In this episode, outdoors intern Olivia Stevens takes listeners through a Eugene author's unusual strategy to finishing the Pacific Crest Trail. Rather than the traditional experience of completing the trail from the borders of Mexico to Canada in one go, Bob Welch hiked the 2,650 miles in 17 chunks over 11 years.

Welch recently published a book about his experience, “Seven Summers (and a few Bummers): My Adventures on the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail.”

He will speak about the book and sign copies at Tsunami Books in Eugene on Thursday at 7 p.m. and at the Corvallis public library at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 7.

Stevens talked to Welch about the PCT, trail magic and the pros and cons of sectioning out the iconic trail from Mexico to Canada.

In this episode, host Zach Urness talks about why fire investigation reports from the devastating 2020 Labor Day Fires still have not been finished or released by Oregon officials.

Zach was interviewed about his in-depth reporting on the subject by Dave Miller, host of Think Out Loud on Oregon Public Broadcasting. They talk about where the investigations stand after three years, why it's taking so long, what we know and how California does thing differently.

In this episode of the Explore Oregon Podcast, host Zach Urness breaks down Oregon's 2023 wildfire season and puts it in prospective compared to recent years.

Zach details the acres burned, homes lost and air quality impact around Oregon, along with the biggest fires of the year and big takeaways from the season.

Then he talks with Alex Robertson, a longtime firefighter and regional fire director for the U.S. Forest Service, about what firefighters saw in 2023.

In this episode of the Explore Oregon Podcast, host Zach Urness and outdoors intern Olivia Stevens talk about some of the best things to do in the Wallowa Mountains.

Olivia highlights overlooked campsites, cultural sites and museums and some new hikes in northeast Oregon's Joseph-Enterprise-Wallowa Lake area. Then, Zach posts a full episode that breaks down everything to know about the area with an episode originally recorded in 2018.

In this episode of the Explore Oregon Podcast, host Zach Urness and outdoors intern Olivia Stevens walks listeners through a unique experience on Wallowa Lake in the remote northeastern town of Joseph.

A small, family-run company out there recently became a viral sensation after a social media influencer posted a video paddling through the glacial lake at night in light-up, clear boats.

Olivia took the nighttime clear bottom kayak tour herself, and talks about whether the experience lived up to the hype driven by all the online attention. She also talked to the family that owns the company JO Paddle about how the business of clear bottom kayak tours and rentals began, as well as where they hope to take it in the future.

JO Paddle will open reservations for their next season of tours and rentals on January 1. To learn more, go to their website.

In this episode, outdoors intern Olivia Stevens brings listeners to Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area to watch and listen to one of Oregon's most majestic animals — Roosevelt elk.

Jewell Meadows, located in the Coast Range east of Seaside, is popular place where visitors can see up to 200 elk in one visit.

Stevens highlights the sound an elk makes while "bugling" during mating season, breaks down how this popular wildlife refuge and talks about why it's making a trip to visit with refuge mangers and volunteers.

In this episode, Zach talks with University of Oregon astronomy professor Scott Fisher about the upcoming "ring of fire" solar eclipse.

The annular eclipse, while not quite as dramatic as the 2017 total solar eclipse, will showcase the moon blocking the sun in Oregon beginning at 9:13 a.m. on Oct. 14 and traveling across a wide swath of the state.

Fisher, also the director of Pine Mountain Observatory in Central Oregon, talks about where to best see the eclipse, what's happening in the sky and how it's different from the 2017 event.

In this episode, Zach breaks down how to boat camp at Waldo Lake in a year when many campgrounds and roads are still closed due to last year's Cedar Creek Fire.

While two of the campgrounds at Waldo are closed, you are allowed to load up a canoe or kayak with camping equipment and head to "dispersed" campsites that dot the lake's shoreline.

Zach explains what's legal and open this year, before adding a podcast that looks at where to find the lake's best campsites, what to expect and how to plan a trip.

In this episode, Zach talks to Sisters district ranger Ian Reid about the spectacular recreation and plans for new trails in this Central Oregon town.

They start by focusing on the Three Creek Lake — one of Oregon's best base camps for adventure. They talk about how to best plan a trip, where to camp, fish and hike, along with detailing some potential changes that could be coming to the area.

In the second half, Ian breaks down a new trail plan for the Sisters area. The plan includes new downhill mountain biking trails, opening trails in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness and tweaking popular trails, including those in Canyon Creek Meadows.

In this edition, host Zach Urness and intern Abigail Landwehr talk about a visit to Bohemia Mountain and a festival honoring its rich past.

Southeast of Cottage Grove, the name of the mountain is probably best known for the town-wide annual celebration. Every summer, Bohemia Mining Days attracts a number of people from across the state and further.

But the surrounding area offers more than just the festival — visitors can also explore trails, campgrounds and the captivating mining history of the peak. Pieces of the mining district’s past also sit in between the pines, including a ghost town abandoned three times.

Urness and Landwehr talk about the past and present of the area and offer a guide on what to explore during a trip to Bohemia Mountain. Interviews from longstanding locals, razor-driving visitors and the Bohemia Mining Days Festival’s deputy are also featured in the episode.