Explore Oregon Podcast: The state's most beautiful places and biggest issues

In this episode, Zach talks with outdoors journalism intern Elliott Deins about how to explore underwater at Clear Lake.

Deins reports on the origins of Clear Lake, what makes it interesting, why it’s a hotspot for divers and the best gear to plunge into the frigid waters.

With consistent visibility over 100 feet and water temperatures around 40 degrees year-round, it’s always a good time for a dive in Clear Lake.

Deins talks with experts about the uniqueness of “the world’s biggest swimming pool”— and exploring a sunken forest that feels like a different planet— while detailing dive locations, why you should stay off the bottom and recommendations for a good day at Clear Lake.

In this edition, Zach interviews Bonnie Henderson, an expert on backpacking and thru-hiking the Oregon Coast Trail. 

Henderson, author of the book "Hiking the Oregon Coast Trail: 400 Miles from the Columbia River to California," talks about what makes the trail unique and the best ways to pull off a trip. 

September can be a great month to explore the OCT, with smaller crowds but still nice weather.

Henderson talks about the differences in each segment of the trail while detailing critical factors such as the best season to backpack, why reading tide tables is important and where you'll need to arrange for ferry rides to cross large bays.

In this episode, host Zach Urness updates some of the latest news about Oregon's state parks system, including major fee increases to camp and visit, before launching a deep dive into how the park system came together over 100 years.

Urness talks with associate parks director Chris Havel and historian Christy Sweet about the park system's long, winding and goofball history. It makes for a fun listen for anyone on a Labor Day Weekend road trip in Oregon's outdoors.

The story centers on the colorful and bombastic Sam Boardman, known as the "father of Oregon's state parks system," who built the system from the ground up beginning in the 1920s.

It's a story of ambition and conservation, of colorful characters, near-calamity and rebirth.

In this episode, host Zach Urness talks with outdoor intern Emma Logan about the best mountain bike destinations across Oregon.

The two break down the best spots to ride near Mount Hood, on the Oregon Coast and in central, southwest and eastern Oregon. The destinations range from smaller trail systems new to the scene to internationally recognized trails in Oakridge.

Urness and Logan discuss their favorite trails, what make those areas unique and how mountain bike trails have changed over the years.

In this episode, host Zach Urness talks with outdoor intern Emma Logan about mountain biking in Oakridge. This small town has put itself on the map with a world class trail network.

With over 300 miles of trails, Oakridge is one of the six gold-level ride centers in the world and has been dubbed "Mountain Biking Capital of the Northwest."

This episode includes an interview with Marcello Ojerio, a bike mechanic and longtime local rider who works at the Oakridge Bike Shop. Ojerio talks about what makes Oakridge trails special, how to pick the right ride and how to handle wildfires and smoke that have impacted the area the past few years.

In this episode of the Explore Oregon Podcast, host Zach Urness returns to one of the state's great backyard gems — the Willamette Water Trail.

Urness highlights his two favorite places to float and camp on the mainstem Willamette, that features surprisingly beautiful scenery, wildlife habitat and camps just a stone's throw from cities such as Eugene, Corvallis and Salem.

Then, Urness plays an interview from 2021 with former Willamette Riverkeeper executive director Travis Williams — now with Willamette River Preservation Trust — about the best floats, history and things to know about being on the Willamette.

In this episode, host Zach Urness gives an update on the fast-developing wildfire season in Oregon and then posts and interview that dives into how beloved places such as the Opal Creek area reopen post wildfire.

First, Urness breaks down some of the fires burning across the state after a major lightning storm ignited a number of new blazes near Oakridge, Diamond Lake, the McKenzie Corridor and all other corners of the state.

Then, Urness posts an interview that he did with Portland City Cast on how the Opal Creek area is doing now, four years after the 2020 Labor Day Fires. He details what the area looks like and plans for how it will eventually reopen. He also talks about the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire and its lasting impact, and the legacy of the 2003 B&B Complex.

In this episode, host Zach Urness talks with outdoor intern Emma Logan about summer skiing at Timberline Lodge and Ski Area on Mount Hood.

Timberline offers the only place to ski in the middle of the summer in North America. From the top of the Palmer snowfield, skiers stand at over 8,000 feet and are immediately transported back into a winter state of mind.

This episode includes an interview with John Burton, the Director of Marketing and Public Affairs of Timberline. Logan and Burton discuss the history of summer skiing on Mount Hood, the elite level training and what anyone should know before heading out and giving it a try.

Host Zach Urness talks with long-distance hiker, photographer and gear-maker James Parsons about a variety of topics, including the little-known Chinook Trail in the Columbia River Gorge.

Parsons, probably best known for his photography through his Extreme Oregon Instagram page, talks about the strange place outdoor photography finds itself in 2024, his favorite long-distance hikes and his new business, Magnet Designs, making and selling outdoor clothing.

Then, he spotlights a little-known long-distance route through the Columbia Gorge known as the Chinook Trail, and which parts make for excellent backpacking and which parts offer a fairly brutal experience.

In this episode, host Zach Urness talks about the wildfire forecast for the summer of 2024 and the fires burning right now.

Urness lays out what type of wildfire season is expected using interviews with fire weather meteorologists, who explain how drought, fuel moisture and El Nino to La Nina weather patterns could impact wildfires across the state this summer.

Urness breaks down the hot spots for fire danger, and where active wildfires have already had an impact on summer 2024 in the state.