Alaska's mountains and oceans provide some of the most dramatic landscapes on earth. Anchorage trails have connected the Chugach Mountains and Cook Inlet for decades, with a few gaps. Just recently newly created trails make it possible to bike, hike, run, or ski from Glen Alps to Knik Arm of Cook Inlet without crossing a single road. The Anchorage Park Foundation designated a route called "Mountains to Sea Trails," with a video, signage, and other information to help people navigate from Glen Alps trailhead in Chugach State Park to Westchester Lagoon and the Anchorage Small Boat Launch, around 24 miles. To help explain the route and its history Host Paul Twardock is joined by Anchorage Park Foundation's Diana Rhodes, cyclist Christina Grande, and filmmaker William Melton.

In 2012 Michael Engelhard, an outdoor guide, writer, and anthropologist decided to hike and paddle from Canada to Kotzebue, acting on a lifelong goal. Though not the first to make the trip, and just the start of the "through hike" trend occurring in the far north, Engelhard brought his unique Alaskan background to the trip. This spring The Mountaineers published his memoir of the trip "Arctic Traverse." The book is a mix of travelogue, natural and cultural history and philosophy. Michael joins host Paul Twardock to discuss his motivations for the trip, how the book came about, doing a two month solo trip, the natural history of the Brooks Range and his musings on wild lands and development.

On the this Outdoor Explorer, we hear from MaryBeth Goodman, director of the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Alaska Behavioral Health. The Cohen Clinic is on the leading edge of recognizing that the outdoors is a critical piece of mental health. Along with their partners, the clinic offers programs that address the wholistic needs of veterans, using the outdoors as a path to healing from trauma.

HOST: Lisa Keller

GUEST: MaryBeth Goodman, Director of the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic

LINK:

Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Alaska Behavioral Health

BROADCAST: Thursday, March 28th, 2024. 10:00 am – 11:00 a.m. AKT

REPEAT BROADCAST: Thursday, March 28th, 2024. 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. AKT

HOST: Paul Twardock

GUESTS:

Chris Beck, former consultant

Haley Johnston, Deputy Director of Alaska Trails

Joe Connolly, Chairperson of the Glen Alps Road Service Area Board of Supervisors

LINKS:

Chugach State Park

Anchorage Park Foundation and April Bond Information

Anchorage Daily News Bond and Proposition Summary

The Chugach Park Fund

Alaska Pacific University Gear Swap

BROADCAST: Thursday, March 21st, 2024. 10:00 am – 11:00 a.m. AKT

REPEAT BROADCAST: Thursday, March 21st, 2024. 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. AKT

The Arctic Winter Games is a biennial event celebrating the sports and culture of the people who live in the circumpolar north. Delegations from Alaska, northern Canada, Greenland and northern Scandinavia gather to compete in 21 different sports and share their cultures with one another. This year it’s Alaska’s turn to host the Arctic Winter Games, which will take place during the school spring break, March 10-16, in the Mat-Su Valley.

HOST: Adam Verrier

GUESTS:

Amy Spargo, Chair of the Arctic Winter Games Board

Telsche Overby, Arts and Culture Program Coordinator

LINKS:

Arctic Winter Games Website

Arctic Winter Games Livestream

NOTE: This episode was recorded prior to the start of the Arctic Winter Games.

People with disabilities live and thrive in Alaska and Anchorage. Challenge Alaska is a nonprofit that is a key organization making that happen. Challenge works with Alaskans with disabilities, giving them access to adaptive sports, education and a supportive community. Known for its adaptive ski and snowboard program in Girdwood Challenge also offers a variety of programs in Anchorage for a wide range of people, including veterans. Challenge was established in 1980 by Doug Keil, a Para-Olympic medalist in para-alpine skiing. The organization has grown to include the Raven Program for people with intellectual disabilities, the Warrior Program for Veterans with disabilities, the Para-Sport program for people with physical and visual disabilities and the Adaptive Ski and Ride School in Girdwood.

HOST: Paul Twardock

GUESTS:

Jeff Dick, recreation therapist

Quinzee Elsberg, volunteer

JP Wood, board member

LINKS:

Challenge Alaska website

Facebook

Instagram

BROADCAST: Thursday, March 14th, 2024. 10:00 am – 11:00 a.m. AKT

REPEAT BROADCAST: Thursday, March 14th, 2024. 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. AKT

Alaska is home to some amazing trails, but one thing it doesn’t have is a long trail of its own. This week on Outdoor Explorer we dive into the Alaska Long Trail, a trail that would connect Seward and Fairbanks via a multi user trail system. We also talk about the potential for this trail to be designated as a National Scenic Trail as well as get some trail updates about the Iditarod Historic National Trail Southern Trek, which is currently the most complete section of the Alaska Long Trail.

HOST: Martha Rosenstein

GUEST: Mariyam Medovaya, Alaska Long Trail Project Coordinator

LINKS:

Alaska Trails: Alaska Long Trail

Bureau of Land Management: Alaska Long Trail

Hatcher Pass outside Palmer in the Talkeetna Mountains has recently become a destination for groomed downhill skiing and riding thanks to the development of the area known as Skeetawk. Running the show is Megan Justus, who came to the job after managing a Syrian refugee camp. Join guest host Amy Bushatz on this episode of Outdoor Explorer as we head into Hatcher Pass to chat with Megan about managing a ski operation, plus what's coming for the ever growing Skeetawk.

GUEST HOST: Amy Bushatz

GUEST: Megan Justus, Manager, Skeetawk

LINKS:

Learn more about Skeetawk

Find information about the Arctic Winter Games

BROADCAST: Thursday, February 29th, 2024. 10:00 am – 11:00 a.m. AKT

REPEAT BROADCAST: Thursday, February 29th, 2024. 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. AKT

Volunteer ski patrols have assisted Alaska's ski areas since the 1950's. The Alyeska Ski patrol was founded in 1953 working at Alyeska and Arctic Valley. Through various iterations, the latest being the Alyeska Volunteer Ski Patrol, volunteers have provided aid and assistance to skiers while supporting the professional Alyeska patrol. From the mundane like helping set boundary lines to dramatic like assisting with tram evacuations volunteers have a long history of stories and experience to share. This past fall the resort decided to not use volunteers, thus ending, at least for now, the tradition of the volunteer ski patrol at Alyeska. To commemorate the patrol's history they gathered in December of 2023 to tell stories and reminisce. With the assistance of William Melton Media Outdoor Explorer was able to record some of the stories and present them to you on this episode. Matt Martyn, Patrol Director, MC'ed the event.

HOST: Paul Twardock

LINKS:

National Ski Patrol

Arctic Valley Ski Patrol

Anchorage Nordic Ski Patrol

Skeetawk Ski Patrol

Pioneer Ski Patrol

Alyeska Ski Patrol

"Women Ski Patroller of Alyeska" (Outdoor Explorer 3/13/2020 show)

BROADCAST: Thursday, February 22nd, 2024. 10:00 am – 11:00 a.m. AKT

REPEAT BROADCAST: Thursday, February 22nd, 2024. 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. AKT

What's the history of outdoor ice skating in Anchorage? How did the midtown Cuddy Park Ice Oval come to exist? What is Anchorage's Winter Solstice Festival and how is it linked to Anchorage ice skating and the Park? This Outdoor Explorer answers these questions and more. Every year the Anchorage Parks and Recreation Department and their partners host a Winter Solstice Festival at the Cuddy Family Midtown Park. The event features ice skating on the park's ice oval, horse drawn sled rides, food trucks and dog sled rides. On this Outdoor Explorer host Paul Twardock roamed the event interviewing participants, organizers, volunteers, politicians and the events and ice ovals founders. In the second half of the show Jim Renkert talks about growing up in Anchorage ice skating and skiing, how the sports have become the core of Anchorage's winter city ethos and his vision of bringing winter sports to all Alaskan youth.

HOST: Paul Twardock

Interviewees:

Ellen Devine, Anchorage Parks and Recreation

Dave Bronson, Anchorage Mayor

Anna Brawley, Anchorage Assembly

Petra, volunteer/tourist from California

Jim Renkart and Art Geiss, founders and organizers of the Oval and event

LINK:

Anchorage's Winter Solstice Festival

Anchorage Skate Club

Anchorage Speed Skating Club

Nordic Skating: Luc Mehl