Advertise on podcast: Outdoor Explorer - Alaska Public Media

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 state and discovered rock climbing, technical mountaineering and peak bagging in Colorado. Dave eventually moved back to Alaska for his professional career, and a full life in the mountains. He has climbed over 1550 peaks worldwide including over 550 in Alaska. This includes the 13 highest peaks in Alaska and the 13 highest in Canada. He joins host Paul Twardock to discuss his approach to mountaineering and related risks, what he looks for in a good climbing partner, the importance of groups such as the Alaska Mountaineering Club and his latest passion: peak bagging.

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 weather and cold rivers. Search and rescue organizations, both volunteer and professional, work together under the coordination of the State Troopers to conduct numerous missions every year. In December of 2025 host Paul Twardock attended an event organized by the Anchorage Nordic Ski patrol featuring a panel discussion on search and rescue in Alaska. The panelists were Amanda Del Frate with Alaska Search and Rescue Dogs (ASARD), Amy Holman with Anchorage Nordic Ski Patrol (ANSP), Jonathan Bryan with Alaska Mountain Rescue Group (AMRG) and Manch Garhart with Alaska Incident Management Team (AIMT). The event was moderated by Abby Elbow and Esther Kennedy, both with the Anchorage Nordic Ski Patrol. Alaska Search and Rescue Dogs helps train and deploy dog teams to help search for missing and lost people. The Anchorage Nordic Ski Patrol are volunteers that help with emergency care and rescue services in the backcountry and events like the Tour of Anchorage ski race. Alaska Mountain Rescue Group also consists of volunteers and their mission includes ground searches, wilderness first aid, incident management, and technical rescues. The Alaska Incident Management Team's volunteers coordinate complex search and rescue incidents statewide. The panel discussion was held at the BP Energy session in Anchorage with an audience.

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 adventure they shared on an episode of Outdoor Explorer in 2018. But late last year, Justin headed out solo to take on his own solo long hike, tackling the Continental Divide Trail and learning a host of lessons about life, kindness and what you find along the journey. In this episode, Justin and Wella join Outdoor Explorer again to share some of those insights in a moving conversation about the magic of the trail and supporting someone you love as they take on a big adventure.

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, follow the salmon, and find a story worth telling. On this Outdoor Explorer, we hear from wildlife filmmaker and artist, Kelsey Kroon, a 3rd generation Alaskan whose work has taken her from the Kenai River to Antarctica, the Marshall Islands, and beyond. We talk about her film, "Silver Rush," and what it's like to show Alaskan salmon stories to audiences who've never heard of subsistence fishing, and how trash collected from the Aleutians can become fine art. It's a conversation about attention, where we direct it, and what happens when someone points a camera at the things we've stopped noticing.

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 to give us the background on their clubs, the activities they have, and how you can learn to sail in the north.

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 California transplant who started his time in Alaska slinging steaks at a now shuttered Sizzler restaurant shift into one of the state’s most recognized landscape and wildlife photographers? In this episode of Outdoor Explorer, Jeff talks about his career, what he’s learned photographing all things Iditarod -- including portraits of the dogs -- how he explores Alaska from behind the lens, and how you can, too.  Host: Amy BushatzGuest: Jeff Schultz

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 their latest projects, including Marybeth's novel "Bloom Again" and Brad's writing about the Gray - headed Chickadee. On the first half of the show, Marybeth and Kristin discuss how art and literature, specifically Marybeth's novel "Bloom Again," and Kristin's artwork featuring a polar bear and kudzu, can help communicate science. On the second half, Brad talks about his article on the Gray-headed Chickadee, a rare bird in Alaska's arctic. He is one of the last people to see the bird in Alaska.

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 for making your marathon a success, as well as the best winter training spots here in Anchorage. Also speaking with the show is Ian Marks, one of the organizers of the annual Mayor’s Marathon - the biggest marathon in Alaska each summer.

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 future Iditarod hopeful whose family runs the Rock on Racing kennel in Caswell. Randall tells us about the basics of mushing, how she trains and what she sees and experiences out on the trail. She’s got big plans for the future—including becoming the youngest-ever Iditarod racer in 2027 when the race starts the day after her 18th birthday.

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 exciting and sometimes challenging biology jobs in the state, Margaret, who also goes by Peggy, spent a career steeped in exploration and adventure throughout Alaska.That’s a journey she details in her book "Adventures of an Alaskan Woman Biologist" and shares in this episode of Outdoor Explorer.

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 director is working to expand the region’s running events into new options, including ultra-distance and trail races designed to be newcomer-friendlyIn this episode, we talk to race director Heidi Quinn about her newly launched company Black Wolf Endurance, expanding the sport to more individuals across our state and what is so special about runners and racing in Mat-Su.HOST: Amy BushatzGUEST: Heidi Quinn

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 and programs that help introduce newbies to the sport, allow climbers to train, hold climbing and fitness classes and organize climbing competitions. Hear the general manager and original founders discuss the history of the gym, including the building of the original and current facilities, the programs and competitions they offer, the role of indoor climbing and where indoor climbing is heading.HOST: Paul TwardockGUESTS:Nicole Jolyn, general manager of Alaska Rock GymSiri Moss, former general manager, original founder of Alaska Rock GymBruce Adams, builder, climber, original founder of Alaska Rock GymLINKS:Alaska Rock Gym websiteAlaska Rock Gym events

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 we find out about all the places we can go skating right here in Anchorage.HOST: Adam VerrierGUESTS:Paxson WoelberDana KerrBrad Cooke, Anchorage Parks & RecreationJohn Monroe, Head coach and program director for the Anchorage Skate ClubLINKS:Anchorage Parks & Rec Winter Ice MaintenanceAnchorage Skate ClubAlaska Speedskating ClubWild Ice Skating Club of Alaska

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 stability, how to travel through avalanche terrain and how to perform rescues. One recent addition is guide and educator Joe Stock's book "The Avalanche Factor." Last spring, host Paul Twardock sat down with Joe and discussed his book, including topics like decision making in a group, science and uncertainty, the roles risk and fear play in decision making, how to develop knowledge and judgement while staying safe and more.HOST: Paul TwardockGUEST: Joe Stock, guide, educator, author of "The Avalanche Factor"LINKS:The Avalanche Factor WebsiteAlaska Avalanche SchoolChugach National Forest Avalanche CenterHatcher Pass Avalanche Center

"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 uncle in Healy, and barely looked back. He became a world class alpine mountaineer then helped popularize mountain biking with his "Hell Biking" expeditions. He then started packrafting as part of the Alaska Wilderness Classic races, eventually writing one of the first "how to books" on the sport. He did all that while helping raise two children with his wife Peggy, teaching at Alaska Pacific University and doing applied research ranging from the tropics to the arctic.He joins host Paul Twardock to discuss the film and his new work studying the mystery of Alaska's rusting rivers.HOST: Paul TwardockGUEST: Roman DialLINKS:LA Times Short DocsRoman Dial - Alaska Pacific UniversityAnchorage Museum Outdoor Adventure SeriesRoman Dial books on Amazon