Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Outdoor Explorer - Alaska Public Media

In early August, hiker Brad Bartels set down his pack, propped up his camera for a selfie, took a picture in front of a monument in Pioneer Park in Fairbanks, and became the first known person to ever complete the Alaska Long Trail thru-hike.

Brad started his hike in Seward in late June and pieced together a route for the Long Trail, envisioned as a nearly 500-mile-long network of trails that is still very much under development. So how did he make his way from Seward to Fairbanks? And what did he see and learn along the way?

In this episode of Outdoor Explorer, Brad joins host Amy Bushatz on her back porch in Palmer for a conversation about the trail, his route, and what he experienced.

Meg Inokuma is a quiet and determined woman who has set course records in ultra-distance events such as the Susitna 100 winter running race, the Resurrection Pass 100 and the White Mountain 100. She also won the Equinox Marathon in 2002 at the age of 42. Her story is one of a late bloomer becoming one of Alaska's best endurance athletes.

She joins host Paul Twardock to discuss her path to Alaska, fighting and overcoming health issues and running some of the hardest, coldest races anywhere. They talk about her training, nutrition, balancing work and her running passion, her love of Alaska's mountains and what inspires her.

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 trails in the state. Host Steve Cleary speaks with trail advocates and cyclists from Alaska's three largest cities to find out about the growth and changes of mountain biking in Alaska.

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 Outdoor Explorer we hear from Anchorage residents and endurance athletes Ryan Fox and Katie Seybert about their year off of work cycling from Edmonton, Canada to the southern tip of Argentina with a side quest down the East Coast of the Lower 48.

Katie and Ryan share what it’s like to take on a big adventure, how to afford it, and the challenges of coming home.

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 fields such as tourism, outdoor education, and conservation. On this Outdoor Explorer host Paul Twardock is joined by Alaska Fellows Executive Director Tina Buxbaum, fellow Amelia Lamotte and fellow Kamryn You Mak. Join us as we learn about the program and the adventures they experienced this past year.

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 over 30 years starting with set netting and then working the hectic Bristol Bay Sockeye fishery. He and his crew, including his son, experienced seasons of abundance and summers where nothing went right. He started off pushing the limits of what his boat, the ocean, and the law allowed, then became more conservative with his operation as time went by. On this episode of Outdoor Explorer Robert joins host Paul Twardock to share his stories of 30 years of fishing in Alaska.  

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 Mat-Su for 2026, what should you know before you head out, and what new trails and recreation spots should you try?

On this episode of Outdoor Explorer, we’ll dive into the summer ahead on parks and trails in Mat-Su as we catch up with leaders at the Mat-Su Trails and Parks Foundation,, recreation officials with the Matanuska Susitna Borough and officials up at Skeetawk, an area usually known for its winter skiing but also home to some fun and growing summer options

Host: Amy Bushatz

Guests: Taylor Rafftery, Mat-Su Trails and Parks Foundation

Allan McClain, Matanuska-Susitna Borough trails specialist

Hugh Leslie, Matanuska-Susitna Borough outdoor recreation manager

Menga Justus, Skeetawk General Manager

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 into the water taxi business. He then met Kelly and they slowly grew the business as Whittier became more accessible after a road was added to the Whittier tunnel in 2000. They added boats, a coffee shop, and a fudge store in Whittier all while raising their family. Recently they sold the business to sisters Michelle, Jen, and Tammy Lang, passing their legacy to a younger generation. On this Outdoor Explorer Mike and Kelly share their stories of starting and running a family owned business in a small town, including the rewards and challenges they experienced and the changes they have seen in the sound. Jen and Michelle also talk about how they fell in love with Prince William Sound, started working for Mike and Kelly, came to purchase the business, and their vision for the future of Lazy Otter Charters.  

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 conviction that nature still has surprising and hopeful possibilities to offer if we know where to look.

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.

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.

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 running into a women’s correctional facility. She also reflects on her time as an Outdoor Explorer host and what it has meant to share stories of people (and pets) in the outdoors.

LINKS:

Multisport Training of Alaska

Running Free Alaska

https://www.windingpathalaska.com/

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 Like Nome." Hear about Nome as a crossroads of Indigenous history, gold-rush mayhem and Arctic survival — and Michael’s own adventures, from caribou hunts to months trekking across the Arctic, shape the way he tells these stories. It’s a journey through history, across landscapes and into the human spirit.HOST: Martha Rosenstein GUEST: Michael Engelhard, author, adventurer, anthropologistLINKS:Michael's website"No Place Like Nome"Arctic Traverse: A Brooks Range Journey | Outdoor Explorer

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 daughter Fiora was a year old and continuing when their son Nico was born, Gino and Jess included them on many of their trips, including moose hunting, canoeing, backpacking and sea kayaking. Even with Fiora and Nico in their teenage years, they still enjoy their outdoor time together. While on a kayaking trip in Prince William Sound with host Paul Twardock, they shared their story and what they have done to ensure safe and fun family adventures.

HOST: Paul Twardock

GUESTS:

Gino Graziano

Jess Graziano

Fiora Graziano

Nico Graziano

LINKS:

Chugach National Forest

Family Campgrounds near Anchorage

Leave No Trace

Prince William Sound State Marine Parks

Prince William Sound Stewardship Foundation

Fiora Denali Sings on Instagram

Nico Graziano on Instagram

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 idea might be daunting. On this episode of Outdoor Explorer, we learn from families outside expert and author Erin Kirkland, then head up to the Alaska State Parks Families to Parks day at Independence Mine State Historical Park in Hatcher Pass outside Palmer to learn more and talk to a few families who are getting out there.

HOST: Amy Bushatz

GUESTS:

Erin Kirkland

Megan and Ryan Ingram

Wendy Sailors

Amanda and Piper Manville

Megan Militello

LINKS:

Erin Kirkland Instagram

Erin Kirkland: Lonely Planet

Alaska Department of Natural Resources: 2025 Families to the Parks

Independence Mine State Historical Park 

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 about her adventures in writing about, visiting and living near the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, sharing that and many other outdoor experiences with others – including former President Jimmy Carter – ways the refuge has changed over time or stayed the same, and why she believes it's still vitally important to protect today.

HOST: Amy Bushatz

GUEST: Debbie S. Miller, author

LINKS:

Debbie Miller website

Facebook

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 operating a flying service and remote cabin: Blue Ice Aviation. Matt Keller and his wife Samantha both grew up in Alaska with parents who were pilots. They started Blue Ice Aviation and recently added a remote cabin that the public can rent.

HOST: Paul Twardock

GUEST: Matt Keller, Blue Ice Aviation

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, water quality and wildlife. However, it doesn't have to. On this episode, we hear about how we can enjoy the parks and take care of them at the same time. Host Paul Twardock interviews Stuart Leidner, Superintendent of the Mat-Su/Copper River Basin Region of Alaska State Parks and Wendy Sailors, Community Engagement Manager for Alaska State Parks, to discuss what challenges come with the increasing use of state parks and what individual users and park management can do to minimize user impacts.

HOST: Paul Twardock

GUESTS:

Stuart Leidner, Superintendent of the Mat-Su/Copper River Basin Region of Alaska State Parks

Wendy Sailors, Community Engagement Manager for Alaska State Parks

LINKS:

Alaska State Parks

Leave No Trace 

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 about the people and the moments that comprise this year’s class, as well as the annual Director’s Awards and the popular 100 Miles in May.

HOST: Lisa Keller

GUEST: Harlow Robinson

LINKS:

Alaska Sports Hall of Fame

Healthy Futures 100 Miles in May

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 Alaska Huts.

Arctic Valley has two huts available for the general public and is building more. General Manager John Robinson and architect Allana Blough describe the challenges of building cabins in Artic Valley's alpine environment.

On the second half of the show Alaska Huts' Executive Director Philip Swiny updates us on their new hut at the Spencer Glacier Whistle Stop.

HOST: Paul Twardock

GUESTS:

John Robinson, General Manager, Arctic Valley

Allana Blough, architect

Philip Swiny, Executive Director, Alaska Huts

LINKS:

Alaska Huts

Arctic Valley Ski Area Public Use Cabins

Chugach National Forest Public Use Cabins

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. Hear about the weird winter, the potential Mount Spurr eruption and the effect this strange year will have on your yard and garden.

We also hear about Lowenfels' past as the happy boy on Happy Boy Margarine packages and other great anecdotes from his and Anchorage's history.

HOST: Lisa Keller

GUEST: Jeff Lownfels, Anchorage Daily News gardening columnist

LINKS:

Jeff Lowenfels’ website

"He Wrote a Gardening Column. He Ended Up Documenting Climate Change" - New York Times Magazine

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 sprint through town and climb more than 3,000 vertical feet before descending the grueling course.

So, what makes this annual Fourth of July event so special? Join co-hosts Amy Bushatz and Adam Verrier as Adam shares what it’s like to be a Mount Marathon Race announcer. They also check in with race official Matias Saari and Mount Marathon enthusiasts Denali Foldager Strabel and Steve Mayer to learn more about this uniquely Alaskan outdoor experience.

Hosts:

Adam Verrier

Amy Bushatz

Guests:

Matias Saari 

Steve Mayer

Denali Foldager-Strabel

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 Shinned Hawks, Merlins and Peregrine Falcons are some of the many species of birds that traverse the zone. Anchorage Audubon and the Mat-Su Birders host the annual Hawk Watch tailgate every mid April with talks about how to identify the birds as they zoom over head.

Bob Dittrick and Ted Swem join host Paul Twardock to share the history of Hawk Watch and why the Gunsight Mountain location is a magnet for hawk migration. On the second half of the show Paul visits with professional birders working for Hawk Watch International to talk about their work counting birds.

HOST: Paul Twardock

GUESTS:

Bob Dittrick and Ted Swem

Sam Darmstadt, Hawk Watch International

LINKS:

Mat-Su Birders

Anchorage Audubon

Hawk Watch International Gunsight Mountain Bird Count

Hawk Watch International

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 Johnson and Mariyam Medovaya with Alaska Trails join host Paul Twardock to discuss various trail projects, including upgrades to the Crow Pass Trail out of Eagle River. In addition, they discuss the Bureau of Land Management's recently released Alaska Long Trail National Scenic Trail Feasibility Study. The study, requested by Congress, looks at the financial and physical feasibility, suitability, and desirability of making the Alaska Long Trail a National Scenic Trail.

HOST: Paul Twardock

GUESTS:

Haley Johnson and Mariyam Medovaya, Alaska Trails

LINKS:

Alaska Long Trail National Scenic Feasibility Study

Alaska State Parks

Alaska Trails

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 firsthand as she’s headed into the mountains to process tragic loss and move through personal challenges. Join us as we share in Denali’s journey of finding comfort and adventure on Alaska’s trails.

HOST: Amy Bushatz

GUEST: Denali Foldager Strabel

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 construction of the APU ski trail system in the U-Med district in Anchorage. Jim’s program pioneered the early development of women’s cross-country ski racing and his program supplied many of the members of the first American women's Olympic teams in cross-country skiing. Most of the Anchorage bowl’s trail systems and many of its organized ski programs can trace their lineage back to Mahaffey.

HOST: Adam Verrier

GUEST: Jim Mahaffey