On this episode we hear from Lael Wilcox and Rue Kaladyte. Lael is an ultra-endurance bike rider and racer. Her many accomplishments include fastest known times on routes around the world. She has many first-place woman finishes and also some overall first place finishes in ultra-endurance bike races, including first place overall in the 2016 Trans Am Bike Race. Most recently, she broke the women’s Guinness Around the World bike record. Rue, Lael’s wife, is a professional photographer. She plays a behind the scenes yet vitally important part of the team, supporting Lael’s rides and documenting the journey.

HOST: Lisa Keller

GUESTS:

Lael Wilcox

Rue Kaladyte

Want to access remote and magical outdoor spots during Alaska’s cold and snowy months? Snowmachine lovers know how to get out there. But how do these outdoor enthusiasts stay safe when the conditions are extreme? And what are their best tips and personal tricks for keeping the mixed-use trail networks friendly for all users? Join Outdoor Explorer as we check in with some of Southcentral’s riders and hear what they love about hitting the trails all winter long. And since we’re talking about snowmachining, we’ll also hear from the head of the annual Iron Dog competition, a snowmachine race with a description and distance so extreme that it will leave you in absolute awe of its participants.

HOST: Amy Bushatz

GUESTS:

Lisa Agnew, Anchorage Snowmobile Club

Michele Stephens, Alaska Snowmachine Alliance

Mike Buck, Alaska Safe Riders

Mike Vasser, Iron Dog race

A historic working farm in Palmer is home to a unique outdoor education experience that blends agriculture, a Masters Degree program and a place-based elementary school designed for local homeschoolers. What happens when you mesh the outdoors as education with a degree program and how does it shape your life? Join Outdoor Explorer as we head to Alaska Pacific University’s Kellogg Campus in Palmer and discover what’s happening on the farm, how they’re using the outdoors as education for students young and old, and just what it’s like out at the Field School. We’ll talk on location at the farm to students, instructors and former students who loved it so much they stuck around to teach.

The Eagle River Nature Center opened in 1996 and has served as a gateway to Chugach State Park ever since. Located at the end of Eagle River Road the Center is a log building with a long history including being a bar and a state park visitor center. When the State of Alaska started cutting budgets in the late 80s and early 90s, a dedicated group of volunteers formed a nonprofit to lease the building and turn it into a nature center. The Center offers a warm place to learn about the area and start numerous hikes, including the Crow Pass Trail. They also offer a bevy of natural history and outdoor skill programs for all ages, and have yurts and cabins to rent. On this Outdoor Explorer host Paul Twardock visits the Center and talks to staff and volunteers about the history, facilities, trails and programs.

LINKS:

Eagle River Nature Center

Chugach State Park

What drives someone to attempt a Fastest Known Time? We talk with author and endurance athlete Emily Halnon about her record-breaking run on a section of one of the most iconic trails in the world and the book she wrote about it. Emily shares her journey of running through the grief of losing her mother, finding strength in the wilderness, and the training, planning, and determination it takes to achieve an FKT. Join us as we explore the intersection of running, resilience, and the healing power of nature.

Host: Martha Rosenstein

Guest: Emily Halnon

Links:

https://www.emilyhalnon.com/

https://www.instagram.com/emilysweats

https://emilyhalnon.substack.com/

Max Romey is a watercolor artist and outdoor filmmaker from Anchorage, who is known internationally for his work. He has joined us before to tell us about his creative style of using watercolors in his films focusing on the outdoors. Using pictures instead of words to tell stories was born from his life with dyslexia. Romey's grandmother was a huge influence on him and he is currently visiting locations around the world that she visited and he is recreating the sketches from her prolific collection. Since last visiting us, he has had two films show at the Banff Film Festival, “If you Give a Beach a Bottle,” and most recently, “Footprints on Katmai.” He is also the creator of the new Fish Creek Art Installation at Cuddy Park.

HOST: Lisa Keller

GUEST: Max Romey

LINKS:

Trailbound Sketches

Max Romey’s YouTube Channel

Sarah Poynter competed on the most recent season of the History Channel’s show, "Alone." The competitors on the show are truly alone. They rely on their knowledge and skills, building their own shelter, hunting and fishing and gathering plants and berries. While they eke out living off the land, they are also carting around camera gear and setting up their own shots, narrating the journey to survive. It is often a starvation game of body and soul as food is difficult to procure and there is no human contact. Sarah lives in Skwentna, and along with her husband Chris, owns the Talvista Lodge, a popular destination for locals and out-of-state adventurers alike.

HOST: Lisa Keller

GUEST: Sarah Poynter, recently competed on History Channel's "Alone"

LINKS:

History Channel Sarah Poynter videos

Sarah Poynter Instagram

This week on Outdoor Explorer, we dive into the science and magic of the aurora borealis with Vince Ledvina, aka "The Aurora Guy." Vince, an aurora chaser and Space Physics PhD student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, shares his passion for the northern lights and offers insights into what creates this stunning phenomenon, why it’s so tricky to predict and how to increase your chances of seeing it. Whether you're an aurora veteran or dreaming of your first sighting, you'll have an illuminating journey into the night skies!

HOST: Martha Rosenstein

GUEST: Vince Ledvina, "The Aurora Guy," Space Physics PhD student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks

LINKS:

Vince's website

Aurora webcams

Space Weather Live