The Last Frontier Podcast

This episode drops in the midst of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France which got us thinking, how many Olympic medal winners called Alaska home at some point in their lives? We've done the research and use our time this episode to go through all the Olympic medalists from the Last Frontier. We recorded this episode before the Olympics began, and so we want to give a special shoutou...

There are three bear species that reside in North America and Alaska is home to all three of them. The polar bear and black bear are incredible sights to see, but on today's wildlife spotlight episode, we tackle the brown bear! Join us as we delve into what makes the brown bear such a special part of the Last Frontier. What are the three subspecies of the brown bear? How many reside in Alaska...

Every state in the union has some head scratching legislation and Alaska is no different. On today's episode, we delve into all the weird laws that are on the books in the Last Frontier. Could your child get thrown in jail for building a snowman? Does Juneau have a healthy kangaroo population? And how the heck do you stop moose sex in Fairbanks?! It's the episode you don't want to b...

Antarctica has several nicknames including the research continent, the ice and even Alaska's Alaska. On today's episode, we delve into another part of the globe that is home to the midnight sun. Friend of the pod Zeke Churchill is back on the program to share his experience of spending the austral summer working in Antartica and how it compares and contrasts to the Last Frontier. What do...

With the first half of every episode dedicated to reviewing an Alaskan craft beer as a way to support our local Alaskan breweries, it's about time we invited a brew master on the podcast. On today's episode, we chat with Greg Haas who is the owner of Stoney Creek Brewhouse in Seward, Alaska to get his insights on what it means to brew beer in the Last Frontier. What is the craft beer sce...

In 2019, we had to cut our summer season short due to the forest fires that wreaked havoc on the Kenai Peninsula. Living in a temperate rainforest climate, it's easy to forget that Alaska is prime real estate for forest fires to burn hundreds of thousands to millions of acres each summer. On today's episode, we invite Lily Coyle, a public information officer with the Alaska Department of...

Which month is the best month of the year to visit Alaska? The answer depends on what you want to see and do and while Alaska is known for its summer tourism season, the fall, winter and springs months all have plenty to offer anyone willing to visit the Last Frontier. On today's episode, we go through the calendar month by month to share some of the bigger events happening in Alaska as well...

We've hit triple digits ladies and gentlemen! 100 episodes made and for this special occasion, we make sure to let the whole world know that bald is beautiful. On today's wildlife spotlight episode, we highlight the American Bald Eagle in all its glory and tell you all the incredible things that make this bird the best in the business. What nickname will our fans now go by? How can a bre...

There is a new eaglet in the Last Frontier Podcast family. With this being the first episode recorded since Baby Taco joined the nest, what better topic could there be than raising kids in Alaska. Friend of the pod Jared was raised in Alaska and has a 12 year old daughter himself so he joins the program to share his insights on what makes Alaska such a unique place to raise a family. How early can...

We recently did a four part mini-series on the Russian impact on the Last Frontier and this episode kinda serves as your post credits scene to that movie. A century after Russia sold Alaska to the United States, this land would serve as a buffer and play an integral role in the period of time known as the Cold War. On today's episode, we throw in an epilogue to our Russian mini-series and go...

It's been a full two years since we did a Hawaiian mini-series and went through a March Madness style bracket to determine our favorite Hawaiian adventures. And for fans of the pod who have been begging that we do a similar episode for Alaska, you are in luck as this is that episode! Friend of the pod Zeke returns to assist us in determining what Alaskan adventure will make it through a Last...

From church to beer, the Russian legacy in Alaska has had a lasting impact on the Last Frontier. On the final episode of our Russian mini-series, we explore the many different ways the Russian settlement of Alaska can still be felt today. What state holidays do Alaskans celebrate as a result of the Alaska purchase? How did the Russian orthodox church spread to Alaska? And what exactly is a Russian...

The first major economic industry in Alaska was the Russian Fur Trade. On the third episode of our Russian mini-series, we delve into the entire history of the Russian Fur Trade beginning with the first several years after the Vitus Bering expedition all the way until Russia decided to sell Alaska to the United States. Who were the major players in the Russian Fur Trade? How much money could be ma...

Georg Steller was the first naturalist to document the plant and animal life in Alaska while on the 1741 Vitus Bering expedition. His work was so detailed and impressive that as a result, there are six creatures which bear the name Steller today. On today's episode, we discuss those six animals which include one extinct species and one creature that falls under the cryptozoology mythology. Wh...

As things slow down in Alaska during the winter months, that gives us more time to delve into topics that require a little bit more research and so we have decided to use this time to do a Russian mini-series on the podcast. The next four episodes will revolve around the various impacts Russian exploration had on the history of Alaska. Today's episode will focus the first well documented expe...

In the early COVID bubble days of The Last Frontier Podcast we interviewed several fellow sea kayak guides to put a spotlight on the professional outdoor world of Alaska. Our podcast as evolved over the years, but we wanted to get back to our roots for this episode. It's rare for an Alaskan summer seasonal guide to stick around for the winter, but another member of the Sunny Cove Kayaking cre...

This episode drops Christmas Eve and we at the Last Frontier Podcast are in the gifting spirit. Up in Alaska, we often prefer our gifts to be of the experiential kind and so friend of the pod Russ stops by to guest co-host with Danny and we've each developed a 4 day adventure that we are potentially gifting to the other. We outline the parameters and explain the trip in detail and your job as...

There are quite a few misconceptions out there about what Alaska is all about. And because there are also a lot of misconceptions out there about being bald, your beautiful bald eagle hosts are just the experts to tackle any and all fake news about the Last Frontier. So buckle up as we put on our myth busting hats and share with you the real and true insights about the great state of Alaska. Alask...

Happy Thanksgiving from the Last Frontier! Everybody has their own spin on how they prepare their Thanksgiving feast and Alaska is no different. On today's episode, we travel throughout the many different geographical parts of the state to see what unique Thanksgiving dishes each area of Alaska comes up with. What types of birds replace the traditional turkey? Would you rather eat polar bear...

Last year to help celebrate Thanksgiving football, friend of the pod Jared Fink joined the program and we changed all the NFL mascots to make them Alaskan themed. Well, the people have spoken. After receiving millions upon millions of letters in the mail begging for us to do another mascot episode, the bald eagles have listened. NBA season recently kicked off and Jared is back as we delve into all...

We've teased it long enough! The Last Frontier Podcast is on full nerd alert as the Dungeon Master himself Jared Fink rejoins the program as we finally do a deep dive into the world of Dungeons & Dragons. On today's episode, we put an Alaskan spin on the D&D realm by identifying 12 iconic groups of Alaska people and we discuss where they would fit if they were part of the D&D...

On today's episode, we are wrapping up another successful summer tourism season in Alaska. At the end of each season, many companies in Alaska reward their hard working guides with a festive end of season trip and Sunny Cove Kayaking is no different. The crew this year celebrated the end of the 2023 season with a trip out to Valdez, Alaska and friends of the pod Russ and Zeke join the podcast...

This year marks the 100th year anniversary of the first presidential visit to Alaska. In 1923, President Warren G. Harding headed out west and embarked on what was dubbed the Voyage of Understanding in an effort to reset his presidency before pursuing a 2nd term in office. Follow along with us as we outline the scandals, conspiracies and dramatic conclusion to this voyage that unfolded during his...

We have a first of its kind of episode today! Normally, we pick a topic and if it works out to find a beer to review that fits the theme of the episode, great! But today, we picked the beer first and ran with it. Our beer of choice...Parks and Rec! We invite friend of the pod Russ White back to the program to discuss his role as the Program Coordinator of the Seward, Alaska Parks and Recreation De...

Kayak guides still need to keep their legs in shape and Alaska has plenty of hiking trails to occupy us in our off time. On today's episode, we highlight the Johnson Pass trail by discussing its origin story as part of the first road to Seward and its current iteration as a trail used for recreational purposes. How many days were men required to help build the Alaska road system? What is the...