On Step Alaska

Longtime friends Melissa Castle and Nani Weimer recap their fly-in (Melissa did the flying) mountain goat hunt last fall. 

This episode is an audio version of Part I of my book Beyond the Hunt read by me because the cost of professional studios and readers is way too much for a small budget guy like me.

Part II (Mentors) and Part III (Life) are available for download at OnStepAlaska.com. 

Part IV (Tags) and Part V (The Industry) will be available soon. 

Jamie Hollingsworth is a faculty member at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and an avid cyclist. In 2023, he biked the Iditarod Trail (1000 miles) on a fat tire bike with a few others. In this episode we talk about cold weather biking, gear, logistics and details of the trip. 

Max Ludwigsen is a pilot in Ketchikan and graduate of Ketchikan High School. In this episode we talk about his aviation career path, his family's aviation history, Ketchikan history, hunting and the trusty 7-iron. 

Phil Wight is an assistant professor of history and northern students at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. In this episode we talk about the Gold Rush in the interior, origins of Fairbanks, con artists, the pipeline and Dalton Highway. 

Harrison Gottschling and I talk about winter caribou hunts, dealing with the cold, sheep hunting and blowing up spots. 

Rick Collins is a retired teacher, lifetime fisherman and owner of Explore Alaska Charters in Ketchikan. In this episode we talk about his commercial fishing days, getting started in the charter fishing industry, technology, boats and Humpy Stew. 

Christine Cunningham and Steve Meyer are outdoor writers who have written for the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska and other publications. In this episode we talk about hunting in Alaska, writing, compiling a book, hunting dogs and the future. Their book The Land We Share: A love affair told in hunting stories, was published last summer.