Explore Oregon Podcast: The state's most beautiful places and biggest issues

In this episode, Zach talks to fish biologist Stephan Charette about one of the best places to catch fish in Oregon — smallmouth bass on the John Day River. He talks about why the fishing is so good, where and how to land them and the upside and downside of so many fish.

In this shorter episode, Zach talks about the reopening of Jefferson Park, perhaps the most beautiful alpine destination in Oregon, and how to get there in the wildfire-burned landscape. Then he gets into the "extra-effort permit loophole" that should help you reach beautiful places in Jefferson, Sisters and Washington wilderness areas. Finally, they travel to Waldo Lake to talk about whether it makes sense to visit Oregon's famously clear lake with a large wildfire burning nearby.

In this episode, Zach and Skyla head down Highway 199 to visit southwest Oregon's rugged and beautiful Illinois Valley. It's a place where you can sleep in a treehouse resort, go off trail at the Oregon Caves National Monument, visit art galleries featuring crystal artwork and reach mountain swimming holes, alpine lakes and big summits with a short drive. Zach and Skyla also talk about the controversial "sweet cron" sign along Highway 199 and some tasty eats in towns such as Cave Junction.

In this episode Zach hits on the biggest stories of Oregon's summer. He touches on: 3:20: Wildfires and closures in place in Oregon at Waldo Lake, Diamond Peak. 7:20: The McKinny Fire on the Oregon-California border and what's at risk in that magic part of the world. 19:40: The reopening of 180,000 acres of pubic land including Opal Creek, Breitenbush, Jeff Wilderness. 24:50: New permits to climb Mount Hood. 27:20: Crowded campgrounds and how to score a few sites on the Coast. 38:00: Best backpacking trips in S. Oregon and N. California.

This episode is all about Oregon's heat wave. To start, Zach is interviewed on Oregon Public Broadcasting about ways to stay safe and get outdoors amid 100 degree temps. Then, Zach talks about the latest on plans to reopen iconic forest burned in the Labor Day Fires around Mount Jefferson, Detroit and Opal Creek. Finally, Zach and Statesman Journal outdoors intern Skyla Patton pick 10 of Oregon's best swimming spots.

In this episode, dive into the Clackamas River, notorious for giving Portland its whitewater bug. Zach interviews Pete Giordano, owner of Blue Sky Rafting, as they look at how the river has changed after the Riverside Fire, which kept the stream closed last summer, and how it hasn't. Pete details the best sections of the river for big rapids, the best places for a lazy float and good areas to camp, swim, SUP and fish on this wild tributary of the Willamette. They also touch on the history of early hydroelectric power and about camping at Milo McCarver State Park.

In this episode, Zach and three river experts pick the 20 best river trips in Oregon for whitewater thrills and overnight camping adventures. They talk about what makes streams such as the Rogue, Deschutes and Clackamas rivers so incredible and detail how to make the trips happen while also covering lesser-known streams. Guests on the episode include: Zach Collier, owner of Northwest Rafting Company Jacob Cruser, co-author of "Paddling Pacific Northwest Whitewater" and author of the blog Into the Outside Jared Linkhart, a longtime rafter and river sage to boaters learning to get their family on the water

In this episode, Zach brings back a second volume of his favorite stories from the past 70 episodes of the podcast. This edition features: Why Hood River was once called "Dog River" A major drug bust that led to beautiful collection of trails A ghost wagon rising from the Detroit Lake The history of Hoodoo Ski Area Why it's dangerous to visit Proposal Rock with a significant other

In this episode, Zach brings back a collection of his favorite stories from the first almost 70 episodes of the podcast. It's the first of two podcasts that include fun stories about Oregon's most famous places, and this edition features naked mountain men, a princess turned to stone and a coastal town feuding with a fifth grade class from Montana.

There's no place quite like Steens Mountain, a 50-mile fault block mountain that rises almost to almost 10,000 feet above the Alvord Desert in southeastern Oregon. It's a place where you can backpack into deep gorges, explore a stunning alpine lake in a basin a vertical mile above the desert and camp at numerous sites along Oregon's highest roadway. In this episode, Zach talks with Anne White with the Oregon Natural Desert Association about all the wonders and styles of outdoor recreation at Steens.