Click into your bindings as we launch from the highest peaks of the North Cascades with ski mountaineering historian Lowell Skoog, author of "Written in the Snows: Across Time on Skis in the Pacific Northwest," published by Mountaineers Books and 2022 winner of the National Outdoor Book Award (NOBA) for historical writing. 


Born to a family of Nordic ski jumpers, Lowell pioneered ski mountaineering routes across remote reaches of the Cascade and Olympic mountains. His stories abound in evocative details and introduce memorable characters like Wolf Bauer, Olga Bolstad, Hans Otto Giese and Milnor Roberts.


Chronicling the birth of Pacific Northwest skiing from a little-known sport of immigrants to cultural cornerstone, Lowell conveys the wonderment of Scandinavian settlers waking to Seattle’s first big snow in 1916; the camaraderie enjoyed by founders of early Pacific Northwest ski clubs; and the chaos of the 1934 Silver Skis race. His characters range from backwoods trappers to the heroic fighters of the United States Army’s 10th Mountain Division—some of whom would later develop North America’s postwar ski industry. 


Amidst our current backdrop of climate change, Lowell’s snowy memoirs—portrayals of sanctuary and loss—are also a poignant record of a threatened pastime. 


"Being up in the mountains and having that connection with the natural world…is really healthy. It can help you forget about short term concerns; you are in a place that’s been there forever…and will be there forever.” ~Lowell Skoog

🎧 Power of Place Episode #45 | Echoes From Alpenglow – Lowell Skoog

Join us for a conversation with landscape and urban designer Andrew tenBrink of NYC-based Field Operations as he reveals Seattle’s new downtown Waterfront Park project, which he has managed since 2010.



From the cobblestones of Pioneer Square to Belltown’s crowded skyline, Andrew’s block-by-block tour through the 20-acre park demonstrates how this new landscape reflects community priorities. Along the way, he spotlights contributions of local partners. These include architects and artists, tribes and Urban Natives, the City of Seattle and the Office of the Waterfront and Capitol Projects, as well as cultural consultants and garden designers.



Indigenous food sovereignty advocate Valerie Segrest (Muckleshoot) drops by to share thoughts on placemaking and history. Valerie explains how the interpretive horticultural exhibit she designed for the new Overlook Walk invites visitors to gaze across the Salish Sea while learning about Native cultural ecosystems. These walkways, stairs and plazas connect the Seattle Aquarium’s new Ocean Pavilion at the shoreline with Pike Place Market. 



Andrew’s inspiring stories reveal how a brilliant framework can express the civic dreams of multitudes. They demonstrate how city dwellers are most grounded when connected with nature, with themselves and with one another. Listen and learn how these new public spaces reflect the varied histories and cultures that define a great city and that will shape its future.  




"Outdoor space has always been at its best when people use it as a part of their daily lives: You take a stroll in the park, you unwind, you de-stress, you take your kids to the playground. These are the indelible things that exist across the world across time.” ~Andrew tenBrink

🎧 Power of Place Episode #47 | Crossing Coastal Corners – Andrew tenBrink

Join us as we stroll through Seattle’s Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP) circa 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Our guest, documentary playwright Nikki Yeboah, begins this journey at 11th & Pine, the CHOP’s epicenter—and the title of her current project.

Yeboah, an Assistant Professor of Playwriting in the School of Drama at the University of Washington, shares how her team gathered oral histories of over 30 protestors, stories that allow her to convey this momentous event’s impact on its participants. She also explores why nearly all traces of the occupation (including street art, soup kitchens and vegetable gardens) vanished so quickly after the protest ended.

Throughout this episode, experience the good vibes of hip-hop fusionists Marshall Law Band, courtesy of its leader Marshall Hugh, who rallied his bandmates to perform throughout the occupation.

"CHOP was utopic. No matter how people feel it ended, it began utopically; it was a desire to create a space in which everyone was welcome, regardless of your class, or sexuality or race.” ~Nikki Yeboah

🎧 Power of Place Episode #48 | Talking CHOP – Nikki Yeboah

Pack your camper as we tour America’s National Parks—from Acadia to Zion. Our guide is modern-day folk hero Douglas Leen, whose Ranger Doug Enterprises recently published “Ranger of the Lost Art: Rediscovering the WPA Poster Art of Our National Parks.”

Doug describes how in 1971, while working as a seasonal park ranger at Grand Teton National Park, he unearthed an old poster tucked atop a barn rafter, saving it from oblivion. This hidden gem was among the last remaining promotional posters for 14 U.S. National Parks, printed between 1938 and 1941 by FDR’s Works Progress Administration.

Doug recounts how his dusty discovery fueled a lifelong obsession to find the other 13 original silkscreened posters from that era. His hunt led to encounters with art thieves and fostered friendships with fellow connoisseurs. Leen explains how he forged partnerships with artists and commercial printers to recreate all 14 posters. His team soon began creating numerous contemporary artworks commissioned by many of the 400+ National Parks units.

Leen remembers his simultaneous dentistry practice, which he launched above Seattle’s bustling Pike Place Market during its renaissance. This career carried Dr. Leen to faraway Barrow (now Utqiagvik), Alaska, and beyond.

A restless spirit, Doug champions the intersecting causes of art conservation and land conservation. His solo “Ranger Doug” roadshows at National Parks have racked up nearly 50,000 miles to date on the restored Airstream trailer. Unlike the mythic Appleseed who sought to tame the wilderness, citizen Leen’s art and advocacy echo the democratic ethos of the New Deal era and a profound respect for natural wonders that inspire his life and work.

"Today I'm on the road all the time with this book, kind of a Johnny Appleseed or Forrest Gump somebody called me once—I think it was the New York Times. But I'm out there trying to preach the message; and it's getting out there.” ~Doug Leen

🎧 Power of Place Episode #51 | Peaks & Pôsterity – Doug Leen

Tune in to Power of Place – Stories of the Pacific Northwest, an audio storybook hosted by Edward Krigsman honoring places that matter and the people who steward, protect or celebrate them.  

Whether you have just arrived or have spent a lifetime here, we hope you will find our podcast both entertaining and grounding.

Enjoy Power of Place podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and your other favorite podcast platforms.

To learn more about our podcast series including exploring photos from each episode, please visit ekreg.com/podcast

🎧 Power of Place Episode #48 | Talking CHOP – Nikki Yeboah

Power of Place - Stories of the Pacific Northwest

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