Off the Trails

Some trails are just trails, a good workout, fresh air, a chance to clear your head, and  maybe a nice view. And then there are the other ones. The ones that feel… different. Maybe it’s the way the trees seem to close in around you. Or how the silence gets heavier the farther you go. Sometimes, it’s the way the hair on the back of your neck stands up when you catch a shadow. In this episode these are trails that are beautiful by day and eerie by night.


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It should have been a quick flight, just a few hours across the Andes Mountains from Uruguay to Chile. Onboard were members of a rugby team, and many of their friends, and family. Spirits were high, the mood light. But as they crossed into the mountains cloud cover dropped visibility to almost nothing. What would happen next would end or define the lives of the 45 people on board.

Victims 
Gastón CostemalleAlexis HouniéGuido MagriDaniel ShawCarlos ValetaDr. Francisco Nicola, Team physicianEsther Horta Pérez de NicolaEugenia Dolgay Diedug de ParradoFernándo VázquezFrancisco AbalFelipe MaquirriainJulio Martínez-LamasGraciela Augusto...

Today, we’re heading deep into Yosemite National Park- a place known for its stunning granite cliffs, towering waterfalls, and wild, untouched beauty. But even in a place so breathtaking, things can go wrong fast. This is the story of Jeanne Hesselschwert- a woman who vanished on what should have been a simple roadside stop… and the chain of events that followed.

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Some places create a feeling as soon you step into them. It’s not just the air or the silence, it’s something heavier, like the land is holding something dark. Today, we’re traveling to a few of those places.

A forest at the base of Mount Fuji where the world falls silent.
A hidden island where a tribe defends their home from the modern world.
An island in the Philippines where the dead rest beneath the sea.
A patch of land off Brazil’s coast crawling with deadly snakes.
And a tiny stretch...

In February of 1979 five friends set off in a small fishing boat. The men smiling, laughing, heading out for just another day on the water off the coast of Maui. But no one would return. This is the mystery of the Sarah Joe.

Sources -
Wikipedia Travel News FRNWH Medium 1 Medium 2 Hawaii Activities Maui News Unsolved Mysteries Listverse Dusty Track Blog

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Sometimes the scariest moments outdoors aren’t about what you see - they’re about what you feel. Today, we’re hearing stories from listeners who’ve crossed paths with the unexplainable, from phantom voices to haunted trails to places that simply didn’t want them there.

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Crater Lake–impossibly blue, ancient, and eerily still. It’s a place born from fire, shaped by collapse, and steeped in legend. But in the fall of 2006, this sacred landscape became the backdrop for one of Oregon’s most heartbreaking mysteries–the disappearance of an eight-year-old boy who seemed to vanish into thin air.

Autism Anchoring Dogs is no longer in operation. Please see below for a list of other service dog organizations;

https://www.autismspeaks.org/assistance-dog-information

Episode Sources;
USA Today, Facebook, Autism Anchoring Dogs, Strange Outdoors, People, More Than Just Parks, YouTube...

The ocean has always been a place of mystery. It gives and it takes, and sometimes, it keeps its secrets. Every so often, a ship is found drifting across open water- its sails torn, the wheel unmanned, meals still sitting on the table- yet no one aboard. From the Mary Celeste in 1872 to modern-day mysteries like the MV Alta, stories of ghost ships have haunted sailors and storytellers for centuries. In today’s episode, we’re setting out to sea to uncover the legends, the facts, and the lingering questions behind some of the eeriest vessels ever found afloat.

In the fall of 2018, deep in the Idaho wilderness, a seasoned outdoorswoman vanished from a remote hunting camp. Connie Johnson had decades of backcountry experience. For her, the wilderness wasn’t just a place to visit- it was her life. But one October morning, when the hunting party she was working with returned to camp, there was no sign of Connie or her dog, Ace. That was the beginning of a mystery that remains unsolved today.

SelwayBitterroot.org, klewtv, IdahoNews, IdahoCountyFreePress, Reddit, UNH, Medium, ListVerse



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Imagine setting out on what should have been a routine dive- clear skies, calm seas, everything going exactly to plan. But within hours, you’re stranded twenty miles from shore, drifting further into the vast Pacific Ocean with nothing but your wits, your dive buddy, and a growing list of dangers beneath the surface.

Episode Sources:
YouTube - I Shouldn't Be Alive, Neemyd, LinkedIn, IMDB, Getty Images, Britannica, Emperor Divers, Travel Zone, NOAA, Smithsonian, A-Z Animals, PBase, How Stuff Works, Snow Brains, Metro, NASA, EYOS, Google Maps

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This week, we’re bringing you a special collaboration with Outside She Goes. Together, we’re diving into four haunting cases of women who vanished in the wild. From the rugged mountains of Colorado and California, to the unforgiving trails of Vermont and Alaska-Michelle Vanek, Rosemary Kunst, Paula Jean Welden, and Sharon Buis set out into nature and were never seen again. These stories remind us of the beauty, mystery, and danger that live side by side in the outdoors.

Episode Sources:
NamUs, Strange Outdoors_SB, The Doe Network, KTOO, YouTube - Bryan’s Mysteries & Adventures on Trail...

Survival can come in a lot of forms. Sometimes it’s sheer willpower. Sometimes it’s faith. Sometimes it’s a stroke of luck. But in some survival stories, the reason people make it home safe isn’t any of those things—it’s their dog. In today’s stories these dogs were upgraded from man’s best friend to hero.

Episode Sources:
Huffpost, ABC7 NY, The Guardian, AKC, VNews, CBS News, People, USA Today, Today, Petful, The Barry Foundation, Must Share News, People_2, NBC Los Angeles, CNN

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Glacier National Park. Known as the Crown of the Continent, it’s one of the most stunning—and rugged—landscapes in North America. With jagged peaks, alpine lakes, hidden glaciers, and winding trails that take you deep into the wilderness, it draws millions of visitors every year. But behind its beauty lies danger. The park’s cliffs, rivers, and weather can turn a day of adventure into a fight for survival in seconds.

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American Fork Canyon is beautiful with quiet trails, mountain views, and fresh air. But in 2018, it was also the location of a mystery that lasted more than a year after Jerika Binks went for a morning run and never returned.

Sources

Runners World 1 Runners World 2 Fox 13 News Runners World 3 Yahoo News Vocal Media Strange Outdoors


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In 2023, Chelsea Grimm vanished on a road trip through northern Arizona. Strange sightings, abandoned belongings, and cryptic messages hint at a story no one fully understands. Where was she heading—and what really happened along the way?

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Yosemite National Park is famous for its granite cliffs, thundering waterfalls, and breathtaking valleys, but over the years, more than 30 people have vanished here without explanation. Today we’ll share the stories of a few who went into the park but never returned.

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She had climbed every 14er in Colorado in just over two weeks, conquered some of the most grueling multi-day adventure races in the world, and pushed her body beyond what most would consider humanly possible. But in December of 2006, it wasn’t a race course or a competition that nearly killed Danelle Ballengee- it was a solo training run just outside her home in Moab, Utah. What followed was a brutal, 50+ hour fight for survival... and the story of a dog who became a hero.

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The Australian outback doesn’t often give second chances. Enduring weeks in the wilderness easily pushes the limits of what humans can survive. With incredible stories of survival sometimes come controversy, questions and suspicion.

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The Australian outback doesn’t often give second chances. Enduring weeks in the wilderness easily pushes the limits of what humans can survive. With incredible stories of survival sometimes come controversy, questions and suspicion.

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Land disputes, a tale as old as time, have far too often ended in tragic loss of lives for those staking their claims. Land is a valuable and finite commodity, and those who feel they are losing control over it may resort to extreme measures to protect their stake.

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He wasn’t lost and he wasn’t inexperienced. Jordan Grider went into the northern Minnesota woods with supplies, experience, and a plan to spend the winter. Six months later, they found his campsite buried under snow but with evidence of blood everywhere. What happened to Jordan?

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Yellowstone is a place of extremes- intimidating wildlife, remote backcountry, towering peaks, and violent geological forces simmering just below the surface. It’s a landscape that draws millions each year, promising awe and escape. But not everyone who enters its boundaries makes it back out.

In this episode, we’re heading into the strange and heartbreaking stories of people who vanished in and around Yellowstone National Park. Some left behind puzzling clues, others disappeared without a trace. What connects these stories isn’t just where they happened- but the silence that followed.

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In 2004 nine year old David Gonzales walked 50 yards to the family car in the middle of a sunny afternoon… and disappeared. For nearly a year, no one knew what happened. And then only a mile away a discovery was made.

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Tom and Linda Bosworth set out for what should have been a fun off-road day in the New Mexico backcountry- but when their Jeep rolls over miles from help, everything changes. Stranded with scorching heat, limited water, and no way to call for help, they face impossible choices that push them to their limits. How far will they go to survive- and will rescue come in time?

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The ground beneath our feet isn’t always as solid as we like to believe. There’s activity we can’t see. Sounds we never hear. And sometimes, without warning… the ground shifts. One night in 1997 Stuart and Sally Diver along with many others were unaware the mountain around them was about to give way destroying everything in seconds.

The lives lost that day included:
Mary Frances Phillips, Michael Sodegren, Mariam Sodegren, Werner Jecklin, Oskar Luhn, Aino Senbruns, Andrew McArthur, Steve Moss, Wendy O’Donohue, Steven Urosovic, Barry Decker, Colin Warren, Dianne Hoffman, Dianne Aisnworth, John Cameron, David Glen...

Two Virginia Tech students, a quiet date under the stars, and by morning — a double murder that still haunts the Appalachian woods. Over fifteen years later, the killer has never been found. Today we head to Caldwell Fields to ask: who took Heidi Childs and David Metzler’s lives- and why?

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It was 1998 Reverend Mike Turner set out alone into the wild beauty of Wyoming’s Wind River Range. He had his gear, his journal, and his loyal dog Andy by his side. This hike was a final challenge to close out a well deserved sabbatical, but just four days into his hike, something went terribly wrong.

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In June of 2013, a seasoned outdoorsman set out for a solo camping trip in British Columbia. When his abandoned campsite was found, a search quickly began—one that would lead to a few clues, a lot of questions, and no clear answers.

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Nancy Ng had found her happy place at a yoga retreat along a lake in Guatemala. That was until she disappeared while kayaking. The hours and days that followed raised far more questions than answers.

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In 1991, David Whittlesey set off alone to raft the Grand Canyon in winter. When his boat capsized deep in the canyon, he was left stranded — barefoot, injured, and without supplies. For seven days, he battled the cold, hunger, and isolation… with no guarantee he’d make it out alive.

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In 2007 William Pike and James Christie set off for a night on Mount Ruapehu. As they settled in for the night the volcano erupted and their adventure turned into a life-or-death race against time

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In the fall of 2012, two friends set off for a weekend hunting trip in rural Georgia. They split up– each to their own tree stand. But only one of them came back. Was it murder? A tragic accident? Or something no one expected? The story that follows is tangled in contradiction—physical evidence that tells one story, and a grieving family who believes another.

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In October 2019, Rachel Lakoduk set out on a solo hike to Hidden Lake Lookout in Washington’s North Cascades. She planned to spend the night in the historic fire cabin to celebrate her 28th birthday. But a fast-moving snowstorm rolled in and she never returned. What followed was an extensive search and months without answers for her loved ones.

**the cabin is actually first come first serve - I mentioned getting a reservation

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In the summer of 2013, experienced climber Matt Greene disappeared without a trace in Mammoth Lakes, California. His car was in the shop, and there was no clear destination or reason for his sudden absence, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions.

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We all wish we could escape our problems at some point, but rarely does anyone consider taking it to the extreme—faking their own death. It sounds like something straight out of a thriller novel, but these are real cases of people who went to incredible lengths—and failed—to fake their own deaths.

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Stranded in the harsh Great Victoria Desert, father and daughter Matthew and Shannon McGough face dehydration, scorching heat, and desperation. With no water and hope fading, will they both make it out alive?

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In December 1992, James and Jennifer Stolpa, along with their infant son Clayton, found themselves trapped in the middle of nowhere after a wrong turn onto a snow-covered road in Nevada. What started as a simple detour quickly became a nightmare of freezing temperatures, dwindling supplies, and a life or death choice—stay in their vehicle or brave the storm in hope of finding help.

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The mysterious disappearance of 51-year-old Paul Miller during a 2108 solo hike in Joshua Tree National Park turned a celebratory vacation with his wife into a puzzling tragedy. Despite an extensive search, it would take over a year to get any answers.

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The Crazy Mountains of Montana are a place of rugged beauty, and unsettling energy. In September of 2014, Aaron Hedges set out on a hunting trip with two friends. But something went wrong. A missed turn. And then—silence. Days turned to months, then years. When Aaron’s remains were finally discovered, it only created more questions.

Awaxaawippíia - The Crow word referring to the Crazy Mountains 

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In 1996, four German tourists disappeared in Death Valley, leaving only their abandoned van behind. Years later, when skeletal remains were finally discovered, the mystery deepened as to what happened in their final days.

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