Just a few weeks ago, a 23-year-old thru-hiker lost his life on the Appalachian Trail. This mini-episode is a reflection on this tragic loss.

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Birdsong is ever present on the Appalachian Trail, and in this mini-episode, host Matt Podolsky shares recordings that he’s gathered of birds that he’s seen and heard on his AT thru-hike thus far.

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Not every day is perfect, and in this mini-episode we explore one of the most challenging days that producer/thru-hiker Matt Podolsky has had on his Appalachian Trail journey.

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Navigating trail towns and road crossings along the Appalachian Trail can be a challenge for long distance hikers. Most towns lack pedestrian infrastructure, forcing hikers to get creative when visiting trail communities. We explore some of the difficulties associated with getting around trail towns on foot in this bonus mini-episode of the series.

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Mount Katahdin sits at the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, in the remote central Maine woods. This bonus episode documents host Matt Podolsky's ascent of this iconic mountain, marking the completion of his Appalachian Trail thru-hike.

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Season two of Common Land follows show producer Matt Podolsky as he attempts to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail with his 65-year-old mom, Candy. Matt and his mom face extreme weather, illness, and injury as they trek 2,200 miles from Georgia to Maine. Along the way, Matt shares stories of remarkable people, surprising history, and the modern challenges facing the Appalachian Trail — all as the iconic footpath marks its 100th anniversary.

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This bonus episode comes from The Broadside, produced by North Carolina public radio. The Broadside explores stories from the American South, focusing on topics that might not be on the front page, but deserve a closer look. This episode is one that I think will be of particular interest to listeners of Common Land. “The race to save the Cherokee language”, features the work of a small group of Cherokee language teachers. One of those teachers is Gil Jackson, also known as Doyi, who thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail and was featured as a guest in episode two of Common Land’s second season.

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Matt and his mom Candy begin their thru-hike in Georgia. As they begin to get a feel for their new routine, we explore the history of the former Cherokee Nation in Northern Georgia.

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Matt goes birdwatching on the trail and discovers his trailname. The exploration of trail names continues with another thru-hiker who thru-hiked the AT to connect with the experiences of his Cherokee ancestors, and to identify ancient footpaths that overlap with the Appalachian Trail. 

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Matt and Candy hike their first 20 mile day, despite Candy’s fear of injury. There are other things to fear on the trail too - Matt and Candy have their first encounter with a Timber Rattlesnake, and they start to explore the ecological history of the Appalachians.

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Matt and Candy experience tragedy on the AT. A friend and fellow hiker loses his life in a tragic accident, forcing Matt to reflect on the loss of his dad, and his reasons for thru-hiking. The AT was born out of grief, and we explore how the trail’s origin story is connected to loss and reflection. 

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As Matt and Candy reach Harper’s Ferry, known as the psychological mid-point of a thru-hike, we explore how the trail went from simple footpath to a uniquely shaped National Park. The AT’s history is also a history of racial segregation, and we talk to historians and modern hiking guides who are using the trail to teach about the underground railroad.

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Candy reflects on how few older women she sees thru-hiking the AT, and we dive into the history of Appalachian Trail thru-hikes. This history begins with Grandma Gatewood, the woman who popularized the concept of a thru-hike in the 1950s. 

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Matt and Candy experience some of the most challenging terrain along the entire AT during an intense thunderstorm. The weather is changing, and that makes an AT thru-hike more dangerous and difficult to plan. We explore how climate change is altering the trail and the trail experience. An injury forces Matt and Candy to reevaluate their plans.

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As Candy is forced off trail, Matt experiences numerous obstacles as he tries to continue the hike. He learns of a Native American reservation in Connecticut that threatened to shut down the trail, and he is nearly stopped in his tracks by a bite from a tick. 

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While Candy prepares to return to the trail, Matt connects with a fun group of hikers and forms a “tramily.” As Candy rejoins, the group enters New Hampshire’s White Mountains, famous for both spectacular views and extremely challenging terrain. We explore the balancing act that land managers are playing between protecting sensitive ecosystems and allowing access to these spectacular landscapes.

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Matt, Candy and their tramily continue through the White Mountains, reaching New Hampshire’s highest peak, Mt. Washington. A frustrating experience with the Appalachian Mountain Club’s alpine hut system inspires Matt to explore the history of these unique high elevation hotels. 

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Matt enters Maine, the last state of his AT journey, and by far the most remote section of the Appalachian Trail. We explore recent plans to protect large swaths of the 100-mile wilderness - but Indigenous leaders from the Wabanaki Alliance have different ideas about what constitutes land protection.

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Katahdin is the Northern terminus of the AT, and one of the trail’s most iconic mountains. As Matt attempts to reach Katahdin’s summit and finish his thru-hike, we explore some of the controversy surrounding Baxter State Park, where Katahdin is located. Park leadership has clashed with both Indigenous governments and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy over the past few decades, and some say that the AT might need to find a new Northern terminus.

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What happens when the thru-hike ends? This epilogue to the series explores the connections between mental health and long distance hiking from the perspective of Chop Chop, one of the members of Matt’s trail family. Chop Chop hiked the AT as a strategy for treating anxiety and depression, and it was an incredibly effective strategy. But Chop Chop struggled with post-trail depression once his hike came to an end. This is a story about mental health, the benefits of getting outside, and what the trail can provide.

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