The Man The Mountain Swallowed

[@TheLoreLodge]

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[@alaskankare]

dont understand why you didnt ask the fire dept. i was a volunteer and helping with the search. yes dogs were brought in and people were hiking is super dangerous places looking for him. they literally combed the face of the mountain. There are a lot if trails...some game trails. Problem with your theory is all trails end at the bottom in housing nearby, even by the bowl where your "caldera" is. and if you shout, people in town will hear you. yes we initiated searches this way and found people. we still cant fathom why we didnt find him. weeks of searching. even though his body hasnt been found...but niether has his clothes, or shoes. those should have been found. dept even searched in fall and spring when vegitation was gone and low. a mystery that haunts many of us searchers

[@TrentFalkenrath]

I don't always roll a joint, but when I do, it's usually my ankle.

[@RowieFox]

This is amazing

[@KiomonDuck]

You need an award but I'm to poor to give you one. Have a good day.

[@TrentFalkenrath]

@@KiomonDuck nonsense. I can't take credit for that joke. Might've first seen it on reddit somewhere. But ty.

[@KiomonDuck]

@@TrentFalkenrath jokes don't have an end or a beginning they are made, forgotten, then remade at all times everywhere. You made it this time and next time some kid in Russia will make it and it'll be their joke.

[@TrentFalkenrath]

@@KiomonDuck well, you're very kind.

[@thejourney1369]

I have end stage glaucoma. Even before you reach the advanced stage, glaucoma plays tricks with your vision. He had absolutely no business in that race. His body is there somewhere.

[@christosvoskresye]

After a dozen years of decay and with that vegetation, his body will never be found.

[@Mr.Blonde92]

​@@christosvoskresyehis bones are still there, maybe scattered but still there somewhere

[@christosvoskresye]

@@Mr.Blonde92 No doubt, but they won't be found.

[@Mr.Blonde92]

@@christosvoskresye yea probably not

[@christosvoskresye]

@@Mr.Blonde92 There's no telling whether they are still recognizable now. If the skull is still intact, that would stand out, but some other bones might be assumed to be those of wildlife. Pieces of synthetic clothing might last longer, but they might also be assumed to just be litter. I'm not optimistic for any remains to be retuned to his family.

[@philtkaswahl2124]

I appreciate you showing the area itself. One thing that sometimes bothers me about videos commenting on cases like this is just how much people underestimate how natural terrain can mess with sightlines and perception.

[@chaoticsad5549]

Especially since he had glaucoma

[@kurtisbrumbaugh6081]

As a participant in the race for over a decade now, it’s awesome seeing you check out this course for yourself! LeMaitre’s disappearance is still discussed among runners every so often due to strangeness of his complete disappearance on a fairly obvious, if not difficult, trail

[@TheLoreLodge]

As someone who’s run the race, what are your thoughts on our theory?

[@kurtisbrumbaugh6081]

Let me preface this by saying that I’ve really only casually thought about this so what I say might be inaccurate. Anyway, I was in Seward for the race that day because my mom raced, and I remember lots of helicopters and searchers throughout that evening, though I can’t give you too much firsthand info on the search because I was ten, and I don’t remember much else. The trail at the top, is pretty easy to follow, but the descent trail is different from the ascent trail, and there’s a possibility that he tried going some other way, since there are several little offshoots from the top that sort of funnel into the main scree trail. The weird thing is, even with bad eyesight, and even if he somehow had gotten lost on the trail, it would be incredibly difficult for him to actually disappear. Most of the area in the near vicinity is unvegetated. If he had descended the backside of the mountain somehow, down in the glacially carved basin to the northwest of race point, there’s not really anywhere you could end up over there that couldn’t be searched pretty easily. Even on the south slope of the mountain where the slope sort of drops straight off onto hard-packed rock, it’s still easily searchable by drone. The entire top half of the mountain is like that, for the most part. I don’t see how he would have continued up the mountain beyond the race point since he had so recently been given directions, but even then, he should be visible if he had fallen. Now, I could see him getting lost in the brush if he had missed the down trail, though it should’ve been pretty visible from anywhere on that side of the mountain, especially after nearly 800 other competitors have worn the path throughout the day. Believe me, that trail takes a beating on race day. I’ve been up the mountain probably 30 times and I almost never take the Skyline trail because it’s not part of the race course, so I usually forget about it, but that’s a great theory. That being said, if he got lost and ended up in the brush somewhere, he would’ve been hard to find, but I still think it would’ve been within the capabilities of searchers to find him. And if not, that mountain is so traveled by so many people in so many different areas that I would expect someone to come across him eventually if he was there. Sewardites take that trail quite often and tend to explore the area, since there’s not a whole lot to do living in Seward. It’s very plausible that he was lost in the brush somewhere on the lower half of the mountain, but one other theory from people that I know is that he just fled the mountain and is still alive somewhere. Pretty conspiratorial, I know, and Occam’s Razor probably suggests that he is in the brush somewhere, I have always found it strange that he was an experienced runner and hiker, but was still somehow so far back from everybody else on the mountain. I would be surprised if he was that much less equipped to race than any other racer, especially since the uphill isn’t the part that you’d typically get lost on (along the race course itself). To me, it’s almost as if he was trying to distance himself from everyone else on the mountain. Now, if this wasn’t the case, I don’t want to be disrespectful, so definitely take this theory with a grain of salt. The only reasoning behind that theory is that I think it would be highly likely that he’d be found by now. It also just comes down to just how experienced of a hiker he actually was, which I don’t know. In any case, this has mostly become a clear example as to why you should go up the mountain before the day of race (which is now mandatory), due to the danger and brutality of the mountain that I’m sure you saw firsthand. The race is pretty safe, for the most part, but only if you know what you’re dealing with. I rambled a lot, sorry about that, but I hope my opinions help a little! If you have any other questions feel free to ask I might be more helpful just answering questions about the mountain itself, and if you read this whole thing, props to you! Love your videos! Edit: if you were there in the months after race day, the trail also gets significantly more brushy as the summer goes on, so it’s usually a lot more discernible on the fourth.

[@MissMentats]

@@kurtisbrumbaugh6081oof. Thanks so much for this, that was so interesting. 🙏

[@herstoryanimated]

​@@kurtisbrumbaugh6081I believe (though may be wrong) from what I've read that he wasn't an experienced racer or hiker, he was in decent physical condition as he liked to do a bit to keep in shape, but he just tended to sign himself up for things to test his limits (and until that point had gotten away with it). I believe that's why he was so far behind the previous runner (a full race's amount of time behind!).

[@derk486]

​@@kurtisbrumbaugh6081i agree. Whole thing is fishy. If i were lost on a mountain, especially one with trails. I would just stay where i was or go back the way i came. I know hindsight is 2020 and panick can set in on somebody but i find the whole thing one of the weirder missing 411 cases.

[@Fragdemented]

MY HOME TOWN YAYY!!! I work at Seward City Hall, and I was working the day this happened. I was too heavy at the time to personally help with the search, but I and everyone in town was hoping he would come back safe. They searched for days. From what I've heard they even brought people up there who had never been on the mountain and asked them "Which way would you go?". The following couple of years I would post up in the Fire Department with a 67x optical zoom camera pointed at the top of the mountain as a "just in case". They Implemented a new rule following that year. Now if you are less than halfway up the mountain by the time the first runner crosses the finish line, they turn you around. I'm really sad I didn't get to run into you during your visit, but I'm very glad you had a great time!

[@MakerInMotion]

The camera zoomed in on the summit is a great idea.

[@kenziecarter9458]

It’s always so cool to hear when a KZbinr mentions your home town!

[@Fragdemented]

@@MakerInMotion It worked surprisingly well! I only stopped when it became obvious that no one was concerned anymore. And there are some years, like this year, when the top of the mountain is covered in low clouds, so it's not a perfect solution.

[@Fragdemented]

@@kenziecarter9458 It totally made my day. I'm listening to the follow up podcast right now.

[@thebernice6062]

I like how this channel is slowly becoming a channel that checks out every disappearance David Paulides has claimed as suspicious to find out: No... actually it's pretty easy to missing under these circumstances. It reminds me of a story from a SAR worker up in Oregon working a weird disappearance with no traces of the guy, until the SAR guy stepped through a patch of sage brush and fell into an old well that had been grown over and came face to face with the missing guy's body. A lot of things don't make sense, until you see them in person.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

Yeah, seeing the dense foliage further down the mountain makes it clear how easy it is to go off trail and get lost. He is more likely to be there than on the top. Taking a wrong corner and succumbing to exposure. Tripping, breaking an ankle and falling to the effects of the bleeding. Falling into a hole. Dropping off a ledge.

[@olig6769]

At this point I'm convinced Paulides has just never been out in the wilderness, despite his background. Nature is intimidating. A single organism going missing in a place with thick vegetation, rough terrain, and sudden changes in weather isn't a mystery. It's just a tragedy. Some people have the need to make it more than it is.

[@LilyoftheLake14]

@thebernice6062 Dear, God! 😳 That well story is HAUNTING; Caused a shiver to run up my spine! 😨 Do you know if the SAR worker was able to quickly climb out of the well? Or was he there for a considerable amount of time in corpse water waiting to be rescued? God... I can't imagine how horrific that would be to experience. 😬 If you don't know any more details, and if you know the missing (then found) person's name, would you be able to share it? Then I could try looking it up to see if there's anything online in articles about how they were discovered. Any more details you know would be super appreciated! The story just really struck me. Please & thank you!

[@SomeOfTheJuice]

Okay, that second half sounds crazy. Do you know where to find that story of the SAR worker?

[@catmcc3464]

I tried to watch one of the Missing 411 “Documentaries” just for the hell of it and the first “case” was an 80 some man with “good days and bad days” who drank beer while hunting and was left alone in the woods for hours by his feckless sons. Who did not call authorities until the next morning when the man was almost certainly dead from hypothermia. Or hit with one of the bullets his family ran around firing into the woods all night to “signal” him.

[@MountainCry]

I really appreciate seeing the area where the race actually happened, because it's nothing like I what I had pictured in my head in all the versions I've heard of this before. Great work!

[@MakerInMotion]

It's much more forested than it looks in photos from a distance. Now I can comprehend how the remains have never been found.

[@lindalumae]

People that live there say it gets brushier in the weeks after the race and that during the race it is much more barren.

[@TeganWelsch-Rainek]

I’m not convinced that predation was involved. With a race happening and so many people on the mountain, any animals would likely be far away. I think it's more plausible that, due to his glaucoma, he slipped and got severely injured, or perhaps experienced some kind of medical emergency. I'm just shocked there were no signs of birds circling overhead a few days later.

[@79Bobola]

I completely agree 👍🏼

[@nillyk5671]

What about after the fact predation?

[@TeganWelsch-Rainek]

@@nillyk5671 well yeah definitely would’ve had perdition from bird, coyote, etc. you definitely would think you would see birds overhead few days after.

[@TeganWelsch-Rainek]

I don't think this case would be too difficult to solve. There must be records or at least a clear idea of the spots where people are most frequently injured and where the trail is most dangerous. I believe he's actually nearby and may have rolled down a slope just off the trail. It's possible he hit his head and died instantly.

[@marsbar999]

Idk man I live in a small town area with valleys and stuff, we see buzzards so much that we just casually address them like "huh must've found a deer or summut". They probably DID see large groups of buzzards n such and just assumed nothing was wrong, that it was a dead deer or whatever else big that Alaska's got (idk I'm in the Midwest, maybe a moose???) I wish someone would've wondered enough to check it out, though. I wish someone would've been able to find him and bring him home- it's so horrible not knowing where your loved one went after all.

[@ManWhorse]

This on-site imagery is actually extremely helpful for me to be able to properly envision it in my head

[@glm3781]

@thelorelodge - I hope you had fun in Alaska! It was cool running into you

[@Aryasvitkona]

21:45 I'm SO glad someone realised someone seperating from the group was an absolutely boneheaded move and buddied. Yall almost ended up having your own 411 live with that type of stunt. You ALREADY weren't entirely sure where you were and were about to start splitting individuals off, my god I almost screamed at you all

[@breannastrickland2393]

That’s a very good point, I was also watching in panic at the idea of them being on a wrong trail

[@Aryasvitkona]

@@breannastrickland2393 Them being on the wrong trail isn't necessarily that concerning, there's 5 of them. One of those five splitting off down a side trail alone is boneheaded. Entirely too easy to slip, conk your head and be unconcious, it's why you buddy so the other person can go back for help.

[@tylerdunlap6787]

Scooby-Dooing it is never a good idea!

[@CharityBlanton]

I really wish you guys could've found him 😔 I used to be a huge Paulides fan, but I swear, Everytime I watch one of your videos it's totally different from Paulides. He made us think this was a very easy trail to see, and NEVER mentioned his horrible eyesight, this is not a 411 case.

[@dylanball6851]

Yeah I feel like a dick for watching paulides' channel and just takin it on his word until these guys posted so many videos of supposed 411 cases that i lost any sense of credibility in dave

[@tannerjones6564]

​@@dylanball6851 how do u know this channel isn't full of shit?

[@CharityBlanton]

@@dylanball6851 he definitely doesn't tell the WHOLE story and I'm finding that out through this channel and missing enigma. I don't think he lies, but he doesn't give us everything we need to know because he WANTS it to be a 411 case.

[@dylanball6851]

@tannerjones6564 Idk man anything can be a psyop or counterintelligence and both could be lying to get us to focus on this rather than present reality. There's no way to 100% know for sure unless you get some physical proof.

[@dylanball6851]

@CharityBlanton Yeah it seems like he omits a lot of info that would break his theory. I don't really want to talk shit about the guy, the movies are worth a watch but you don't get much out of them other than just something that seems interesting. Boulder fields amd bodys of water are 2 things dave says are usually involved in a 411 case. I feel like the water part is obvious but in boulder fields a small shift could create an opening and trap someone or immediately crush or suffocate them. I think that and sink holes are most likely

[@slayerkifonna6831]

The GoPro footage killed me. 😂😂 I love how they sped up the first one and added pretty, calming music to the second to further emphasize the differences in the paths 😂

[@AZodiacCancer]

I heard about this from Kyle, it's pretty sad that he never came back. Dude looked so excited too, whenever he is, may he rest.

[@Lynsey17]

If true, it is VERY relevant that Paul had glaucoma. Glaucoma causes irreversible blindness & you start by losing your peripheral vision. If his was advanced, he could have had a very narrow field of vision making this climb especially dangerous - particularly the descent. If you Google, you can find visuals that very clearly show the potential vision loss of glaucoma sufferers.

[@maryeckel9682]

He really took too big a risk, poor guy.

[@technorats3373]

Played at 1.5x to catch up, somehow understood everything Aiden was saying, and now he sounds like a slow talker which I didn't think was possible 😂

[@HAUNTED-DOLL]

Same!😂

[@robonator2945]

sometimes it's funny remembering that most people aren't constantly watching everything at 2x speed. Like, go up by .25x increments and within a month or two watching nearly any video at 1x will feel like watching snails race to see who can paint the entire goldengate bridge slowest while simultaneously cutting 5 football fields with craft scissors.

[@MissMentats]

I also once made that mistake.

[@peanutkaneshiro]

​@@MissMentatsis your username a reference?

[@SamlSchulze1104]

I listen at 2x speed most times. I've got a list. I want the list completed.

[@zayjh3948]

Dave: "KZbinr Aiden and his group went missing because the Bigfoot knew they were onto them when investigating a disappearance."

[@MCsCreations]

"But to run you need good exercises and good food!" HUGE missed opportunity, Aiden...

[@justalittleturtle5600]

Perfect sponsor Segway right there! Though him just straight up admitting he can’t figure out how to Segway was funny and relatable too X)

[@Catman_CM]

Segue*. Segway is a brand name.

[@tdarkhorse4]

he missed an earlier one while talking about the great food he had in seward.

[@privatename5788]

The Missing Enigma showed us how that mountain is absolutely covered in crevasses. It was getting dark, Paul could not see, and he wasn't a person with anything even approaching good judgment. He's likely at the bottom of one of those crack in the mountain, never to be found.

[@TheHikeChoseMe]

always use a paper map and download a gps map, like from all trails. alltrails will still work with no cell signal. its saved me many of times in the desert when i've gotten off trail accidently.

[@settame1]

This goes for car driving too - on a cross country trip having a secondary map saved us several hours because our GPS tried to take us to Canada.

[@CaptainC319]

I gotta say lads, that I am impressed. I started watching way back in your skunk ape video a couple years back. Gotta say I really like seeing you guys really improve and became pretty well respected researchers and presenters. Love to see it. Keep it up guys.

[@0NiKiSUxNuLL838]

nice profile pic

[@CaptainC319]

@@0NiKiSUxNuLL838 thank you

[@tyloncorp]

if "cavalcade of hazards" is in the safety briefing, i am reconsidering alot of life choices in that moment XD

[@alastarslater4004]

As an Alaskan it’s crazy seeing you take footage in my state. I love Seward, I didn’t even know about this story. Its tragic. Thank you for your guy’s hard work.

[@envoyroth]

What they said: "Poor man lost in dangerous place we tried hiking through" All I hear: "So the shale trail was not the trail, but another trail of shale. Which wasn't a race trail. Which was the trail that we trailed before we needed to find the trail trail that wasn't the shale trail. Also known as the main trail. Not to be confused with the trail that wasn't the trail, but the other shale trail"

[@poordropo1]

💯

[@NanaBren]

😂😂😂

[@MissMentats]

@@envoyroth I mean, Aidan did make it pretty clear what trail they were trailing. Unless I remembered wrong and it was the other Aidan. But then, I guess Aidan later clarified what trail Aidan was trailing, so I think maybe the trail that confused you was the trail Aidan went down but Aidan found too trialing to trial. But good point, there were still other trials and Aidan did pretty good on those. Just not Aidan. And like Aidan said, there were also the trails Aidan nailed but Aidan didn’t like at all. Especially that one trial I think Aidan mentioned or maybe it was a different trail that Aidan had been referring to. Anyway, it was Bigfoot was my main takeaway

[@MissMentats]

Trail*

[@envoyroth]

@@MissMentats Bigfoot loves them shale trails

[@LindsayN-98]

I am an Alaska Native who lives in Anchorage, and I'm so glad to see any videos about our state. I'm glad you enjoyed your trip!

[@T3nch1]

Hey guys, Alaskan here. Stay on the tourist routes. Don't go out to Big Lake.

[@stonewulf2755]

Spent half my life up there, haven't heard this one, educate me?

[@sewnkin_fournine]

I live in Wasilla. What's up with Big Lake?

[@observationsfromthebunker9639]

Wow, the slope goes from steep to steeper. Mad props to you for walking the track. I think Paul may have slipped on the way down and done the human snowball into a rock or streambed. But to have a guy just vanish out of a place with a lot of visibility is genuinely mysterious.

[@vincentbarringer9461]

I am 60 and made that hike. Slow but steady lad wins the race

[@gardensnail643]

Good for you!! That's amazing!😊

[@debbiehall9396]

This race is a big deal here in Alaska. This missing man is still fresh in our minds regardless of the time that's passed.

[@13donstalos]

You can tell from that last pic of him that he was just exultant to be doing that race. Poor guy died living the risky life to the extreme, just how he liked it. RIP muh dude.

[@Ashe_3224]

Wendigoon jump scare at 14:48 😂

[@Pumpkiinhead]

IM SO HAPPY SOMEONE ELSE SAW IT

[@bloodyneptune]

At first, I didnt notice it was a clip from an old video, and thought Wendi just appeared in the woods for a few seconds to say hi, then disappeared back into the trees

[@deadpoetsslake]

@@bloodyneptune this is exactly what I thought too I had to watch it again before I realized

[@TeddyParker]

Came for the scary story, stayed for the wholesome adventure content that makes this channel more than just some dudes way to make money. This is the way.

[@Sunfl0werTE]

the audio perfectly conveyed the difference betwen the two trails, I understand completely

[@robinronin]

It’s so sad to think that he likely would have been found alive if he’d stayed on the path everyone thought he was on. Yes, it was less pleasant, and yes, he could have gotten hurt, but at least he would’ve been closer to the search area and his odds would have been better. Let this be a lesson to us all to not deviate from the path, especially not alone, especially not with a health condition that impairs us. He would even have been better off just sitting in place at the turning point and waiting there for help. Cold, probably, and a bit (unnecessarily) embarrassed as people usually are when they need rescue, but in an expected place and found alive. I can’t imagine how scary it was for his wife to wait for him and him just never coming back, and for him to just... die alone in the dark. Things like that are far more terrifying to me than Bigfoot.

[@Idaho-Cowboy]

So cool you guys were able to get onsite for this one. Amazing how much of a difference that makes in understanding the case. One of those future trips could be to the Nahanni Valley, that'd be awesome.

[@silverecco]

I really can't overstate how much I've wanted to go there since hearing about it on this channel and looking into it. That is a much more intense trip, though. You have to hike, raft, or fly in. It's like a multi week off grid backcountry trip. Guided rafting trips are the most accessible way. Probably what I'll do if able. Dont have the skills to hike in, and it's in Canada, so I doubt I'd be able to carry a rifle as a tourist on a passport. I don't think it's smart to go without one to anywhere that remote. Even if you call for help on a Garmin, nobody is coming, period. They really can't.

[@armphidiic2609]

One of the things that I have learned from Missing Enigma is that being on location is always eye opening. You can never really appreciate the search conditions until you see them. Lorelaska? 😅

[@DoucantNevrneir]

Thornberry looking like a Loreal commercial

[@colinmackay92]

I can't express to you how excited I got when I saw the first few seconds of this. These on-site videos are amazing

[@blackbird5608]

7:47 doggo stranded on counter top 😂 it was very demure though. Very mindful. Very patient.

[@szasstam204]

As an Alaskan I'm so happy that you liked our state so much. Great video!! Also, Seward is magical.

[@Benesii]

Such a crazy story. I feel like he had a heart attack...rolled into deep foliage and either a bear or cougar stashed his body off the mountain.

[@maryeckel9682]

That seems like the most likely outcome. Or he fell and was knocked unconscious, then animals got him. RIP

[@tannerjones6564]

Bears and mountain lions don't eat dead animals or people. They kill their meals themselves. Hints why they say play dead for bears

[@AWareWolf9]

I don’t always agree with your takes on everything, but that isn’t necessary for me to recognize that this has to be the best channel on KZbin. Everything is so professionally done and well researched!!

[@barbaratozzano6364]

I was glad to see a video that actually shows what it's like. I wish more videos would show the actual places these disappearances happen. Much easier to understand how it could happen.

[@Zarannya]

I went to Seward once on a Navy deployment back in 2005 it still is the only place I have felt truly at peace in my entire life. It's beautiful in a unique way - I'm happy that you got to see it, and glad that you got some footage to share with everyone. Thank you for showing me a bit of my "happy place" again. And kudos for going on site - that had to be challenging but informative.

[@mscatmoon]

Excellent video! I've seen this story told a few times, as a huge mystery where there was no way Paul could have possibly vanished without someone seeing him or being found. Leave it to Lore Lodge to cut through the hyperbole with very plausible possibilities. It's not such a big mystery in my mind anymore after watching this.

[@audibjornsson6107]

I knew it! I thought I saw you in Alaska! I wanted to say hi to you guys but was afraid y'all would think I was a nut. I'm so happy you came and saw Seward! I love Alaska, most of Alaska, but I live in Washington. Thank you for doing a video on the race next time go to Pelican when they do their boardwalk 😂 you'll love it and Elfin Cove does a super fantastic greased pole gig 😂.....anyway it was awesome to see you from afar! Thank you

[@TheLoreLodge]

You’re definitely welcome to come say hi!

[@audibjornsson6107]

@@TheLoreLodge you know I always wondered if he was one of Israel Keyes victims. I'm pretty sure he was not incarcerated when Michael went missing maybe you could run a timeline and check. Israel was all over Alaska and he was one wicked man. Very sick individual. Anyway I always wondered about that because it would be very difficult to get lost on that course, there had to be an accident or foul play and if it was an accident I would imagine they would have found him by now.

[@renegilmore9890]

Another local here, Isreal Keys made some comments in his FBI tapes that make me firmly believe he was responsible.

[@anngrosheim4842]

This video is why I love this channel. They go to the location to help them make sense of the situation

[@ingridn0g]

Hey, it was so cool seeing the Lorechesters (I'm so sorry, I had to) enjoying a hike up a pretty difficult mountain in Alaska! I'm just really happy that you got to have fun, meet Lodge fans, and go into the wilderness. You guys deserve it. 💛

[@Cynocehali]

Here's some tips for beating your fear of heights. I had the fear of heights ever since I was a little child but I beat my fear in a span of 5 months. I became a zipline rescue guide not overnight of course. Start with visualizing yourself at a height. For me was looking down a 10-ft balcony I remember quickly doing it once just so I can take a mental snapshot so I could close my eyes and visualize it. After doing this for a few weeks I build up the courage to be able to go to the balcony and look down for a full minute. And slowly keep doing that. The fear is still there to an extent I don't ever turn my back or look up in the air as I get vertigo and I don't like having people around me at Heights. But all in all I wrote a gondola and enjoyed my time despite the height. Good luck! This video made me chuckle. Good to be weak at times. We're human, we have to try in order to get better.

[@vchild]

How did nobody discourage him against this hike. I hope one day they find closure

[@TheLoreLodge]

His family did, man just wouldn’t be stopped

[@sidwayelson]

Bro, I was literally JUST thinking about the one video the missing enigma did about him....

[@TeganWelsch-Rainek]

I think I’m going to go back and watch that one after.

[@stephenwinchell9348]

I really enjoyed this video. I lived in Alaska for about 11 years and it is the best place on Earth. I miss it a lot!! You did a phenomenal job of covering the race and the disappearance. iI definately look fprward to more of this kind of format. GREAT JOB!!

[@timjozwiak2293]

Just think....you could have been feet away from his body.....

[@poetrymafia27]

That was my thought 😮‍💨 his remains are there somewhere, could be shockingly close to the trail even...

[@dinosinspace]

I would think his remains would have been scattered around the mountain by animals and the elements fairly quickly

[@Kyarareads]

Indeed​@@dinosinspace

[@Nitehawke]

Lorelaska? Lol. You need to ask if pics of Alaska are worth looking at? The answer is obviously YES!

[@HOOPSnCATS]

GREAT episode!! Thank you for doing what you do! Always interesting! Also, being the daughter of a former history teacher, I LOVE the history portion of your vids! I felt like I was there on this one (for obvious reasons!) I would love to see the rest of the video that you took on your trip. Keep it up!

[@aerynstormcrow]

My son and I drove from NC to Alaska last summer & stayed for a month. That was the best trip ever.

[@scorpionevo880]

As a wyoming native I think it would be phenomenal to walk about Yellowstone with the Lore Lodge guys

[@MissMentats]

Ok, so basically what you’re saying is… it was Bigfoot. Got it. Also, Aidan and Aidan in that aspect ratio look not too dissimilar to Daniel Radcliffe and Legolas. Which I enjoyed.

[@TravisSmith-sg8rw]

Aidan, Aidan, and the other guy who also looked like Aidan. Not that Aidan. The other Aidan. And girl Aiden and nerdy glasses kid Aidan.

[@MissMentats]

@@TravisSmith-sg8rw Aidan… is that you? ✌️ from Aidan

[@ShireLeaf]

😂😂😂 I said to myself "oh wow thornfinger has a twin?" It's been 15 years but I definitely didn't remember a twin. I was wrong once though.

[@scottjustscott3730]

Paul LeMaitre. If "in over my head" was a human man.

[@outlawedthoughts]

I'm a Seward local, family has been here going back to the 70s. I'm glad you made it over.

[@chrisalbrecht2894]

Bro could you imagine if you just disappeared on your way down alone, Aidan. Lol Also you guys should do a video on Kendrick Johnson, the boy in the gym mat.

[@TheLoreLodge]

Don’t worry, I wasn’t alone on the way down haha

[@KaileyB616]

Yes that story is crazy!

[@sydeedee]

Fun fun trip, next time won’t get blisters lol, glad two of the group could reach close enough to the summit for the footage 👌

[@donnasalvador678]

I love seeing you all out in the wild, checking out the places that people got lost. I’m having trouble wording that the right way. I hate that anyone gets lost and loses their lives but I do like seeing you out there, instead of back at the lore lodge. I have 3 sons, 2 in their 20’s and I’d love for them to be able to live a dream life, like you are. You worked hard for it, so enjoy life and be careful out there.

[@maemccleary3283]

Absolutely love you guys going out to the places where these incidents occur. Awesome job as usual! Still can't wait fir the Deorr Kuntz video!

[@PapaThiccc]

All right so I'm from Alaska literally spent a year in Seward. So this is so cool to me.

[@Actual-Mayhem]

Thornbury's hair is glorious. I love it!

[@taylordavis4248]

Another solid watch. Thanks kings.

[@ДушманКакдела]

Alaska is my home, I absolutely love it here. Couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

[@natec599]

Glad someone actually went to see how hard it would be to get lost on the trail. I just started the video but I trust you figured out he didn’t get lost.

[@anitaevans5361]

Please come back to Alaska. There r so much more than the surface stories we hear about. Your coverage is phenomenal, thank you LL🌟✨️

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

I've heard of this case a couple times before, but I much appreciate the visual details. Really helps put into perspective just how wild the mountain is. While I appreciate Paul's commitment to challenge himself, he clearly wasn't in the position for the race. Never went up the mountain before. Not the healthiest.

[@nevadahiker6661]

DUDE! That's my hometown! I've been to the top of that mountain at least 100 times! A couple of times I did it twice in a day!

[@nevadahiker6661]

The "caldera" section is called The Bowl. I always thought it looked like the Scottish Highlands. It is so strange that guy went missing. That is one of the most climbed mountains in the world, and no one has ever gone missing on it before. As long as you keep going down, you will get to Seward eventually. He must have stroked out somewhere in the treeline, otherwise he would have been found. If you want to get really strange with it, there have been Thunderbird sightings in the area, so there is that...

[@dinosinspace]

I also thought the footage of the bowl looked straight out of the Highlands, brèagha! ​@@nevadahiker6661

[@mrdoodiehead1642]

​@@nevadahiker6661becoming Thunderbird food is both a very interesting and terrifying thought!

[@mateosimon4237]

Kudos for all the footage and being on the spot where things went down. As for the case itself, its even more insane now that we see the place from Paul's perspective..

[@lolalalia4119]

H3ll yeah! Pizza, plants, and a new lore lodge. It's gonna be a great night!

[@achair971]

yayyy!! i love that for you, ultimate vibe

[@meganmangold1074]

Oh man..pizza? I am starving

[@njunderground82]

Alaska is amazing! I've been there twice, in 1996 and last fall. I love it there!

[@brendaross9732]

Thank you for going there and sharing with us the additional insight gained by actually BEING there. Glad y'all had such a wonderful trip! Where's that chili you said you were going to send me? You PROMISED. I bet you ate it all!

[@hollyjollyxmas]

As soon as I saw the footage of you climbing the trail and I heard your breathing I knew you had asthma. I can’t believe you got as far as you did! As someone with very bad asthma, I can’t imagine doing anything like that

[@gottabe884]

That is pretty cool you went to Alaska! My uncle moved there from Cali for work. You guys were actually pretty close to where he lives.

[@ilseweldring2016]

Why did no one of the crew stay with Paul? Walk down with him etc. Also guide him to the turnaround point... I just don't understand

[@punksley]

will never not appreciate the effort and lengths yall go for this channel, it’s much appreciated! you guys will always be my go-to

[@jackcarterog001]

Hes living his best life in the wild.

[@Kittongrl720]

We were up in Alaska, including the Seward area. this past May and enjoyed it immensely. I hope The Lore Lodge team has a wonderful time too. ☺️

[@TimFaulkner-qb5kl]

Sounds like a fun trip. I'd be interested in something like this. I'm personally obsessed with the Yuba 5 case and want to go look for Gary Mathias. I've always felt he is unfairly blamed by some people.

[@jerrymoore838]

Great job on this case Aiden and crew. Especially like the way you all clearly demonstrated how easy it is to stray off onto a wrong trail. Trails may go the right direction but oftentimes end up nowhere. Have ended up on sudden deadends on my horse many times. Would love to see you guys go onsite to where Shawn Higgens went missing while deer hunting back in Oct 2016. The area he vanished from (without no trace ever found) is roughly 25miles east of the Curry County coastal town of Gold Beach Oregon. Its a beautiful area. Big kudos for your excellent on the ground coverage of Michael LeMaitre's sad disappearence. Your theories make solid sense.

[@NanaBren]

Hi Aidens, I’m glad you had the chance to go to Alaska. It seems to be a beautiful gem of a place. The weather and terrain are treacherous, but I would love to visit there and maybe pan for gold. I’m afraid the isolation would make me crazy though. I have cousins living in Alaska and I wish them well. The folklore there has to be phenomenal. ❤Loved the video!

[@christopheredge9002]

Id find all your trips if I could. I absolutely adore your content. Probably my top 3 channels.

[@Pichuscute]

Genuinely amazed people don't get lost/die here constantly. This looks like a horrificly marked trail and a bit of a shitshow to hike, even regularly.

[@xxspookshowxbabyxx]

Honestly the challenge sounds like a longer and significantly less unhinged Coopers Hill cheese rolling, I love how every community has some kind of wild and fun tradition started and continued by a bunch of local mad lads 😂

[@DogsRSweet]

Y'all missed the chance to use "One factor that is often over looked when training or pushing yourself is your diet. Let me introduce you to a new factor, Factor" or something like that. No one ever uses the name as a leadup joke

[@PrinciplesMatter]

Except for The Why Files. Hecklefish usually sets up a great shoe horning for a plug. 😅

[@lilianamunn809]

Omg!! Come to Yellowstone! I live in MT and would love to accompany you guys and meet you in person. ❤ Love this channel and I’m so glad you got to go on this adventure 😊❤

[@alka9613]

Awright, boots on the ground! You've done this before on a small scale and this is a great extension of the concept. Looking forward to more trips where we get taken along. No rain or fog for you, too, nor Bigfoot and Paulides waiting for you behind a big rock. Happy that you skipped the ugly aftermath story , too, that I think didn't need to get dragged out after seeing the terrain and all. I think you told the whole story here as it needed to be told.

[@robinputnam2569]

Thank You so much, This really clears up so much, I totally get how he could disappear and not be found.

[@myrrhsolace5875]

You said it exactly as I was thinking it… He probably made it down the trail on the barren part of the mountain where the trail was obvious, and got lost further down whan he was back in the woods and undergrowth where all those confusing side trails were.

[@halofox4770]

I’ve hiked this mountain before, definitely a confusing and dangerous place to hike. We went up there in mid to late June, so there was a lot of people on the trail getting ready for the race. I do remember there being a lot of false trails and easy places to fall and break an ankle or worse. My personal opinion: the guy couldn’t see when it got dark, fell off the trail and couldn’t move, succumbed to hypothermia, and was dragged off by a bear.

[@jerrymoore838]

Yup... bear or cougar

[@AkinaLOL]

OK, that's kind of a funny coincidence.. o.o I was watching an older video just now, from Kyle Hates Hiking and THIS was the case I was watching. And then I look for another video and this one is only 1h old and about the same man! The same smiling half way up the mountain photo.

[@tobiasrandall4954]

So glad you got to come to Alaska and see it for yourself. Its crazy how desolate and disorienting things can quickly get when you leave the trail even just 10 feet. There's a high amount of missing person's cases that will most likely never be solved due to many reasons, but this one was definitely weirder than others. Hope you enjoyed your time, come back soon!

[@johnscustomsaws]

Crazy how he could just disappear... You would think there would be a mountain of evidence... 😬

[@trustworthydan]

Boo.

[@Chill_Insiders_Mom]

missing your vids ❤

[@breannastrickland2393]

Get out

[@maebyrd4679]

From a homegrown Alaskan (I'm from Palmer!) , I highly recommend, if you get the chance, to visit Fairbanks & Kenai! Homer is also lovely in the summer too & if you want a fun driving experience, Whittier is a nice little visiting point too! Really love that you guys were able to get out there & experience the terrain for what it is. People don't every realize just how dense the brush is out there & how wild most of Alaska still.

[@budcheefer6823]

I have ran the race many moons ago... I love it here in Alaska. I'm glad you had a good trip, I love seward.

[@thedinkster2163]

With our SAR team we can usually be en route to the location in about 4 hours. We're not even CLOSE to as rural or spaced out as Alaska. They have some of the top notch SAR teams in the US. When you're so spaced out you have to wait longer for responders to get to HQ, check and recheck WAY more gear than what we're packing and then be en route.