What the HELL is up with the Appalachian Trail?! | Murders & Mysteries MARATHON

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3 hour marathon compilation of Appalachian Trail mysteries, murders, disappearances, and more.
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[@mattyxo]

When you are lost and self-rescue attemps have not worked, you are supposed to stop, setup camp and conserve your energy. For rescuers, it is significantly harder to find a moving target so Geraldine did the right thing. When you are missing, you should also setup reflective gear (like a reflective blanket) near your camp to increase visibility to air crew or boating crew (depending on where you are). Geraldine did everything right by stopping and setting up the reflective blanket. Probably could have added that her initial hiking friend noted that Gery was slow to keep up, had poor GPS skill and while she was lost, it rained quite a bit - exposure to wet and cold for older folks is tougher to handle. She may very well have heard the search and resuce and did not have the strength to call out (or blow a whistle, if she had one). Sad story.

[@brendametube]

HEAR HERE! To everything you said. These are all fundamental rules on what to do if lost… Except in Geraldine’s case, Kyle is correct. There is a excellent possibility. Had she continued on it she would’ve made it to an area where she would have had much greater chances to be found alive. Personally, I would have set up my camp, and scoped out 50 to 100 yards and back, to my camp in every direction. If I didn’t find the trail or a helpful path, then at least I made myself very familiar with the outer perimeters of my camp. At that point, I would be safe enough to scope farther out in every direction and back to my camp. This is where I would put my energy along with fires . Not sure why she couldn’t keep a fire going unless it dumped buckets of rain. Always such a sad case to hear about.

[@beetackitt9835]

I agree and would also say why are we not asking the really important questions in that many days as strange as it is she did not find her way back so close to the trail, I really think more importantly how the hell did the search and rescue NOT find her I am familiar in search and rescue and they have several options one being from above, but also they would initially start with a bastard search , then the most effective search for the wilderness without using an extreme amount of resources and man power wound be a containment search and if that dont work the last resort is a grid search which requires an enormous amount of man power but even with a basic bastard search I feel they should have found her and if they conducted there teams appropriately and did there job correctly this should have been a happy ending, something is extremely odd about this and does not sound like we have all the information.

[@srose1088]

And I can't help but think the more days had passed with no signs of a search party, the further off the trail I'd think I was.

[@FabricofTime]

​@brendametube some people are really really terrible at making a fire and keeping it going to any significant degree. I've done enough camping with people who don't understand how to make a fire to watch some absolutely bizarre fire-starting attempts. I wouldn't be surprised if Geraldine simply didn't know how to start a fire if she was straight up trying to set whole trees on fire.

[@brendametube]

@@FabricofTime very good point.

[@jackiebulmer515]

KZbin is ridiculous in its censorship. Having to omit words which describe the event is outrageous. Who the heck does KZbin think it is? If it wasn't for us viewers, it'd be nothing.

[@nox6438]

It's not KZbin lol, it's advertisers. He is being overly-safe here with the words he omits here, it's not like videos get deleted, they get demonetized. But, it's better to over-censor yourself rather then raw dogging it and risking demonetization. He may also just feel uncomfortable reading certain quotes and descriptions out loud.

[@jackiebulmer515]

😂​@@nox6438

[@dionst.michael1482]

They’re ridiculous! Forcing people to play these stupid immature word games when people know exactly what you’re saying. Hell, young people know more than the adults do. And they sure as hell don’t censor themselves

[@nox6438]

@@dionst.michael1482 Read my reply above yours

[@Bdchi3]

People are to easily offended

[@cait6461]

Jesse Hoover's story brought back vivid memories of growing up on the farm and watching the passing of one of a pair of geese. The female passed and the male was so grief struck, he kept with the flock, ate with them and flew and waddled slowly behind them. When they went south for the winter, he stayed behind and we tried to care for him but he stayed on the pond not eating until he too passed and sank to the bottom.

[@teaspoonsofpeanutbutter6425]

My god, that's horrid! So sad, poor little guy.

[@dionst.michael1482]

Awww. That’s frikkin heart wrenching. To even ignore centuries worth of instinct out of their bond is as staggering as it is beautiful 😢

[@KaileyB616]

Oh my God that's so sad 😭😭😭 but it is incredible how tightly bound geese couples become!!

[@2lipToo]

So sad...these critters mate for life...

[@mindyleftwich506]

They mate for life

[@alfredincognito7678]

A drinking game where everytime Kyle says "I actually hiked the appalachian trail back in 2018"

[@glendacrouch1877]

Are you an KZbinr?

[@JohnSixteen-jj6eg]

I actually finished my A.T. hike in 2018. I always let people know I hiked the entire A.T.

[@nameissturdy1390]

I imagine it’s a huge accomplishment in someone’s life. For me it adds to the retelling of what went down during some of the events as he can understand/relate /describe it better than some of the armchair “tubers” on the site. And he probably does it in case of first first time watchers. But yeah, I’d play along. 😉

[@Essencemah05]

lol…. after I saw your comment, I really start paying attention to when he said it. He says it an awful lot.

[@sarahschieving385]

Or "it's unclear to me"

[@coledavis2335]

For Jesse it feels almost like she was going out there to die. She was unprepared, ignored advice, recently widowed, and felt like she had no control.

[@-Reagan]

Tbf she didn’t ignore advice, that advice was only given once she was already on the trail, dropped off alone and well on her way in a time when most people didn’t have cellphones and there wasn’t much reception for them and they were still analog phones, not digital. They didn’t want her going up the mountain unprepared for that and she didn’t. She went to another entrance further along the trail. She didn’t know that she was woefully unprepared for the hike at all and no one actually told her plainly. It was easy to suppose she had the ability to pull through and prove them wrong - or simply leave the trail and find a pay phone at the nearest town. Not that she could die of dehydration and exposure with fatigue and be lost long before she had the opportunity to leave. The other ranger at the trailhead entrance didn’t tell Jesse she shouldn’t go at all, she allowed her to pass. She should have stopped Jesse, it was her job. She asked if Jesse had bug spray - but, she didn’t mention explaining to her exactly why - that it wasn’t simply a convenience, or that she was unprepared in many other ways. Jesse was extremely naive but, people still do this (go out unprepared) and, at the time there wasn’t any internet or even half of the common knowledge and media about hiking, health and preparedness that we have, now. She was unfamiliar with the area to even know there was a season when black flies were biting and it’s not something that most trail guides (books, not people) ever mentioned. She would have to look at specific guides for each state and area and it’s unlikely they’d even be available in her area where she planned her hike. She basically had what was at her local library and whatever she heard from other hikers. The amount of people who complete through hikes on the AT now **every single day totals as much as all the people who had EVER done it** combined in the time Jesse went out. Yes, it’s the first fault of ignorance but, that doesn’t negate the fault of those who were there solely for safety and failed their duty.

[@coledavis2335]

@@-Reaganstill went out onto the 100M, and with what had just happened, to anyone smart it looks like she went out there to die.

[@coledavis2335]

@@-Reagan she literally ignored Ranger advice to turn back, to have bug stray and to prepare more. She was woefully unprepared and going into the 100 Miles without heeding advice. It does not matter the amount of people to hike the AT. That doesn’t change that fact that she went out unprepared, ignored rangers, without gps, after a major terrible life event.

[@meeperpie5511]

yeah, that was what i was thinking as well.

[@KathyHussey063]

@@coledavis2335 was there gps when she died out there?

[@AppalachianheartwoodBlogspot]

Geraldine getting lost off the trail is common. I'm Appalachian. Family has been here for generations, and live in a county with over 50 miles of the AT going through it. I always wanted to share what my parents taught us if you get lost in the mountains, and that is follow the waters down. You'll usually run into a farm or road eventually. Sound in these mountains doesnt travel well especially if you are sheltered in a cove or holler. I always thought they do sweeps a mile or 2 of the trail. She took stay put to heart. Very sad.

[@Kari-bb3rm]

I'll remember this

[@TheTinydancer9000]

If you follow the water down in oahu, sometimes it will be a 100 ft drop and a waterfall

[@AppalachianheartwoodBlogspot]

@TheTinydancer9000 There are waterfalls here too, not as large as those on oahu, older mountains here, but you still use the water as a guide back to civilization. Find a way down around a waterfall. If it comes to a lake, not many natural ones here find the spillway.

[@dudemorris7769]

@@AppalachianheartwoodBlogspotyou always follow the stream to get to civilization.

[@diyqueen5812]

Maybe she had a small seizure or TIA?

[@lorastolle3786]

I got lost in the Sierra Nevadas after hiking to a ranger lookout. We decided to take a shortcut and ended up climbing up a steep brush covered hillside. We were only lost for a little over an hour. When we finally found the trail, we were at the car. I never took a short cut again!

[@wandapease-gi8yo]

Sounds very like my son and a companion hiking up one of the mountains beside the Columbia Gorge. There is nothing so long as a shortcut! They ended up scrambling down near verticle slopes while looking at the tiny headlights of cars directly below them on the Gorge highway by the light of their cell phones!

[@Bingewatchingmediacontent]

The Sierra Nevada’s are scary because if you lose sight of the trail, the trees begin to look alike. I’ve walked in circles near Lake Tahoe just getting lost on the way back to the car. I can see how easily someone can get lost, even very close to civilization.

[@mom.left.me.at.michaels9951]

I know that experience. At a certain point close to the tree line in Colorado it's all pine trees and even on trail it can begin to all look alike.

[@Boja23]

My wife is the king of shortcuts! Yes, we've been lost because of it! Yes, it was scary as a M..F..r. She still wants to play that game, too.

[@deemo5245]

Go off the trail and find a wasps nest 😅

[@ItIsYourMom]

In the 90s, my sister, son (age 7) and I parked along a road (Virginia) and walked up to the AT and a shelter. We hung out, walked a little, then noticed this weird guy hanging around a little ways off. We got a really strange feeling, went back to the shelter, and saw that someone had just set a key on the table (within 15 minutes) - we had been nearby, but had seen no one other than that guy just a little down the trail and we were certain he was now watching us. Attempting to appear casual, we left and headed back to the little trail to the road and the car. As soon as we were obscured by the beautiful blooming dogwoods we ran, acting like it was for fun not to scare my son. This was one of those gut things, both my sister and I had a sick feeling simultaneously at the trail and knew it was best to get out of there immediately. Also, IMO, this is the problem with hiking and camping near roads - too accessible to people who may not have good intentions. Had an odd experience in Big Sur at another seemingly isolated but very accessible location. Anyway - follow your gut!!!

[@nancyst.john-smith3891]

Always.

[@thebeautifulhobo1]

Thank you for sharing your experience. As a forager & hiker I have been roaming the woods & coastal areas for years by myself. Loved it when I had big dogs, 80's or could pack freely, Oregon. Nothing is legal in California, not even my mushrooming knife. Dogs only allowed some places! Anyway, I still hike by myself, but knock on wood, I'm never under the impression the trails are safe. Thank you for sharing.

[@filistraight]

I’ve had these things happen to me maybe once or twice in my life so far. Not the situation, but the feeling. And damn, it kicks in your fight or flight but you have to act like nothing is happening. God that feeling is so awful.

[@KatFieler]

I agree 100%. We spend a great deal of time in remote areas, and people we know who don't endlessly offer uneducated advice on the dangers of bear, snakes... Wildlife is way more predictable and way less dangerous than people. Humans are the animal that makes us wary.

[@rosemarie20]

​@@KatFielerAbout wildlife, you're absolutely right. Leave them alone and they'll likely leave you alone as long as you're not in the way of them being able to escape; snakes included!

[@MithyLove]

I've never heard of Jesse's disappearance. There we so many red flags about her hike. Recently deceased loved one, novice hiker, and underprepared. It's really tragic.

[@mariahconklin4150]

wow and the epilepsy to how scary this was a very bad idea she should have went with a group of people at least.

[@madisonoberg4513]

I don't think she intended to come out of there

[@kalzifar6052]

@@madisonoberg4513 this was my thought too ,maybe she want it to be her last ride. My Grandpa always said when he notice that he will die soon he will go into the woods and never return. Sadly he never had the chance to do so. But maybe she achieved this.

[@madisonoberg4513]

A woman I knew was diagnosed with the early stages of Alzheimer's. She cancelled her appointment, told her family she was going to her appointment. Her car was found at a local hiking spot. She was never found. Excruciating for her family, but I have to assume it was her choice. @@kalzifar6052

[@kathleenmoore5877]

Why would she go that far off the Trail just to do her thing? None of it makes sense.

[@mousetreehouse6833]

In early newspaper reports, it was stated that Geraldine was early onset dementia. She was hiking with a friend who had a family emergency but could not convince Geraldine to quit the hike. It was also stated that Geraldine had trouble understanding maps and the compass. You probably won't find this info in newer reports, mostly to save her family from the grief of public condemnation, which unfortunately was out there.

[@justinweldon9293]

I just finished when you find my body the disappearance of geraldine largay. In the book her hiking partner mentioned on several cas3s she was unsure which direction to start each morning, which was concerning g to her. No mention of the early onset dementia in the book at least

[@bamtherandomness19]

That makes so much more sense, and she probably couldn't hear very well because of her age as well as the dense woods 😢 I never hike alone for safety and fear of this happening to me. She must've been terrified being all alone, which is the saddest part.

[@bettywith2girls]

I agree with you...I think she tried but just got lost (wouldn't be the 1st person, nor the last, to get lost going to the "bathroom" off trail) and her age and physical limitations didn't help. She d-i-d do some stuff to be found...put a reflective blanket out on the ground to be seen by others, made a fire (burnt trees), etc. Yeah, I agree...when she realized that she might not be found and that she was really, really lost...yeah, I'm sure the poor lady was scared. God bless.

[@anasazirose]

There'd be no excuse for public condemnation. You can in no legal way stop a person from doing what they want, even with dementia.

[@maguffintop2596]

That would make sense when one compiles the enormous number of missed opportunities. She brought dental floss but no GPS, no flashing flashlight/flare, no way to hunt, couldn't figure out how to make a large fire (scorched trees found), remained set up in deep woods under canopy, apparently had no idea about following water sources, etc. She was not independent hiking material. Very sad. @@justinweldon9293

[@mita6010]

Whenever hiking alone in New Mexico, I always carried a whistle and mirror. The whistle, obvious, the mirror was to get attention by reflecting sunlight if possible.

[@Cambesa]

Also an explanation for why the lady used reflacting paper next to her campsite, quite obvious i would say

[@Lemmiwinks_The_Gerbil_King]

thats smart i will add that to my gear

[@Kari.F.]

About the Scott Lily case: If someone in the area had to run from authorities in a hurry after a violent crime, the woods would be an excellent place to hide. But if they had to flee quickly, they may have been lacking in gear and killed him because they wanted his.

[@cammeron.62]

Or he had better gear. Maybe, someone buried the gear came back for it. He could have gotten lost.

[@buds8423]

I would worry about a misinterpretation of his Stonewall name-could be viewed as a 1969 thing vs an 1860 thing…? Just a different tack… leading to a homophobic attack.

[@UnKnownn2520]

Hmmmmmm!!

[@Pugetwitch]

Or maybe he shouldn't be telling people that his name is the name of a r4cist Confederate general. I know people that would snap on somebody upon hearing that!

[@Pugetwitch]

​@@buds8423The fact that he was obsessed with the civil war and he named himself after one of the Confederate general says a lot, who knows what type of tattoos he had. He sounds like he was a lot more than a history buff with a fantasy to live out his life as a Confederate general.

[@RC-yy4qp]

Thanks to your videos, I’m finally taking my hiking and camping seriously. And by that I mean I have been on a multitude of day hikes and 1-2 night camping trips where I don’t have the 10 essentials or tell people where I’m going/for how long…can’t believe I’ve made it this long with my inclination for exploring off hike without anything major happening. Planning my first backpacking trip now with all the safety bells and whistles talked about in your videos. Keep up the great content, helps out so much!

[@isabellind1292]

You don't need the bells but don't forget a whistle! (And bug spray)! 🏃‍♀ 🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟🦟 Safe and happy trails!💓🏕💓

[@juliefall2892]

Take extra muesli bars just incase.

[@smittysmeee]

...and 3 days extra of any necessary medications! Always leave a trail of bread crumbs 🍞🐥

[@laurarudolph7451]

The best thing is a GPS locator.

[@theresabromar5415]

​@@smittysmeee Your "Trail of bread crumbs." is the best line ever! LOL

[@JackBarrett7]

I had signed up to hike the trail in '05 and I received a joint email from the parks service and FBI talking about they suggest a minimum number of hikers go out, no first timers and no one hike alone because of a spike in 'criminal activity'. I found out later thered been at least three murders within a three week period, and they were concerned with combing the areas, unaware of how many bodies could potentially be found, nm catching the killer(s).

[@CSDonohue11]

That’s why always stay strapped . Especially in the wilderness . As well as the concrete jungle .

[@JackBarrett7]

@CSDonohue11 You should grow up. Also, you should learn how to fight. I know, I know, sometimes a weapon is needed, but if you learned self defense, I promise you wouldn't fear being a victim so much and wouldn't rely on firearms or feel the need to advertise your opinions on KZbin comment threads that have nothing to do with guns.

[@CSDonohue11]

@@JackBarrett7 You should take your own advice If you were really as grown as you think You wouldn’t assume all the things you do and thus show your ignorance .

[@JackBarrett7]

@@CSDonohue11 I'm not the one referring to carrying a gun as being "strapped" or using suburban and country cliches like "concrete jungle". Those terms, just like "street fight" IMMEDIATELY indicate someones afraid of what they probably call "big cities". Grow up. Youre not a soldier, not a 'viking', and you shouldnt be advertising your fragility online or anywhere else for that matter. Be happy being who, what and where you are.

[@brightkicks_]

@@JackBarrett7nah he got you fam lmao. Pure emotion right here

[@Christina-mx1nr]

I live in Maine and have done work on my own in the literal middle of nowhere. You can be 15 feet from something and have it be completely obscured by vegetation and rolling terrain. Also, “roads” aren’t always exactly what you might think of “roads”. I haven’t looked at the maps of what the warden was referring to specifically in this situation, but I can see it possibly being a logging road. I’ve been lost twice in Maine. Once was in and area where 3 of 4 directions were inhabited within a half mile, but the other was over 42 miles of nothing. I found a 4 wheeler trail and followed it to a paved road, thankfully having chosen the “correct” way. Don’t hike in Maine alone. The wardens and searchers are as badass as they come, but you are ultimately responsible for your own safety…be it hiking, working, driving, whatever.

[@isabellind1292]

Getting lost, alone in the great outdoors can be the scariest place to be.😦 I was only lost for 6 hours w/my sister's dog in a provincial park but you don't know how long it'll take before you find your way out! ⌛ It was pouring rain so I had no sense of direction of where the sun might be in the sky because I was under a canopy of trees the entire time and I never saw another human being and I couldn't get any cell service. I could've been going in circles for all I knew.🌲🎡🌲 If not for my trust companion who never left my side, I'd have been a basket case by the time I found civilization as it was getting late in the day and we were in black bear country.🐻 🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🐕🚶‍♀🌇 Next time I'll remember to pack a map, a compass & a whistle. I apparently thought it a priority to pack the dog cookies. 😃🍪🐕💓 Be prepared and safe and happy trails, fellow travelers who venture out into our beautiful world! 🌲🌎🌲

[@abc-wv4in]

It seems she should have stayed put at the "bathroom" area and if she'd had a whistle someone would have found her fairly quickly. I admire her spunk but she was not prepared to hike the AT solo, much less the northern end of it. May she RIP with the Lord.

[@sorbabaric1]

Is Maine mostly flat? I grew up in Southern Oregon. All hills, mountains, rivers, creeks, small valleys. Plus distinctive landscapes mostly, . The first time I was in flat country (tri state Eastern Washington? Dry grasslands, long time ago) I found it very unsettling. All the landmarks and things I grew up with to use to orient myself . . . Absent. I hear the pine forests in New Jersey can be very disorienting and all directions look the same. Flat with pine trees.

[@Upgraydde-yo-pitch]

@@abc-wv4inwhistles don’t travel far… and they get the attention of the others…

[@christinehorowitz9305]

This is tongue and cheek but a good drinking game would be every time Kyle mentioned he did the AT thru hike. 🤪

[@coryrosalesd591]

Or saying altso, I can´t unhear it 😆

[@sandrahatherley2184]

New to his channel....did notice he said that alot.

[@Priscilla-Prancercise]

Or you can drink every time he says “fou-well play”. In the second to last story, he said it correctly as “foul play” (one syllable), but then used two syllables again in the final story. Reminds me of the way Southerners add syllables to words like “mee-yulk” (milk), so I was surprised he was from the north.

[@abc-wv4in]

Tough crowd here! I like his videos and think they're done well. These are separate stories, some have been uploaded on their own, and the fact that he has hiked the AT himself is important. Also, I don't think he has much of a regional accent, but then I'm from the South, LOL. I do wish he'd find out more about Christianity, though. Eternity is a long, long time.

[@ZootyZoFo]

Grandma Gates hiked the AT using a gunny sack instead of a pack, an old shower curtain for raingear and Keds shoes and she did it 3 times.

[@dinahbrown902]

Some are tougher than others 😊

[@lisacolbert5987]

I think it was the Sydney , Australia marathon that a gentleman completed it wearing rubber boots . Sure seems like he’d have had some awful blisters , right ? But , wow! , I’m pretty sure he only did it once !

[@elipotter369]

She probably has a good sense of direction, and checks behind her to know what the trail looks like when she goes off it to toilet or camp.

[@Oakleaf700]

@@elipotter369 This is so crucial. Look BEHIND you every so often to remember what the countryside looks like. As a child, I wandered for miles around Europe- parents would be at camp sites..I never got lost {seems amazing now} because I'd look behind me and remember what it looked like. I only once felt threatened as a girl by a man. a German who was sitting by the side of the deserted road...I think he'd followed me...and I ran back to the campsite as fast as possible - {South of France} which could be quite empty and remote back then.

[@elipotter369]

@Oakleaf700 well said. You have good instincts and very sensible and intelligent. :-)

[@joannetaylor8778]

Just a tip: if you are lost and don’t have cell service, change your voice message to say that you are lost and give your estimated location. When someone calls your cell they’ll hear your voicemail. Also, I believe that these days emergency numbers connect even if you don’t have cell service.

[@melissacole1821]

That's only if the bill hasn't been paid. There's a lot of dead zones where nobody can get a phone signal so without signal there's no way to call 911 either.

[@missmodern]

Brilliant!

[@cccahli]

you have to have cell service to change your voicemail lmao

[@heidimisfeldt5685]

Sometimes you find a little spot where cell service actually works, so if in despair a different message indicating the situation would be most helpful.

[@jlt131]

no, you need cell service to change your voicemail, how else would the call connect? You also absolutely need cell service to call 911. there are areas that have "emergency calls only" service, but there are also millions of sq miles of land in north america that don't have cell service AT ALL. an even better idea is to carry a personal satellite beacon, or another satellite texting unit like an Inreach or Spot. but even those can be difficult in dense forest or deep canyons, as you still have to have line of sight to the satellites.

[@Benleyy]

Geraldine Largay's disappearance is extra upsetting. Its proof that you can do extremely extensive searches, and still not find someone whos right near you. Thats another reason why i dont give a lot of credence to foul-play theories when someone goes missing in the wilderness, and searchers say they "looked everywhere". She also did what we are taught from an early age: if you're lost, stay put. But that also assumes someone is looking for you, and looking in the right places. If Geraldine had gone the opposite way, she also may have gotten more lost. Other hikers noted that she seemed very out of her element, and unprepared.

[@juliefall2892]

It's still sus I think, was her hand writing checked was it her writing. Why did the dogs not find her? Why didn't she hear them?

[@littleblackpistol]

@@juliefall2892 Dogs aren't infallible, far from it. I have no idea why people think they are. Actually, sometimes they're utterly useless, a lot depends on training. She was older, she may have been hard of hearing (like my dad, you can speak loudly on his deaf ear and he won't hear anything at all), she may have been sleeping, who knows. The searchers maybe didn't make much noise. Not every search is professional or thorough.

[@mariawhite7337]

There is also the fact that the woods EAT sound. They literally eat sound. I'm used to hiking in canyons and you can hear people sometimes for miles. Not all the time (the wobbly ones can eat sound very well) keep in mind but I'm used to being able to hear very well. But even I have walked up in the mountains and trees and such. I couldn't hear a gods be damned elk the size of a minivan walking until the both of us basically saw each other. Elk ran off I had a panic attack and laughed.

[@dudemorris7769]

@@mariawhite7337so very true. Sometimes the woods are alive & other times, deadly silent & when your heart can easily jump out of your chest, lol.

[@abc-wv4in]

But she had wandered far too much before she finally decided to stay put. Had she stayed near her "bathroom" area and had had a whistle she would have been found fairly quickly, probably by other hikers. She wandered too far away before she made camp. Also, she should have made stick or rock piles or used chalk or something to mark her way back to the trail each bathroom time. It's easy to get lost 200 feet from a trail if the woods are dense.

[@reidschott5517]

Imma just take an educated guess and say that this kyle fella does in fact like hiking

[@Volfan2]

Please, unless you are an extremely experienced hiker, never hike alone, always carry water and a GPS device (or at least a compass) and pay close attention to your surroundings. I'm a seasoned hiker living in the Smoky Mountain Valley where people get lost every year. 99% of the time they are alone, either they start out that way or, more frequently, separate from their companions. It is much easier to get lost than you would ever expect. Just a short distance from the trail and you can quickly become disoriented and unable to find your way back. If this happens, yell loud and frequently, don't end up dying due to embarrassment.

[@isabellind1292]

Take a compass & a whistle, for sure! I got lost w/my dog in a provincial park for only 6 hours which isn't long at all in the grand scheme of things but I had no sense of direction because I was lost under a canopy of trees in the pouring rain so I had no idea where the sun might be in the sky, I couldn't get cell service and I was in black bear country. I mean, when it's beginning to get late in the day, it's a frightening prospect, thinking you might just be going in hopeless circles! If not for my trusty companion who never left my side, I'd have been a basket case by the time I found civilization. I really mean it, she kept me from nearly losing it!💓🐕💓

[@juliefall2892]

Take a flare, also those old plastic maths rulers the arch and triangle shaped ones if you burn those they send up a lot of smoke..back in the 70s kids use to do this at concerts and in class rooms they called them smoke bombs, probably toxic , but not as toxic as dying.

[@juliefall2892]

@@isabellind1292 take some chalk to mark trees . Always make a note of where the sun is in relation to direction rsing and setting and shadows, moss may grow mainly in northern direction ,wind direction, may be helpful.

[@isabellind1292]

@@juliefall2892 Thank you. Good advice. Oh boy, never again will I let my guard down and think it'll just be a walk in the park just because it's called a "park!"!☺👍👍

[@Nocturnalux]

No GPS back then but seriously, a compass and whistle are mandatory. I never hiked in my life, no interest in that kind of thing, but I always assumed people who did took compasses.

[@Ashley_Marie23]

Geraldine's story always breaks my heart... I wish that she would have got help 😢

[@VeganWellnessTribe]

Oh snap, you really meant 3 hours. Ok ok, let’s get it let’s go. I’ll get a snack for this one

[@pumpkinfield100]

3h perfect, I’m making cinnamon buns… enough time to make it and to enjoy it while listening

[@VeganWellnessTribe]

@@pumpkinfield100enjoy! I’m happy for the long form video too 😊

[@jen-lq3wc]

Work day entertainment 😅

[@Kawiboy]

Ditto 😂✌️👊

[@bevcamren1316]

Please don't use sponser for$6;400 it is phony you an google there is no free $ from government just a way to get people s information

[@ihas23crayons58]

Scott Lilly does get talked about, at least here in Indiana. His case is one of the many that kept me from hiking seriously when i was younger, especially being a female. I love it when you said, "Only 13 homicides." lol, one is too many, in my opinion, even if they aren't connected. I'm sure it's not your intention, but your videos help me feel better about my decision lol. Thank you for that.

[@CM-sm6rs]

Could be she didn't want to live anymore and saying she wanted to hike the AT sounds like a ruse. Sounds to me she decided to end her life but didn't want to have her death labeled a suicide. No body means it'll always be unknown what happened, it's possible that's what she wanted.

[@graciemaca6996]

​@ImaRandomFemale- I'm wondering whether someone at the visitor center killed Louise Shapo, she was told which trail to go on by the person in that visitor center. It could be too, that someone with bad motives in there at that time overheard the conversation and quickly left and was 'lying in wait' for her.🤔

[@graciemaca6996]

@@isabellind1292 - I think that you have gotten your stories mixed up here. I was talking about Louise Shapo from Canada, a Psycologyst who was murdered on the trail. It's the last story featured on this video. In the footage starting at: 2:58 02 she goes to "A Visitor Center" to get info. from the employee. Likewise, it was not me who made any comment about suicide, it was someone else who made that comment. Sorry😢

[@victoriacope4113]

Sounds to me def of suicide

[@WWGoneWGA1776]

That's what I think too.

[@christineb8537]

What she should have done was pinpoint a spot - maybe a tree - and tie something around it so you can recognize it. Then branch out different directions from there tying things to trees and bushes so you can find your way back. Eventually she would have found that logging road which wasn't too far away. Speaking from experience from being lost off a trail a small number of times.

[@theprayingiguanabengalmomma]

I’ll be making sure to speak about Scott “Stonewall” Lily whenever I speak on the Appalachian Trail! God bless his family and my heart goes out to them and thank you for speaking on this story!

[@HighTideSoaps]

For future, timestamps would be great since lots of us have seen some of these stories before!

[@brendametube]

Doesn’t matter to me… His take is awesome and his input and thoughts regarding each of the cases are unique. This guy is young and on top of his game! I’m an old woman and I’ve been following the most awesome channels on KZbin, regarding missing people and mysteries in the national forest, all over the US Canada and beyond. Kyle is one of the few who still hold my interest because he’s always taking a fresh approach and I’m always learning something new.

[@Jaggerbush]

​@@brendametubethat's fantastic it doesn't matter, to you. Most creators use time stamps for longer uploads particularly when it's divided up into shorts we've already seen. I too wish he would have used time stamps bc I've seen most of these. What an odd comment to make. Someone says, gee that would be helpful - and you say "yeah but not me"??? 🤡

[@Kari.F.]

​@@brendametubeI'm an older woman, too, and I love this young man to pieces. (My own age and complete lack of orientation skills makes Geraldine Largay's story so relatable, and somehow extra sad.) But when I've heard his take on several of these stories before, I don't need to hear his take on them again. At the same time: Because I love his content and storytelling so much, I don't want to miss out on the ones I have NOT heard him talk about before, either. So I would love time stamps. It would save me a lot of skipping randomly around.

[@lalli8152]

​@@JaggerbushYeah it would be very convenient to lot of people, but people who doesnt need them wouldnt even notice they are on

[@Jaggerbush]

@@lalli8152 again- such a weird comment - someone says that would be helpful only to have these strange comments saying "Yeah but not me..." This comment section is wacked 🤡

[@andyw6399]

Living in Boone, NC, those of us that live along the trail, we pronounce it "Appalatchin" Trail and can tell if somebody doesn't live along the trail, they pronouce it the way you did...lol Keep up the good work with keeping these peoples dissappearances up front and not forgotten to time, you never know who's watching and might remember something or was in that area at some point and remembers seeing something out of the ordinary but didn't think it was anything.

[@carlacook5181]

I was going to say this, my smart ass ex husband and I were asked at a small dinner party how was it pronounced, this way or that way, before I could say anything he jumped in and loudly say it the absolute wrong way, I was so embarrassed because we lived in the foothills of the Smokies for over 30 years, he always knew everything, he was the smartest man he knew and would actually tell people that, one reason he is my ex husband.

[@dukstedi]

@@carlacook5181sheesh. Hope life finds you well 😊

[@NurseKayP]

I live in the northeast along the Appalachian trail and we pronounce it the way he does in the video. “App -a -lay -cion” at least that’s the way I hear most people pronounce it up here. I have heard it the way you mention occasionally tho. Interestingly, I just looked up the correct pronunciation and the way you guys pronounce it is the correct way. “A -puh -la -chn” I will have to remember that going forward lol

[@clairehann2681]

​@@NurseKayPsouthern people pronounce it differently

[@Alyssasplants]

It’s makes me so sad how you don’t have OVER a million followers! You clearly do so much research and you put lots of time into your editing! I really hope you hit a million this year ! 🎉

[@josieclarke460]

not everyone can get a million, only so many people are interested in hiking stories. If you want millions you have to do true crime or finance.

[@Alyssasplants]

@@josieclarke460 yeah I don’t think it’s impossible he’s already very close to having a million and he does do true crime stories he talks about hikers who have been murdered on the trail so yeah

[@josieclarke460]

its possible, its not a given though. Its kind of a niche true crime @@Alyssasplants

[@jessmcnulty3043]

@@AlyssasplantsI agree 100%. Also, he WILL get there. I’ve been following lots of creators with content ranging from crafting to political, true crime and missing persons, and some creators have that one video go viral and they take off, while others build up their content and create sometimes several shows a day, and they take a bit longer but do get there when their stuff is interesting. Then, there are others who never get there either because their content is boring, or they give up too soon.

[@riafitzgerald2988]

I've been on the Appalachian trail. Beautiful. Through TN to Georgia. Can be really creepy at times. Your mind can really scare you. It is so wonderful if you keep aware of surroundings. Oh yah, and bears.

[@RessurrectionGraves]

What about the Bears??? Tell me more!!

[@phonehome7349]

The woods can be a mindf*ck for sure. SW Virginia near Marion where the AT crosses Route 16 is where I used to day hike on the trail. Even on short hikes with no one else around in broad daylight it can be eerie. The woods are dark and deep and there are a few "places" - I can't describe them any better than that, they are just *places* - where you automatically take shallow breaths and move through quickly, as if lingering too long would disturb some spirit of the forest.

[@crazeecip]

Thanks for being so kind and respectful when telling these stories. Enjoy your channel!

[@shelbeyslaughter7977]

I love how transparent you are with your opinions, and facts. Great content

[@spazmonkey3815]

Black Flies will come and sit on your face even with bug spray on. I will never again go hiking in the spring. I could see where they could set off Jesse's epilepsy . You get so used to swatting flies off that even when you go into your tent where there are no flies, you you continue swatting flies. I've never before experienced anything like it.

[@elizabethbrown5651]

Re: 12 Tribes. You can learn a hella ton by listening to podcast “Inside the Tribe”. Sketchy doesn’t BEGIN to describe these folks.

[@jodimaenot]

I'm glad someone finally mentioned them. They've been accused of human trafficking. NEVER get on that bus. They frequent festivals as well, where they seek out people who they think won't be missed & could be on altering substances for a reason.

[@Pugetwitch]

​@@jodimaenotwho?

[@TheFunkybert]

Thank you.. I’m going to listen. They are an intriguing study on how cults exist in modern times

[@lucsmith2092]

I woke my dog up snonking with amazement when you mentioned borrowing a phone if you didn’t have an iPhone in 1983!

[@frockabyebabyshabbychic2611]

I know, right? Youngsters these days 🤷‍♀️

[@SUZSMITH]

Boy would I love for all of Gen z to revert back to 1982 for a week! I gave them MTV at least 😂

[@mayamonroe]

From what I have seen, every generation can’t survive without a phone now. I wish it was like how it used to be, maybe families would interact with each other more. This is coming from an older Gen Z.

[@elipotter369]

I thought he meant at a shop or place of business where someone had a landline. You'd ask to use the phone and give some money to cover the cost.

[@TwoBs]

⁠@@mayamonroe Very true. I was a teen right when everyone started having desktops in their home during the age of dial-up, and I do miss the days prior to having so much at our fingertips (mostly just for the simplicity of life back then, but that could also be the nostalgia blinders talking). However, I love and appreciate our advancements with tech - there’s no doubt in my mind that if I had what kids have nowadays, that I, too, would be using it just as much … just as I am certain those born prior to me would also have phones in their hands if the tech had advanced during their youth. I never understood when people did the whole “These kids and the newer generation, BACK IN MY DAY we didn’t have such a thing…” type of cringey snark to somehow mean that they’re more superior because they didn’t have certain things the youth has today. It comes off as being extremely bitter despite them desperately trying to act otherwise. It’s like okay, ya’ old farts, calm down … you’re just as attached to the internet as much as “these kids today” are considering you are also commenting online under numerous videos and probably even use social media sites like Facebook just as much as the next (all while likely holding a phone or tablet in their hands when doing it). Instead of people constantly playing the “my youth was better than your youth” games, it would be nice if the older generations would help guide the younger generations … instead of always complaining about them, pitting themselves against them as if their childhood experiences is some sort of competition, and trying to always put them down. Boomers constantly whined about Gen-X and Millennials as ruining society, Gen-X complained about Millennials being big softies, Millennials complaining about Gen-Z always being offended, and now everyone whines about Gen Alpha … but everyone is always wearing rose-tinted glasses and always trying to act superior. Even the Silent Generation complained about Boomers for causing degeneracy in society. Yet who is raising each of these generations we have collectively complained about? lol Boomers raised Gen-X and Millenials to be the way they are now, and they’re now having kids … yet each generation acts as if they totally didn’t have a hand in them being the way they are now lol. We selectively pick and choose what we want to be upset over and blame other generations for, all while knowing damn well the current generations’ faults lie within the prior generations before them.

[@ianmacfarlane1241]

28:53 "Asphyxia by suffocation" does not mean a homicide. It COULD be a homicide, but it could also be accidental.

[@mucccvhorob4596]

People go missing on that trail often. If they live nearby its not counted for some reason. My cousin lives where they see thru hikers all the time. She cud name half a dozen unsolved disappearances just from her area. Theres far more than one!

[@michelewalburn4376]

That's sad.

[@emilykro1]

Do you have any names so Kyle can cover them and raise awareness about this? :)

[@420drew]

I think a lot of people do a lot of crazy shit and when they get found they kill the person

[@Pugetwitch]

If they live nearby it's because the local authorities assume that they know the trail well enough to stay off of it and that they likely have disappeared on their own accord. You would have to really have reason to push for a missing person's report like an abusive relationship or something going on with that individual.

[@reginadicicco4192]

I just realized you not only got to 300k but shot past it. Dude….you 10000000% deserve to blow up on KZbin because I personally absolutely love listening to your channel and I feel like I’m not alone.

[@GrowLLLTigeRRR]

It seems like most of the murders are happening in Virginia, where I live. Given the prevalence of violence on the AT, I'm wondering why these people were not packing heat. I always do because you just never know what may happen.

[@cammeron.62]

Always. Better to not need it than not have it. A matter of life or death.

[@crankyoldbroad4635]

I found that strange too. You should never go into the wilderness without a large caliber firearm (preferably two of them, but definitely multiple extra clips). You never know what you might encounter - bears, wild boars, large snakes, dangerous humans even - so I've never done that, though I've been a hiker since the early 1980s. Folks really need to think about all the potential scenarios, but I suspect those who don't live in VA/WV don't realize how dangerous the AT can be. We both know people are living in the AT, completely off grid - it's not just hikers there.

[@GrowLLLTigeRRR]

There is only one animal that concerns me. Homo sapiens @@crankyoldbroad4635

[@LADavis-ih3ok]

I've never thru-hiked. I've section hiked without a human companion but not alone. I have two very close German friends, always with me: Mr. Sig & Mr. Sauer.

[@fincarosa]

I would pack my passport and travel somewhere else

[@ainorey882]

I can't even imagine the emotional pain Dennis' parents had to live with for decades. Having their small child go missing, no trace of him and living the rest of your life every day wondering what happened and could he still be alive out there and what they as a parent should/could/would do. I mean it sounds like a living hell. No closure.

[@thecatatemyhomework]

The first case, Jesse Hoover, i feel that she was suicidal (although there are far easier ways to kill yourself) or she had a mental problem. For her to do this to her family is very sad.

[@jasasyiken5561]

I have not hiked the AT but did hiked the PCT. One of the situation that got me nervous happened during BR call because when I was done, every direction looked the same. I felt disoriented. Thankfully I found my way back on the trail. Since then, I developed a technique to help me out. As I walked out of the trail to look for a spot to ease myself, I would drop my gears one at a time ie 1 pole, another pole, my bandana, water bottle, jacket, hat etc etc and finally my backpack. Then I would follow those items as I make my way back out. It seems silly but this worked for me and I did not get lost again during bathroom breaks. If you have poor sense of direction (as I do), this technique can be useful. ✌️

[@DonnaBrooks]

I thought of that, too! I was thinking of ways to find my way back & I thought of leaving "breadcrumbs" to follow. Someone else suggested using chalk to mark trees (or rocks, I might add). I thought of tying parachute cord around a small tree next to the trail & unwinding it as I walked so that when I was done, I could just follow the cord back to the trail.

[@jasasyiken5561]

@@DonnaBrooks You can do all that but to me, I wanted it to be convenient. It’s not difficult to walk away from the trail and strip things off as I go (yes, I see it as dropping bread crumbs indeed). Then when done, it’s the same sequence back, putting everything back on as I retrieve them and continue where I left off. We can be creative any how we want, as long as it works for us… find that and you’ll be fine… 😊

[@katie195]

I cannot believe she went alone with even a controlled medical condition.

[@susanschroeder3512]

RIGHT. Mt Kathadin and that area even for skilled backpacker -- is challenging enough.

[@dinahbrown902]

I can

[@laikanbarth]

It’s so easy to get lost when hiking. I remember when my sister was young and took my two grandmothers hiking. They got lost. We all went to the trail to look for them. Luckily they were all found by the next morning. It was so scary. I love hiking. We have a lot of beautiful trails here in Texas and Arkansas. I live on the border of both states. Louisiana is about 45 minutes away and Oklahoma is about an hour away. I haven’t had the opportunity to hike a lot in Louisiana and Oklahoma. I love to go hiking but I’m always afraid of getting lost.

[@Tina-si1gz]

I was born and raised in Fort Worth. How awful to disappear like that. Can’t imagine an inexperienced woman going off on a hike anywhere but especially one like this one. This is a sad story.

[@bevcamren1316]

She may have intentionally done this to be with husband again

[@MexicoAdventurer]

When I hiked the Appalachian Trail, it started bad. I came face to face with a 400 pound black bear halfway up Amicolola Falls approach trail, got struck by lightning 200 yards shy of Springer summit, and the next day, some young guy wanted to try to rob me while my stuff was hanging everywhere drying out. I *ALMOST* quit. Thank God I didn't. It was the richest experience of my life outside of mission work. I won the Damascus Trail Days thru-hiker talent competition and met some of the coolest people on earth. I went back the next year with an award winning (they won the Peabody Award once) film crew and filmed the entire Trail Days festival and parade. We were going to put it on Discovery Channel, but... things took a sour turn in my life for a couple of years. I got very depressed, and it took 4 years to get my sh¡t together. By then, I'd lost all desire to do anything with the Appalachian Trail for many years. For a few months in 2013, I was a "Trail Angel," paying for lots of hikers' food and medical care... and I day hiked all over, up and down from the point I was staying at. I made a spaghetti and meat dinner for almost 100 hikers one weekend. I ended up spending close to $7,000 and man was it rewarding. It's my intention to hike the AT once again in the next year or two, and complete it in less than 5 months, while in my 60's. Ill probably do a video log on this channel and create another channel when I'm done hiking, to put the edited movie and portion clips on it. I started a book during my first hike but when I got depressed, I threw it in the trash. Not this time. Ill be hiking with a handicap; I had a heat stroke in late 2013 and almost died. I've had a half dozen heart attacks since then, too. One of them 10 days ago. But I'll be fine.

[@nicholaswarner1143]

Good luck, sir. You are doing a really good thing.

[@RessurrectionGraves]

I’m still stuck on 400lb Black Bear! Good Lord!! I hope you’re safe and achieve your goals. ♥️

[@noturdad5354]

Hey you can’t be struck by lightning and walk away like nun happened brother.. you’re a liar

[@MexicoAdventurer]

@noturdad5354 You weren't there, constipation.

[@MexicoAdventurer]

@noturdad5354 no turd ad you just proved your ignorance.

[@missroxanne7123]

I bet Bismark was a good guy. I mean just watch your stuff around him. 🤣🤣🤣

[@ritahassing2533]

Actually it is more dangerous hiking than in the city streets because of the elements, weather, wild animals, hiking rocks, crazies, getting disorientated...

[@Pugetwitch]

I take it you've never been to hunters point😂

[@mattkeene3084]

I live near Dismal Falls. I remember when that attack happened on Sean n Scott. I was actually over in there during that time working on my hiking merit badge. It was crazy realizing that after all that afterwards.

[@maggiee639]

I’m not much of a hiker but I am a traveler. I’ve been to the backwoods of Alaska, the jungles in Mexico/ South America, and the Rocky Mountains. (I also climbed Mt Rag on the Appalachian trail!) I don’t think the average person realizes how dense the woods can actually get and how difficult they can be to traverse. You can get turned around so easily. I think Gerry was afraid to move from her spot in the fear of getting more lost. I don’t blame her.

[@Hanniballinda]

I've just recently discovered you and am obsessed 😍 literally binge watched all your videos about disappeared hikers and also enjoy your other videos. I've always been super interested in these kind of stuff and I must admit, that your expertise in hiking makes you a super unique channel with a perspective I don't want to miss anymore when it comes to these stories. Best wishes from Switzerland 🇨🇭❤

[@cindyhesson9213]

My health has made my hiking impossible, for now. But listening to your show helps remind me why I loved it. ❤ Thank you, Zach, for bringing back lovely memories ❤ But also letting everybody know the dangers out there!! Be safe and blessings all !!

[@markferguson3745]

If you didn't bring something as critical as insect repellent, you have to wonder what else was missing.That one item alone is make or break, the difference between doable and impossible. Not saying that it was the specific case here, but it appears to me that such sojourns into nature often are chosen for final moments, consciously or subconsciously.

[@isabellind1292]

I won't leave the house w/o bug repellent on me or w/me and I live in a city.

[@georgemartin1498]

Really good Kyle, as always😊. Not going to watch this whole episode tonight but here’s two comments regarding what I’ve seen. Jessie: possibly suicide by trail (passive or active)? Geraldine: we’ll never know how she got two miles off the trail but in those dense woods, in the absence of really good navigating skills, two hundred feet can be your end.

[@charlesreid9337]

Geraldine Large did exactly what people are told to do. Shelter in place and lwait for rescue. It blows my mind so many hikers seem clueless about the woods. If youre below the snowline if you freeze it is on you. If you get lost and decide to search make large visible markers with direction..for you. You cannot walk a straight line despite what you think. Your best bet is to follow flowing water or go Downhill where youll almost definitely eventually find a river or stream leading to a river or lake. Streams contain crawdads and frogs nearby includong fish. You can dam fish in to catch them. if you find a river theres basically a 100% chance you find people eventually

[@lydiabarry8153]

Just go to the bathroom on the dam trail! If someone catches you going oh well, your still alive! 😢

[@scottchaisson6311]

You're

[@raventaylor6611]

@@scottchaisson6311be quiet

[@DonnaBrooks]

@@raventaylor6611 You be quiet.

[@raventaylor6611]

@@DonnaBrooks bruh ur old shut up

[@DropDeadMisfitChicks]

Number one rule if you get lost in the woods is to Stay where you are. Don't roam bc the chances of you walking in the wrong direction are high. Secondly, change your voicemail explaining your last whereabouts so when you have no service others can still call and get that info.

[@DonnaBrooks]

You'd have to be constantly changing your voicemail because you'd never know when you were going to lose service. You can't change your voicemail if you don't have cellphone service. Also, Geraldine DID stay put for 26 days & died waiting for someone to find her. So, in most cases, yes, stay put. However, your advice about both the cellphone and staying in one place would be worthless to Geraldine. The important thing is to stop as soon as you think you are lost! If she had stopped SOONER, she would not have wandered 2 miles off trail. Also, you'd have to have a solar cellphone charger for the phone to be useful. Also, do you stay put or do you keep moving until you get cellphone service? Your advice is contradictory.

[@DropDeadMisfitChicks]

@DonnaBrooks not gonna argue with you Donna. Moral is to stay put instead of getting yourself lost even further into the woods. The voicemail thing is for those who have the potential to change it when lost so people know where to start looking. Get your negative ass off my comment and get lost yourself ☺️😘

[@TheUnknownWonderer]

​@DonnaBrooks where is she being contradictive? Unless you're illiterate she said to stay put, not wonder around for service to change your voicemail

[@fooshampoo904]

I have lived in pretty remote areas out West. Things can go bad. And even tho i did hike alone for shorter hikes, i generally dont recommend hiking alone.

[@KuptisOriginal]

When you put up a long video like this please use chapter markers or whatever they're called so viewers can go directly to where a certain video/clip starts.

[@princessinmittens4783]

I hope that couple's announcement wasn't a pregnancy one. That would be even more saddening

[@davidaston5773]

@KyleHatesHiking I have watched A LOT of videos about people who have disappeared. In particular, I have found ones about missing people in forests, national parks and places like the Appalachian Trail. And it has become clear to me that a lot of disappearances are due to criminal elements, serial killers and murders by people they knew or those they didn't. The simple fact is these places are PERFECT for anyone who is up to dubious activities. They would also be perfectly hidden and there are countless natural ways to cover for them. And, if it is a murderer, child abuser, people kidnapper and others, they know the bodies may not be found for a long time. They set up in these places and due to them being remote it's not illogical to think some hiker, park ranger or lawman or other person(s) visiting the place could have seen or encountered someone(s) who can't let them leave alive. Yes, there's plenty of people who get lost or have an accident. But, some cases simply give you the gut feeling, combined with evidence and facts pointing away from the normal situations these places pose, to the uncomfortable feeling a case is more than getting lost. But rather someone wanting to the authorities to think that. Unless, they themselves know more. Either way, these are not places to disrespect or take for granted. RIP to all those who have lost their lives. David

[@kryan-hc8cf]

So I live in Colorado. And here we have what is called The Matte. It's a sandwich/coffee shop in manitou springs Colorado. It too looks like a tree house on the inside, is run by men with beards and ponytails, and "modestly" dressed women and very well behaved kids. Very nice people. They are a 24hr business except I believe it's the full day of friday, maybe Thursday when they celebrate the Sabbath and the plank on the door invites anyone who happens by to come for dinner and prayer at their home. Very much everything your saying. They only try and recruit men to their farm though

[@scottchaisson6311]

*you're

[@coldbloodC]

I think he may have hiked the AT in 2018..... Just pulling your leg Kyle, thanks for all you do! Loving the content from over in UK ❤️

[@Smokymountainhike]

Thought about Dennis when I was up at Spence Field a few days ago in the snow. Many sad stories in this.

[@erkl8823]

We're gonna have to shut down the Appalachian trail until we figure out WTH IS GOIN' ON!!

[@mahakranga7093]

I have no idea why but every time I sit down for my watercolour art, I always watch your videos..

[@Dogwatch219]

When I was a kid my dad told me if you are in the forest and you realise you’re lost stop immediately don’t keep walking thinking you’ll find the trail you’ll just get more lost. If you just sit and wait someone will find you. A moving target is hard to find.

[@DonnaBrooks]

That's what so tragic about Geraldine. She did that. What I don't understand is why they gave up looking so quickly. She was only 2 miles from the trail for 26 days?! IDK how they were not able to find her.

[@badkarmaclagg]

Hello! I'm new here, found your video in my recommendation list and thought it looked good. I was right! I loved every minute of this video, I even played it in my car going to pick up my kid from school. Was able to listen on the way and while I was waiting.

[@pembrokelove]

The Largay case haunts me… just the thought of her being there, alive and unhurt, for days - maybe weeks? They made an estimate based on when she last wrote in her journal, but we really don’t know. Just. The absolute horror.

[@larrydirtybird]

There is one thing from this video that I will never, ever forget: You THROUGH-HIKED THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL IN 2018.

[@sicooper4230]

Margeret McFaddin Harrit was incredibly brave imo.17 years old,unexperienced in hiking and yet she managed to survive.She got lucky because it would of been so easy to off her.What a strange case and what a strange man.

[@dinahbrown902]

No luck involved

[@Jones4Leather]

Geraldine Largay should not have been hiking alone. If she had been self aware enough or honest enough with herself, she would have ended her hike early when her friend did. #1) Her friend who hiked the first segment with her noticed Geraldine got seriously confused very easily and completely lost her sense of direction when even slightly off the trail for a pee break. #2) Geraldine had not been fully educated about basic wilderness survival if lost. In particular, most of the natural water sheds along the trail can be followed down to a road or trail or some contact with people in a fairly short time. #3) She was far too dependent on her cell phone for her safety. She expected that she could call or at least taxt for help at any time. It would have been easy to learn ahead of her trip that there are long stretches where cell reception is poor to non-existent. She should have had a satellite phone or safety beacon, esp given her alarmingly poor sense of direction. It's so sad. She was not only within 2.miles of the trail, but was only about 200 yards from an access road on the military property. The searchers with the ranger service also had conducted multiple sweeps of different areas with many volunteers and one had brought them within less than 1/4 mile of her while she was alive. But the woods are so dense, sound does not carry very far, so she never heard them. A tragedy of someone woefully unprepared and unqualified for solo hiking.

[@sandrarawn2147]

Hello from Ontario Canada If I were Scott lily's mother I'd be sooo grateful to you for doing this storey and all these stories.

[@joyseralph]

Thank you for sharing Mr Lilly’s story

[@sofialuna5270]

A three-hour long video on the atrocities that happened in my most favorite trail in the United States recommended to me when I'm at the peak of procrastination? You really cooked with this one, yet again.

[@DarkGodSeti]

Drinking game!: Take a shot every time he mentions that he walked the Appalachian trail. Edit: This was a very interesting watch (Did not mean any ill intent btw.) Subbed!

[@armandx.goldman7336]

It may be close to the truth or a total miss, but "mostly harmless" could have starved to death. But the food and the funds? I know! I know! but, read on just a bit further. I am dying of terminal cancer that mixes with serious PTSD. I will go days without water, yes days! I am not suicidal it is just that the Chemotherapy makes the water taste nasty and I also have an aversion to the water. I have been given IVs and placed in hospital due to this occurring. When treating me for PTSD a therapist related how I am not uncommon she has read case studies of Vets who will starve themselves or die from lack of water even when both are within arms reach. Think of it like anorexia. Another point that helps with the Metal health view, by having PTSD and pushing away family and friends, and yet! all the while meeting folks and making friends on the trail. This is also not uncommon either, With Serious PTSD people will lash out and be threatening to those close to them. That is kinda pointed at by not giving any name or too many details. Remember you harm those who are close, those who are close will harm you! (PTSD Saying) by staying anonymous he is safe. They are not a threat. Even the hiking fits, many of those with PTSD engage in self-harming, not always cutting, could be innocent activities such as jumping motorcycles, full contact fighting, etc. There are many ways to create pain without people knowing why you are doing it. Why was he doing it? Maybe he was atoning for past sins or wrongs that he has done to people over the years. Monks and zealots used to whip themselves to pay for their sins. Others burn themselves or even hike until they die.

[@sheritamac87]

Kyle, you are such a wonderful narrator/speaker/story teller. Thank you.

[@GlitterPoolParty]

Consider packing a 100ud ball of yarn in your bathroom bag. Tie end to an anchor near the trail then unravel to your destination cat hole. Then re-ravel your way back to the trail.

[@kissedbysun2517]

Paracord is better. It doesn't tangle as easily and has many purposes

[@thisbeem2714]

After I heard about Geraldine Largay I decided I would take paracord for just that reason.

[@arnehusby1420]

Are the missing People using a Map and Compass? I am from Norway wit a lot of mountains and Wilderness and a hard Climate. Compass are necessary to survive in the wild.

[@maximumeffort78]

I’m often curious why people don’t have both the awesome tech maps/beacons AND know how to manually navigate. It’s confusing to me.

[@kissedbysun2517]

​@@maximumeffort78because they assume they will follow a well marked trail and it will be ok. Most people don't bother buying good maps, and even fewer really know how to use a map and compass. They don't think they'll need it.

[@bazinga9473]

A girl I went to high school with was killed on the Appalachian trail a couple of years after we graduated. She had gone up there to study (she went to college nearby) and a guy killed her and stole her car and purse. It was awful. She was such a nice person.

[@rigosend86]

What’s crazy is that while searching why no one was blowing a whistle for anyone in hearing distance to be alerted.

[@JohnSixteen-jj6eg]

I've hiked the A.T. I was class of 2016, 2017 & 2018. I imagine that Jessie Hover panicked, got off trail, got lost trying to find help and died. I also imagine that she is many, many miles off trail. She probably roamed the wilderness for a very long time before she died. I was researching the case about the missing kid Dennis Martin when I learned about 1 inch of soil gets added to the ground per year from rotting trees, vegetation etc. So, if Jessie Hover went missing in 1982. She's buried underneath approximately 41 inches of dirt.

[@petercomstock8297]

Kyle's ability to add extra details to this Dennis Martin case is a new high bar. For anyone that followed this take you need to check out David Paulide's report on this years ago. The report of the "suspicious" man was from a father of another family that was out together at the spot they had their sighting looking for bears, as they later reported, and had ended up at that spot on the recommendation from a park ranger. The family did report a scream but that's where Kyle's take goes off the rails. The "man" was reported to be hairy, with something slung over its shoulder as it ran tree to tree. It DID NOT go to a car and drive away, but instead disappeared out of sight in the woods. I get that likes and views are important, but at least report on the original story as it was originally reported instead of Hollywooding it up.

[@Naedlj]

I live on the Appalachian trail. It’s extremely common to see hikers walking into town usually when bad weather is approaching. I used to be a waitress and I would talk to the hikers that came in and they were from all over the world. A man from Germany, a couple from France, a lot of people from Sweden… etc. And a lot of them were teachers or college professors.. lol

[@squnk3613]

If i ever found myself lost. Emmediatly when i realise i am lost. I would stop right there. I would then calculate how long i had been walking since leaving the trail. Then i would mark where i am very clearly. Then i would walk a certain direction for the same amount of time. I would clearly mark trees as i walk. That way i can find my way back to where i was when i first decided i was lost. I would use the spot where i first was lost as a camp. and i would walk in a straight line marking trees. Until i have walked every way i could. Then i would start back at my first line i walked and i would walk out further. Then i would repeat that walking in every direction possible starting at my camp.

[@m.nic.5080]

Seems like Mostly Harmless could have had an allergic reaction/anaphylaxis. Antihistamines in his system could indicate that and his body was too fragile to fight the allergen because of the already existing weight loss. IIRC allergic reactions are hard to detect after death since the swelling goes down after a day or so of being dead

[@seriouslyyoujest1771]

This is one place I wouldn’t want to hike. I’ll keep our Oregon Coastal trails, or the beach at Coronado, California.

[@noahgodfrey4209]

I think Rodriguez had a stroke or a seizure--something that left him either in a comatose state or paralyzed. Thus, he was unable to feed himself and starved. A terrible way to go, though from the sounds of it he knew something might happen to him and accepted the risk.

[@susans5581]

I just subscribed to your channel. I've never listened to your channel before, and I'm glad I came across it! You are a great storyteller. I live close to the App Trail, which is gorgeous! Some dark and mysterious things have happened, but look at all the hikers who have not encountered anything awful! This is such beautiful country! Thanks again for your channel! I look forward to more stories!

[@EfficientRVer]

The lesson from Mostly Harmless, is to carry ID even if you don't want to be identified while you're alive. Failure to do so can result in a composite sketch artist thinking you were a wolfman.

[@BlazedandCornfuzed]

Thank youuuu!! This is the only thing that gets me to sleep at night. Then I wake up and watch what I miss! Hiking is my favorite thing to do but my biggest fear is some of the stories u talk about. Going missing, getting lost, getting murdered or attacked by bear, shit even aliens! Thanks for teaching me how to stay safe out there ❤

[@mom.left.me.at.michaels9951]

Bears aren't so much of an issue with all the noisy activities of the hikers and generally avoid groups of people. Getting lost is pretty impossible if you stay on the obvious trails and don't go for shortcuts. Get one of the GPS services with the emergency beacon just in case for pretty much anything else. Carry a good amount of water and everything will be fine. Take a chance out there! You won't regret it.

[@DonnaBrooks]

@@mom.left.me.at.michaels9951 I would add to make sure you have multiple ways to start a FIRE. That can be the difference between life & death. You can die overnight in even above freezing temps if you are wet. Most people think about food, but shelter / warmth is the first priority. Then you need some way to purify water.

[@user-us5pv8zw3z]

Old school hiker here. I would never depend on an app or phone to navigate while hiking in the backcountry. You’d be much better off using a compass and a trail map.

[@-Reagan]

It’s messed up that after spending time with Bismarck (Bizmark?) and befriending him, that they turned him in. If it were murder in cold blood, ok but, embezzlement... ?? He obviously wasn’t greedy if he spent almost a decade on the trail. Not exactly materialistic. Idk

[@harduphiker]

yeah I'd be like - what he do? Oh white collar crime, vicitmless crime, or the the victims are rich companies/corprorates? Sorry, Not seen the guy. ;-)

[@MichaelWagner-oi5uw]

Love the ADK 46er sign. Before I moved out of CNY, I was hiking quite a bit of the ADK Mts. Knocked out 37 of the 46 high peaks. Great stuff and enjoyable memories with good friends.

[@thecatatemyhomework]

The editing of this video🤯

[@coralinesgirlfriend]

jesse never intended to come back. her husband had just died, which for many being married 30+ years is absolutely heartbreaking. she went during a time of year that had very very little foot traffic, on a trail that was more dangerous, and with inadequate gear. if she had been looking into hiking the AT for awhile before she did, she would’ve likely known her gear was inadequate. if she did get lost, i personally can’t shake the feeling that she accepted it regardless and is no longer with us.

[@thisbeem2714]

Agreed. She didn’t intend to come out.

[@fred6059]

I will stay home thank you. This stuff is beyond any horror movie. I like this channel.

[@anniehills3580]

When you leave the trail for BR, leave a trail of a few items or bring string, so you can mark the trees, or, just lay the rope on the ground from trail to BR spot. Gather it up when going back to trail. Use what is in the surroundings, sticks or small rocks.

[@Stephen-gp8yi]

Great channel buddy✌️