How Dangerous is the Appalachian Trail?

So just how dangerous is the Appalachian Trail? Join Steve Stockton as he takes a look. Written by Nicole Stockton.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/steve-stockton-s-among-the-missing--5858804/support.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hello friends, Steve Stockton here withyou. Welcome to our latest episode,
this timmer around. We bring youthe Appalachian Trail. How dangerous is it?
Join me, let's walk and seenow. The Appalachian Trail, affectionately
known as the AT, stretches overtwenty two hundred miles and traverses fourteen states

(00:23):
in the easternmost United States, fromSpringer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Cataden in
Maine. Many consider hiking this iconictrail the ultimate test of endurance and perseverance.
The longest hiking only footpath in theworld, an estimated two to three
million people track the AT yearly toexperience nature's astonishing beauty and challenge themselves physically

(00:46):
and mentally. The AT offers somethingfor everyone, literally, from the rugged
wilderness to scenic overlooks to quaint surroundingtowns and villages. Although despite its fame
as a scenic hiking trail, theAT's remote corners hold some dark and eerie
secrets. There have been violent assaultsand approximately a dozen murders since the first

(01:06):
reported murder in nineteen seventy four.According to Phoebe Smith, an award winning
travel writer who frequently camps alone.The most significant risks to hikers are weather
related or the lack of appropriate gear. However, violent crime on hiking trails
like the Appalachian Trail does occur.In this video, we'll explore some chilling

(01:26):
incidents on the Appalachian Trail and providevaluable advice on maintaining safety when exploring nature.
In nineteen seventy four, Joel Poulsenand Margaret McFadden started their at hike
at the southern terminus Springer Mountain,Georgia. After covering six miles that day,
the pair stopped to rest at LowGap Shelter, where they encountered Ralph

(01:49):
Howard Fox. After conversing for afew minutes, Margaret went to wash it
in the stream, followed by Joel. The pair returned to the shelter,
started a fire and invited Fox tojoin them for dinner, and he declined.
Then, without warning, Box shotand killed Joel. The following day,
took his belongings and kidnapped Margaret.After a few days, Fox let

(02:12):
her go and she notified authorities.Margaret later picked Fox out of a police
lineup, and he was ultimately indictedfor Joel's murder. In October of nineteen
seventy five. Fox pleaded guilty andwas sent us to life in Georgia State
prison. This was the first knownmurder to occur on the Appalachian Trail.
Then, in nineteen seventy five,twenty two year old threw hiker Janis Balza

(02:36):
from Madison, Wisconsin, stayed atthe Van Devenner's Shelter on the AT in
Butler, Tennessee. Fifty one yearold Paul Bigley, who had a history
at middle illness, attacked and killedher with a hatchet as she sat near
his campfire, allegedly for her backpack. Bigley was found guilty of murder and
sent us to life in prison.Some hikers believed Janis's ghost still haunts the

(02:57):
shelter. There have been sightings andalso reports of growling and stomping noises in
the area. Then, in nineteeneighty one, main social workers Robert mount
For Junior and Laura Susan Ramsay,each twenty seven years old, were hiking
the AT to raise money for troubledteens. They stayed at the Wapa Te
Shelter in Giles, Virginia. Robertwas shot in the head of the twenty

(03:19):
two calber pistol, and Laura wasbludgeoned with a piece of iron and stabbed
continually with a knife and a longnail. Their bodies were placed in their
sleeping bags and then buried. RandallLee Smith would later be charge of their
murders and was released from prison afterserving fifteen years for good behavior. He
later tried to commit murder again inthe exact location. A book entitled Murder

(03:42):
on the Appalachian Trail recounts the truestory of Robert Laar's death. Smith's motive
remains unknown. In nineteen eighty eight, Stephen Roy Carr killed twenty eight year
old Rebecca White and wounded her partner, thirty one year old Claudia Brenner in
Michaux State Forest, Pennsylvani Carl firstmet Rebecca in a public bathroom and saw

(04:03):
the couple again later that day.Carl watched the couple for a while that
night before shooting at them, killingRebecca and injuring Claudia. Carr was caught
and sent uced to life in prisonwithout the possibility of parole. On May
nineteenth, nineteen ninety six, twentyfour year old Julianne Julie Williams and her

(04:24):
twenty six year old partner, LolliWinings Campton Shenandoah National Park, Virginia.
Julie was reported missing on May thirty, first, after her roommate phoned Julie's
father to inform him that she hadn'tyet returned from her trip. The pair
were discovered murdered at a campsite onBridle Trail, only a short distance from
an area filled with restaurants, barsand cabins. The FBI is investigating in

(04:46):
the case and the killer remains atlarge. Louise Chappard was a fifty two
year old psychologist from Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, with an unrivaled passion for
hiking. On November fifteen, twothousand and one, Louise left her home
and set off on a solo threeplus hour journey by car to Mount Washington,
in the Presidential Range of New Hampshire'sWhite Mountains. She planned a short

(05:10):
hike on the Lost Pond Trail acrossthe street from the lodge where she would
stay. Louise never returned and wasreported missing. Sadly, her body was
discovered with multiple stab wounds on Thanksgivingday, and her death was ruled a
homicide. The motive remains unknown andthe perpetrator as yet to be identified.
In two thousand and eight, twentyfour year old Meredith Emerson was murdered by

(05:33):
Gary Michael Hilton, a sixty oneyear old drifter, while hiking on Blood
Mountain in Georgia. Hilton initially walkedwith Meredith and her dog, but fell
behind due to her fast pace.Meredith reencountered Hilton on her way down the
mountain, where he attacked her witha knife and of baton. Despite her
training in martial arts, Hilton overpoweredand kidnapped her, keeping her captive for

(05:56):
three days before ultimately killing her witha carjack handle. Hilton, who was
mainly unstable and believed to be asociopath, confessed to targeting Meredith because she
was a woman. Hilton was latercharged with three additional murders and sentenced to
life in prison. In twenty eleven, a group of hikers found thirty year
old Scott Lily deceased near the CowcampGap shelter on the at Scott a sobo

(06:19):
Or, a southbound hiker started hisjourney in Maryland and was headed towards Springer
Mountain. He was last seen onJuly thirty first, after climbing the Priest
in Nelson County. Scott's cause ofdeath was determined to be asphyxiated by suffocation
and his belongings were missing. TheFBI is not confirmed if robbery was indeed
the motive for the crime, andScott's murder remains unsolved. Then, in

(06:44):
twenty nineteen, forty three year oldArmy veteran Ronald Sansays Junior was murdered by
James Lewis Jordan. Ronald was campingwith three other hikers in Wife County,
Virginia, when they encountered Jordan,who was behaving erradically and threatening to burn
their tents. When they attempted toleave, Jordan attacked him, killing Ronald
and injuring another hiker. Jordan wasfound not guilty by reason of insanity and

(07:08):
will not be released until the courtdetermines that he will not create a quote
substantial risk of injury end quote toanyone else, and then we have an
almost deadly case. In two thousandand eight, while camping near the Wapiti
Shelter, fisherman Scott Johnson and SeanFarmer encountered Randall Smith, who introduced himself
as Ricky Williams. Unaware that Smithwas the same person who had murdered Robert

(07:30):
mount For Junior and Laura Susan Ramseyin nineteen eighty one, Scott and Sean
invited him to join them for dinner. After sharing a meal and conversing for
hours, Smith lingered, even thoughhe claimed his camp was far away.
Around eight thirty pm, Smith suddenlyopened fire on Scott and Sean as they
prepared to part ways. Remarkably,both men were wounded, but managed to

(07:53):
escape together and survive. Smith,who was later identified as assailant, died
in prison. The motive the attackremains unsolved. So how dangerous is the
Appalachian Trail Well, generally speaking,the AT is safe, but not without
its risk of danger. There havebeen a dozen murders reported since nineteen seventy,

(08:16):
fours we talked about. According toUS crime rate reports between nineteen seventy
four and twenty seventeen, individuals arenine hundred and sixty eight times more likely
to be murdered in the US atlarge than on the AT in any given
year. No, before you go, consider what could go wrong and how
you'll deal with it. Be awarethat cell phones and earbuds may distract you

(08:39):
and prevent you from seeing or hearingcues that could help you avoid a dangerous
situation. Always carry an outer layerof clothing that will protect you from wind
and rain. If you have tospend unplanned time in the woods during inclement
weather, cell phone reception is unpredictableand in some places entirely non existent.
Hikers should consider a satellite guided messagedevice or a personal locator beacon for long

(09:03):
tracks, and carry a compass andpaper map. Staying safe on your hike.
Staying alert and aware of your surroundingsis essential regardless of where you are.
Be prepared and informed. Avoiding troubleis always your first defense. Ensure
if someone knows where you plan tobe, and check in with them regularly.
Be sure your contacts know your trailname and provide them with the number

(09:26):
of the land managing agency for thearea of your height. This information is
available online or on ATC maps.Hikers should research the trail and its surroundings
before embarking on a trip and carryappropriate gear and supplies. They should also
be familiar with basic safety procedures suchas handling encounters with wildlife and navigating the
terrain in an emergency. Use extracaution if hiking alone, and refrain from

(09:50):
broadcasting that you are a loon orgiving information about your intentions. Hiking with
a partner or dog can provide afalse sense of security, as neither guarantees
safety. If you encounter someone whomakes you feel uneasy, avoid engaging with
them and put distance between you.Move on and try to connect with another
group of hikers. Always pay attentionto your instincts and be wary of strangers.

(10:15):
Be polite, but also be cautious, and be advised that you may
encounter different cultural norms along the trail. Actions, clothing, or even language
churices that may be viewed as freedomof expression in the generally accepting culture of
the at can be taken differently insome local communities or even by individual hikers
on the trail. If you dohave a cell phone with you, call

(10:39):
nine to one one if you feelyour safety is threatened. Law enforcement rarely
monitors trail related social media. Ifyou simply cannot call nine one one,
notify local law enforcement immediately as youcan, and use the trail registers.
If someone needs to locate you ora serious crime has been committed along the
trail. Register entries may be helpfulto authority, leave a note and report

(11:01):
any suspicious activities in these trail registers. The ATC generally discourages taking weapons on
the trail must comply in the statelaw in which the federal land is located.
Many hikers feel carrying firearms is unnecessaryin contrary to the social nature of
the trail. Plus, guns areextra weight and can be turned against you

(11:22):
or result in an accidental shooting.If you do plan to carry, acquire
training beforehand and mentally prepare yourself forusing the firearm, contacting in advance the
forest park or state land unit you'llpass through as best to ensure compliance.
Also, avoid hitchhiking and make transportationarrangements beforehand if possible. If an emergency

(11:43):
requires you to hitchhike, be sureto have a partner and flag down a
vehicle yourself so you choose the vehicle, not vice versa. Carefully evaluate the
driver, any occupants, and thevehicle condition before accepting a ride. If
something seems off even the slightest bit, decline the offer and show your PHONEUS
charts and your wallet and ID areon your person. Stay with your pack,

(12:07):
Photograph or write down the license plateand note the vehicles make, model,
and color. Please note that hitchhikingis illegal in some states, so
carefully consider your risks. Eliminate opportunitiesfor theft. Don't bring jewelry with you,
and hide your money and other valuables. If you must leave your pack,
momentarily hide it or leave it withsomeone trustworthy. Keep valuables or equipment

(12:31):
out of sight in vehicles. Parkyour trailheads and camp away from the roads.
Check the trail sight information before leavingyour car parked and unattended. So
overall, the at fosters are warmand welcoming, the atmosphere characterized by a
shared language, trail families and thesupport of trail angels. Always maintain situational

(12:52):
awareness and remember you are ultimately responsiblefor your safety. If you see something,
say something. This helps. I'msure the at remains as safe as
possible for all visitors. The courageousdetermination of hikers such as Kirby Morrile serves
as a potent reminder that fear shouldnot hold us back from pursuing our passions
and exploring the beauty of the naturalworld. While we should always remain vigilant

(13:16):
and take necessary precautions, the AppalachianTrail offers unparalleled adventure and community opportunities.
Well, friends, there you haveit. I would love to know your
thoughts on the Appalachian Trail. Ilook forward to your comments, but please
be polite and respectful. Until wemeet again, be good to yourselves and
each other. I'm Steve Stockton,and I'll see you a little further down

(13:39):
the trail. Tell your animals,I said, Hi,