The 2180

The doors are closing on season one, but before they do, Producer Andrew Iden sits down with writer and producer Jarrett Bellini for a talk about how this podcast came about, the stories behind the making of the show and everything in between.

Nancy Reeder always loved the outdoors, so when she and her partner Lonnie began their AT thru-hike in 2009, they knew the would finish. What they didn't anticipate though, was the abrupt end of the thru-hike attempt in a frigid and snow-packed Virginia winter. They set out again though and managed to bring closure to a family tragedy that occurred on the trail years earlier. 

After reading the memoir of Earl Schaffer, the first person to hike the Appalachian Trail, Dave Donaldson wanted to honor the legendary outdorsman by giving himself the trail name Spirit of 48. What he didn't anticipate though was spending part of his hike with the AT's original thru-hiker and forming a friendship that would stay with him forever. 

When Jonathan MacFarland got on the Appalachian Trail, he was the first to admit he had no idea what he was doing. But along the way, his hike became a story of shedding guilt, learning to not be angry, and becoming the one others came to for advice. 

If it were up to Heather Starbuck, she'd gladly have never hiked the Appalachian Trail. But the tragic and heartbreaking death of her boyfriend, Matt Adams, became a mission to walk from Georgia to Maine in an attempt to shed light on a crisis that is gripping America. in our most powerful episode yet, she shares her story of tragedy, unspeakable loss and learning to deal with both. Audience discretion is advised. 

While we get ready for the stretch run of season one-We just needed an extra week to get our ducks in a row. But in the meantime, a quick message from The 2180 HQ, where we're still grinding away and getting some great stories of Appalachian Trail thru-hikers. We'll be back next week with a fresh new episode! 

Leigh Rothermel began going on backpacking trips in middle school, and from day one, she fell in love with the outdoors. As life does, her corporate job got in the way, and tiring of morning commutes and sitting in an office, she left Atlanta, moved in with her parents, and started preparing for a 2015 thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail.

After the tragic death of his father, a falling out over the family business and a subsequent divorce, Colin Gooder was looking to do something positive to change the string of sadness he had worked through. So when he decided to open a hostel in his hometown of Franklin, NC, he found a community he's grown to love and people he feels compelled to help.  

In 1980, Larry Luxenberg was about to start grad school in New York City after leaving the journalism business. Before he moved though he took a leap and went for a walk on the Appalachian Trail which would change his life and lead him to write a book and start the Appalachian Trail Museum, which he'd later be inducted into by his peers.   

After retiring, Bill Van Horn and his wife moved to the trail town of Franklin, NC where they began getting active with the Nantahala Hiking Club. Their work prompted them to tackle a section hike of the Appalachian Trail, and firmed up their passion for the outdoors and working to preserve America's public lands. 

An airline pilot who had lived and flown all over the world, Ed Higginbotham wasn't going to stop traveling after he retired. So he set out to hike sections of the Appalachian Trail with a group of friends, and over the course of eight years, successfully section hiked from Georgia to Maine. After years in the sky and looking at America from 20,000 feet, he finally got a chance to experience America from an angle he hadn't been afforded after years of flying: close-up and on the ground.

As a young child, Kimberly Shaffer didn't have a lot of understanding of the Appalachian Trail. But her great uncle, Earl Shaffer certainly did, as the first person to successfully thru-hike the AT in 1948. This year, Kimberly decided to mark the anniversary of his first walk, and set out on the trail. This is the story of her her own walk, honoring a family legacy and along the way getting closer to the words and experiences documented by her great Uncle Earl. 

34 years ago, Tillie and Roy Wood began running Woods Hole Hostel, a cabin built in the 1880's that they bought in the 1940's. 9 years ago, when Tillie passed away, her granddaughter, Neville and her husband Michael, took over running the business, and it's become one of the most popular hostels on the Appalachian Trail. What began as a place Neville would visit as a young girl has become a family legacy and given her a unique perspective on the thousands of hikers who pass through on their way to the end of the Appalachian Trail.

When John Taylor lost his sight, he wasn't going to be told what he could and couldn't do. When he met Jen, who loved the outdoors, she planted the idea of hiking the Appalachian Trail with him, and he was up for it from day one. In February, the two set out on the Appalachian Trail where John proved that while he'd lost his sight, he hadn't lost his vision. Their story is one of seeing the world through other means and the depth of trust between two people who found each other in the second phase of life. 

In 1978, Ron Tipton spoke to a longtime friend on the phone, who said he was hiking the Appalachian Trail. Ron hung up the phone, and when he couldn't sleep, called his friend the next morning and said he'd be joining him on the trip. What followed was a hike that would change his life, setting him on a course of working in the protection of public lands for the next 35 years.

As a psychology professor, Shelly Martin knew she'd have to learn to mitigate her fear of heights when she got on the Appalachian Trail in January of 2018. What she learned on her 2,000 mile walk was that the good of people always shows itself and confidence is in the ability to respond to the physical demands-and heights-involved in hiking the Appalachian Trail. 

Georganna Seamon grew up around outdoor gear. So it's only natural that after college, she'd head out on a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail with her then boyfriend and now husband, Logan. And in 2013, the couple took ownership of one of the Appalachian Trail's most noted outfitters and hiker resource, Mountain Crossings in Neel Gap, GA. 

Brad Stein has done a lot in his life. He's run a record label, worked in hunting camps, but at the age of 14, hiking the Appalachian Trail became a goal he never wavered from. At age 54, he set out on the trail on added another chapter to his already adventurous life. 

80 hour work weeks and five years without taking time off had taken a toll on Bret Eady. After he and his father sold their business, Bret and his wife moved to the North Georgia mountains, just steps from the Appalachian Trail, where he learned to love hiking, how to clear his head and how to get back to the person he wanted to be. With a push from his wife, a section hike in 2016 became the catalyst for a thru-hike where he went on a journey to repair what needed fixing the most. 

Like many who attempt a thru-hike only to see it end, Dave Weinberg has regrets about not staying on the Appalachian Trail. But his story is uniquely his, hatched a life-long love of the outdoors, and afforded him a summer of adventure that very few get to experience. 

For Evans Prater, the dream of an Appalachian Trail thru-hike began at his mom's house during college, when he watched a National Geographic documentary about the people who set out on America's most famous trail. Along the way, he learned about the simplicity of sunsets, feeling whole, and was inspired to start his business, Mount Inspiration Apparel Company. 

For Anna Huthmaker, hiking the Appalachian Trail presented it's own unique set of challenges. Aside from the grueling miles she battled her own body insecurities, but hiking the Appalachian Trail became her opportunity to establish a legacy for women who have never considered themselves the "hiker type." 

As a United States Marine, Gary Sizer fell in love with backpacking and being outdoors. So in 2014, when the direction of his employer shifted drastically and he saw the writing on the wall, he did what so many aspire to do: he quit, started planning a thru-hike, and in 2014, took off from Georgia for Mt. Katahdin, Maine. His hike became a story of experiencing the little things, enjoying the stillness of the outdoors and ultimately learning that life doesn't always adhere to a pre-determined script.

In Appalachian Trail circles, Janet Hensley is about as well known as they come. For years, she's been driving the highways and backroads between Maine and Georgia as one of the trail's most ardent supporters-a den mother to the hiking community. She's a vital part of the Appalachian Trail ecosystem which relies on the goodness of others in between towns and trailheads to get hikers what they need and when they need it. In Episode 12, Miss Janet talks about her love of the trail, love of hikers and how she began the unique life she's carved out as one of the most well-known 'angels' on America's most famous trail.  

In 1995, five newspapers collaborated on a relay hike of the Appalachian Trail. Bo Emerson, a writer with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution was the first reporter on the relay and began a 200-mile section of the trail that would prove to be part of a larger story about discovery, exploration and connecting with people.     SHOW NOTES: 2015 Appalachian Trail Recap   Appalachian Adventure Book    

Jerry Travers always talked about hiking the Appalachian Trail, and when his daughter Bennett graduated from college, an opportunity presented itself for them to do it together. This is the story of Buzz, Tandem, and the bond they formed that very few-including other members of their family-can understand. 

David Rutter had the idea of hiking the Appalachian Trail for a while, but when he decided to take Copper the family dog, it made it an entirely different adventure. There were challenges and obstacles, but David's four-legged companion proved to be an able hiker, a great trailblazer and as dogs tend to do, his best friend.      SHOW NOTES "Northbounders" - By Karen Lord Rutter 10:32 - Mountain Harbour Hostel 22:50 - Blast & Copper atop Springer Mountain  

Erik Jarvi made a pledge with his brother Evan, that when the opportunity showed itself, the two of them would take on a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. In 2017 that window of opportunity opened and he and his brother set out on a hike that would wind up having a lasting impact on their relationship and understanding of each other. Now Erik is hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, and you can follow his journey on Instagram at @ejarv1.

Prior to 2011, Adama-Malkia McGrapth had never even heard of the Appalachian Trail. That all changed though, after joining an outdoors meetup group. Seven years later, she's completed two different thru-hikes of the Appalachian Trail and lives a life defined by her love of the outdoors. 

For years, Andrew Baranak had a map of the Appalachian Trail on his wall, which became the motivation for him to tackle a thru-hike. In 2015, he set out from Springer Mountain, Georgia and walked to Mt. Katahdin, Maine. During his hike, he learned to see the beauty in people when they strip away pretense and learn to be themselves.  

Susie McNeely decided as a young woman in 1979 that she would hike the Appalachian Trail with two of her closest friends. That trip had a lasting impact on her, as she went on to complete the Pacific Crest Trail in 1983, and then after retiring in 2016, the Continental Divide Trail which made her one of about 200 people to complete the triple crown of American hiking. Richard Judy, from Episode 1, is a longtime friend and hiking companion, and said of her strength on the trail: "When it comes to hiking, I would follow her into hell."

Matt Hall wasn't always sure life would allow him a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. He battled addiction and ran afoul of the law, but when he got clean, he was given the opportunity to hike the Appalachian Trail as the A.T. Chaplain, a position he was selected for through the United Methodist Church. His hike became an opportunity for him to reflect on his past mistakes and the newfound perspective one gains on the walk from Mt. Katahdin, Maine to Springer Mountain, GA.   SHOW NOTES: The Appalachian Trail Chaplaincy on Facebook The Appalachian Trail Chaplaincy  

Jennifer Pharr Davis has hiked the Appalachian Trail three times, won the 2012 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year award, has written five books on her adventures outside and at one point, held the record for the fastest known thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. But before she was an icon in the American hiking community, in 2005, she set out on her first thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail as a recent college graduate with little knowledge of the outdoors in hopes of taking a risk and finding something else along the way. In Episode 2 she talks about her youth, the tragedy she encountered on the trail, and how she learned to be confident in who she was and overcome her own insecurities.   Show Notes: - The Pursuit of Endurance by Jennifer Pharr Davis   - Becoming Odyssa by Jennifer Pharr Davis   - Called Again; A Story of Love & Triumph   - Blue Ridge Hiking Company

For Richard Judy, the idea of an Appalachian Trail thru-hike began as a Boy Scout, where he developed a love of the outdoors. Decades later, with two children who have done AT thru-hikes, Richard has been on trails all over the world, has written a novel based on his hike, and continues to make the AT a central part of his life.    Show Notes: Thru, An Appalachian Trail Love Story by Richard Judy