Off the Trails

On a national holiday five kids headed out to play with their friends. Their parents assume they’re out in the neighborhood like any other day. Yet, by the next day, an entire nation is searching for children who seem to have vanished. This is the story of the Frog Boys and of how sometimes a normal day can quickly transform into decades of unanswered questions.The five boys were Woo Cheol-won, Jo Ho-yeon, Kim Young-gyu, Park Chan-in and Kim Jong-sik.Sources:Wikipedia, Reddit, Channel News Asia, Korea Joongang Daily, Criminally IntriguedSupport us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month, with benefits starting at the $3 tier!Follow us on Instagram at offthetrailspodcastFollow us on Facebook at Off the Trails PodcastIf you have your own outdoor misadventure (or adventure) story that you'd like us to include in a listener episode, send it to us at offthetrailspodcast@gmail.com  Please take a moment to rate and review our show, and a big thanks if you already have!**We do our own research and try our best to cross-reference reliable sources to present the most accurate information we can. Please reach out to us if you believe we have mispresented any information during this episode, and we will be happy to correct ourselves in a future episode.

Most of us go into the woods looking for a break from day-to-day life- a soft reset, a chance to slow down, breathe deeply, and disappear into nature for a while. But on an October afternoon in Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Highlands National Park, a 19-year-old musician with a budding career stepped onto one of the park’s most popular trails… and never made it back. This is the story of Taylor Mitchell- and the rare, terrifying attack that changed how people in Canada, and beyond, think about coyotes forever.Check out Taylor's music on SpotifySources:CNN, Global News, Dark Tales, Parks Canada, Mirror, Urban Coyote Research, International Boreal Forest Research Association, Tapatalk, Facebook - Project CoyoteSupport us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month, with benefits starting at the $3 tier!Follow us on Instagram at offthetrailspodcastFollow us on Facebook at Off the Trails PodcastIf you have your own outdoor misadventure (or adventure) story that you'd like us to include in a listener episode, send it to us at offthetrailspodcast@gmail.com  Please take a moment to rate and review our show, and a big thanks if you already have!**We do our own research and try our best to cross-reference reliable sources to present the most accurate information we can. Please reach out to us if you believe we have mispresented any information during this episode, and we will be happy to correct ourselves in a future episode.

Perfect conditions can’t promise a perfect outcome. On November 14th, 2021, the skies over Suffolk, Virginia, were clear, the winds were calm, and everything about the day said go. For Jordan Hatmaker, it was supposed to be just another jump and one step closer to a skydiving license. What started as a perfect day would end in disaster.Sources:Readers Digest, Drive Medical, Drive Medical 2, Daily Mail, The Guardian, NY PostSupport us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month, with benefits starting at the $3 tier!Follow us on Instagram at offthetrailspodcastFollow us on Facebook at Off the Trails PodcastIf you have your own outdoor misadventure (or adventure) story that you'd like us to include in a listener episode, send it to us at offthetrailspodcast@gmail.com  Please take a moment to rate and review our show, and a big thanks if you already have!**We do our own research and try our best to cross-reference reliable sources to present the most accurate information we can. Please reach out to us if you believe we have mispresented any information during this episode, and we will be happy to correct ourselves in a future episode.

He was a doctor, a father, and an experienced outdoorsman on a long-planned trip into Colorado’s backcountry. It started off according to plan- until he continued on alone. What followed was a disappearance that sparked a massive search and left behind more questions than answers.Sources:Reddit, Edmonds and Evans Funeral and Cremation Services, Historic Fix, Cleveland Clinic, Post Independent, South Bend Tribune, Strange Outdoors, Eiseman HutSupport us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month, with benefits starting at the $3 tier!Follow us on Instagram at offthetrailspodcastFollow us on Facebook at Off the Trails PodcastIf you have your own outdoor misadventure (or adventure) story that you'd like us to include in a listener episode, send it to us at offthetrailspodcast@gmail.com  Please take a moment to rate and review our show, and a big thanks if you already have!**We do our own research and try our best to cross-reference reliable sources to present the most accurate information we can. Please reach out to us if you believe we have mispresented any information during this episode, and we will be happy to correct ourselves in a future episode.

Compassion is caring enough to see the person, not the mistake, even when you disagree with the choices they made. As I share today's story, you will have opinions. Likely strong ones. About what they shouldn’t have done. About what they could’ve done differently. About what you would’ve done if they were your family, but passing judgement doesn't bring anyone back to life.SourcesReddit CBS News The Independent Axios The Guardian Business Insider Support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month, with benefits starting at the $3 tier!Follow us on Instagram at offthetrailspodcastFollow us on Facebook at Off the Trails PodcastIf you have your own outdoor misadventure (or adventure) story that you'd like us to include in a listener episode, send it to us at offthetrailspodcast@gmail.com  Please take a moment to rate and review our show, and a big thanks if you already have!**We do our own research and try our best to cross-reference reliable sources to present the most accurate information we can. Please reach out to us if you believe we have mispresented any information during this episode, and we will be happy to correct ourselves in a future episode.

Yosemite is a place people go to disappear into nature. Granite walls, endless forests, and trails that seem to stretch forever. But for some, disappearing quickly changes to missing. And in September of 2016, that’s what happened to one hiker. A remote campground. A solo hike. And no answers. This is the story of Peter Fancher Jackson.Sources:NamUs, NPS, Charley Project, Your Central Valley, Reddit, Medium, More Than Just Parks, YouTube - Northern Crimes, YouTube - The Missing EnigmaSupport us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month, with benefits starting at the $3 tier!Follow us on Instagram at offthetrailspodcastFollow us on Facebook at Off the Trails PodcastIf you have your own outdoor misadventure (or adventure) story that you'd like us to include in a listener episode, send it to us at offthetrailspodcast@gmail.com  Please take a moment to rate and review our show, and a big thanks if you already have!**We do our own research and try our best to cross-reference reliable sources to present the most accurate information we can. Please reach out to us if you believe we have mispresented any information during this episode, and we will be happy to correct ourselves in a future episode.

One minute, you’ve just picked up dinner and you’re on your way home. The next, the road ahead of you is completely obscured by snow. No matter how well your vehicle handles in snow or how close to home you might be, no one can drive in zero visibility.Sources:Remembering Inspire More Reader's Digest CBC Support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month, with benefits starting at the $3 tier!Follow us on Instagram at offthetrailspodcastFollow us on Facebook at Off the Trails PodcastIf you have your own outdoor misadventure (or adventure) story that you'd like us to include in a listener episode, send it to us at offthetrailspodcast@gmail.com  Please take a moment to rate and review our show, and a big thanks if you already have!**We do our own research and try our best to cross-reference reliable sources to present the most accurate information we can. Please reach out to us if you believe we have mispresented any information during this episode, and we will be happy to correct ourselves in a future episode.

There are moments at sea where experience, preparation, and even luck mean nothing. Where a single sound in the dark can turn a lifetime of knowledge into pure instinct. Tonight’s story is one of those moments. A family, four children, a dream years in the making—and a reef that should not have been there. This is the story of John Silverwood, the Emerald Jane, and the night everything changed.Sources:CBS News, Coronado Times, Dr. Akuna Kumar, Godswell Sailing, YouTube - National Safe Boating Council, YouTube - CBS, The Week, Black Wave, Risen MagazineSupport us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month, with benefits starting at the $3 tier!Follow us on Instagram at offthetrailspodcastFollow us on Facebook at Off the Trails PodcastIf you have your own outdoor misadventure (or adventure) story that you'd like us to include in a listener episode, send it to us at offthetrailspodcast@gmail.com  Please take a moment to rate and review our show, and a big thanks if you already have!**We do our own research and try our best to cross-reference reliable sources to present the most accurate information we can. Please reach out to us if you believe we have mispresented any information during this episode, and we will be happy to correct ourselves in a future episode.

There’s something appealing and romantic about foraging and there’s a special kind of calm that comes from working in your yard or garden.  But when plant encounters go wrong, you don’t just get a bad taste in your mouth, it could be your last meal.Sources:CDC, News.com, KSBW, NIH, BBC, MDA State, Food Safety, Bon Appetit, Poison Control Utah, Local 12Support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month, with benefits starting at the $3 tier!Follow us on Instagram at offthetrailspodcastFollow us on Facebook at Off the Trails PodcastIf you have your own outdoor misadventure (or adventure) story that you'd like us to include in a listener episode, send it to us at offthetrailspodcast@gmail.com  Please take a moment to rate and review our show, and a big thanks if you already have!**We do our own research and try our best to cross-reference reliable sources to present the most accurate information we can. Please reach out to us if you believe we have mispresented any information during this episode, and we will be happy to correct ourselves in a future episode.

Imagine this - you're standing on a mountain ridge almost four miles above sea level. The wind is howling, and screaming, and you’re barely able to stay standing. The world around you is white in every direction. You’re cold and you know that there will be no rescue tonight. You’re experiencing a fierce storm on Denali. A place that can be deadly when the weather turns . Luckily you’re only imagining this scenario but in the summer of 1967, twelve men walked straight into one of the worst storms the mountain had seen in decades. Only five returned.Sources:Outside Online, Explorers Web, Britannica, Wikipedia, AAC Publications, UAA Support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month, with benefits starting at the $3 tier!Follow us on Instagram at offthetrailspodcastFollow us on Facebook at Off the Trails PodcastIf you have your own outdoor misadventure (or adventure) story that you'd like us to include in a listener episode, send it to us at offthetrailspodcast@gmail.com  Please take a moment to rate and review our show, and a big thanks if you already have!**We do our own research and try our best to cross-reference reliable sources to present the most accurate information we can. Please reach out to us if you believe we have mispresented any information during this episode, and we will be happy to correct ourselves in a future episode.

Some people spend their lives searching for treasure. For mushroom hunters, that treasure grows quietly in the shadows. But sometimes, unknown dangers can also be lurking in those same shadows.Sources:NamUs, Seattle Times, Facebook, Reddit, Your Source One, YouTube - The Missing EnigmaSupport us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month, with benefits starting at the $3 tier!Follow us on Instagram at offthetrailspodcastFollow us on Facebook at Off the Trails PodcastIf you have your own outdoor misadventure (or adventure) story that you'd like us to include in a listener episode, send it to us at offthetrailspodcast@gmail.com  Please take a moment to rate and review our show, and a big thanks if you already have!**We do our own research and try our best to cross-reference reliable sources to present the most accurate information we can. Please reach out to us if you believe we have mispresented any information during this episode, and we will be happy to correct ourselves in a future episode.

In a small mining town in the Colorado Rockies, a man and his dog walked into the mountains and never returned. Less than a year later, another man working in the exact same location took interest in the disappearance from the year before. Soon he would follow the same trail and he too would vanish.  One mountain, two men, countless theories.SourcesFRNWH Unsolved Strange Outdoors CBSNEWS Chicago Tribune Historic Mysteries Colorado.gov MRA.orgSupport us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month, with benefits starting at the $3 tier!Follow us on Instagram at offthetrailspodcastFollow us on Facebook at Off the Trails PodcastIf you have your own outdoor misadventure (or adventure) story that you'd like us to include in a listener episode, send it to us at offthetrailspodcast@gmail.com  Please take a moment to rate and review our show, and a big thanks if you already have!**We do our own research and try our best to cross-reference reliable sources to present the most accurate information we can. Please reach out to us if you believe we have mispresented any information during this episode, and we will be happy to correct ourselves in a future episode.

It was supposed to be a peaceful setting—an artist setting up his easel by the roadside, surrounded by the wild, glacier-cut beauty of Washington’s North Cascades. But for days, his car would sit abandoned. His canvas, unfinished. And the man himself—gone. What happened to Alexander Pisch?Sources:Go Skagit, NPS, Fox13 Seattle, KATV, Reddit, Facebook, Websleuths, Strange Outdoors, More Than Just Parks, InstagramSupport us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month, with benefits starting at the $3 tier!Follow us on Instagram at offthetrailspodcastFollow us on Facebook at Off the Trails PodcastIf you have your own outdoor misadventure (or adventure) story that you'd like us to include in a listener episode, send it to us at offthetrailspodcast@gmail.com  Please take a moment to rate and review our show, and a big thanks if you already have!**We do our own research and try our best to cross-reference reliable sources to present the most accurate information we can. Please reach out to us if you believe we have mispresented any information during this episode, and we will be happy to correct ourselves in a future episode.

Some trails are just trails, a good workout, fresh air, a chance to clear your head, and  maybe a nice view. And then there are the other ones. The ones that feel… different. Maybe it’s the way the trees seem to close in around you. Or how the silence gets heavier the farther you go. Sometimes, it’s the way the hair on the back of your neck stands up when you catch a shadow. In this episode these are trails that are beautiful by day and eerie by night.jahernandez.com Portland Ghosts Willhiteweb Find a Grave Blue Ridge Country.com Lexington Virginia Outside Online Maine Trail Finder News Center MaineSupport us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month, with benefits starting at the $3 tier!Follow us on Instagram at offthetrailspodcastFollow us on Facebook at Off the Trails PodcastIf you have your own outdoor misadventure (or adventure) story that you'd like us to include in a listener episode, send it to us at offthetrailspodcast@gmail.com  Please take a moment to rate and review our show, and a big thanks if you already have!**We do our own research and try our best to cross-reference reliable sources to present the most accurate information we can. Please reach out to us if you believe we have mispresented any information during this episode, and we will be happy to correct ourselves in a future episode.

It should have been a quick flight, just a few hours across the Andes Mountains from Uruguay to Chile. Onboard were members of a rugby team, and many of their friends, and family. Spirits were high, the mood light. But as they crossed into the mountains cloud cover dropped visibility to almost nothing. What would happen next would end or define the lives of the 45 people on board.Victims Gastón CostemalleAlexis HouniéGuido MagriDaniel ShawCarlos ValetaDr. Francisco Nicola, Team physicianEsther Horta Pérez de NicolaEugenia Dolgay Diedug de ParradoFernándo VázquezFrancisco AbalFelipe MaquirriainJulio Martínez-LamasGraciela Augusto Gumila de MarianiSusana ParradoDaniel MasponsJuan Carlos MenéndezLiliana Navarro Petraglia de MetholGustavo NicolichMarcelo Pérez, Captain of rugby teamEnrique PlateroDiego StormArturo NogueiraRafael EchavarrenNuma TurcattiSurvivors José Pedro AlgortaRoberto CanessaAlfredo DelgadoDaniel FernándezRoberto FrancoisRoy HarleyJosé Luis InciarteÁlvaro ManginoJavier MetholCarlos Páez RodríguezFernando ParradoRamón SabellaAdolfo "Fito" StrauchEduardo StrauchAntonio "Tintin" VizintínGustavo ZerbinoSources Rare Historical Photos Britannica Wikipedia BBC All Thats Interesting Mental Floss ABC News Find a GraveSupport us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month, with benefits starting at the $3 tier!Follow us on Instagram at offthetrailspodcastFollow us on Facebook at Off the Trails PodcastIf you have your own outdoor misadventure (or adventure) story that you'd like us to include in a listener episode, send it to us at offthetrailspodcast@gmail.com  Please take a moment to rate and review our show, and a big thanks if you already have!**We do our own research and try our best to cross-reference reliable sources to present the most accurate information we can. Please reach out to us if you believe we have mispresented any information during this episode, and we will be happy to correct ourselves in a future episode.

Today, we’re heading deep into Yosemite National Park- a place known for its stunning granite cliffs, towering waterfalls, and wild, untouched beauty. But even in a place so breathtaking, things can go wrong fast. This is the story of Jeanne Hesselschwert- a woman who vanished on what should have been a simple roadside stop… and the chain of events that followed.Support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month, with benefits starting at the $3 tier!Follow us on Instagram at offthetrailspodcastFollow us on Facebook at Off the Trails PodcastIf you have your own outdoor misadventure (or adventure) story that you'd like us to include in a listener episode, send it to us at offthetrailspodcast@gmail.com  Please take a moment to rate and review our show, and a big thanks if you already have!**We do our own research and try our best to cross-reference reliable sources to present the most accurate information we can. Please reach out to us if you believe we have mispresented any information during this episode, and we will be happy to correct ourselves in a future episode.

Some places create a feeling as soon you step into them. It’s not just the air or the silence, it’s something heavier, like the land is holding something dark. Today, we’re traveling to a few of those places.A forest at the base of Mount Fuji where the world falls silent.A hidden island where a tribe defends their home from the modern world.An island in the Philippines where the dead rest beneath the sea.A patch of land off Brazil’s coast crawling with deadly snakes.And a tiny stretch of canal south of Mexico City where dolls hang from the trees creating a feeling of being watched.These are the places where beauty, history and a feeling of unease can exist side by side.Sources:Wikipedia - Snake Island CNN Global Debauchery Atlas Obscura. Wikipedia - Aokigahara Survival International A-Z Animals Wikipedia - Island of the Dolls Yamanashi-Kankou Vocal Media Guinness World RecordsSupport us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month, with benefits starting at the $3 tier!Follow us on Instagram at offthetrailspodcastFollow us on Facebook at Off the Trails PodcastIf you have your own outdoor misadventure (or adventure) story that you'd like us to include in a listener episode, send it to us at offthetrailspodcast@gmail.com  Please take a moment to rate and review our show, and a big thanks if you already have!**We do our own research and try our best to cross-reference reliable sources to present the most accurate information we can. Please reach out to us if you believe we have mispresented any information during this episode, and we will be happy to correct ourselves in a future episode.

In February of 1979 five friends set off in a small fishing boat. The men smiling, laughing, heading out for just another day on the water off the coast of Maui. But no one would return. This is the mystery of the Sarah Joe.Sources -Wikipedia Travel News FRNWH Medium 1 Medium 2 Hawaii Activities Maui News Unsolved Mysteries Listverse Dusty Track BlogSupport us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month, with benefits starting at the $3 tier!Follow us on Instagram at offthetrailspodcastFollow us on Facebook at Off the Trails PodcastIf you have your own outdoor misadventure (or adventure) story that you'd like us to include in a listener episode, send it to us at offthetrailspodcast@gmail.com  Please take a moment to rate and review our show, and a big thanks if you already have!**We do our own research and try our best to cross-reference reliable sources to present the most accurate information we can. Please reach out to us if you believe we have mispresented any information during this episode, and we will be happy to correct ourselves in a future episode.

Sometimes the scariest moments outdoors aren’t about what you see - they’re about what you feel. Today, we’re hearing stories from listeners who’ve crossed paths with the unexplainable, from phantom voices to haunted trails to places that simply didn’t want them there.Support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month, with benefits starting at the $3 tier!Follow us on Instagram at offthetrailspodcastFollow us on Facebook at Off the Trails PodcastIf you have your own outdoor misadventure (or adventure) story that you'd like us to include in a listener episode, send it to us at offthetrailspodcast@gmail.com  Please take a moment to rate and review our show, and a big thanks if you already have!**We do our own research and try our best to cross-reference reliable sources to present the most accurate information we can. Please reach out to us if you believe we have mispresented any information during this episode, and we will be happy to correct ourselves in a future episode.

Crater Lake–impossibly blue, ancient, and eerily still. It’s a place born from fire, shaped by collapse, and steeped in legend. But in the fall of 2006, this sacred landscape became the backdrop for one of Oregon’s most heartbreaking mysteries–the disappearance of an eight-year-old boy who seemed to vanish into thin air.Autism Anchoring Dogs is no longer in operation. Please see below for a list of other service dog organizations;https://www.autismspeaks.org/assistance-dog-informationEpisode Sources;USA Today, Facebook, Autism Anchoring Dogs, Strange Outdoors, People, More Than Just Parks, YouTube, Travel Medford, NPS, Crater Lake Institute, Crater Lake Institute-2Support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month, with benefits starting at the $3 tier!Follow us on Instagram at offthetrailspodcastFollow us on Facebook at Off the Trails PodcastIf you have your own outdoor misadventure (or adventure) story that you'd like us to include in a listener episode, send it to us at offthetrailspodcast@gmail.com  Please take a moment to rate and review our show, and a big thanks if you already have!**We do our own research and try our best to cross-reference reliable sources to present the most accurate information we can. Please reach out to us if you believe we have mispresented any information during this episode, and we will be happy to correct ourselves in a future episode.