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.