Missing on the Pacific Crest Trail

Missing on the Pacific Crest Trail

Author: Locations Unknown September 21, 2020 Duration: 1:06:16
The Pacific Crest Trail, a trail that spans over 2,600 miles along the west coast of the United States, attracts hikers from all over the world.  Taking almost 5 months to complete, finishing the PCT is a feat very few have achieved.  Along the way, hikers experience the burning heat of the Mojave desert, the stunning snow capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, and the tranquil beauty of the Northwest’s temperate rain forests.  However, the PCT has a more mysterious side.  In recent years, a string of unsolved disappearances have puzzled those who live near and hike the trail.  Join us this week as we investigate several disappearances on the PCT and try to piece together what happened.  Thank you to all our new Patreon supporters - shout out to Neal Brophy, Mikhail Usov, Raul Gutierrez, Watson, Jamie Blackwell, Kate Thackery, & Lauren Beames.  We will be upgrading our Patreon offerings to include swag.  Stay Tuned for more details. Learn about other unsolved missing persons cases in America's wilderness at Locations Unknown. Follow us on Facebook & Instagram. Become a Patron of the Locations Unknown Podcast by visiting our Patreon page.

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Locations Unknown ventures into the silent, vast spaces where people have simply gone missing. Hosts Mike & Joe guide each episode through a specific case, piecing together timelines from the final known moments, through the often-frustrating official searches, and into the lingering questions that haunt families and park rangers alike. This isn't just a true crime podcast; it’s a close look at the intersection of human error, unpredictable nature, and the peculiar geography of places like dense national forests and isolated mountain ranges that can swallow a person whole. You’ll hear about the decisions made in the critical hours, the terrain that complicated everything, and the community of experts and amateurs who keep looking. The show naturally explores how these landscapes, while beautiful, hold secrets, making the wilderness itself a central character in every story. Tune in for a respectful, detailed examination of stories that end not with a conclusion, but with an open map and a deepened mystery. The podcast digs into the cultural fascination with these vanishings and what they reveal about our relationship with the wild, remote corners of the country.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 173

Locations Unknown
Podcast Episodes
Special Release: Fan Voicemail reactions - Part 11 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:44
Hey friends! We’re taking this week off while we make a few upgrades to the studio. In the meantime, enjoy our latest subscriber only episode, where we listen to and react to the newest voicemails we’ve received. We also…
Melvin Nadel - Santa Fe National Forest - New Mexico [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:23
September 6th, 2009: a 61-year-old fitness instructor, black belt, and seasoned bow hunter leaves his campsite near Elk Mountain in New Mexico's Santa Fe National Forest. He tells his two companions he won't go far and w…
Ron Dailey - Sierra National Forest - California [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:06
October 13th, 2025: a 65-year-old seasoned hunter leaves his Selma, California home for a routine day of deer hunting in the Sierra National Forest, a wilderness he's navigated for over fifty years. When he doesn't retur…
Johnny Waterman - Denali National Park & Preserve - Alaska [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:34
April 1st, 1981: a 28-year-old elite solo climber leaves a remote shelter deep in Alaska’s Ruth Glacier, pulling a sled and heading alone toward Denali’s imposing east side. Experienced, deliberate, and traveling light,…
Death Valley National Park Cold Cases [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:15
May 2019 to May 2022: three men travel alone into the vast desert backcountry of Death Valley National Park; one to cache water in a remote canyon, another to check on a vehicle at an isolated hot spring, and a third who…
Paul Victor Tomasso - Tonto National Forest - Arizona [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:37
February 13th, 2014: a 56-year-old experienced outdoorsman drives deep into Arizona’s Tonto National Forest for a planned multi-day solo hike. After parking along a quiet highway near the community of Young, he leaves be…
Life Beyond the Map: Interview w/ Modern Explorer, Tay Wanders [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:21
Today we’re sitting down with Tay, a Southern girl turned road-warrior and modern explorer who approaches adventure with confidence, intention, and a grounded perspective.A single mom and storyteller at heart, Tay create…
Laura Macke - Olympic National Park - Washington [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:01
October 30th, 2022: a 35-year-old counselor sets out alone into the storm-soaked rainforests of Olympic National Park. As an experienced hiker with survival training, she planned a multi-day trek into the remote backcoun…
Bryan Skilinski - Great Sand Dunes National Park - Colorado [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:27
February 11th, 2017, a 40-year-old man from New York, deep in a mid-life crisis, vanishes into a brutal winter storm at Great Sand Dunes National Park. Miraculously he is rescued after five freezing nights, calling it hi…
Robert Fitzgerald - George Washington National Forest - Virginia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:53
November 12th, 2012, a seasoned hiker and devoted runner fails to show up for work after a solo trip to Virginia’s Confederate Breastworks Trail. His car is discovered days later, packed with food and supplies, but no si…