The 46 of 46 Podcast

In 2012, 18-year-old Colin Gillis left a party and walked alone into the Adirondack night—but he was never seen again.   In a small town where whispers linger and secrets run deep, his family is still waiting for answers. How does someone vanish on a highway, in plain sight, with witnesses just minutes before? And why, all these years later, do rumors still suggest that people know more than they’...

A routine deer hunt. An Army veteran in the woods. A strange sound in the distance. When the group returned to their cars, Tom Messick was gone—and what happened next has haunted the Adirondacks ever since. If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Tom Messick Sr, please contact the New York State Police Troop B in Ray Brook at (518) 897-2000 . Follow on Instagram & Facebook:...

On April 12, 1976, 19-year-old Steven Paul Thomas sat down at a lean-to on the trail to Mt Marcy, brewed himself a cup of tea, and told his hiking partners he was going out for a short walk. He never came back... What followed was one of the most puzzling disappearances in Adirondack history. Hundreds of searchers, helicopters, dogs, and years of follow-up would turn up no trace of the young hiker...

In July of 1971, eight-year-old Douglas “Dougie” Legg was spending the weekend with family at Great Camp Santanoni in Newcomb, New York. When his uncle told him to run back to the lodge and change into long pants before a hike, Dougie set off on a short, familiar walk of just a few hundred feet. He never arrived. What followed became one of the largest search operations in Adirondack history—yet n...

This week's Summit Session with Isabelle Carpenter is sure to inspire you. Grit is the only word to describe this woman's journey to 46. From 9 trips to the Dix Range before summiting all 5, to 6 trips to the Seward Range, and many more stories like that. This woman refused to give up. It took her 55 trips to the Adirondacks from Buffalo later, but she is now an Adirondack 46'er. Enjoy this story...

The Adirondack 46 creates transformation for people who see the journey. This is Chet's comeback story of almost abandoning his journey alltogether due to weight gain and poor habits, to putting a stop to it, getting help, putting in the work to fight back for his health, and finishing the Adirondack 46. An inspirational High Peaks comeback story. Follow on Instagram & Facebook: @46of46podcast...

This is the story of the Great Range Athlete WRIGHT Team Follow on Instagram & Facebook: @46of46podcast @jamesappleton46 Does your physical fitness ever hold you back from fully enjoying your hiking adventures?  Here's 2 ways I can help you: 1.) Work with James 1-on-1 (online) Apply to work with directy with James 1-on-1 in his Seek To Do More program where he'll help you build the right kind...

This week I'm diving in to discuss one of the most anxiety-provoking stretch of trail in the Adirondack High Peaks—the Saddleback Cliffs. I'll give you the info you need to know and dissolve the overwhelm so you can be successful climbing this notorious High Peak. Follow on Instagram & Facebook: @46of46podcast @jamesappleton46 Does your physical fitness ever hold you back from fully enjoying y...

Throwing it back to a fan-favorite episode. A race on trail on foot and on the road via car. This is the race to loj  Follow on Instagram & Facebook: @46of46podcast @jamesappleton46 Does your physical fitness ever hold you back from fully enjoying your hiking adventures?  Here's 2 ways I can help you: 1.) Work with James 1-on-1 (online) Apply to work with directy with James 1-on-1 in his Seek...

In this episode I return to the mountain that started it all for me—Ampersand Mountain. A story of life transformation 7 years in the making. Thanks for being part of it. Follow on Instagram & Facebook: @46of46podcast @jamesappleton46 Does your physical fitness ever hold you back from fully enjoying your hiking adventures?  Here's 2 ways I can help you: 1.) Work with James 1-on-1 (online) Appl...

Ready for a story of persevering in the mountains? Then you'll enjoy this episode from my recent hike in the Lower Great Range with the recently graduated Great Range Athlete WOLFJAW team Join the next GREAT RANGE ATHLETE Team and get in mountain-hiking shape in just 6 weeks from your local gym or your house.  Learn more HERE Follow on Instagram & Facebook: @46of46podcast @jamesappleton46 Get...

This week I'm putting the spotlight on another Adirondack organization that work to make the Adirondack Park an amazing place to be. On this Summit Session I sat down with Svetlana from the ADK Community Foundation to talk all about the organization's work as they help working professionals in the ADK community thrive and help other who want to relocate to the ADK community have the opportunity to...

In this special episode of the 46 of 46 Podcast, we head to Old Forge, NY, for the inaugural Forge Quad-Athlon — a one-of-a-kind race that pushes body and mind through four disciplines: bike, hike, paddle, and run. But this isn’t just a story about racing — it’s a story about community, courage, and everyday people doing extraordinary things. Eight members from the Great Range Athlete and Seek To...

This week hiking savage, Will Robinson, comes back to the podcast to tell the story of his recent Spring single-season NE115.  Join the next GREAT RANGE ATHLETE 6-week challenge and get in mountain-hiking shape in just 6 weeks from your local gym or your house.  Learn more about the Great Range Athlete Team Program HERE Follow on Instagram & Facebook: @46of46podcast @jamesappleton46 Get my boo...

This week Jonathan Zaharek is with me to chat all about his new endeavor, Hike ADK. An online platform for all things hiking in the Adirondacks. Download the HikeADK app in the app store now or visit www. HikeADK.com and take advatange of this phenemonal new resource for hikers. Join the next GREAT RANGE ATHLETE 6-week challenge and get in mountain-hiking shape in just 6 weeks from your local gym...

In this special historical episode of the 46 of 46 Podcast, we go deep into the untold story of the very first Adirondack 46ers—Bob and George Marshall, and their legendary guide, Herb Clark. Step back to the early 1900s and follow the trio's rugged, awe-inspiring journey through the Adirondack wilderness—long before GPS, marked trails, or hiking apps. Follow on Instagram & Facebook: @46of46po...

This is the story of the Great Range Athlete CASCADE Team. A group of 21 hikers who came together with the same goals: to impriove their physical fitness for their hiking adventures. This team stretched from Vermont to Alaska and everywhere inbetween. At the end of their 6-week training program we got together in the Adirondack High Peaks for a group hike up Cascade and Porter Mountains in the Adi...

This week I sat down for Summit Session chat with director, Blake Cortright, who is gearing up for the theatrical re-release of his film "The 46'ers" as it celebrates its 10-year anniversary. We'll discuss the filmmaking process in the High Peaks, and everything about the film and the Adirondacks as the main character. Learn more about the special 10-year anniversary screenings at: www. The46ersFi...

This week I'm diving into to discuss every trailhead you'll use to climb the 46 Adirondack High Peaks and give you all the pertinent info you'll want to know so you get a parking spot along with what mountains you'll hike from what trailhead. Follow Along on Instagram & Facebook: @46of46podcast @jamesappleton46 Join the next GREAT RANGE ATHLETE 6-week challenge and get in mountain-hiking shape...

As spring arrives in the Adirondacks, the High Peaks enter mud season—a time when trails above 2,500 feet become saturated and vulnerable. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) advises hikers to avoid these trails to prevent erosion and protect fragile ecosystems. But that doesn't mean your hiking adventures have to pause! In this episode, we'll explore a variety of low...

This week on the Summit Sessions Team USA Bobsledder Adrian Adams joins me to talk al about the life of a Team USA bobsled athlete and living in Lake Placid full time as he pursues his Olympic dream. If you've ever wondered what it's like being a winter sports athlete who trains at all of these winter sports facilities in Lake Placid, this is the episode for you! Coonnect with Adrian on Instagram:...

In this episode I'lll go through the 10 essentials every hiker should have in their backpack and throw in a few bonus essentials for good measure at the end.  Follow Along on Instagram & Facebook: @46of46podcast @jamesappleton46 Get my books: 1.) The Adirondack 46 in 18 Hikes: The Complete Guide to Hiking the High Peaks   2.) Adirondack Campfire Stories: Tales and Folklore from Inside the Blue...

This is the story of the Great Range Athlete PHELPS Team. A group of 21 hikers who came together with the same goals: to impriove their physical fitness for their hiking adventures. This team stretched from Vermont to Washington state, and from Tennesee to Ontario. At the end of their 6-week training program we got together in the Adirondack High Peaks for a group hike up Phelps Mountain. Here's t...

In this Summit Session I'll speak with ACL-specialist Dr John Kahl who will give us a masterclass on knee pain for hiking and how to fix them so you don't have to let achey knees stop you from your mountain adventures. If you need help getting your knees stronger and more resilient for the trail, book a call with Dr Kahl to see if his online knee rehab program is right for you. You can find him on...

Deep in the Adirondack wilderness, beyond the reach of roads and civilization, lived a man who became a legend—Noah John Rondeau, the Hermit of Cold River. For nearly 40 years, he lived completely off the land, building his own village, decoding his thoughts in mysterious journals, and welcoming the occasional visitor to his remote paradise. But what drove Rondeau to leave society behind? How did...