The Green Tunnel

Today we're exploring one of the more famous trail towns along the Appalachian Trail, Damascus, Virginia. 

Hikers don't often realize they're passing through the traditional homelands of many Indigenous nations. In today's episode, we're focusing on some of the Indigenous lands the Appalachian Trail runs through as a way of helping to recover at least some of the Indigenous history along the trail's route.

Today, we explore one of the most infamous sections of the Appalachian Trail. Get ready for the ups and downs of Northern Virginia's Roller Coaster.

Today, we're going to be talking about something everybody does, but not everybody's comfortable discussing. There's no nice way to say this, other than to just get right to it. Today's episode is about pooping along the Appalachian Trail.   And yes, even that has a history.

The AT originally ran right through Monson, Maine, fueling its economy, but when the trail was moved and things threatened to change, the community established itself as a hiker haven. 

Today we're going to tell you the story of the people who lived in the Shenandoah mountains traversed by the Appalachian Trail before Shenandoah National Park. 

Today we're taking you to the highest peak in Massachusetts, Mount Greylock which despite being very far from an ocean has an iconic lighthouse. 

Regardless of their background, their age, or how long they plan to be on the trail, gear is one topic that every hiker has in common with every other hiker. But the gear you see on the Appalachian Trail today is radically different from what hikers carried in the 1930s, the 1950s, or even the 1970s. 

In season two of The Green Tunnel, we have some fantastic new stories for you on the history of the Appalachian Trail. We've interviewed hikers in the wild, people who take care of the trail, historians, authors, and many others to bring you some new perspectives on America's oldest and most iconic long-distance hiking trail. 

This episode of The Green Tunnel focuses on the rich culture surrounding places to eat along the Appalachian Trail and their connection to the economy within trail towns. It also contains some pretty good restaurant suggestions!

In this special bonus episode of The Green Tunnel podcast, we sat down with The Green Tunnel's own musicians to hear from them about their connections to the traditions and music of the Appalachian mountains.

In this episode of The Green Tunnel, we present an episode of the Virginia Outdoor Adventures podcast hosted by Jessica Bowser. To learn more about this great show and for the latest episode, visit virginiaoutdooradventures.com. Often referred to as "one of the most spectacular hikes in the US," McAfee Knob attracts hikers from across the world and is one of the most photographed spots on the enti...

In 1930 Eiler Larsen set out on what is the first recorded attempt of what we call an Appalachian Trail thru-hike. He didn't make it in one year. He got a little distracted. In the final episode of our first season, we're going to tell Larsen's story: how he was drawn to the AT, his message of happiness, and how he ended up being the official Greeter of Laguna Beach, California (which by the way,...

The original southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail was at the summit of Mount Oglethorpe in Georgia. But that changed in 1958 when the Appalachian Trail Conservancy agreed to move the terminus to Springer Mountain because of...(wait for it)...chickens. Really. Chickens. The Green Tunnel is a production of R2 Studios at George Mason University. It is hosted by Mills Kelly. This episode was edi...

When you are hiking on the Appalachian Trail and it starts raining, it's nice to know that somewhere up ahead there is a cozy shelter you can duck into. Luckily, there are more than 250 trailside shelters on the AT. Some of them almost 100 years old, and have just as much history as the trail itself. This episode examines the history of those shelters and the hiker hostels along the trail that hav...

Today's Iconic Location takes us up north to the Presidentials in New Hampshire, to the summit of Mount Washington. Known for the most terrible weather in the United States, hikers and cars alike make the trek to be able to say "I climbed Mount Washington," but what is its history on the Appalachian Trail? Listen to find out. Show notes, including a full transcript, available at greentunnel.rrchnm...

Are hikers loving the Appalachian Trail to death? In this episode of The Green Tunnel, we examine the history of hiker trash - as in actual trash - on the trail. We'll look at a moment when the trashing of the trail got so bad that the trail clubs almost did something radical, something that would have changed the hiker experience forever. And we examine the many ways that community organizations...

This iconic location on the Appalachian Trail is the very first monument in the country to George Washington. It also made a cameo in the Civil War, and now it makes a great place for birdwatching. Learn more about Maryland's Washington Monument in today's episode! The Green Tunnel is a podcast of R2 Studios at George Mason University. It's hosted by Mills Kelly and produced by Abby Mullen. Show n...

Trail food: it's kind of weird. Think about it. When else do you eat freeze-dried lasagna? Or several protein bars…in one day? Probably not often. How did trail food become what it is now? And what did hikers do before the wonders of backpacker meals? In this episode of The Green Tunnel, we look back at 100 years of trail food history to understand what hikers ate then and the changes that impacte...

Bears, lightning, and Lyme...oh my! Natural danger on the Appalachian Trail is a real concern for hikers, but how much should hikers really be concerned about snakes, bears, lightning strikes, and ticks? In this episode of the Green Tunnel Podcast, we'll hear from several experts about how hikers approached these dangers in the past, and what they recommend for hikers today. Show notes at greentun...

In this Iconic Location episode, we've got a tight squeeze for you: the Lemon Squeezer. Learn about this claustrophia-inducing spot in the oldest section of the AT. Show notes at greentunnel.rrchnm.org. The Green Tunnel is a production of R2 Studios (r2studios.org). Support us by becoming a member!

This episode of The Green Tunnel shares the story of three changemakers who combined led, and continue to lead, the trail through its 100 years of history. From the earliest days with Jean Stephenson, legal battles with Ruth Blackburn, to a new future with Sandi Marra, these leaders of the Appalachian Trail project have proven themselves pivotal in its history. Show notes, including a full transcr...

Introducing Iconic Locations, a bonus series of short segments featuring iconic locations of the Appalachian Trail that will air in between regular Green Tunnel episodes. To kick things off, we're starting with what is probably the most photographed location along the trail: McAfee Knob. And we'll tell the story of the nine years when the AT was kicked off the Knob.

In this episode of The Green Tunnel we tell the story of the settler communities that existed along the route of the Appalachian Trail before the AT arrived. We've chosen three examples of those communities, each of which helps tell the story of life in the Appalachian mountains before Benton MacKaye dreamed up the AT in 1921. One community was home to people recently emancipated from enslavement,...

Benton MacKaye dreamed up the Appalachian Trail, and Myron Avery turned that dream into a 2,000-mile trail. Their competing visions of what kind of trail the AT should be continue to be at the heart of discussions about the trail today. Should it be a true wilderness experience? Or should it be easily accessible to as many people as possible? In this episode, we tell the story of MacKaye's and Ave...