Margarett McFaddin Harritt and Joel Polson sparked an unlikely friendship that lead them to plan a thru hike on the AT in 1974. On just their second night they met a strange man at the Low Gap shelter, who unbeknownst to them, was a criminal on the run from police. Their encounter left one of them dead and the other in a fight for survival.

For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes

For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials:

Instagram: @‌nationalparkafterdark

TikTok: @‌nationalparkafterdark

Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page!

Thank you to this week’s partners!

AG1: Try AG1 and get a FREE bottle of Vitamin D3K2 AND 5 free AG1 Travel Packs with your first purchase at drinkAG1.com/NPAD.

IQBAR: Text PARK to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products and free shipping.

Sierra Club: Book your 2025 trip today at sierraclub.org/outings, and use code NPAD to get $100 off.

BetterHelp: National Park After Dark is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off.