Common Land

Matt enters Maine, the last state of his AT journey, and by far the most remote section of the Appalachian Trail. We explore recent plans to protect large swaths of the 100-mile wilderness - but Indi…

Matt, Candy and their tramily continue through the White Mountains, reaching New Hampshire’s highest peak, Mt. Washington. A frustrating experience with the Appalachian Mountain Club’s alpine hut sys…

While Candy prepares to return to the trail, Matt connects with a fun group of hikers and forms a “tramily.” As Candy rejoins, the group enters New Hampshire’s White Mountains, famous for both specta…

As Candy is forced off trail, Matt experiences numerous obstacles as he tries to continue the hike. He learns of a Native American reservation in Connecticut that threatened to shut down the trail, a…

Matt and Candy experience some of the most challenging terrain along the entire AT during an intense thunderstorm. The weather is changing, and that makes an AT thru-hike more dangerous and difficult…

Candy reflects on how few older women she sees thru-hiking the AT, and we dive into the history of Appalachian Trail thru-hikes. This history begins with Grandma Gatewood, the woman who popularized t…

As Matt and Candy reach Harper’s Ferry, known as the psychological mid-point of a thru-hike, we explore how the trail went from simple footpath to a uniquely shaped National Park. The AT’s history is…

Matt and Candy experience tragedy on the AT. A friend and fellow hiker loses his life in a tragic accident, forcing Matt to reflect on the loss of his dad, and his reasons for thru-hiking. The AT was…

Matt and Candy hike their first 20 mile day, despite Candy’s fear of injury. There are other things to fear on the trail too - Matt and Candy have their first encounter with a Timber Rattlesnake, and…

Matt goes birdwatching on the trail and discovers his trailname. The exploration of trail names continues with another thru-hiker who thru-hiked the AT to connect with the experiences of his Cherokee…

Matt and his mom Candy begin their thru-hike in Georgia. As they begin to get a feel for their new routine, we explore the history of the former Cherokee Nation in Northern Georgia.

Season two of Common Land follows show producer Matt Podolsky as he attempts to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail with his 65-year-old mom, Candy. Matt and his mom face extreme weather, illness, and in…

Mount Katahdin sits at the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, in the remote central Maine woods. This bonus episode documents host Matt Podolsky's ascent of this iconic mountain, marking the…

Navigating trail towns and road crossings along the Appalachian Trail can be a challenge for long distance hikers. Most towns lack pedestrian infrastructure, forcing hikers to get creative when visit…

Not every day is perfect, and in this mini-episode we explore one of the most challenging days that producer/thru-hiker Matt Podolsky has had on his Appalachian Trail journey.

Birdsong is ever present on the Appalachian Trail, and in this mini-episode, host Matt Podolsky shares recordings that he’s gathered of birds that he’s seen and heard on his AT thru-hike thus far.

Just a few weeks ago, a 23-year-old thru-hiker lost his life on the Appalachian Trail. This mini-episode is a reflection on this tragic loss.

An update from the Appalachian Trail, in which producer Matt Podolsky and his mom Candy share stories from one of their best days of the journey thus far.

Throughout Southern Appalachia, church groups commonly provide what’s referred to as “Trail Magic” - a free bonus snack or meal shared with Appalachian Trail thru-hikers. In this mini-episode, we exp…

On day two of my journey along the Appalachian trail, an encounter with an Army Ranger training exercise inspired this interview.