This week on Champagne and Murder, Please, we lace up our hiking boots and head deep into the misty heart of the Appalachian Trail—where the line between reality and legend is as thin as the mountain air. From ghostly hitchhikers and eerie lights in the woods, to cryptids, vanished hikers, and ancient curses whispered through the trees, the Trail holds more than just scenic beauty. Join us as we sip something bubbly and dive into the dark folklore and chilling encounters that haunt one of America's most iconic and mysterious wilderness paths. Don’t stray from the trail… something might be watching.

Sources and Further Reading

• Paulides, David. Missing 411: Eastern United States

• Bragg, Lynn. Ghosts of the Blue Ridge Mountains

• Appalachian Trail Conservancy shelter logs

• Hiker testimonials from Reddit, WhiteBlaze, and Trail Journals

• Cherokee Myths and Legends archives

1. WhiteBlaze.net Forums – “Creepiest Thing on the Trail” thread (2012)
   

2. Southern Highroads Trail Guide: "Blood Mountain History," Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources
   

3. Reddit: r/AppalachianTrail – “Weirdest Stuff You’ve Heard at Night” thread
   

4. Joe Tennis, Legends of the Smokies, Mountain Press (2008)
   

5. TrailJournals.com, “Strange Shelter Encounter,” Appalachian Trail (2017)
   

6. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, "Urban Legend of the Green Man" (2005)
   

7. GhostsofAmerica.com – Pine Grove Furnace sightings archive
   

8. Randy Russell, Appalachian Ghost Stories, Blair Press (2005)
   

9. Virginia Folklore Society, “Moonshine Dogs and Superstition in Shenandoah”
   

10. Michael Rivers, Appalachian Supernatural: The Hidden Histories (2011)
    

11. David Paulides, Missing 411: Eastern United States (2012)
    

12. TrailJournals.com – Glastenbury Mountain entry (2015)
    

13. Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association (ALDHA) forums – Cold People Sightings (2018)