Newfield Historical Society supports new podcast

Halloween may be over, but things are staying spooky for two brothers in Horseheads.

The Himmelreich brothers, Jarritt and Jimmy, have launched a unique podcast, “These Haunted Trails,” which focuses on local lore and incorporates hiking into the mix. The brothers recently reached out to the Newfield Historical Society to assist in content for an upcoming episode.

As avid hikers, the two decided to merge hiking with their love of folklore and eerie stories and came up with an idea to launch a podcast last Halloween.

“I’ve always loved finding obscure facts from history and telling the stories,” Jimmy Himmelreich said in an email. “Last Halloween, we were out hiking, and the idea just sort of formed spontaneously. The more I researched, the more I found great places to explore that have legends or tales of the supernatural associated with them. There are hiking trails with ghosts, cryptids, legends, folklore or strange or abandoned structures. I thought why not combine these two interests, and the podcast began coming together.”

The brothers live and work locally, spending their time exploring the trails and woods of the area. Jimmy enjoys reading, writing, playing guitar and making travel plans with his wife. Jarritt, on the other hand, spends his free time training for obstacle course races, walking trails and planning road trips.

Their first episode, “The Taughannock Giant,” is a 17-minute exploration of a mysterious figure that sparked a media sensation. The two hike Taughannock Falls as they detail the story of the giant.

“We think our podcast has a little something for everyone,” Jimmy said. “Our podcast is great for anyone who likes the outdoors or the supernatural or both. We usually throw in a fair bit of history as well. Plus, we go about it with our trademark sense of humor.”

While the podcasters have trekked countless hikes in the area, a few are considered treasured.

“Robert H. Treman State Park is definitely a favorite,” Jarritt said in an email. “It’s a nice day hike, but you still get some amazing views walking through. Buttermilk Falls and 6 Mile Creek are also big favorites. The waterfalls in this area are amazing.”

Despite researching hair-raising history, the two report that they haven’t been spooked on their hikes — yet.

“Usually, we’re having too much fun on our hikes to get scared,” Jimmy said. “Plus, we mostly hike during the day, so it’s harder to get spooked. We do have some overnight camping planned, so we’ll see how we hold up then!”

However, the two podcast hosts admit that discovering deserted structures can give them pause.

“The closest we’ve come is when we’re out hiking and we’ll find abandoned structures, like shacks or houses or old cars,” Jarritt said. “That can be eerie! Even if we do find ourselves in a scary situation, it’s important to remember to stay calm and focused when you’re out in nature.”

An upcoming episode of “These Haunted Trails” will cover Connecticut Hill in Newfield and is slated to be released this month. Jimmy explained Newfield Historical Society’s involvement in the episode’s creation.

“The Historical Society was great; I couldn’t have done the episode without them,” Jimmy said. “Everyone there is incredibly helpful, and they answered any questions I had. All the members have extensive knowledge of the area and its history, which helped fill in the gaps in my research. They had documents detailing the entire history of Connecticut Hill; it was amazing! If you want to know anything about the history of Newfield I definitely suggest stopping in.”

The third episode will detail a hike around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, with many more episodes planned.

“We have an extensive list of hikes we’re looking to do, both in the area and across the country,” Jarritt said. “In the future, we may look to go international for some of our hikes. One of our all-time goals is hiking the mountains of Transylvania.”

It takes the brothers approximately a month to get an episode researched, written, recorded, edited and released, not including the time the two spend hiking the trails. The intricacies of pre-production proved to be a lot of work.

“When we started, I was excited to just jump right in to recording, but there’s a lot of steps before that,” Jimmy said. “Sometimes, entire sessions are just devoted to setting up the microphones, and making sure the sound is right. It’s definitely worth the effort, though.”

The episodes are immersive, as listeners can hear the crunch of their footsteps on a trail or birds chirping in the background.

“The great thing about these hikes is that listeners can enjoy and experience them too,” Jimmy said. “Part of each episode is dedicated to describing the hike so listeners can get an idea what to expect. We’re hoping that they can listen to the show and then go out and enjoy the trails for themselves.”

The podcasters are currently releasing an episode every two months.

“We’re looking to increase the frequency to monthly next year, once we have some more hikes under our belts,” Jarritt said.

The podcasters also found a local sponsor for “These Haunted Trails,” collaborating with Big Nerd Coffee.

“When we were looking for sponsors, we wanted to stay local,” Jarritt said. “We’re incredibly lucky to be working with our sponsor Big Nerd Coffee. They’re a small batch company, so they really focus on quality and creating a community with their events at Bells Country Coffee in Elmira. We’re both big coffee drinkers, so it helps that we’re fans of their product.”

The brothers believe that living in the region provides them with incredible content to share.

“The area has so much history, and so many stories to tell,” Jimmy said. “Especially with the indigenous cultures, there’s such a rich history of folklore and legends. Plus, western NY has some incredibly unique natural spaces. Some places you can turn a corner and feel like you stepped into another world. It’s always great to go exploring and find something you would never have expected.”

“These Haunted Trails” can be found on Spotify (tinyurl.com/22yvzh6r) and Apple Podcasts (tinyurl.com/29fdt5la).

Newfield Notes appears every Wednesday in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@VizellaMedia.com.