FtV - The North Pond Hermit
New England Legends Podcast
Jeff Belanger
4.8 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 11 September 2023
⏱️ 26 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Welcome to New England Legends From the Vault – FtV Episode 23 – Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to the woods of central Maine in search of the North Pond Hermit. In 1986 Christopher Knight walked into the forest and lived out there for 27 years stealing supplies from local cabins and camps. How did he survive the Maine winters outside? How did he live with no human contact for almost three decades? How did he get caught? The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit author Michael Finkel joins us to discuss the legend of the North Pond Hermit. This episode first aired April 5, 2018.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome, legendary listeners. |
| 0:01.7 | Thanks for tuning in to From the Vault, a second look at some of our classic episodes. |
| 0:06.1 | Look for a new episode every week. |
| 0:07.8 | Now, can you go back and listen on your own at our New England Legends.com? |
| 0:11.6 | You bet. |
| 0:12.2 | But you won't get the added bonus of an after-the-legion segment featuring new commentary about that episode from your old pals Jeff and Ray. |
| 0:20.7 | So let's open up the New England Legends Vault and revisit another legendary episode. |
| 0:28.3 | Welcome to From the Vault folks. Hi, Jeff. |
| 0:31.0 | Hello, Ray. Yes, welcome. This is a story about getting away from it all. |
| 0:36.3 | Yeah, wouldn't we like to do that all of us from time to time? Yes, but maybe not the way this guy does. Oh, I thought you meant like vacation in the Bahamas, getting away from it all. No, this is pretty different. But first aired, April 5th, 2018. Enjoy. What's the matter, Jeff? You're looking pretty frustrated today. Little haggard, maybe? Oh, Ray, it's tax season, I've got deadlines, my car needs an oil change, and I think my phone might even be on the fritz. Yeah, adulting can be tough. Do you ever want to run away and just go completely off the grid? Well, sure, I think about it sometimes, I guess. Then the story of Christopher Thomas Knight of Central Maine is either going to convince you to try it |
| 1:11.8 | or make you never want to leave the comforts of your home again. |
| 1:15.3 | This guy is Maine's last true hermit. |
| 1:21.6 | Hey, I'm Jeff Belanger. |
| 1:23.2 | And I'm Ray Osier and welcome to episode 33 of the New England Legends podcast. |
| 1:28.0 | Do us a favor and tell your friends about us. |
| 1:30.3 | Posting a review of our podcast on iTunes goes a long way to help us grow. |
| 1:34.0 | All right. |
| 1:34.6 | Living off the grid. |
| 1:35.7 | When I think of hermits, I'm thinking of people who are either on the run from the law, |
| 1:40.0 | religious nuts, or who are angry about something that they run away in protest. |
| 1:44.8 | Well, the strange thing about Christopher Thomas Knight is that he doesn't fall under any of those |
| 1:49.0 | categories. For 27 years, he lived out in the woods with no human contact. His story begins in |
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