{"podcast":{"title":"Astonishing Legends","slug":"astonishing-legends-750015","podcast_index_feed_id":750015,"rss_url":"https://audioboom.com/channels/4322549.rss","website_url":"https://audioboom.com/channels/4322549","image_url":"https://audioboom.com/i/37374824.jpg","author":"Scott Philbrook","episode_count":446,"summary":"The world is more mysterious than most people are comfortable imagining. We cross paths with the mystical from time to time and may not even notice it. If we do, we quickly return to our usually mundane daily existence. But what if we not only acknowledged the unknown, we investigated it and spoke with those in the know? That's what co-hosts Scott Philbrook & Forrest Burgess, and co-executive producer Tess Pfeifle do at Astonishing Legends. Over 100 million downloads and hundreds of thousands of listeners have discovered the thrill of exploring the mysteries of our world, showing that the unknown can be both captivating and intriguing. Welcome to Astonishing Legends!","last_synced_at":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/astonishing-legends-750015"},"episode":{"title":"S2 Ep6: The Smiling Pillar of Avoca","slug":"s2-ep6-the-smiling-pillar-of-avoca","published_at":"2026-02-17T21:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/astonishing-legends-750015/s2-ep6-the-smiling-pillar-of-avoca","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/astonishing-legends-750015","url":"https://audioboom.com/posts/8861485","audio_url":"https://pdst.fm/e/arttrk.com/p/ABMA5/clrtpod.com/m/pscrb.fm/rss/p/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/audioboom.com/posts/8861485.mp3?modified=1771116950&sid=4322549&source=rss&rssua=transcribr","summary":"In tonight’s dead letter, a routine hike along a converted railroad bed transforms into a standoff with the inexplicable for Patron and Listener Zed. Standing in an open clearing along the path is a solitary, towering object that seems to possibly be a tree, but for some reason it’s hard to tell. When Zed and his hiking partner attempt to rationalize the sight, they are met not with answers, but with a wave of paralyzing dread and the distinct impression that the object is aware of them. Reference Links Wadhams to Avoca Trail | Michigan Trails The Van Meter Monster - Astonishing Legends Mantis Men - Astonishing Legends Indrid Cold (The Smiling Man) - Cryptid Wiki Communion (1989) - IMDb We're looking for more stories! Send your Dead Letter to deadletteroffice@astonishinglegends.com","meta_description":"In tonight’s dead letter, a routine hike along a converted railroad bed transforms into a standoff with the inexplicable for Patron and Listener Zed. Stan…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2090,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/astonishing-legends-750015/episodes/s2-ep6-the-smiling-pillar-of-avoca/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/astonishing-legends-750015/s2-ep6-the-smiling-pillar-of-avoca.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}