Creepy experiences in the backcountry

[huntsman22]

I`ve never understood people that can just merrily throw on a backpack, grab up a hiking pole and just hit some trail off into the deep woods or mountainous terrain with no signaling device or means of self-protection.

Not everyone is paranoid and scared of shadows maybe?

 

[Turkeytider]

Not everyone is paranoid and scared of shadows maybe?

Well.....I.....guess that`s a point, although I`ve not categorized caution and preparation as being " paranoid" before. " Rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. " has served me well in my 76 years on the rock.

 

[Thinkingman]

You know what goes good with creepy back country stories……paragraphs

To many want to be English majors.

Too

 

[The_Dinkmaster]

Speaking of weirdos, about two years ago I was heading to the blue ridge parkway to hike a local trail. It was late winter, and I should have checked, but the parkway was closed. So anyway, right before the turn off for the parkway was a pulloff, and I noticed a unmarked trailhead there. So I parked, loaded up my pack, and started up this trail, unknowing where it'd take me. There was snow on the trail, maybe 8". I was really enjoying this hike, until I reached the crest. At the top of the mountain the old forest I was walking through turned into a pine forest. But not a natural one. It looked like the area was logged out at one time, and pine was planted in rows. Immediately entering this pine forest my 6th Sense was telling me something was wrong. The area the pine forest was in was a bowl that was maybe 20 feet lower then the surrounding area around it. For the most part the area around the bowl was flat, and the area in the pine forest was flat, and with the trees being planted in a row visibility was pretty good. Half way through the pines, I couldn't ignore what I was feeling so I turned around, with the idea I was gonna exit the bowl, walk the edge of the bowl until I intersect with the trail again. And plus I figured I'd have better visibility being above the bowl looking down into the pines in case I was in a situation I had to perfect myself. So as I'm circling this bowl, I spot a guy, who looked homeless, very methodically moving through the pine in the direction I just left. He's not on the trail, just walking the woods. Stopping every 10ft or so, every time breaking behind a tree. Seemed odd to me, but didn't alarm me none at the time, so I reconnected back with the trail, and kept on. About a mile later, I start getting that uneasy feeling again. The area I was in at that moment was rocky with cliff edges on both sides. I took the path of several large rocks, maybe 10 in a row, to get me off trail, not leaving any foot prints. Sure nuff, about 15 minutes later, that same dude, very methodically emerges from behind a large rock. I was close enough to tell now that he was moving slow because he was tracking my footprints in the snow. There were other tracks from other hikers in the snow, and I assume he figured he was still on my trail, so he kept on down the trail. I followed his tracks all the way back to that pine forest, where I put it all together. I think he was living in that pine forest, and seen me walk in, and decided to follow me for whatever reason. I could see where he followed my tracks when I was exiting the pine forest, then followed my tracks all around the bowl, and all the way to that cliffed out area that I took shelter behind that rock when I seen him pass earlier , and was following the trail about 30ft within the wood line. Creeped me the hell out. I've never been back. Looking back I wish I'd of confronted the guy. I was carrying a 9mm, but I really didn't wanna put myself in a situation to use it if I didn't have to. Who knows how that situation would have turned out. I've learned to trust that sixth sense feeling a 100%.

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I totally would have started tracking HIM and scared the bejuju out of him by coming up behind him lol

 

[Jauwater]

I totally would have started tracking HIM and scared the bejuju out of him by coming up behind him lol

I’ve since learned that trail I was on is a well known trail in NC, called the Mountain to Sea Trail (MST). Although a well known trail, there are a lot of remote parts that rarely get hiked because the trail sees very few through hikers, and sectional hikers don’t hit these other spots. Upon learning about the trail I had the thought of through hiking it, but after a lot of research it seems there have been more than one strange encounter with land owners butting up to the trail. Some of the land that trail is on was took from land owners, and I hear some of them still aren’t happy about it. But I dunno if that has anything to do with what happen that day.

I can’t recall how long after this next run in happen, but I was hiking the Appalachian Trail, not far from that area. It’s not uncommon to come across fliers of missing people at road crossings, and trailheads. At one trailhead was a flier about a particular missing person, and that persons car was still parked at trail head, which had supposedly been missing for two weeks at that time. The car was immaculately cleaned inside, and out. Which came off as strange because sitting outside for two weeks I’d imagine it’s show some weathering. After looking around for a minute I headed down the trail. It was winter, and really cold this day, and I hadn’t seen anybody. After about a mile I decided to turn around cause it was to cold for me to enjoy. I took about a five minute break before heading back the way I came. Right before I started back hiking I was looking down the trail the way I just came, and I was 100% convinced this guy walking down the trail was the same person I seen that day. The main reason I thought that was because of his attire, which was like a strange plastic looking onesie, almost just like what the guy was wearing the day I seen him on the MST, the whole reason I assumed he was homeless, and his very old backpack. Very skinny old man, with large beard. At passing he stopped and spoke with me, and immediately was questioning me
About the missing hiker, and what I thought about it, and asked me about the other two missing people, whose fliers were also posted. It was all very weird. I broke up the conversation saying I had to go. I went about 50 yards, and removed my pack acting as if I was removing layers. But it was really just to watch my back, making sure he was walking away, and not looking back. Maybe it wasn’t him, and I’m just paranoid. But it was another just odd scenario while hiking.


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[EastHumboldt]

Not a clue. I guessed maybe a meteor or something but it doesn't quite explain how it lit everything up like it was broad daylight for a split second. It is pretty wild to see though.

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I had the same experience on the yak river in Montana about 45 years ago. I’ve heard that the military has extremely powerful strobe lights mounted to planes. This seems like a possible explanation. I didn’t hear a plane or any kind of engine. As William Shatner would say, it remains a mystery!

 

[Dougsch28]

Not a clue. I guessed maybe a meteor or something but it doesn't quite explain how it lit everything up like it was broad daylight for a split second. It is pretty wild to see though.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

Not a clue. I guessed maybe a meteor or something but it doesn't quite explain how it lit everything up like it was broad daylight for a split second. It is pretty wild to see though.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

I experienced the same thing, but during a snow storm on the ridge in NW NJ. Luckily the next day the paper ran an article on the rare "thunder snow storm" we had. But there was no thunder.....just the entire woods lighting up for what seemed like 30 seconds at a time.

 

[smoke]

Can't let this thread die.

Not creepy but weird. My wife and I were on our property on the Little Lost River range. Desolate. No noise or light pollution. When cows came down and were 2 miles away it sounded like they were right in camp.

We were sitting around a campfire about 10:00 at night in the fall. The whole sky lit up. For miles. We were able to see the mountains 4-5 miles from camp as plain as day. Whole event lasted less than a second. The light had a very blue / violet tinge to it (think lightening).

We waited for thunder (the sky was clear, no clouds), but there was no noise associated with this event. One of the weirdest things I've ever experienced outdoors.

I'm glad my wife was there to witness it with me or I might have chalked it up to a little too much "smoke inhalation". I've got another story where there was a smoke inhalation issue and a mouse in the tent.

Had that happen to me 2 years ago. The light was very bright and lit up everything but persisted for 3 or 4 seconds - long enough for me to watch it - a meteor. It was so close you could see see the smoke trailing behind it. If quickly faded and must have burned completely -

 

[omicron1792]

Two that come from my grandfather.

He was a rural mail carrier. One time driving down a country road at like 5 am 3 miles from any house. A lady ran across the road from woods to woods in a white night gown. Stopped and looked for her but never found anything.

Second was he was fishing in a rural catfish pond and saw a colorful fabric in water. Fished it in and was a parachute with a dead guy on end. Military jets had crashed that day and this was one of the pilots.


You spend enough time in the woods I guess you’ll see some weird stuff.

 

[7mm-08]

I had the same experience on the yak river in Montana about 45 years ago. I’ve heard that the military has extremely powerful strobe lights mounted to planes. This seems like a possible explanation. I didn’t hear a plane or any kind of engine. As William Shatner would say, it remains a mystery!

Satellite flare? I had one happen when I was in a remote area a good eight miles from a road. Certainly not lightning, no noise from a passing aircraft, etc. I researched the hell out of the event at the time (15 years ago) and came up with this determination.

 

[Cliffy65]

Can't let this thread die.

Not creepy but weird. My wife and I were on our property on the Little Lost River range. Desolate. No noise or light pollution. When cows came down and were 2 miles away it sounded like they were right in camp.

We were sitting around a campfire about 10:00 at night in the fall. The whole sky lit up. For miles. We were able to see the mountains 4-5 miles from camp as plain as day. Whole event lasted less than a second. The light had a very blue / violet tinge to it (think lightening).

We waited for thunder (the sky was clear, no clouds), but there was no noise associated with this event. One of the weirdest things I've ever experienced outdoors.

I'm glad my wife was there to witness it with me or I might have chalked it up to a little too much "smoke inhalation". I've got another story where there was a smoke inhalation issue and a mouse in the tent.

About 35 years ago I was fishing off the rocks before sunrise with my father and uncle. They were facing south and I was facing north east when I saw a distant, extremely bright white meteor fall straight toward the horizon. Before I could get any words out, it exploded with a blinding light flash and without any sound. Both my father and uncle saw everything to the south as if it were noon for second or so.

 

[Wallace]

Can't let this thread die.

Not creepy but weird. My wife and I were on our property on the Little Lost River range. Desolate. No noise or light pollution. When cows came down and were 2 miles away it sounded like they were right in camp.

We were sitting around a campfire about 10:00 at night in the fall. The whole sky lit up. For miles. We were able to see the mountains 4-5 miles from camp as plain as day. Whole event lasted less than a second. The light had a very blue / violet tinge to it (think lightening).

We waited for thunder (the sky was clear, no clouds), but there was no noise associated with this event. One of the weirdest things I've ever experienced outdoors.

I'm glad my wife was there to witness it with me or I might have chalked it up to a little too much "smoke inhalation". I've got another story where there was a smoke inhalation issue and a mouse in the tent.

I had this happen to me one morning waiting for sunrise while duck hunting in North Dakota. I always thought it was a meteor, but honestly don't know. We were in an area with rolling hills, and it literally looked like something came down and landed within a few hundred yards. No loud noises and we didn't see anything after walking over there when the sun was up.

 

[fencesitter]

I've got a few stories that I'll share over the coming days / weeks, some of which are off the beaten path, and others of which are more urban in nature.

In ~2019, I took my 12 year old (currently 17) into a spot that I'd previously killed an incredible bull elk in, during OTC archery season in Northern CO. I had trail cameras set up on a tiered wallow system, and from year to year, we were typically able to produce a good bull that frequented the area. We had a ground blind that we'd made out of dead-fall, limbs, and debris that was 35-40 yards up the north side of the hill from the wallow, that my son and I were hunkered down in.

Late one September evening, as shooting light was coming to a close, we noticed a bear meander up the very bottom of the narrow canyon. As the canyon opened up into the wallow system, the bear immediately keyed in on my camera, that was hanging on an Aspen about 20 yards below the wallow. In past years, I had secured a bear tag, but this was a year where I chose not to for whatever reason.

After approaching the camera, the bear immediately put both front paws up on the Aspen Tree, and began to assess my trail-cam. Keep in mind, that this was an area where I had another trail-cam setup in a very secluded area, on a different wallow, that had literally been torn off of the tree that it was mounted to by another bear. In that case, I found the cam laying face up on the ground, about a week after it had been torn off the tree, and had taken hundreds of pics of the trees swaying back and forth in the wind, as it was in a tight spot. Needless to say, I wasn't a fan of bears messing with my cams.

Back to the story... after the bear finished smelling / sniffing / licking my camera, he dropped back down to all fours, and within about a 1-2 minute window, had worked his way 45-50 yards up the hill toward directly toward our ground blind. As he got to ~20 yards from our ground blind, I was on my knees and had no choice but to go to full-draw, and even though we were just past shooting light, he didn't seem to have any intentions of stopping and the thought occurred to me that he may have designs of a pending charge. I gave him the benefit of the doubt that he was just curious, as he wasn't making a peep, and I felt like we were also maintaining incredible composure. While I was as calm as could be, I told myself that if he gets any closer than 10 yards, he's going to be hating life, He presented a perfect frontal-shot, but at about 12 yards, he chose to do a 180* turn, and jogged back down the narrow canyon bottom that he had ventured up. It was a close-call, but he made the right choice, as an arrow was never released!

Needless to say, to get back to camp, we had to hike down the very canyon, in the dark, that the bear jogged down. Admittedly, I had an arrow knocked while hiking down the canyon in the dark, on that particular night. I've never been one to carry a side-arm, even while hunting AK, and am not one to get scared of much, but the stories in this thread have caused me to consider a purchase. My hearing is pretty poor and firearms don't help matters, which is one of the reasons I've never been prone to carry... that, and I've always felt like I could hold my own, but I'm certainly not as capable as I once was... just not nearly as agile and stable on my feet.

As you can imagine, that encounter in 2019, was an experience that a 12 year old will never forget, but it has never deterred him from getting after it in the mountains, in subsequent years. Great Memories that are only magnified when in the presence of your own children!

 

[Turkeytider]

"

I've got a few stories that I'll share over the coming days / weeks, some of which are off the beaten path, and others of which are more urban in nature.

In ~2019, I took my 12 year old (currently 17) into a spot that I'd previously killed an incredible bull elk in, during OTC archery season in Northern CO. I had trail cameras set up on a tiered wallow system, and from year to year, we were typically able to produce a good bull that frequented the area. We had a ground blind that we'd made out of dead-fall, limbs, and debris that was 35-40 yards up the north side of the hill from the wallow, that my son and I were hunkered down in.

Late one September evening, as shooting light was coming to a close, we noticed a bear meander up the very bottom of the narrow canyon. As the canyon opened up into the wallow system, the bear immediately keyed in on my camera, that was hanging on an Aspen about 20 yards below the wallow. In past years, I had secured a bear tag, but this was a year where I chose not to for whatever reason.

After approaching the camera, the bear immediately put both front paws up on the Aspen Tree, and began to assess my trail-cam. Keep in mind, that this was an area where I had another trail-cam setup in a very secluded area, on a different wallow, that had literally been torn off of the tree that it was mounted to by another bear. In that case, I found the cam laying face up on the ground, about a week after it had been torn off the tree, and had taken hundreds of pics of the trees swaying back and forth in the wind, as it was in a tight spot. Needless to say, I wasn't a fan of bears messing with my cams.

Back to the story... after the bear finished smelling / sniffing / licking my camera, he dropped back down to all fours, and within about a 1-2 minute window, had worked his way 45-50 yards up the hill toward directly toward our ground blind. As he got to ~20 yards from our ground blind, I was on my knees and had no choice but to go to full-draw, and even though we were just past shooting light, he didn't seem to have any intentions of stopping and the thought occurred to me that he may have designs of a pending charge. I gave him the benefit of the doubt that he was just curious, as he wasn't making a peep, and I felt like we were also maintained incredible composure. While I was as calm as could be, I told myself that if he gets any closer than 10 yards, he's going to be hating life, He presented a perfect frontal-shot, but at about 12 yards, he chose to do a 180* turn, and jogged back down the narrow canyon bottom that he had ventured up. It was a close-call, but he made the right choice, as an arrow was never released!

Needless to say, to get back to camp, we had to hike down the very canyon, in the dark, that the bear jogged down. Admittedly, I had an arrow knocked while hiking down the canyon in the dark, on that particular night. I've never been one to carry a side-arm, even while hunting AK, and am not one to get scared of much, but the stories in this thread have caused me to consider a purchase. My hearing is pretty poor and firearms don't help matters, which is one of the reasons I've never been prone to carry... that, and I've always felt like I could hold my own, but I'm certainly not as capable as I once was... just not nearly as agile and stable on my feet.

As you can imagine, that encounter in 2019, was an experience that a 12 year old will never forget, but it has never deterred him from getting after it in the mountains, in subsequent years. Great Memories that are only magnified when in the presence of your own children!

" Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it." applies to lots of things in life IMHO. Also, I`m not sure what would constitute " holding my own " in the face of a determined bear attack(?). Maybe......just getting out of it alive with all limbs still attached?

 

[def90]

I've got a few stories that I'll share over the coming days / weeks, some of which are off the beaten path, and others of which are more urban in nature.

In ~2019, I took my 12 year old (currently 17) into a spot that I'd previously killed an incredible bull elk in, during OTC archery season in Northern CO. I had trail cameras set up on a tiered wallow system, and from year to year, we were typically able to produce a good bull that frequented the area. We had a ground blind that we'd made out of dead-fall, limbs, and debris that was 35-40 yards up the north side of the hill from the wallow, that my son and I were hunkered down in.

Late one September evening, as shooting light was coming to a close, we noticed a bear meander up the very bottom of the narrow canyon. As the canyon opened up into the wallow system, the bear immediately keyed in on my camera, that was hanging on an Aspen about 20 yards below the wallow. In past years, I had secured a bear tag, but this was a year where I chose not to for whatever reason.

After approaching the camera, the bear immediately put both front paws up on the Aspen Tree, and began to assess my trail-cam. Keep in mind, that this was an area where I had another trail-cam setup in a very secluded area, on a different wallow, that had literally been torn off of the tree that it was mounted to by another bear. In that case, I found the cam laying face up on the ground, about a week after it had been torn off the tree, and had taken hundreds of pics of the trees swaying back and forth in the wind, as it was in a tight spot. Needless to say, I wasn't a fan of bears messing with my cams.

Back to the story... after the bear finished smelling / sniffing / licking my camera, he dropped back down to all fours, and within about a 1-2 minute window, had worked his way 45-50 yards up the hill toward directly toward our ground blind. As he got to ~20 yards from our ground blind, I was on my knees and had no choice but to go to full-draw, and even though we were just past shooting light, he didn't seem to have any intentions of stopping and the thought occurred to me that he may have designs of a pending charge. I gave him the benefit of the doubt that he was just curious, as he wasn't making a peep, and I felt like we were also maintained incredible composure. While I was as calm as could be, I told myself that if he gets any closer than 10 yards, he's going to be hating life, He presented a perfect frontal-shot, but at about 12 yards, he chose to do a 180* turn, and jogged back down the narrow canyon bottom that he had ventured up. It was a close-call, but he made the right choice, as an arrow was never released!

Needless to say, to get back to camp, we had to hike down the very canyon, in the dark, that the bear jogged down. Admittedly, I had an arrow knocked while hiking down the canyon in the dark, on that particular night. I've never been one to carry a side-arm, even while hunting AK, and am not one to get scared of much, but the stories in this thread have caused me to consider a purchase. My hearing is pretty poor and firearms don't help matters, which is one of the reasons I've never been prone to carry... that, and I've always felt like I could hold my own, but I'm certainly not as capable as I once was... just not nearly as agile and stable on my feet.

As you can imagine, that encounter in 2019, was an experience that a 12 year old will never forget, but it has never deterred him from getting after it in the mountains, in subsequent years. Great Memories that are only magnified when in the presence of your own children!

Probably could have just said “hey bear” and he would have taken off running.

 

[fencesitter]

"

" Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it." applies to lots of things in life IMHO. Also, I`m not sure what would constitute " holding my own " in the face of a determined bear attack(?). Maybe......just getting out of it alive with all limbs still attached?

You're right, mate... better to be safe than sorry... I've had very few lion encounters in all my days in the Rocky Mountains, but have always found a lion to be much more intimidating than a black bear. Now, a grizzly on the other hand... that's a different story!

 

[fencesitter]

Probably could have just said “hey bear” and he would have taken off running.

Good point... I've just always been more of the silent / stealth mode type when elk hunting, unless I'm thrashing a tree to get an elk to close the gap!

 

[Turkeytider]

Probably could have just said “hey bear” and he would have taken off running.

You`re absolutely right, he might have. " Hey bear " was about it for a defensive strategy for Timothy Treadwell, AKA The Grizzly Man ", and his girlfriend, and I guess you could say it worked. Right up until they ran into the wrong bear. Which had added them both to the dinner menu.

 

[RockAndSage]

You`re absolutely right, he might have. " Hey bear " was about it for a defensive strategy for Timothy Treadwell, AKA The Grizzly Man ", and his girlfriend, and I guess you could say it worked. Right up until they ran into the wrong bear. Which had added them both to the dinner menu.

Yeah...I don't know why people keep using "hey bear" with the gentle tones they'd speak to a mischievous toddler with. It seems "F@$K OFF BEAR!" sets a more appropriate tone to the negotiations.

 

[c1steve]

I was hiking in NorCal once, and came across a burn area. Mostly small trees, and appeared to have burned and not regrown for some reason. Kept going, and in the middle of it found parts of downed aircraft. Digging through what little wreckage there was, mostly small parts plus a large radial engine buried deep into the ground.

Most of the engine was too deep to inspect, but I could tell it was a two row radial with large cylinders. Being a mechanic at the time I estimated it to be about 1,400 hp.

Researched it went I got back. Two WW2 Corsairs collided in the fog, in the 1950's. The .gov retrieved most of the parts. Both pilots survived. Also with the super high octane gas available to the AAF, and other high performance features, the engines were rated at 1,800 hp.