Creepy experiences in the backcountry

[Serrano]

Love these, I'm on page 101. Here's mine.

In 2008 I'm leaving the Gila Wilderness, heading for camp after dark not far from the wilderness boundary. It's second rifle season.

I see eyes ahead of me in the dark near the trail. I continue and eventually I can see an outline of an animal. It's not too big, with a long tail. It's not big enough to be a cougar but it's cougar shaped. I have no idea what it is.

I get closer and I see it's reddish-brown. It follows me about 1/2 mile until I get near camp.

Later I search online, I'm confident what I saw was a Jaguarundi.

 

[Serrano]

Wait that wasn't too scary. Try this:

About 15 years ago, I'm bow hunting in the San Juan Mountains. I backpacked in alone about 5 miles. After dark it starts raining hard and gets really windy.

After an hour or so I start hearing really loud crashes. After a while I realize it is beetle killed Spruce trees falling. I think I camped far enough away from dead trees, but I start to doubt myself.

It went on all night, and I got no sleep. It turns out it was the remains of a Pacific Hurricane.

Choose your campsite carefully!
Ken