Creepy experiences in the backcountry

[kthomas]

Cant's say I have any weird encounters from the wild, beyond a mild ghost story from a bar/restaurant in Greer AZ.

However, one of my secret guilty pleasures I've taken up recently is listening to Sasquatch Chronicles - people have some outright insane and weird encounters in the woods. There have been some hunters that have come on to the podcast that have told some pretty incredible stories, that I'm not sure what to make of.

Between SC and Missing 411, I have no doubt some strange stuff happens in the woods. Perhaps some that can't be explained by our contemporary understanding of the world, IDK. There's also a lot of crime in certain areas of national parks and forests (and other secluded areas), that I always think its worthwhile packing.

 

[kthomas]

I don’t have anything unexplainable.. just weird people. I haven’t felt the need to protect myself more than any place I’ve been than Oregon.

First time I ever hiked around out here I went toward the Rogue Wild and Scenic stretch.

Was new to the area and wanted to scout for some elk. Wasn’t able to make it where I wanted, so pulled off and randomly hiked up a ridge. I was with a new roommate and we had my dog with us. We bushwhacked for awhile, maybe 2mi or so from car. Sit down to overlook the Rogue from above and my dog starts barking behind us 30yds or so.
I stand up to see a grungy ass dude standing on top of a huge old stump 6ft off the ground. Dog can’t get to him. I call my dog off, and suspiciously he asks me what I’m doing.. I said “hiking, what are you doing?” He replies “hiking”. Bull this dude was not out for a stroll. He adds “why are you hiking here?” I started to put distance between us and just said “exploring a new area, bye”

I grabbed my female companion who was freaked out and we walked down an old logging road and periodically would turn to look, as my 6th sense was on high alert. Here on my quick turn around I spot this guy following us, but keeping his distance. I don’t believe he saw me turn and see him. There was lots of downfall and thick brush, so we would periodically be covered. We dipped behind thick young madrone and made a scramble for it off the ridge towards the road, moving quietly but hastily. I thought for sure he was going to confront us at the truck. I told her to take my keys and I would deal with him, but for her to get into the car and lock the doors as soon as she could.

Never saw the tweaking scumbag again. But have had 2-3more weird instances out here. Not saying it doesn’t happen elsewhere, but to go from 0 between MT,ND, SD, AZ, and UT to 3-4 weird encounters in OR in 9mos has certainly shaped my view of this place.

Edit to add: I did see some odd lights in the sky one night in ND.
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Do you think you stumbled across an illegal grow-op operation?

 

[sdolan617]

Went on a solo backpack elk hunt in September in CO this past season. Was woken up night 1 to the sounds of something BIG sauntering through camp maybe 15-20 yards away from my tent, this was followed by some the most bizarre noises I'd ever heard... sounded like something either moaning or casually dying. Could not for the life of me place what I was hearing...

So I peaked out the tent and shined my headlamp and what's staring back at me? A big ol cow moose.

Which in the end made a ton of sense because I had glassed up a bull moose in that drainage that morning but in my half asleep stupor a moose traipsing through camp wasn't even on my radar.

 

[11boo]

Here’s a good one, upper pine river above Vallecito res.
I was about a mile in mid summer fishing. Beautiful day and catching a few fish. There is a well used trail right next to the river, and I saw some movement on it from 100 yards. Looked like a hiker at first. Well, it was, and he was naked except for shoes.
Then he gets 15 yards away, and is covered in dirt and scratches.

All I could do was blurt out you ok man? He says yeah, just a little lost. I said almost there, trailhead is about a mile. He takes off, I keep fishing. Whatever.

Then I realized I was the only vehicle back there. Hmm.

Finished my day, got back to the truck and my fire dept radio, called dispatch and reported what I saw. That guy had been reported missing, and he hiked 25 miles to Vallecito. Sheriffs dept picked him up by the lake. He had taken mushrooms, lost all his clothes and his way.

 

[RS_Non-Res]

Saw a video of Michael Phelps visiting an elementary school. He was huge. Then Shaq showed up, and Phelps was suddenly ... small.
"Boo"

 

[NRA4LIFE]

Saw a video of Michael Phelps visiting an elementary school. He was huge. Then Shaq showed up, and Phelps was suddenly ... small.
"Boo"

Shaq is the largest human I have ever seen in person.

 

[Turkeytider]

Cant's say I have any weird encounters from the wild, beyond a mild ghost story from a bar/restaurant in Greer AZ.

However, one of my secret guilty pleasures I've taken up recently is listening to Sasquatch Chronicles - people have some outright insane and weird encounters in the woods. There have been some hunters that have come on to the podcast that have told some pretty incredible stories, that I'm not sure what to make of.

Between SC and Missing 411, I have no doubt some strange stuff happens in the woods. Perhaps some that can't be explained by our contemporary understanding of the world, IDK. There's also a lot of crime in certain areas of national parks and forests (and other secluded areas), that I always think its worthwhile packing.

I can`t for the life of me fathom someone going off into back country/ deep forest unarmed. It just doesn`t compute to me, yet there are those who will grab a backpack, couple of hiking poles and head out completely defenseless. I have a SIL who will do that and if you were to even hint at perhaps she should be giving some thought to SOME sort of protection, she`d look at you like you had two heads and three arms! She`s a latter day hippie anyway, so.....

 

[NRA4LIFE]

I never leave the truck unarmed. You never know when you're going to come across something that is better off dead.

 

[eddielasvegas]

I can`t for the life of me fathom someone going off into back country/ deep forest unarmed. It just doesn`t compute to me, yet there are those who will grab a backpack, couple of hiking poles and head out completely defenseless. I have a SIL who will do that and if you were to even hint at perhaps she should be giving some thought to SOME sort of protection, she`d look at you like you had two heads and three arms! She`s a latter day hippie anyway, so.....

Predators (2 & 4 legged) love prey that think like that.


Eddie

 

[49ereric]

Only armed in small game season here. Wolves and black bears are no issue.

 

[kthomas]

I can`t for the life of me fathom someone going off into back country/ deep forest unarmed. It just doesn`t compute to me, yet there are those who will grab a backpack, couple of hiking poles and head out completely defenseless. I have a SIL who will do that and if you were to even hint at perhaps she should be giving some thought to SOME sort of protection, she`d look at you like you had two heads and three arms! She`s a latter day hippie anyway, so.....

Lots of weird sh*t happens in the woods, and no one is coming to save you.

A sidearm is cheap insurance.

 

[Pharmseller]

I never leave the truck unarmed. You never know when you're going to come across something that is better off dead.

I don’t leave the house unarmed.

Heck, I often pack inside the house.




P

 

[ArrowForester]

All I could do was blurt out you ok man? He says yeah, just a little lost. I said almost there, trailhead is about a mile. He takes off, I keep fishing. Whatever.

Was in Dolly Sods Wilderness in WV a number of years ago. It’s only about 17K acres with a few trails throughout but big enough to get lost. Was with a couple college buddies and out for a five day hike and camp. About the middle of day 3 we were quietly moving along a trail and there was a rustling in the thick rhododendron bushes beside us. We stopped and looked at each other fully expecting a black bear to step onto the trail right between us.
After about ten seconds the bushes parted and a young woman steps out into the open. She looked a little rough but had a full backpack and a walking stick. She was as surprised as we were…but she smiled and said hello. Then she promptly asked us what day it was, and what the date was, and what trail this was that she had stepped out onto. We answered her questions and then asked how things were going for her, was she lost or in need of any help. She said all was fine, turned and walked away…..not sure whose experience was “creepier” ours or hers….

 

[Turkeytider]

Was in Dolly Sods Wilderness in WV a number of years ago. It’s only about 17K acres with a few trails throughout but big enough to get lost. Was with a couple college buddies and out for a five day hike and camp. About the middle of day 3 we were quietly moving along a trail and there was a rustling in the thick rhododendron bushes beside us. We stopped and looked at each other fully expecting a black bear to step onto the trail right between us.
After about ten seconds the bushes parted and a young woman steps out into the open. She looked a little rough but had a full backpack and a walking stick. She was as surprised as we were…but she smiled and said hello. Then she promptly asked us what day it was, and what the date was, and what trail this was that she had stepped out onto. We answered her questions and then asked how things were going for her, was she lost or in need of any help. She said all was fine, turned and walked away…..not sure whose experience was “creepier” ours or hers….

Oh man!! Freakazoid!!

 

[Turkeytider]

Lots of weird sh*t happens in the woods, and no one is coming to save you.

A sidearm is cheap insurance.

You`re not kidding it`s cheap insurance. For me though, it`d probably serve as the backup to the rifle I`d be carrying! Night around a campfire by yourself? Man oh man! I`d be wishing for a set of claymores with accompanying trip flares! So....I`m a ninny!!

 

[tony]

When I did facebook, the "gun" topic came up on hiking, backpacking pages I was on.
Still surprises me the people that won't even consider carrying spray as a form of defense. Dude on the app trail gutted 2 or 3 people a few years back.
My GF lives in a super liberal town with a former railroad thats now a bike/walking path. The amount of weird bastards I have seen over the last year makes me nervous

I was walking our Doberman, armed. Me not the dog
Two scrawny meth head looking people are coming towards us. Dog alerts, as they get closer its a guy and a girl. Hes holding a book and I can hear him talking. She has her arms up and out stretched. They get closer, the dog has his mohawk standing straight up now. then I see the log haired guy is reading out loud from a bible and the chick is praying.
They never ever noticed us once. Seen these 2 around town on occasion, him reading, her praying. Haven't seen them around a year now.

 

[eddielasvegas]

When I did facebook, the "gun" topic came up on hiking, backpacking pages I was on.
Still surprises me the people that won't even consider carrying spray as a form of defense. Dude on the app trail gutted 2 or 3 people a few years back.
My GF lives in a super liberal town with a former railroad thats now a bike/walking path. The amount of weird bastards I have seen over the last year makes me nervous

I was walking our Doberman, armed. Me not the dog
Two scrawny meth head looking people are coming towards us. Dog alerts, as they get closer its a guy and a girl. Hes holding a book and I can hear him talking. She has her arms up and out stretched. They get closer, the dog has his mohawk standing straight up now. then I see the log haired guy is reading out loud from a bible and the chick is praying.
They never ever noticed us once. Seen these 2 around town on occasion, him reading, her praying. Haven't seen them around a year now.

God works in mysterious ways and mere mortals can never hope to comprehend.


Eddie

 

[Turkeytider]

When I did facebook, the "gun" topic came up on hiking, backpacking pages I was on.
Still surprises me the people that won't even consider carrying spray as a form of defense. Dude on the app trail gutted 2 or 3 people a few years back.
My GF lives in a super liberal town with a former railroad thats now a bike/walking path. The amount of weird bastards I have seen over the last year makes me nervous

I was walking our Doberman, armed. Me not the dog
Two scrawny meth head looking people are coming towards us. Dog alerts, as they get closer its a guy and a girl. Hes holding a book and I can hear him talking. She has her arms up and out stretched. They get closer, the dog has his mohawk standing straight up now. then I see the log haired guy is reading out loud from a bible and the chick is praying.
They never ever noticed us once. Seen these 2 around town on occasion, him reading, her praying. Haven't seen them around a year now.

Well, while certainly an unusual encounter, there`s far worse things they could be doing, I suppose. A little more bible reading and praying wouldn`t hurt, although the Big Guy ( the REAL Big Guy, not Biden ) said something about the advisability of praying in one`s closet instead of making a spectacle of it.

 

[Sooner]

As a kid I grew up spending most of my time in the Kiamichi mountains of southeast Oklahoma. We had 17 acres and three cabins along the Kiamichi River. (Still have 10 acres and one cabin where we're going tomorrow.) When I was about 13, we were standing on my uncle's porch a little after dark looking at deer in his garden. All of a sudden, the deer took off and something big come into the garden. My uncle shined a light on it and the only thing I can describe it as is big foot. This thing looks at us then takes off running the other direction. Shook us all up pretty bad. I still go down there and since haven't seen anything like it. This is in the small community of Big Cedar and about 20 mins from the Honobia the big foot capital.

 

[AK Troutbum]

As a kid I grew up spending most of my time in the Kiamichi mountains of southeast Oklahoma. We had 17 acres and three cabins along the Kiamichi River. (Still have 10 acres and one cabin where we're going tomorrow.) When I was about 13, we were standing on my uncle's porch a little after dark looking at deer in his garden. All of a sudden, the deer took off and something big come into the garden. My uncle shined a light on it and the only thing I can describe it as is big foot. This thing looks at us then takes off running the other direction. Shook us all up pretty bad. I still go down there and since haven't seen anything like it. This is in the small community of Big Cedar and about 20 mins from the Honobia the big foot capital.

I lived in Talihina and Hodgen for about 6 years as a kid back in the late 70’s/early 80’s, but the only Bigfoot I ever saw was my dad’s boot in my ass when I got out of line. Actually, I take that back, I don’t think I ever saw it coming.


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