True ghost stories of the AT

[Pedaling Fool]

I stayed at Watauga Lake Shelter 5-15-07 the shelter was full so I tented behind the shelter; never heard/saw anything that night, but the next morning two people, who did not know one another, reported seeing orb-like lights in front of the shelter sometime during the night. They described them as being very distinct and definitely not lightening-bugs. They seemed sincere, what can you say.

[Tennessee Viking]

I stayed at Watauga Lake Shelter 5-15-07 the shelter was full so I tented behind the shelter; never heard/saw anything that night, but the next morning two people, who did not know one another, reported seeing orb-like lights in front of the shelter sometime during the night. They described them as being very distinct and definitely not lightening-bugs. They seemed sincere, what can you say.

Its called fox fire. Its real famous around Watauga Lake and up through the Doe Valley into Virginia. Its similiar to the Brown Mountain Lights in NC. There are a number of legends and so-called logical explanations for it.

I was day hiking around the lake. I even heard what I thought were dogs barking and howling at the shelter. I went up to the shelter to see if a hiker was there, but no one was there. And I was the only one on trail in the area of the shelter, no body had passed me on the way in or out. And there were no boats on that side of the lake. I thought it could have been a wild dogs on the mountain.

[gregdog]

ok, I don't really get into this kind of stuff, but I have to say that last week, while hiking from wayah gap to wesser, I definitely felt some type of presence at Burningtown Gap, near the apple trees in the clearing. I read the history on the ancient Cherokee village, and I don't know, something is up with that spot......any locals up there have any more info on that area?

[oldfivetango]

I see thread people!!

Now that's funny,I don't care who ya're.
Oldfivetango

[Monkeyboy]

ok, I don't really get into this kind of stuff, but I have to say that last week, while hiking from wayah gap to wesser, I definitely felt some type of presence at Burningtown Gap, near the apple trees in the clearing. I read the history on the ancient Cherokee village, and I don't know, something is up with that spot......any locals up there have any more info on that area?

We were there two weeks ago. Stopped there for dinner before moving on to the Cold Spring shelter a few miles to the north....

Two of our crew got violently sick to their stomachs, vomited and then the feeling passed.

Strange that it was in the same location you mentioned.

[gregdog]

that's strange....when we were there the sound in the whole area seemed to be muffled, not alive, and we all got a real down feeling. that's the only way I can describe it. It all wore off shortly after passing through. we stopped at cold spring to rest and discuss it, then went on and camped on wesser bald. It is the only place I've ever felt uncomfortable on the trail. Glad we didn't stop to eat there.

[Monkeyboy]

I would agree with the feeling of "muffled". No one really like being there, even though it was quite peaceful looking.

[Wise Old Owl]

"a bit of undigested beef."

[SunnyWalker]

"true" and "Ghost stories" is/are a contradiction.

[Tennessee Viking]

In my experience, there are those stories you tell around the camp fire for fun. Then there are the stories that make faces & expressions turn stone cold.

There are some really weird stories off trail near Allen Gap TN about a cranky old man living in a cave that bad people turn white.

[mister krabs]

"true" and "Ghost stories" is/are a contradiction.

Quite wrong.

[Ghosthiker]

Quite wrong.

I agree, been there, seen that.

[chiefduffy]

From my '07 journal

I was gettinG low on water, and it was hot. I came down into Beech Gap, and saw a blueblaze leading off into the rhododendrums and followed it a few hundred yards to a tiny spring. I filled my bottle, then soaked my bandana and wiped the sweat off my brow. When I returned to where I had dropped my pack, I took off my shoes, put my feet up on my pack, and lay my head back for a rest. A cool breeze whispered through the shade, and as has become my habit, I quickly fell deep asleep. After a little while, I saw a man standing next to me. He had on a shapeless brimmed hat, a brown jacket of some soft material that must have been awful hot to wear, and wore a curly brown beard and had long stringy brown hair. His faded blue eyes were mildly interested, as he looked at my pack. He stood near my right elbow, and spotted my water bottle at my left. He mumbled something like, "I'd like to look at this, just for a minute" as he leaned across me to pick it up. As his shadow crossed my face, I opened my eyes, only to see that, of course, I was completely alone.

[CarolinaJP]

What about a bigfoot ghost?

[Gray Blazer]

ok, I don't really get into this kind of stuff, but I have to say that last week, while hiking from wayah gap to wesser, I definitely felt some type of presence at Burningtown Gap, near the apple trees in the clearing. I read the history on the ancient Cherokee village, and I don't know, something is up with that spot......any locals up there have any more info on that area?

Same with me. I took a pic there and a spirit orb showed up on the pic right in front of me on the trail.

[oldfivetango]

Ghosts are real.We had an experience in my family with
one.Yeah,it goes against everything they taught me at the
local Baptist church and the people there would likely want to
see me burn for even admitting it.
Since it did not happen on the AT I guess it would be inappropriate
to post it here but it would be appropriate to say that one should not
totally discount paranormal activity anywhere,including the AT.
Oldfivetango

[hoyawolf]

strange are the ways of men and gods

[ct1974rlw]

It's not on the AT-but you might want to check out Dudleytown in Cornwall Ct (not far from the AT) lots of history on it, hiked it alot in my youth (grew up in CT-a family friend owns the property). It was a strange place and well documented as well. It's an old settlement.

You always know when you have entered D-town-no birds, no bugs, no animal sightings. It's dead quiet and you can hear a pin drop in there. It's always like that. A team of scientists from Yale or Harvard did an investigation in there on the rocks, terrian and stuff like that (it's on top of a mountain and pretty remote) and their findings were a bit unusual-howver I am not sure if that accounts for how strange the place is and how spooky it is even in broad daylight. Lots of info on the net about it.

[Sarcasm the elf]

Bump...what better way to start Halloween than with a zombie thread!

Anyone have any good ghost stories from the trail this year?

[wormer]

On two separate days west of Monson last year I heard voices on the trail. The first was a group of people speaking, so my mom and I stepped off the trail to let them pass and they never appeared. The second time I heard a female voice talking, without finding the source.