creepy campsite off PA rt. 309

[DROY]

hey guys, i went backpacking with my girlfriend earlier this week at the new tripoli campsite off PA rt 309. our GPS died on the drive up and we ended up arriving in the dark and fog, with snow on the ground. when we arrived at the campsite, we found an abandoned tent. luckly there wasn't a body inside. we set up in the dark and awoke in the morning to open the tent door to a circle of stones with a wooden cross in it. anyone know the story behind this? why would someone take all their stuff but leave their tent? and did someone die here, or were their ashes spread here?

[BAG "o" TRICKS]

hey guys, i went backpacking with my girlfriend earlier this week at the new tripoli campsite off PA rt 309. our GPS died on the drive up and we ended up arriving in the dark and fog, with snow on the ground. when we arrived at the campsite, we found an abandoned tent. luckly there wasn't a body inside. we set up in the dark and awoke in the morning to open the tent door to a circle of stones with a wooden cross in it. anyone know the story behind this? why would someone take all their stuff but leave their tent? and did someone die here, or were their ashes spread here?

See this all the time along the trail. Probably a religious and disillusioned weekend warrior, who knows?

[darkage]

See this all the time along the trail. Probably a religious and disillusioned weekend warrior, who knows?

Exactly, I wouldn't worry bout it ... the new tripoli campsite is very very accessable to locals using side trails ... i've gone up there with guys in car camping tents playing horse shoes with 50 gallon coolers ... nice people, backcountry folk ... never caused me a problem, if the tent was in the way and abandoned .. i'd have took it down an moved it out of the way ... far as the ring and cross, i'm not religious .. i'm agnostic so i'd have removed that also ... Toughen up that skin, you will see stranger stuff as the years roll by ...

[Many Walks]

Probably just a tent out of a stolen pack that was placed there with the symbol to freak out hikers. It worked!

[sheepdog]

hey guys, i went backpacking with my girlfriend earlier this week at the new tripoli campsite off PA rt 309. our GPS died on the drive up and we ended up arriving in the dark and fog, with snow on the ground. when we arrived at the campsite, we found an abandoned tent. luckly there wasn't a body inside. we set up in the dark and awoke in the morning to open the tent door to a circle of stones with a wooden cross in it. anyone know the story behind this? why would someone take all their stuff but leave their tent? and did someone die here, or were their ashes spread here?

The tent and the cross may not have even been related. I've seen other abandoned tents on the trail also.

[wrongway_08]

Just there to freak you out. Funny stuff.

[hikerhobs]

They set everything up, Heard something in the woods. And hauled A$$

[bfayer]

Had a similar experience in George Washington National Forrest.

We set up at night, and when we got up in the morning, right next to our tent there was a home made cross nailed to a tree with initials carved into it, and a pile of dead flowers underneath it. No tent though.

[mateozzz]

It sounds like a bunch of Boy Scouts camped there before you. When you put out your fire, you are supposed to stick your hand in the ashes to make sure it is cold (incentive to add lots of water!) and then cross some sticks over it to mark it as "out".

[fiddlehead]

Someone buried their dog?
If I poked my head in someone elses business, would I expect to be surprised? Probably that's why you did it.

[DROY]

Probably just a tent out of a stolen pack that was placed there with the symbol to freak out hikers. It worked!

possible, though i think unlikely. i thought it was strange and it got me thinking what happened. just curious.

It sounds like a bunch of Boy Scouts camped there before you. When you put out your fire, you are supposed to stick your hand in the ashes to make sure it is cold (incentive to add lots of water!) and then cross some sticks over it to mark it as "out".

i was a boyscout for years and we never did this. and it wasn't a fire pit. the cross was made from treated wood and was staked in. they probably were unrelated.

[Crash]

Just some locals having their jollies on them thru hikers.

[Ashevillian]

Blair Witch??

[Slayer]

Found an abandoned campsite at the top of the ridgeline near Spruce Knob in Monongahela. Torn up blue tarp for a tent and some other detritus strewn about. Definitely not in an area that would facilitate a long term campsite, as there was no near by water and it was at the top of a mountain, but still about 5 miles from the road. A little disconcerting, I just figured it was some runaway or something. It was far enough out of the way, but sloppy enough to give the impression that someone was hiding. Or it was some good ol boys out for some fun. Either way, it was a crappy campsite, so we moved on.

-d-

[Pioneer Spirit]

I've passed by so many memorial crosses along the BT that I lost count. A light of auto accidents and bicyclists failing to stop at intersections. There are several under a big bridge under I-71 along the miami river...turns out that folks like to jump the 270 feet off the bridge.

Someone may have died there, an accident or suicide. Every fall folks gas themselves in tents using various heaters.

[Toolshed]

I'm trying to recall - Is this the campsite you drop down on the N side of the ridge to get to - about 10 minutes off the ridge?

[darkage]

I'm trying to recall - Is this the campsite you drop down on the N side of the ridge to get to - about 10 minutes off the ridge?

2 miles north of 309, you drop down about 1/4 mile to the water source .. named new tripoli campsite ... large tent area you walk past to get to the shelter, also another down further abit in a grassy area ... I believe its the same one you're thinking about.

[Wolf - 23000]

I use to live in the area. There is at lease one strange guy that hangs around the trail. I never met him but I've seen his writting and some of his actions. To my knowledge, he has never hurt anyone. Some does some strange things.

Wolf

[tolkien]

I was going to make a Blair Witch comment, but somebody beat me to it. I'm actually supprised it took so long.

[mweinstone]

I use to live in the area. There is at lease one strange guy that hangs around the trail. I never met him but I've seen his writting and some of his actions. To my knowledge, he has never hurt anyone. Some does some strange things.

Wolf

this was my first thaught. why cant it just be a tent that is still being used ? why take it down or go in it? if its not anyone hurt, and its litter, then its going to be removed when volenteers are sure its litter. untill then, by disrupting it in any way, such as leaving the door open even, you may cause some homeless guy a wet night in his only place. the propper thing to do if you are concerned, is to knock, open and make sure its empty, close and report. done. now walk away. otherwise, how do you know some funny hippy haveing a walkabout aint comming back wet, tired and with no place to cook his sacrafice? ive seen this alot as well. like twice.