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jayleigh75
02-19-2016, 09:50
For the past year, I've been researching and collecting stories of the paranormal from the AT for a book I hope to write. If anyone has any experiences to share, I'd greatly appreciate it. Also, for those starting out on their thru hike this year, if you end up encountering anything out of the ordinary, please let me know!

GreenBlaze
02-20-2016, 03:57
For the past year, I've been researching and collecting stories of the paranormal from the AT for a book I hope to write. If anyone has any experiences to share, I'd greatly appreciate it. Also, for those starting out on their thru hike this year, if you end up encountering anything out of the ordinary, please let me know!

Sounds interesting. How about you share some of your stories with us!

Gambit McCrae
02-20-2016, 08:16
I've heard stories of this hairy wolf just north of the Tn/Va line, known to howl at the moon, turn angry, call for dinosaurs. Pretty ugly too!

Front Royal - Mountain Home - Civil War Hospital - its pretty spooky

33731

BonBon
02-20-2016, 09:35
I had heard stories and confirmed the existence of a very old house in PA- with cobwebs covering the ceilings and walls, giant spiders roaming freely, and floors that seem to undulate when you walk on them. Photo albums are available to look at if you ask-ala The Shining- showing pictures of the structure back some hundred years. Vickie is in every picture, even 100 years ago! (i made that part up- but the rest is true) I think you could devote an entire chapter to the Doyle. If there is such a thing as paranormal...its lurking in that wonderful old place.

Kaptainkriz
02-20-2016, 11:24
Blair Witch lurks near Crampton Gap Shelter:
33734

Sarcasm the elf
02-20-2016, 14:22
There's a couple of stories over here:

http://whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/114727-Ghost-Stories-Folklore-welcomed?highlight=

jayleigh75
02-21-2016, 20:15
I had heard stories and confirmed the existence of a very old house in PA- with cobwebs covering the ceilings and walls, giant spiders roaming freely, and floors that seem to undulate when you walk on them. Photo albums are available to look at if you ask-ala The Shining- showing pictures of the structure back some hundred years. Vickie is in every picture, even 100 years ago! (i made that part up- but the rest is true) I think you could devote an entire chapter to the Doyle. If there is such a thing as paranormal...its lurking in that wonderful old place.

The Doyle isn't too far from where I live, so I'm hoping to have a chance to go visit and talk with the owners- either while section hiking or by driving there

jayleigh75
02-21-2016, 20:18
Blair Witch lurks near Crampton Gap Shelter:
33734

I'm well acquainted with the haunts and legends of MD, sorry to say the Blair Witch is simply a Hollywood creation. There are, however, actual Civil War ghosts at Crampton Gap. Some say you can hear the sounds of battle and even see ghosts of the soldiers that died in battle there.

jayleigh75
02-21-2016, 20:23
Sounds interesting. How about you share some of your stories with us!

My son's favorite is the Cherokee legend of Spearfinger, a witch that has an obsidian finger that she uses to kill her victims. She preys on children in the woods, stbs them in the side with her "spear finger" and eats their livers. Once she has done that, she has the ability to shape shift into the appearance of the person she has eaten which allows her to walk into the village and into the homes of the recently departed. Then she proceeds to eat the entire family.

Pedaling Fool
02-21-2016, 20:45
Here are a few more stories; I tell of a terrifying time when I was roared at when climbing Katahdin, apparently there are a lot of encounters in that part of Maine. http://whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/83035-Bumps-in-the-night?p=1284387&highlight=#post1284387

Kaptainkriz
02-21-2016, 21:08
Oh, you meant real ones, not just scary stories. :)
There is the "Snarley Yow", which I'd swear was on the trail in front of me on a night transit in that area. At first I thought I had startled some bed down dear as I was hiking along, except they were running at me rather than away. I always joke with people to beware of the Yeti, so the sight of an overly large gangly shadow dog freaked me out completely...


I'm well acquainted with the haunts and legends of MD, sorry to say the Blair Witch is simply a Hollywood creation. There are, however, actual Civil War ghosts at Crampton Gap. Some say you can hear the sounds of battle and even see ghosts of the soldiers that died in battle there.

jayleigh75
02-21-2016, 22:35
Here are a few more stories; I tell of a terrifying time when I was roared at when climbing Katahdin, apparently there are a lot of encounters in that part of Maine. http://whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/83035-Bumps-in-the-night?p=1284387&highlight=#post1284387

Awesome, thank you!

jayleigh75
02-21-2016, 22:37
Oh, you meant real ones, not just scary stories. :)
There is the "Snarley Yow", which I'd swear was on the trail in front of me on a night transit in that area. At first I thought I had startled some bed down dear as I was hiking along, except they were running at me rather than away. I always joke with people to beware of the Yeti, so the sight of an overly large gangly shadow dog freaked me out completely...

Ah, the good ole Snarly Yow! Also there's the Snallygaster- so feared back in the day that Teddy Roosevelt considered postponing his African safari to hunt it down.

Pedaling Fool
02-23-2016, 13:42
Cool reports coming out of the Hudson River Valley area, i.e. in the area of Bear Mountain Bridge. This is a video on UFO's, but there's also some interesting ghost stories from that area.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCSDiK5M__Q

jayleigh75
02-23-2016, 21:23
Cool reports coming out of the Hudson River Valley area, i.e. in the area of Bear Mountain Bridge. This is a video on UFO's, but there's also some interesting ghost stories from that area.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCSDiK5M__Q

Awesome, thanks! I will check it out

GreenBlaze
03-01-2016, 04:37
My son's favorite is the Cherokee legend of Spearfinger, a witch that has an obsidian finger that she uses to kill her victims. She preys on children in the woods, stbs them in the side with her "spear finger" and eats their livers. Once she has done that, she has the ability to shape shift into the appearance of the person she has eaten which allows her to walk into the village and into the homes of the recently departed. Then she proceeds to eat the entire family.

That's excellent. As a Dad who enjoys spooking the little ones with campfire stories, I'll keep this one in mind. Bonus points for involving Cherokee Indians.

bstiffler
03-01-2016, 07:15
Cool reports coming out of the Hudson River Valley area, i.e. in the area of Bear Mountain Bridge. This is a video on UFO's, but there's also some interesting ghost stories from that area.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCSDiK5M__Q


Great. I don't only have to worry about bears and cannibals on the trail, now I have to worry about alien abduction?

Tennessee Viking
03-01-2016, 08:30
Uncle Nick Grindstaff
Shelton Graves

Not on but near the AT:
Lost Cove on Flattop Mtn
The old Cherokee camp site in Rocky Fork
Mt Washington Resort

fiddlehead
03-01-2016, 11:04
Didn't read through all the posts, so, maybe this has been mentioned.
Not on the trail BUT.....
But, north of the AT crossing @ Eckville PA, about a mile up the road is a haunted house.
It's been documented I believe.
I remember reading an article in the local paper a few years ago about it.
Not sure all the details but apparently there are ghosts there.

Kerosene
03-01-2016, 11:37
This falls under an "eerie" personal experience: It was my last night of a 3.5 day section hike from I-81 to Damascus in early June 2007. I had rolled into the Saunders Shelter at sunset after a beautiful 24-mile day. I set up my tent well behind the shelter on the edge of the trees, and before I settled in for the night I went to the other side of the open area to relieve myself over the embankment. As I was getting ready to go, my eyes adjusted to the darkness and caught sight of what appeared to be two lightning bugs...except that they were steadily glowing dots instead of blinking. I zipped up, walked the 20 yards or so back to my tent, and was zipping up my tent door when I saw the dots rapidly approaching my tent across the field. I let out an involuntary yell and they veered off between my tent and the shelter. The shelter occupants asked if everything was okay, but I couldn't explain what I had just seen unless it was a small, quick, very very silent animal whose eyes reflected what little light was available. Took me a while to get to sleep.

jayleigh75
03-07-2016, 20:09
The first alien abduction case happened not far from Franconia Notch

jayleigh75
03-07-2016, 20:09
Thanks for all the leads/stories. I really appreciate it!

jayleigh75
03-07-2016, 20:12
That's excellent. As a Dad who enjoys spooking the little ones with campfire stories, I'll keep this one in mind. Bonus points for involving Cherokee Indians.

I plan on telling it to my cub scouts this weekend on our camping trip. The Native American tribes that lived in the area along the AT have some very creepy/odd stories and legends

RockDoc
03-07-2016, 20:34
I'll add that the creepiest feelings I've ever had on/near the AT were staying in some of the older PACT cabins that are available for rent. Many of these cabins were built and lived in by early 20th Century residents, mountain people who lived tough lives. In the 1930's the land was taken over to make Shenandoah Nat Park.
The Corbin Cabin is a classic mountaineer's cabin which is about a mile off the AT, in Corbin Gulch. According to written materials placed in the cabin by the PATC, Mr Corbin's wife died in the upstairs room and is buried in the small overgrown plot up the hill from the cabin. I just get the feeling that this cabin had a great deal of sadness, sickness, and death within it's walls...

GreenBlaze
03-08-2016, 10:29
I just realized the other day there's a separate forum specifically for this type of stuff.

The most recent story I read. I'd like to visit this when I reach Punchbowl Shelter. The Lonesome Death of Ottie Cline Powell (http://blueridgecountry.com/archive/favorites/ottie-cline-powell/)