Most Frightening Experience on the AT?

[WIAPilot]

Anyone have any great stories?? :eek:

[Spokes]

Trying to make it into the Lake of the Clouds Hut in the Whites on July 4. As I headed over Mt. Monroe a thunderstorm hit on top of the ridge line with hail, 40 mpd winds, and hail. Scary!

[BFI]

Second day out just past Copper Gap I was heading up Justus Mt. , almost at the top and I saw the Flash and heard the Crack at the same time . Lightning had hit the ground about 200 yards just above me. I immediatley dropped my poles and hunkered down for about 10 minutes. To me that was the most scarest thing that happened.

[Slo-go'en]

Tenting along the ridge below the bald on Beauty spot (just north of Erwin) when a big T-storm came along. Big gust of wind pulled out the center support line for the tent and I had to sit up the rest of the storm holding onto my hiking pole/tent support to keep the tent off me. This is while lightning is seemingly striking all around me and I'm holding onto a metal pole! The whole time I'm chanting "hope-I-don't-die".

Getting caught in a nasty T-Storm is probably the sacriest experinance you can have on any trail.

[Llama Legs]

most frightening? "Dirty Girl" with his shirt off. I'm scarred for life ;)

[Old Hiker]

From my Trail Journal - 31 Mar 2012 -

The sound of a several weeks old beard scraping across the top of your sleeping bag at 0400 in a completely dark tent sounds EXACTLY like the food-searching sniffing of a North American black bear. The sound will NOT quit until you stop frantically turning your head from side to side, trying to find out which side of the tent said sniffing bear is on. Sheeesh. Good night!

Next Most Frightening Experience: twisting sideways after hitting a mud puddle and feeling your ankle turn in ways it wasn't designed to do, knowing your hike was over for the year.

2016 - all the way.

[Different Socks]

Okay, this wasn't on the AT. It happened on the Ozark Highlands Trail while i was doing a thruhike in 2003. Lady saw me on a road getting to an alternate trail b/c of flooding caused by 5 days of rain. As I walk by her place, I hear BANG!! Then as the road curves around to her driveway, I look to my left and she has a gun in her hand!! Some kind of revolver. Over the next 10 min I had to convince her why I was out there and explain every action I made so as to not freak her out. Then when I could wait no longer, I slowly put my pack back on, said I had to get going, and backed away til I was out of her line of sight and then turned around tripled the distance between like being Wiley Coyote!!!
Crazy and nervous, seemingly agitated elderly woman in the middle of the Ozarks with a gun pointed at me. Now that was scary!!

[KerrieT]

Okay, this wasn't on the AT. It happened on the Ozark Highlands Trail while i was doing a thruhike in 2003. Lady saw me on a road getting to an alternate trail b/c of flooding caused by 5 days of rain. As I walk by her place, I hear BANG!! Then as the road curves around to her driveway, I look to my left and she has a gun in her hand!! Some kind of revolver. Over the next 10 min I had to convince her why I was out there and explain every action I made so as to not freak her out. Then when I could wait no longer, I slowly put my pack back on, said I had to get going, and backed away til I was out of her line of sight and then turned around tripled the distance between like being Wiley Coyote!!!
Crazy and nervous, seemingly agitated elderly woman in the middle of the Ozarks with a gun pointed at me. Now that was scary!!


Dang! After that story I'd have changed my name from Different Socks to Different Drawers!

[Different Socks]

Dang! After that story I'd have changed my name from Different Socks to Different Drawers!

There's actually more to it, but not scary: The night before I slept under a roof covered memorial structure only yards from the cemetery, and two pi shaped things I saw nearby? Found out later that's where they place the casket while the wake is occurring.
Why is that interesting? Because it was Halloween!!
Then there was the "end of the world leader" I met on the same trail only 2 days later. She(that's right "she"), lived right along the trail in the middle of the hurricane Creek Wilderness.

[johnnybgood]

Missed my return trail on a day hike while in the Whites as I was moving at a hurried pace trying to compensate for running behind schedule . By the time I pored over the maps for 20 minutes and then backtracked a half mile to the trail ,daylight was really short.
I decided to cowboy camp in 50* degree temps to avoid possibly risking injury with nighttime hiking that would've included fording swollen streams.

[ChinMusic]

I've had it pretty easy far. I guess it was the one morning I found my poptarts crushed.

[johnnybgood]

I've had it pretty easy far. I guess it was the one morning I found my poptarts crushed.

OMG ! frightening for sure.

I've had the gooey remains of a melted Snickers bar once.:eek:

[Moose2001]

Funny Spokes said Madison! Stayed the night at Madison Hut. Went up Madison in a raging windstorm and light rain. Once over the top the wind was so strong we couldn't walk. Kept duck walking and literally crawling to get down off the ridgeline. Came to a small rock ledge and I stood up to step over it. When I stood up, a huge gust hit me at the same time. The gust filled up my pack cover and picked me up off the ground and moved me right toward the dropoff next to the trail. For several seconds I was sure I was about to go over a 100 foot dropoff. Finally it set me down about 10 yards from the edge. I immediately dropped to my knees and heard my girlfriend screaming at me to NEVER DO THAT AGAIN!. We crawled the rest of the way to treeline!

[ChinMusic]

Funny Spokes said Madison! Stayed the night at Madison Hut. Went up Madison in a raging windstorm and light rain. Once over the top the wind was so strong we couldn't walk. Kept duck walking and literally crawling to get down off the ridgeline. Came to a small rock ledge and I stood up to step over it. When I stood up, a huge gust hit me at the same time. The gust filled up my pack cover and picked me up off the ground and moved me right toward the dropoff next to the trail. For several seconds I was sure I was about to go over a 100 foot dropoff. Finally it set me down about 10 yards from the edge. I immediately dropped to my knees and heard my girlfriend screaming at me to NEVER DO THAT AGAIN!. We crawled the rest of the way to treeline!

Kite Blazing

[DaveSail]

Not exactly on the AT , but on Mt. Washington . Family going down the Tuckerman Ravine Trail . I was running down the trail ,
( to get back first , and eat the Neslte's Hot Chocolate mix out of the can , dry . ) I slipped , and slid , head - end pointing
back up the trail . Sliding on the wet rocks was fun , so I didn't worry about it . Looked up at my family , all whose faces were
showing sheer terror ! So , I grabbed a tiny twig , and came to a stop . My feet / legs up to the knees were hanging over the
edge of the ravine ! How far is that drop ? 100' ? 200' ? I saw First Aid box at the bottom . I guess it was for fools like me !

David V. Webber

[Moose2001]

Not exactly on the AT , but on Mt. Washington . Family going down the Tuckerman Ravine Trail . I was running down the trail ,
( to get back first , and eat the Neslte's Hot Chocolate mix out of the can , dry . ) I slipped , and slid , head - end pointing
back up the trail . Sliding on the wet rocks was fun , so I didn't worry about it . Looked up at my family , all whose faces were
showing sheer terror ! So , I grabbed a tiny twig , and came to a stop . My feet / legs up to the knees were hanging over the
edge of the ravine ! How far is that drop ? 100' ? 200' ? I saw First Aid box at the bottom . I guess it was for fools like me !

David V. Webber

If you want to see some crazy and insane stuff.....you should go up to Tuckerman's and watch the Spring skiing! Now that's CRAZY

[rocketsocks]

Not right on the trail,but pretty darn close.While climbing at that Delaware Water Gap,PA,a boulder the size of a toaster came whizzing by my head about a foot away,and almost hit my rope,I was on belay and climbing.We always wear helmats,for that very reason,though a helmat may not be much help in that situation,toasters are pretty big.About 2 weeks later,my partner and I heard a climber died in that very area we were in,he got hit by a boulder and fell,don't recall if he had a helmat on.The climbable rock faces there are on the Southern side,for the most part,so there is a constant freeze thaw that takes place,and that loosens the rocks.

[ATMountainTime]

Had a tornado in the middle of the night near Mountain Crossings in a BA UL2 tent. next morning most roads were closed due to tree's being down.

[HikerMom58]

Great stories... interesting, they all are VERY INTERESTING! :)

[10-K]

I planted my foot down and missed stepping on a copperhead by about 2". I stopped dead in my tracks and it coiled up and had it's mouth wide open - I could see its fangs.

I eeaaassseeeeddd my leg away very-very slowly and when I was about a foot away it relaxed and went the other way.

[10-K]

I planted my foot down and missed stepping on a copperhead by about 2". I stopped dead in my tracks and it coiled up and had it's mouth wide open - I could see its fangs.

I eeaaassseeeeddd my leg away very-very slowly and when I was about a foot away it relaxed and went the other way.

I just had a look at my post about it and it was almost 4 years ago! http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?40574-Copperhead!&highlight=copperhead

Seems like yesterday.

[WingedMonkey]

I planted my foot down and missed stepping on a copperhead by about 2". I stopped dead in my tracks and it coiled up and had it's mouth wide open - I could see its fangs.

I eeaaassseeeeddd my leg away very-very slowly and when I was about a foot away it relaxed and went the other way.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you are 100 times more likely to be killed by a human on the AT than a copperhead.

:D

[WIAPilot]

I just had a look at my post about it and it was almost 4 years ago! http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?40574-Copperhead!&highlight=copperhead

Seems like yesterday.

First I want to say that I would have been terrified. The good news for anyone hiking in the future is that 10-K responded perfectly by slowly retracting his foot. (I would have been in the next county!)

Copperheads are non-aggressive and their bite is never fatal. Not to say that their bite can't wreck a lot of damage, but generally they either "warn" with a dry bite or a bite with very little venom. Still not something I want to run into!

[Coffee Rules!]

OMG ! frightening for sure.

I've had the gooey remains of a melted Snickers bar once.:eek:

You two are trying to scare me out of doing this, aren't you?

**Crawls under bed with flashlight and knife**

[Coffee Rules!]

Okay, I thought I included the comment about the Pop Tart as well as the Snickers. Grrr!

[Siestita]

"Getting caught in a nasty T-Storm is probably the sacriest experinance you can have on any trail."

I'll second that. The dumbest thing I've ever done was to deliberately walk up onto an exposed ridge just as a thunderstorm began at 7 PM on a July, 1972 evening. My second "dumbest ever" decision was not to immediately hurry back down the same path I'd hiked up on. Instead, lured by the prospect ahead of Spence Field shelter ahead with food, warmth, and human company, I decided to hurry forward southbound along the trail. Feeling voltage from one of the many strikes, I was knocked off my feet. The ridge had no trees or bushes and was hemmed in by steep sides filled with rhododendron. Eventually there was a side gully that was clear enough to enable me to scramble down under the cover of trees. As it got dark the storm ended, but I continued to tremble. I spent a soggy, sleepless, but 'thankful to be alive' night on that mountain side.

Perhaps as an attempted warning for idiots like me, maps label that ridge 'Thunderhead' . Like the rest of the Smokies it was timbered bare before the the Park was established in the 1930s, but has since recovered its forests. The open places where I was once the tallest thing present are covered today with shrubs and trees over ten feet tall.

I learned four interesting things on Thunderhead: (1) My new nylon pack was not waterproof. (2) Pack contents become very heavy when soaked. (3) Adrenaline can be a wonderful drug, enabling a young man to run fast no matter how heavy his pack is or how many miles he's already done that day; (4) I am not immortal.

[sailsET]

The gust filled up my pack cover and picked me up off the ground and moved me right toward the dropoff next to the trail. For several seconds I was sure I was about to go over a 100 foot dropoff. Finally it set me down about 10 yards from the edge. I immediately dropped to my knees and heard my girlfriend screaming at me to NEVER DO THAT AGAIN!. We crawled the rest of the way to treeline!
So which was the frightening part, the parachute ride, or the girlfriend screaming? Properly executed, I could envision the latter being the scariest bit.

[Mrs Baggins]

Headed nobo out of the GSMP, going to Standing Bear Hostel. I was by myself as the friend I was hiking with had severe leg pains and another hiker said she'd stay with her while I went ahead. I'm coming down that last bit of the trail and there's a gravel road below it. I see a beat up old car just sitting there. As I move ahead, it creeps forward. It stops when I stop. I see a guy with long hair sitting in it but no one else. My immediate thought is that every time I read an AT book written by a woman she would talk about the creepy guys at AT road crossings in TN...and there I was coming down to a road crossing, alone, and a creepy guy was waiting. I finally opted to turn around and go back to the other ladies. As I turned and headed back up the trail I hear someone yell at me "MRS BAGGINS!" So THEN I think, OMG he knows my name! I keep moving and get yelled at again...and realize it's a woman's voice. I turn to look and there's my friend...in Curtis' car and of course Curtis' is the long haired "creepy" guy. Turned out she had called him to pick her up back at the highway where the trail goes up the staircase and they were waiting for me to come down the trail.

[Old Hiker]

.............................. (4) I am not immortal.


How do you know? Have you tested that theory yet? :eek:

[Smooth & Wasabi]

Buena Vista VA-woken up in the middle of the night by a large group of very rowdy drunks who arrived to party just feet from our motel room door.

Lightning a couple times.

Smokies-doing a lollipop loop we arrived to re-cross what had been a rock hop creek crossing to find a waist deep raging torrent after 2 days of rain. One friend was swept a short ways down stream before regainig his footing and safely crossing. For a minute I thought he was a goner.

Long Trail-2 brief flirtations with hypothermia in winter and early may, before I had the experience and gear to avoid such things.

Heading to Baldpate shelter in Maine in the winter leading a group of kids with marginal gear. They were getting tired and cold and we had experienced off and on white out conditions. For a short while I was really freaked (luckily only in my head) that I passed the shelter. I managed to remain calm and we got there a short time later, built a fire, put on dry clothes, had hot choclate and everyone was happy. It is interesting how much scarier worst case scenarios can be when you are responsible for others.

[tdoczi]

one hot summer day i was hiking around the walkill preserve and then up pochuck mtn. when i got to whatever that road is you walk on for a few feet between the 2 i run into this guy out walking. he has nothing with him, no pack, briefcase, nothing. theres no cars anywhere in sight and the guy is dressed like hes going to work in an office, but hes just out walking a back country road by himself on a 90 degree afternoon. he asks me where something really vague like "vernon valley" is. i try to get more specifics out of him and fail and eventually just tell him that the valley is technically over the next mountain but i dont know where exactly hes trying to go (to the ski resort? to the town of vernon? he doesnt seem to know). i get ahead of him and turn into the woods up the trail climbing pochuck. a few minutes later during a water break in a spot where i can see pretty far back down the trail i see that this guy has decided to turn up the trail and is now climbing the mountain in a dress shirt, slacks and shoes without water or any supplies/equipment. rather than speak to him any further i high tailed it to the turn off for the shelter and went down there awhile hoping hed either go back down the mountain or pass the trail to the shelter without seeing it. i went to the summit and then back down again a little while later and there was no sign of him.

not really frightening but its weird.

[Kerosene]

How do you know? Have you tested that theory yet? :eek:Those are the people who qualify for http://www.darwinawards.com/index.chapter1.htmlDarwin Awards.

[wornoutboots]

and of course Curtis' is the long haired "creepy" guy.

I can see this LOL

[Kerosene]

I find it interesting that many of my most vivid memories of my AT hikes are from perilous situations:

March 1975: Crossing the snowmelt-filled creek in Sages Ravine on a narrow treetrunk that angled downward partway across. We all made it without getting dunked on a very cold day, but then I slipped on the ice-covered trail (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=69) and 'turtled' down the steep bank to the rushing water. I managed to jam my foot into the base of a small bush to keep me from going in. Definitely got my heartrate up.

September 2006: Driving to the trailhead in Glencliff we saw a handful of tiny "pop-up" thunderstorms hitting the mountains, but by the time I started out at 2:30 the weather looked fine. About 3/4 of the way up Moosilaukee I heard thunder getting closer, and I started to wonder if it would reach me and if so, before I summited. Suddenly a huge bolt hit less than a tenth of a mile away, scaring the bejeezus out of me. I threw down my poles and squatted for 10 minutes with only one more bolt as it passed over the summit. The clouds were moving so fast and thick at the top that I could barely see the trail as my glasses kept getting wet, but I wanted to get over as quickly as I could. While the T-storm was frightening, I suddenly realized that I didn't want to get lost up there this close to sunset (~7 pm), and it wasn't obvious which way the AT turns at the summit. So, I hunkered down behind a rock out of the wind, pulled out the map and guidebook, and figured out that I needed to make a hard left, fortunately seeing a blaze through the fog a hundred feet later.

Late October 2008: I had stayed at Mountain Harbour B&B while 6"+ of snow fell atop Roan Mountain. I decided to catch a shuttle to Carver's Gap and slack back to the B&B for a second night. It was a lovely morning down at 19E, but the temperature plummeted as the pickup truck climbed the mountain. Fortunately it was a clear, sunny day, but when I stepped out of the cab I got hit in the face with a sustained 40 mph wind (estimated 70 mph gusts!). I started to have second thoughts about my plan, but I was wearing enough gear that I should keep warm enough if I kept moving, even though my thermometer registered 10F in the shade of a copse of evergreens. The wind battered me all across the Balds, which was exhilarating. At the same time, there was no evidence of any other hikers coming through in the past day, so I really needed to keep to the trail. Scary, yes; truly life-threatening, probably not unless I was really stupid. Beautiful with pristine trail with snow and ice on the surprised bushes (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=29230).

[Monkeywrench]

Getting out of the shower in Pearisburg VA and seeing in the mirror how skinny I had become.

[RED-DOG]

On my thru in 2006 i was camped at Harris Ground spring about 5 miles north of Thunder hill Shelter about 3.30 in the morning i woke to something screaming and breaking branches, it sounded like it was coming straight at me, it ran past my camp and all i saw was a shape about 6.6-7 foot tall shadow,when it got light i looked and there was a swath about 6 feet wide and it broke all the trees about 3-4 feet high, Big-Foot maybe probably i be careful out their if i was you, and another time the same year i was staying at Punchbowl shelter alone, in the middle of the night i saw a little boy run past the shelter and i started thinking it could have been little Ottie, I swear till this day that :dancereally happened. Happy Hiking RED-DOG

[Kerosene]

That reminds me of a few other weird animal-related events:

(1) Saunders Shelter (just north of Damascus) on a lovely summer evening in June 2007. I left the group at the shelter to relieve myself over the side of the embankment right of the open area. While looking down, I noticed what I thought was at first a firefly, except that it was glowing a steady luminescent green and moving around. Okay, not a firefly but some sort of bugs.

I retired to my tent and was zipping up the screen door when I see two of the "lights" heading toward me at a rapid pace. They didn't strike me as eyes; the seemed to hover a foot or two off the ground and didn't seem to move in tandem as eyes in a head would; they veered off just before they got to the tent (about the time that I scream/yelled like a frightened kid!). The guys in the shelter kidded me about seeing the baby bear that was recently in the area, but the movement of the lights didn't seem like they belonged to a 4-footed animal. Weird, but I was in my tent with the screen door closed, so of course I was "safe"!

(2) Just north of Pinkham Notch, Sept. 2007: I was trying to reach Pinkham Notch before dark, but didn't make it, so I stopped at the first reasonably flat section of trail well after sunset to setup my tent. As I pulled off my pack I heard a huuuge animal snapping branches and 6" thick tree trunks (okay, probably not that big) in the marshy area that I had just passed. Again, I yelled like a girl which didn't seem to have any impact on what was probably a moose (I still haven't seen a moose). As I laid down to sleep in my tent, I realized that my head was directly on the flattest, driest piece of land in moose territory. Oh well.

(3) About 4 miles south of Harpers Ferry on a lovely fall afternoon, Oct. 2001: I rounded a small bend in the trail with a small rise to see an animal about 40 years in front of me facing off the trail. For some reason I decided to clap my hands, which caused the animal to turn my way and then lope off the trail very quickly. Long tail, light tan with a lighter belly, perhaps 30" tall at the shoulder, definitely feline, probably cougar. At first I was more intrigued than scared, and wished that I hadn't startled it. Then, I started to wonder if it was stalking me, forcing me to look over my shoulder for the next few miles.

(4) Double Springs Shelter, GSMNP, Oct. 2011 on a sunny day: I had just finished lunch and took my pack with me to the latrine to keep it from marauding bears. From there I went down to the spring to fill my water bottles. I heard something in the woods behind me, but I thought it was probably a squirrel. I went back to the shelter to treat my water when I glanced up from the "picnic bench" to see a yearling male(?) bear, perhaps 150 pounds, staring a hole in me from about 20 yards away. Okay, I didn't scream like a girl this time, but I did yell at it and attempted to howl like a bear dog, which really didn't seem to phase this guy. Fortunately, most of my gear was packed and there was a bit of empty trail to the south, which I headed down with pack in hand as we stared at each other. I think that was the fastest half-mile I've hiked in a while.

[gwb]

I stopped for a mid day break and had a large tree branch fall and it missed me by about 3-4". Not so scary now, freaked me out at the time. I was laying on my back leaned up on my backpack when I heard an odd noise, and then wuuummp. Down comes the limb. Not a windy day or anything. I always check for widow makers when setting up camp, now I always give a quick look up before I sit down.

[Capt Nat]

Florida Trail, I think in 3 Lakes section somewhere or maybe Praire Lakes, late in afternoon. I take my pack off and lean it against a tree and head to get water before finding a place to camp. When I get back with the water, my pack is gone. It wasn't just the prospect of a night without my gear, it was also the realization that I wasn't alone and whoever took my pack wasn't my friend. I was pretty spooked and upset when I spotted my pack leaning against a tree remarkably like the one I was standing in front of. I know it wasn't life or death, but for some reason it really spooked me at the time.

[Wise Old Owl]

Skunks in the shelter ... or the marauding gang that stole equipment after midnight in NY.

[johnnycakes]

Not exactly on the AT but close by in the Dry Wilderness National Forest in New Hampshire at a shelter. It was a dry August 2002 and I could not find water so I hiked down into a Ravine and finally found water. I heard funny noises when I got my water. I climbed back up to the shelter and cooked my food. I had seen no one in 2 days and then heard strange sounds turned to screams nearby. For more than 2 hours some person (I think a man) was messing with me big time with on and off screams and talking to himself. I could not see this person. I looked and even tried to reason with him but never found him. Around dark the noises became louder and even scarier. I packed up under dark and got the hell out. I descended 1500 feet and walked to the next shelter 3 miles away. I slept bad that night and 2 days later on top of Mount Washington I reported it to the State Rangers. I am not even sure if they documented the incident. Also, several days later near my start in Lincoln, NH I reported it to another station. I later learned several months previous a woman from QC was murdered nearby. I have since refined my skills and as such I think I would be able to handle myself better if something like this arose again. I still hike quite a bit and have had no incidents since. I say still hike and enjoy!

[rocketsocks]

Not exactly on the AT but close by in the Dry Wilderness National Forest in New Hampshire at a shelter. It was a dry August 2002 and I could not find water so I hiked down into a Ravine and finally found water. I heard funny noises when I got my water. I climbed back up to the shelter and cooked my food. I had seen no one in 2 days and then heard strange sounds turned to screams nearby. For more than 2 hours some person (I think a man) was messing with me big time with on and off screams and talking to himself. I could not see this person. I looked and even tried to reason with him but never found him. Around dark the noises became louder and even scarier. I packed up under dark and got the hell out. I descended 1500 feet and walked to the next shelter 3 miles away. I slept bad that night and 2 days later on top of Mount Washington I reported it to the State Rangers. I am not even sure if they documented the incident. Also, several days later near my start in Lincoln, NH I reported it to another station. I later learned several months previous a woman from QC was murdered nearby. I have since refined my skills and as such I think I would be able to handle myself better if something like this arose again. I still hike quite a bit and have had no incidents since. I say still hike and enjoy!Thats pretty freakin scary dude :welcometo white blaze.

[MidTenn Trekker]

Skunks in the shelter ... or the marauding gang that stole equipment after midnight in NY.

On a section hike of the AT in Fall 2011, my friend and I camped at the Niday shelter. Niday is surrounded by very tall trees and is down in a hollow. We were on about day 7 of our hike and had a fairly good routine. I awoke from sleep somewhere around 1:00 AM to go pee. I had a headlamp beside me but decided that I would not use it as I planned to go only a few feet from the shelter to do my thing. Anyway, I went down the shelter steps and about 20 feet to the right and had a very satisfying pee. When I turned around to return, I saw a wall of solid black. No panic - just wait for my eyes to acclimate. After about 3-4 minutes, still total blackness. I squatted down to see if I could see the shelter profile - nothing. So then I inched my way toward where I was sure the shelter was - with my arm extended to feel the wall. Nada. Finally hit a tree. So I stopped and took my bearings again. Still a wall of blackness all around. My friend was not snoring and he is a very sound sleeper. No help. So I began groping again. This time I began to feel bushes around my feet. Forgot to mention that I have a T-shirt, briefs and crocs on - thats it. I am not cold yet, but I will probably be soon. Anyway, I am getting peeved and somewhat concerned. Poison Ivy? Snakes? Ticks? I was imagining things. I continue to grope and search for the shelter building with no luck. I hear frogs and see only black. After about 30-40 minutes of this I am beginning to get concerned. Yes, when daylight comes I can see things - but that is at least 4-5 hours away. And it is getting colder. My searching is expanded and I am moving faster now, in hopes of finding a path or the picnic table - anything near the shelter. Nothing. Finally, after about an hour or 90 minutes, my friend woke up and put his headlamp on. He is hypoglycemic and needs to eat some protein at night. When I saw the light, I hailed him. Astonishingly, I was about 150 feet away from the shelter and had to go through bushes, vines and trees to get back. He was sure I was hurt, but I told him I was just lost in the dark. He asked, "why didn't you take your light?" At last, I crawled back into my warm sleeping bag and went right to sleep. And, when camping now, I never go out at night without my headlamp. Lesson learned.

[Shack]

Anyone have any great stories?? :eek:

My son and i just got back from hiking, Sunday 24 th in the morning we went down to the creek to pump water when I was kneeling down at the water. my son said dad theres a bear, when I turned to look the bear was on the trail between us and the campsite. we jump the the creek and luckly he decided to run off down the side of the hill in to the woods, scary moment

[wornoutboots]

On a section hike of the AT in Fall 2011, my friend and I camped at the Niday shelter. Niday is surrounded by very tall trees and is down in a hollow. We were on about day 7 of our hike and had a fairly good routine. I awoke from sleep somewhere around 1:00 AM to go pee. I had a headlamp beside me but decided that I would not use it as I planned to go only a few feet from the shelter to do my thing. Anyway, I went down the shelter steps and about 20 feet to the right and had a very satisfying pee. When I turned around to return, I saw a wall of solid black. No panic - just wait for my eyes to acclimate. After about 3-4 minutes, still total blackness. I squatted down to see if I could see the shelter profile - nothing. So then I inched my way toward where I was sure the shelter was - with my arm extended to feel the wall. Nada. Finally hit a tree. So I stopped and took my bearings again. Still a wall of blackness all around. My friend was not snoring and he is a very sound sleeper. No help. So I began groping again. This time I began to feel bushes around my feet. Forgot to mention that I have a T-shirt, briefs and crocs on - thats it. I am not cold yet, but I will probably be soon. Anyway, I am getting peeved and somewhat concerned. Poison Ivy? Snakes? Ticks? I was imagining things. I continue to grope and search for the shelter building with no luck. I hear frogs and see only black. After about 30-40 minutes of this I am beginning to get concerned. Yes, when daylight comes I can see things - but that is at least 4-5 hours away. And it is getting colder. My searching is expanded and I am moving faster now, in hopes of finding a path or the picnic table - anything near the shelter. Nothing. Finally, after about an hour or 90 minutes, my friend woke up and put his headlamp on. He is hypoglycemic and needs to eat some protein at night. When I saw the light, I hailed him. Astonishingly, I was about 150 feet away from the shelter and had to go through bushes, vines and trees to get back. He was sure I was hurt, but I told him I was just lost in the dark. He asked, "why didn't you take your light?" At last, I crawled back into my warm sleeping bag and went right to sleep. And, when camping now, I never go out at night without my headlamp. Lesson learned.

Great lesson, this also happend to a friend of mine while a group of us were camped deep in the Red River Gorge, he left his tent at night to use the restroom & said he only went a short ways away so that he could still see the small glow of the coals of the campire. He said an hour later he was screaming at the top of his lungs to get anyones attention & he had wandered so far none of us heard anything. As he was ready to pile leaves & bed down with pine branches as a blanket, he decided to call his dogs name, within minutes his dog showed up & walked him right back to camp, he said the dog eats plenty of steak now :) . So lesson learned NEVER walk away from a dark campsite with out a light!

[shelb]

My preteens woke up before me, hatched a plan to tickle and yell at me to wake me!

[BlackJack1]

I got lost on Blood Mountain in Nov 2011. I mean really lost because the leaves where up to my knees. I even cried and screamed for help. I pointed my compass north and accidently found the trail again.

[BlackJack1]

http://www.youtube.com/user/jackmatthewanderson?feature=mhee video of me crying

[lemon b]

When the Campbell's told me I was related. And then I got dried out and the greatgreatgrandma's niece on Daddy's side feed me and that there girl could cook.

[Odd Man Out]

... I awoke from sleep somewhere around 1:00 AM to go pee. I had a headlamp beside me but decided that I would not use it as I planned to go only a few feet from the shelter to do my thing. Anyway, I went down the shelter steps and about 20 feet to the right and had a very satisfying pee. When I turned around to return, I saw a wall of solid black....

I remember a Myth Busters episode where they tested to see if a blindfolded person could walk in a straight line. The answer was no, so it is true that complete darkness really disorients you. My experience with this wasn't as scary as it was stupid. On the first night of a weekend trip I was so incredibly sore I couldn't move a muscle so I just laid down in my tent and went to sleep. I awoke in the middle of the night to complete darkness. Since I couldn't see my had just one inch from my face, I was convinced that I must have become blind. But the only way to find out for sure was to turn on my light, which I had hung from the clip on the peak of the tent, just a few inches out of reach. But every muscle in my body had stiffened while sleeping so the bending and twisting needed to get out of my bag, sit up, and reach the light was going to induce excruciating pain. So I laid there for about hour doing a detailed cost/benefit analysis deciding if it was worth the excruciating pain to find out if I indeed was blind. At the end of the hour, I concluded I was an idiot. :rolleyes:

[Sarcasm the elf]

Great lesson, this also happend to a friend of mine while a group of us were camped deep in the Red River Gorge, he left his tent at night to use the restroom & said he only went a short ways away so that he could still see the small glow of the coals of the campire. He said an hour later he was screaming at the top of his lungs to get anyones attention & he had wandered so far none of us heard anything. As he was ready to pile leaves & bed down with pine branches as a blanket, he decided to call his dogs name, within minutes his dog showed up & walked him right back to camp, he said the dog eats plenty of steak now :) . So lesson learned NEVER walk away from a dark campsite with out a light!


Sounds like a very lucky story. We've got a rule that if we ever don't know which way to go when hiking, just follow the dogs. They haven't steered us the wrong way yet!

[RockDoc]

I've been dive-bombed by owls a few times. Pretty scary.

[Wise Old Owl]

Yea they do draw blood.
http://www.arkive.org/grey-wolf/canis-lupus/video-ar11.html

[BlackJack1]

I awoke from sleep somewhere around 1:00 AM to go pee. I had a headlamp beside me but decided that I would not use it as I planned to go only a few feet from the shelter to do my thing. Anyway, I went down the shelter steps and about 20 feet to the right and had a very satisfying pee. When I turned around to return, I saw a wall of solid black.

I have done that at home. Got lost in the hallway. Really, I forgot what shelter I was at and missed a big step at 2a.m. and fell out of the shelter on my face.

[rmitchell]

Probably the most dangerous part of section hiking is getting TO the trail. One shuttle driver I recall tailgating and driving at breakneck speeds on curvy backroads. But another ride was more frightening, going 45 mph downhill in the left lane of I81. And the driver could not understand why the semi truck behind was blowing his horn.

[freckles]

Buena Vista VA-woken up in the middle of the night by a large group of very rowdy drunks who arrived to party just feet from our motel room door.

Sounds like a typical night in Buena Vista!

[Toli]

Anyone have any great stories?? :eek:

Meeting Lone Wolf...

[brian039]

Bake Oven Knob, my dad had just dropped me off at the trail head after a double zero in Philly for July 4th. I was nearly at the top when I heard a huge "BANG" come out of nowhere. Some dude was chillin at the top of the knob detonating leftover fireworks. Jumping grouse is almost equally as terrifying, and happens at least once a day, yet scares me every time.

[wookinpanub]

I had been on 1 backpacking trip before I started my southbound thru on May 3rd on Katahdin. (It was closed, but I snuck up and down....so sue me.) No problems were encountered until I reached Logan Brook Lean-to in the 100-mile Wilderness. The snow was knee deep when I arrived there in the evening. The next morning I started climbing Whitecap with the snow getting deeper and deeper. I was postholing and it was exhausting. I broke through the crust at one point and was up to my neck in snow. Finally scrambling out, I managed to make it to the top of Whitecap where the snow covered everything, including the blazes. I was walking in circles trying to find the trail off when a hailstorm hit. By that time, the panic had left and in its place was an ambivalence under the umbrella of "I'm screwed". After the storm passed, I saw the cairn marking the trail off. The day ended with another panic when I was approaching Chairback Gap Lean-to. Snow had started falling heavily and visibility was no more than 6 ft as darkness was approaching. I was hyperventilating and remember thinking that if the lean-to was not right on the trail there was no way I would see the side trail. A couple of minutes later the wall of the shelter appeared. I cried. It was the worst and best day of my life. No matter what situation I have been in since then, I always know that it could be worse.

[Stofko]

This was a good adrenaline rush.
It was even more fun seeing the faces of the hikers thatjust walked thru that section of trail not 5 minutes after us when I showedthem the video off the camera.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tzAoi3iQPs

[canoe]

Not exactly on the AT but close by in the Dry Wilderness National Forest in New Hampshire at a shelter. It was a dry August 2002 and I could not find water so I hiked down into a Ravine and finally found water. I heard funny noises when I got my water. I climbed back up to the shelter and cooked my food. I had seen no one in 2 days and then heard strange sounds turned to screams nearby. For more than 2 hours some person (I think a man) was messing with me big time with on and off screams and talking to himself. I could not see this person. I looked and even tried to reason with him but never found him. Around dark the noises became louder and even scarier. I packed up under dark and got the hell out. I descended 1500 feet and walked to the next shelter 3 miles away. I slept bad that night and 2 days later on top of Mount Washington I reported it to the State Rangers. I am not even sure if they documented the incident. Also, several days later near my start in Lincoln, NH I reported it to another station. I later learned several months previous a woman from QC was murdered nearby. I have since refined my skills and as such I think I would be able to handle myself better if something like this arose again. I still hike quite a bit and have had no incidents since. I say still hike and enjoy!


Please tell me....how would you handle yourself better? I think you did the right thing.

[Sarcasm the elf]

This was a good adrenaline rush.
It was even more fun seeing the faces of the hikers thatjust walked thru that section of trail not 5 minutes after us when I showedthem the video off the camera.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tzAoi3iQPs


Very cool! Thanks for sharing.

From the little I know about rattlesnakes, I believe that those were two males battling for mates. They just knock each other around like that until there is a clear winner.

[canoe]

This was a good adrenaline rush.
It was even more fun seeing the faces of the hikers thatjust walked thru that section of trail not 5 minutes after us when I showedthem the video off the camera.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tzAoi3iQPs

That s not two snakes fighting...i do believe they were mating.

[RockyRoo]

Breaking my wrist in GSMNP and consequently going through the American health care/travel insurance issues. Having the worst case of the runs in my entire life while arm was in cast and no privy, TP or Imodium to help. Surviving the derecho that hit the east coast while still on the trail. Trees falling near tent on plenty of occasions. Yip, it was a whole bucket of fun!

[rickb]

I later learned several months previous a woman from QC was murdered nearby. I have since refined my skills and as such I think I would be able to handle myself better if something like this arose again.

Yikes. I had someone "messing with me" by making wierd sounds as I made camp in a shelter in VA many years ago. Not as bad as what you faced. I tried to rationalize it was an animal (in this case it most definitely was not) and then concluded it was some good old boy yahoo out screwing around--I stayed at the shelter for the night.

Not sure exactly what I would do differently in retrospect, but I do know I should have faced the reality that the person doing this was a criminal right off the bat (by definition given his intimidating behavior) and I should have made my plans with that formost in mind.

BTW, the woman from Quebec was murdered about a year earlier (near, but not on the AT) than your experience. Here is a link to that: http://doj.nh.gov/media-center/press-releases/2011/20111122-chaput-homicide.htm

[Pingus]

Scariest thing for me, after 9 days of Katahdin and the hundred mile wilderness I just wanted an orange soda when I got to Monson. Grabbed it out of the cooler, paid for it, went outside and opened up a can of carbonated toilet water called Moxie. Took a big swig and spit it all over the sidewalk. I still have nightmares.

[elray]

Being awakened in the middle of the night by the sound of a porcupine gnawing on the shelter step, dang that made a noise! So that's why there were rocks lining the walls! The old Peru Peak shelter if memory serves me.

[Kerosene]

Being awakened in the middle of the night by the sound of a porcupine gnawing on the shelter step, dang that made a noise! So that's why there were rocks lining the walls! The old Peru Peak shelter if memory serves me.What about the babylike sounds that the porkies make? THAT was weird on a night outside Kid Gore Shelter.

[CrumbSnatcher]

most frightening was always running down the trail worried the buffet in town would close before i could get there:eek:
the rest was the normal stuff, smelly hikers,snakes,butt chaffing and bigfoot circling the campsite all night long

[Datto]

The skunk that landed on my head in the middle of the night when I was sleeping in Cable Gap Shelter. I'd instinktively smacked the skunk upside the head with my clothes bag. After I went ducking and weaving rolling into Rainbow Tracey and had thought the skunk and skudaddled, Pepe Le Peu later ran up the length of my sleeping bag and looked me in the eye after I'd come to my scences and had gone back into my sleeping bag. Avoided one stank only to be aroused by my own socks! Details here:

http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=164878


Datto

[Datto]

Just like Spokes -- you can not believe how bad things can get when crossing Mt. Washington. Holy cow that scared the heck out of me being tossed around like a feather in the wind and freezing like an ice-froze dog. And to think I was actually intending to proceed the measly 7.5 nukes over to Madison Hut across the ridge! What could go wrong?

Sure glad I came to my senses.

Watching the video in the ranger station (created by the rangers) where one of the rangers serves breakfast to two other rangers at a Parisian type tablecloth covered card table -- Special K and a carafe of milk. The wind gauge is superimposed over the movie and the winds are at 100+ MPH when breakfast is served. Now that was funny as all get out! Geez we had a belly laugh when watching that movie after having come out of that storm. Those rangers have one big sense of humor.


Datto

[Northern Lights]

Most frightening moment for me was reading all the White Blaze forums before heading out for the AT ;)

[topshelf]

humm, I was sleeping in my hammock next to TRIMPI shelter summer before last. In the middle of the night I heard a loud pop, it woke me up. As I was laying there trying to go back to sleep the top half of the tree next to my hammock came crashing down and almost landed on my hammock. Perfectly fine tree, around a foot in diameter just broke and came down. The next morning we were sitting and eating breakfast and a huge oak tree just randomly fell on the hill next to the shelter.

[Prime Time]

I was on a solo hike in the Presidential's last August. I set up camp at a tent site on the Great Gulf Trail and the next day set out on a day hike. Up 6 Husbands trail to Jefferson, over Adams and head for Madison. I got to Madison Hut on a beautiful summer morning and a cold front came through out of nowhere in a matter of minutes, completely unforecasted of course, and like an idiot, I'm in shorts and have no gloves or a warm hat. Now the temperature is dropping like a stone and there's a wind driven hail and sleet coming down. Normally I'd have holed up at the Hut for the night if need be, but that morning when I left, I walked past a family in their tent who said they'd see me when I got back. All I could think is I'd have freaked them out if I didn't come back. So finally as 4:00 pm came along with no improvement in the weather, I set out as fast as I dared down Buttress trail. This is a seldom used trail but it cut the distance back to the tent site from 7 miles to 4. I hadn't gone far when I slipped on some invisible black ice and fell about 8 feet down off of a rock and landed square on my back. I was knocked out cold. Next thing I know, it's dark out and I'm lying shivering on the ground and checking body parts. I managed to get to my feet and start walking without being able to feel my fingers, toes, nose, or ears. I've got no light and it's pitch black out. With every step, I have to feel the ground with my foot before planting it, not sure of what I'm stepping on. I finally, somehow get to the Great Gulf Trail around 11:00, shivering uncontrollably and mostly numb. I make it to the site where the family is camped out and....they're gone! The whole dreadful thing was for nothing! From then on, there is no such thing as taking a light day pack into the Presidential's. Live and learn.

[illabelle]

I was on a solo hike in the Presidential's last August. I set up camp at a tent site on the Great Gulf Trail and the next day set out on a day hike. Up 6 Husbands trail to Jefferson, over Adams and head for Madison. I got to Madison Hut on a beautiful summer morning and a cold front came through out of nowhere in a matter of minutes, completely unforecasted of course, and like an idiot, I'm in shorts and have no gloves or a warm hat. Now the temperature is dropping like a stone and there's a wind driven hail and sleet coming down. Normally I'd have holed up at the Hut for the night if need be, but that morning when I left, I walked past a family in their tent who said they'd see me when I got back. All I could think is I'd have freaked them out if I didn't come back. So finally as 4:00 pm came along with no improvement in the weather, I set out as fast as I dared down Buttress trail. This is a seldom used trail but it cut the distance back to the tent site from 7 miles to 4. I hadn't gone far when I slipped on some invisible black ice and fell about 8 feet down off of a rock and landed square on my back. I was knocked out cold. Next thing I know, it's dark out and I'm lying shivering on the ground and checking body parts. I managed to get to my feet and start walking without being able to feel my fingers, toes, nose, or ears. I've got no light and it's pitch black out. With every step, I have to feel the ground with my foot before planting it, not sure of what I'm stepping on. I finally, somehow get to the Great Gulf Trail around 11:00, shivering uncontrollably and mostly numb. I make it to the site where the family is camped out and....they're gone! The whole dreadful thing was for nothing! From then on, there is no such thing as taking a light day pack into the Presidential's. Live and learn.
That's seriously scary! I'm glad I can learn from your mistake instead of doing this myself. Thanks for sharing.