PDA

View Full Version : Ghost on the AT??



jalbright79
10-07-2012, 16:49
Simple question...have you or someone you know ever had any ghostly or unexplained experiences happen while on the AT?

Pedaling Fool
10-07-2012, 16:52
In 2007 I was at Watuga Lake shelter and the next morning two people (who didn't know one another) claimed to have seen orb-like lights all around the shelter that night (in front of the shelter).

I was in my tent behind the shelter, so I didn't see anything, but they were adamant about what they saw.

ChinMusic
10-07-2012, 17:06
In 2007 I was at Watuga Lake shelter and the next morning two people (who didn't know one another) claimed to have seen orb-like lights all around the shelter that night (in front of the shelter).

I was in my tent behind the shelter, so I didn't see anything, but they were adamant about what they saw.


Another reason to tent..........

max patch
10-07-2012, 17:38
In 2007 I was at Watuga Lake shelter and the next morning two people (who didn't know one another) claimed to have seen orb-like lights all around the shelter that night (in front of the shelter).



Sounds like the drugs worked.

10-K
10-07-2012, 17:54
Just fyi... there is no such thing as a ghost...

DaveSail
10-07-2012, 17:57
Some kinds od rotting wood will glow in the dark ! Could be all around the shelter ; ( on the ground).
If these lights were floating around in the air , then they must be something else . Swamp Gas ,
like in the movie " Brave " . David

Lone Wolf
10-07-2012, 18:08
Simple question...have you or someone you know ever had any ghostly or unexplained experiences happen while on the AT?

heck no. ain't no damn ghosts on the trail or anywhere

johnnybgood
10-07-2012, 18:14
The only ghosts I know are the ones I read about.

Sweetspot
10-07-2012, 18:19
I have had two ghostly experiences 2011 on top of Cedar Mountain and this year at Burningtown Gap.

ChinMusic
10-07-2012, 19:29
I'm 100% sure that there was a Ghost on the trail in 2011.

HikerMom58
10-07-2012, 19:34
@ ChinMusic & @SweetSpot- Is it too hard to explain in a post?

Lone Wolf
10-07-2012, 19:36
@ ChinMusic & @SweetSpot- Is it too hard to explain in a post?

uhhh. a hiked named ghost

HikerMom58
10-07-2012, 19:38
uhhh. a hiked named ghost

Uhhh. do you mean a hiker named ghost?... LOL!!! ;)

Tuxedo
10-07-2012, 19:50
I have had several turn my head and scratch ***'s but never "saw" anything. Punchbowl Shelter (http://theathiker.com/ghost-on-the-appalachian-trail-post/) has the most buzz and I did stay the night once the noise from the wildlife was the loudest Ive ever heard at a shelter. The frogs, fish, birds and Deer all making plenty sound. An hour before sunrise a Screeching Owl woke me up so I wont say it's haunted but I don't think I slept more then 2hrs without an interruption. If I stay more then 1 time Id have a better opinion and I don't think I knew it was a haunted Shelter when I stayed only finding out days later. I definitely felt spirits present at Punchbowl

I also stayed at the one in Northern TN were the woman was killed that maybe haunted many hear voices and Ive concluded the acoustics of the lake below bounce sound up to the Shelter but didnt feel like ghost or spirits present.

Around the roller coaster I saw the biggest shoe size hiking boot imprint on the trail going SOBO and when I came across a NoBO asking if they had seen anyone with a size 25+ boot they hadn't crossed paths with any one either I've jokingly concluded that Sasquatch has a buddy with a shoe store/cobbler.

The area from Lee, Mass to Hudson River, NY I felt at times of being followed or watched sometimes for Hrs or days. The amount of tree limbs falling and swaying in this area had me asking several times how/what did that?

10-K
10-07-2012, 20:31
No ghosts... but No Business Knob shelter gives me the creeps. I don't like to be anywhere near it at night.

HikerMom58
10-07-2012, 20:54
No ghosts... but No Business Knob shelter gives me the creeps. I don't like to be anywhere near it at night.

Oh yeah, I remember that shelter. We stopped in there for lunch. A woman was there begging us to stay there, overnight. I couldn't wait to push on...

10-K
10-07-2012, 21:36
Oh yeah, I remember that shelter. We stopped in there for lunch. A woman was there begging us to stay there, overnight. I couldn't wait to push on...

I don't know what it is about that shelter. I feel like I'm being watched there. By something not very nice.

ParkRat09
10-07-2012, 21:46
No ghosts... but No Business Knob shelter gives me the creeps. I don't like to be anywhere near it at night.

Where is that? I'll be sure to avoid it on my thru next year!

Grits
10-07-2012, 21:48
Uncle Nick Grindstaffs Memorial 3 miles south of Cross Mtn Road. http://www.hauntmastersclub.com/places/johnson_co_tn/shady_valley/uncle_nick_grindstaffs_grave.html


Along the Appalachian Trail in Shady Valley on Iron Mountain, the dividing line between Shady Valley and Stoney Creek, there is the chimney-shaped grave of Uncle Nick Grindstaff, a man who, as the tombstone says, "Lived alone, Suffered alone, and Died alone.”
According to Carter County, Tennessee and Its People, 1796-1993, when he was 26 years old, he was attacked and robbed at a saloon on his way to Johnson County from Missouri, where he had went in hopes of finding fortunes. The money he had hidden in his boot secured him land on top of the mountain, but he became a recluse and was seldom seen in Stoney Creek. The only company he had was a dog named Panter, a steer and a rattlesnake. In 1923, a man went up to visit Nick and found him dead in bed in his shanty. Panter would not allow anyone to touch his body and had to be chained to a tree to allow the man’s body to be buried at the base of the chimney. After it was released, the dog pined away over the grave, mournfully howling long into the night. The house was eventually dismantled, but the chimney was respectfully left as a memorial.

According to J. R. Tate’s book Walkin' with the Ghost Whisperers: Lore and Legends of the Appalachian Trail, some hikers believe that in this place has a history that is more alive than most places. Tales have circulated for years that if someone camps at this site, they can hear a spectral dog howling late into the night. Perhaps Panter’s grief still hangs around the old homestead?

HikerMom58
10-07-2012, 21:57
I don't know what it is about that shelter. I feel like I'm being watched there. By something not very nice.

Hummm... interesting!


Where is that? I'll be sure to avoid it on my thru next year!

It's the shelter right before you get to Erwin TN. going NOBO. The shelter is rather small.....

ChinMusic
10-07-2012, 22:28
Uncle Nick Grindstaffs Memorial 3 miles south of Cross Mtn Road. http://www.hauntmastersclub.com/places/johnson_co_tn/shady_valley/uncle_nick_grindstaffs_grave.html


Along the Appalachian Trail in Shady Valley on Iron Mountain, the dividing line between Shady Valley and Stoney Creek, there is the chimney-shaped grave of Uncle Nick Grindstaff, a man who, as the tombstone says, "Lived alone, Suffered alone, and Died alone.”
According to Carter County, Tennessee and Its People, 1796-1993, when he was 26 years old, he was attacked and robbed at a saloon on his way to Johnson County from Missouri, where he had went in hopes of finding fortunes. The money he had hidden in his boot secured him land on top of the mountain, but he became a recluse and was seldom seen in Stoney Creek. The only company he had was a dog named Panter, a steer and a rattlesnake. In 1923, a man went up to visit Nick and found him dead in bed in his shanty. Panter would not allow anyone to touch his body and had to be chained to a tree to allow the man’s body to be buried at the base of the chimney. After it was released, the dog pined away over the grave, mournfully howling long into the night. The house was eventually dismantled, but the chimney was respectfully left as a memorial.

According to J. R. Tate’s book Walkin' with the Ghost Whisperers: Lore and Legends of the Appalachian Trail, some hikers believe that in this place has a history that is more alive than most places. Tales have circulated for years that if someone camps at this site, they can hear a spectral dog howling late into the night. Perhaps Panter’s grief still hangs around the old homestead?


Awesome. All I did was change my socks there last year.

WingedMonkey
10-07-2012, 23:34
I saw a cave man chasing a dinosaur.

BradMT
10-08-2012, 01:07
"Ghosts" are what the bible refers to as "familiar spirits."

moocow
10-08-2012, 01:19
Awesome. All I did was change my socks there last year. I can officially say that I slept here! I didn't mean to be disrespectful in any way. Just tired, and it was the first clearing I came across that night. I knew I had set up my tent next to a stone pile, but I just thought it was an old homestead site. I didn't know where I was until the next morning. No dogs to speak of. Although a bear rolled into camp the next morning.

Grits
10-08-2012, 06:38
I can officially say that I slept here! I didn't mean to be disrespectful in any way.
Uncle Nick loves the company and a very pretty area. looking west you can see Holsten Mtn and Stoney Creek where President Andrew Johnson lived his later life and looking east Doe Valley and Stone Mountain. From what I have learned talking with locals, is that there are several stories about what happened out west but he did move back to Johnson County/Carter County and lived a hermit. One story says he was jilted by a lady and another says he was robbed but the monument is not the old chimney but as this article says was built by family and friends.
http://www.thetomahawk.com/Detail.php?Cat=THISTHAT&ID=58821

Nick Grindstaff, better known as “Uncle Nick” was also referred to as “The South’s Most Famous Hermit.” Nobody knows why he chose to live a life of solitude, but his only com-panions for many years were his dog “Panter” and a steer. He was said to have had a pet rattlesnake for a short time and was extremely upset when a visitor killed it.
Nick Grindstaff was born in Johnson County on December 26, 1851 in the Doe Valley section of the county. His parents were Isaac Grindstaff and Mary Heaton Grindstaff. He at-tended nearby school and learned reading, writing and arithmetic. His mother died in 1853 and his father died a year later. He lived with relatives until he was 21 years old. He inherited a fourth of the family farm and lived there until 1877. He was a good citizen, and a hard worker. When he was 26 years old, he sold his farm, moved from the cabin he had build and went west. He came back to Johnson County and lived as a hermit for some 40 years. He came down from his mountain cabin infrequently and only then to pick up supplies that were necessary for his living.
Nick was found dead in his cabin July 21, 1923. He had died about four days earlier and “Panter” was standing guard over him. It was only after the dog was subdued and tied that Nick’s body could be re-moved.
R. B. Wilson, with the aid of Nick’s relatives and friends erected a monument built of cement and mountain granite and a nice slab of marble to mark his grave-site. On July 4, 1925, a host of people met at the monument for a memorial service. Many distinguished people were there for the occasion. The Tomahawk clipping that I found reads that Nick’s monument had recently been restored due to the efforts of several folks. Spearheading the effort were Mr. and Mrs. Lillard W. Blevins. Upon visiting Nick’s grave they noted its deteriorating condition. Mr. Blevins was a former resident of Shady Valley who lived in Knoxville at the time. According to the article, others involved in the restoration were the late Jimmy Quillen who contacted the U. S. Department of agriculture who contacted the U. S. Forest Service and Ranger Barr who worked with Ray Hunt of the Tennessee Eastman Hiking Club to restore the monument.

Lone Wolf
10-08-2012, 06:42
"lived alone, suffered alone, died alone"

Josh Calhoun
10-08-2012, 09:06
In 2007 I was at Watuga Lake shelter and the next morning two people (who didn't know one another) claimed to have seen orb-like lights all around the shelter that night (in front of the shelter).

I was in my tent behind the shelter, so I didn't see anything, but they were adamant about what they saw.



dont know where that shelter is but that could of been methane gas. we see allot of this hunting hogs in the swamps. they will just float through the woods. kind of creepy

Tennessee Viking
10-08-2012, 09:13
I had a buddy day hike to Grindstaff's grave, and we was chased by a dog that literally came out of no where.

Josh Calhoun
10-08-2012, 09:34
so is uncle nicks memorial right on the AT? i want to make sure i dont miss it on my thru next year.

trapper
10-08-2012, 09:44
if after we die we are able to remain as ghosts im going to spend alot of my time on the AT

bamboo bob
10-08-2012, 09:46
This "ghost' question is a form of trolling. I which it was banned from the site.

Pedaling Fool
10-08-2012, 10:02
I've watched all the ghost stories and accounts on TV and I just can't buy them; it just seems as though the people relating these stories are gullible and tend to be the story-telling types.

However, I did see one episode on the show, Paranormal Witness, titled Haunted Highway, season 1 Episode 2. It wasn't so easy to explain away like so many "ghost stories"; it just involved too many people. I know there can be another explanation, but I don't know...


Personally, I don't attempt to answer these type of questions anymore, I use to as a skeptic, but I've seen other things that just causes me to question my skepticism. But it's not such an easy thing to figure out.


BTW, the show Paranormal Witness, I believe is just another stupid ghost show, but like I said I found this one story very intriguing, here's a video of the episode, but I'm not going to debate other explanations, just for anyone that's curious. http://vimeo.com/37868916

hikerboy57
10-08-2012, 10:05
i had taken pictures of numerous ghosts in maine this past august, along with 2 clear as day shots of bigfoot, and some guy with saucer shaped eyes and green skin. I accidentally deleted all my pictures the last night of my hike.

hikerboy57
10-08-2012, 10:18
my daughter appeared on an episode of Long Island Medium this past spring. My brother in law committed suicide the previous summer. without any suggestion from my daughter at all, the medium just starrted telling her about her uncle, was spot on in details of his death, how he was buried,etc. My mother in law would not sign a release for broadcast, so on the show itself, many of the details were omitted.
I personally dont believe she is channelling dead people, but im certain she is tapping into something.
it did give my daughter some closure, though.
the episode was aired originally in april2012:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCxH4UsV9pQ

ChinMusic
10-08-2012, 10:34
so is uncle nicks memorial right on the AT? i want to make sure i dont miss it on my thru next year.

Almost right on the trail. The first time I hiked by there it was real foggy and I missed it. Last year the weather was good and it was impossible to miss. Going NOBO it will be on your left.

The Cleaner
10-08-2012, 11:38
I've heard this from a few local people about Jerry's Cabin shelter.At one time a real cabin stood near the present shelter.The shelter is built with rocks from this cabin.On the trail to the spring only a few yards up you can still see part of the foundation on your left.This was a cabin for the herder (sic) who tended the cattle on the bald mtn area which have since grown over.At one time the bald area started just below Jerry's Cabin and went past the Shelton gravesite.Cattle were sent up HorseCreek jeep road in the spring and grazed on the balds until fall.The spooky part of this is that someone named "Jerry" lived in this cabin and was killed by a Rattlesnake bite near the cabin.Some of the local oldtimers from the area below the mountain (who have since passed away) told that Jerry's ghost was sighted many times by other persons who tended cattle after Jerry's death.I've stayed there many times and have experienced some weird feelings that someone was watching me.The last time that I was "spooked" was back in the late 70's.IMO Jerry has moved on due to the increasing number of hikers in the last few years and there disrespectful conduct,ie,loud partying,leaving all kinds of trash,and just not respecting the present area in many ways.As a general rule hikers should travel alone or in small groups keep quiet as possible(not whooping&hollering) upon your arrival.Any one hiking through this area in the thru season knows how crowded&loud some of these groups can be.I guess it's just the way things are now and a sign that peacefulness & solitude are slowly disappearing from the AT....

Gray Blazer
10-08-2012, 11:48
I have had two ghostly experiences 2011 on top of Cedar Mountain and this year at Burningtown Gap.

There was a town at Burningtown where the freed slaves congregated according to Ron Haven. The locals reported being robbed from the people on that mountain, so the locals started the mountain on fire and burned them out. I got weird vibes from that spot before I heard that story.

Here is a link to my BFRO siting on the FT ...
http://www.bfro.net/GDB/show_report.asp?id=25979

RED-DOG
10-08-2012, 11:52
In 06 i was staying at the Punch bowl Shelter during my Thru and around 1 or 2 in the morning i heard some rustling noises coming from behind the shelter 5 minutes later i saw a figure of a little boy, and their was nobody camping behind or around the shelter, I was totally by myself, The next morning as i was leaving a trail Maintaence crew came up, me and couple of the older guys started talking they told me that what i saw was the Ghost of little Ottie Powell. So if your planning on staying at Punch Bowl, better keep an eye out for little Ottie. RED-DOG

HikerMom58
10-08-2012, 12:20
In 06 i was staying at the Punch bowl Shelter during my Thru and around 1 or 2 in the morning i heard some rustling noises coming from behind the shelter 5 minutes later i saw a figure of a little boy, and their was nobody camping behind or around the shelter, I was totally by myself, The next morning as i was leaving a trail Maintaence crew came up, me and couple of the older guys started talking they told me that what i saw was the Ghost of little Ottie Powell. So if your planning on staying at Punch Bowl, better keep an eye out for little Ottie. RED-DOG

Very interesting RED-DOG!! The ghost of Ottie Powell -seems like many people in these parts have shared similar stories while at Punchbowl.

kayak karl
10-08-2012, 12:51
http://www.amazon.com/Haunted-Hikes-Spine-Tingling-Americas-National/dp/1595800093#reader_1595800093

i met a guy in AC doing the mid-atlantic section of this book. he had just finished the pine barrens looking for the Jersey Devil. very serious about it.

Darwin13
10-08-2012, 15:57
Until we know everything about the physical measurable world, how about we stop making up BS to explain something. FLASHING LIGHTS! oh ummmmm aliens, no ummm ghosts, noo um god. OR something else

coach lou
10-08-2012, 16:09
Campfire ghost stories are as old as camping........It's all good.:eek:

kayak karl
10-08-2012, 17:11
that's a capital g in God :)

HikerMom58
10-08-2012, 19:14
that's a capital g in God :)

Correct....

Darwin S and A- We aren't trying to prove anything is true, just sharing.....

Mother Natures Son
10-08-2012, 19:30
I tell you, Iron Master's Hostel (Pine Grove S.P., PA) has "lot of bumps in the night." I once babysat the hostel while the former manager was away. Never, never again I tell you!! Has any one else stayed there, on a cold lonely night? Maybe if you're brave or foolish that is.

SevenPines
10-09-2012, 05:23
We stay in a lot of PATC cabins--some older than others.

I seem to sleepwalk at these cabins, but have never had sleepwalking issues in any of the places i've lived. whether it's sleeping in a new place, having too much beer before bed, or being possessed by former occupants, I do not have an explanation for the sleepwalking episodes.

example: back in 2008 we were staying at the Rock Spring cabin and I woke up in pitch black standing on the floor of the cabin. I thought I was dreaming, but then after unknown minutes I freaked out from a combination of no headlamp, feeling around for bearings to no avail, and a panicky feeling of "why am I sleepwalking?". my brother said I woke him up screaming "turn on the light! turn on the light!" like we were kids again and I was having a nightmare or something (we shared a room as kids.)

strangely enough, we were both at the Myron Glaser cabin back in 2010. I passed out early as the grog was consumed while my brother stayed up reading. he said i got up and went for the pantry/storage door and tried to open it to walk outside. he woke me up asking me what i was doing--i think i was trying to use the head.

At Halloween last year, we rode out the first snowstorm of the year at Jones Mountain Cabin. another sleepwalking issue involving waking up our guests/the fireplace still burning/doing what any man would do to a campfire burning alone at night. I guess i thought I was camping and doing a favor by putting out the campfire. shameful.


In my early days of backpacking I stayed at Sky Meadows SP. I may have had a dream about horses or cavalry but when I bound out of sleep, I swore I heard horses galloping/breathing/snorting. it was a scary moment--heightened by my greenness to sleeping in the woods, and to this day I'm not sure if it was wind down that gap or an animal. But I do know Mosby's Raiders operated out of Paris and undoubtedly used the gap trail that goes thru the campground as a quieter route than Ashby Gap.

More importantly, shelters give me the creeps. especially the ones with history i.e. Punchbowl (those of you who do know), cow camp gap shelter (i dont even stop there now or make the old hotel loop)

HighCloud
10-11-2012, 02:37
Some of my friends said that they have felt a ghost being around and seeing some kind of white smoky thing, but none of them have seen it closely and clearly.

chiefduffy
10-11-2012, 04:32
I saw(or maybe dreamt) one back on '07. Here's a link to my journal page:

http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=178146

AjR
10-11-2012, 14:16
Why do people get offended by such a simple question? If you don't believe in ghosts, and you don't have anything that adds intellectually to the conversation, then keep it to yourself. I personally do not go on posts that don't interest me, because I have nothing good to add. Now, I believe that a trail that is as heavily traveled through some of the oldest country in our country, it is very possible it has some remaining spirits, and I'd be completely, surprised not to hear of any on the A.T.

10-K
10-11-2012, 18:48
AjR. Two things...

1. This is an Internet forum and not real life.

2. If a person only surrounds themselves with people that believe the same things they do what fun is that?

10-K
10-11-2012, 18:49
P.s. ... There is no proof that ghosts exist. If they did after thousands of years of recorded history you would think there would be some conclusive proof.

I always wonder On shows like ghost hunters why they get psychic mediums instead of scientists....

kayak karl
10-11-2012, 18:55
because it's fiction :rolleyes:

AjR
10-11-2012, 21:28
P.s. ... There is no proof that ghosts exist. If they did after thousands of years of recorded history you would think there would be some conclusive proof.

I always wonder On shows like ghost hunters why they get psychic mediums instead of scientists....
I personally have proof my self, that even a skeptic had to admit was very moving. I was doing a hike in the only Tin Mines ever operated in the U.S., and since I like to research hikes, but never see anything on them, I decided to start recording my hikes. Well, upon coming home and reviewing my recordings for editing, I heard other people talking on my camera. I was completely alone 1/4 mile underground. I know this for a fact. So for the skeptics, I don't get offended, I would just like people to say what they have to say in a manner that does not say "I don't believe in it, so therefore you're an idiot for believing in it". The same goes for those who do believe in or agree that spirits exist. State your opinion respectfully, or keep it to yourself.

mamamiapdx
10-11-2012, 22:43
ghosts will have more people to bother in the civilization than on OT :D

Sarcasm the elf
10-12-2012, 00:35
Just fyi... there is no such thing as a ghost...

10-K I agree that there are likely no such things as ghosts. I am a very rational person and in all my years have never heard of a single haunting claim that has stood up when tested by rigid scientific scrutiny.

Since we're on the subject, i recently learned that the feeling people get when they say they are getting a "bad vibe" from a specific place has a scientific explanation:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrasound#Human_reactions_to_infrasound

That said, even though I don't believe in ghosts, I've still one and can tell you from experience that you'll still nearly crap your pants the first time you follow someone into a room only to have them disappear (especially when the room has no other exits). :eek:


This "ghost' question is a form of trolling. I which it was banned from the site.

Hold on now. Plenty of people whole heartedly believe in ghosts, how is it trolling to ask if other people have seen something that you believe exists? Plus even if you don't believe in them, these discussions always involves the exchange of a good bit of folklore, which (to me at least) has always been an important part of camping.

To steal a paraphrased quote from one of our fellow WB members:

showthread.php (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?p=1063025#post1063025)
This reminds me of a quote by the historian John Keay, not a direct quote:
Myth is the Smoke of History. You may have to fan at it a good deal before you get a glimpse of the flame beneath; but when you see smoke, it is wisest not to pretend that it isn’t there.


Until we know everything about the physical measurable world, how about we stop making up BS to explain something. FLASHING LIGHTS! oh ummmmm aliens, no ummm ghosts, noo um god. OR something else

Humans have an inherent need to explain the things that we see and make order of world. Don't knock it, it's this basic need that drives our passion for discovery. Few of our instinctual urges have gotten us as far as our simple need to answer the question "I wonder what that was?"




Campfire ghost stories are as old as camping........It's all good.:eek:

I totally agree!... Now if I could just get you to believe in campfires :cool:

...

Now that I've said all that, getting back to the opening post: I am someone who used to believe in ghosts but now doubts their existence, I have however always found the subject fascinating and still do. The one thing that i can add is that back when I believed in ghosts, there were certain emotions and "bad vibes" that I used to get from time to time and these vibes most often happened in places that were considered haunted (regardless of whether or not I was aware at the time that the area was supposedly haunted). I have gotten these "vibes" many times over the years and in many different places, but I can't remember a single time when I've gotten them while in my tent in the woods. It's always the sort of thing that I have associated with crowded areas, man made structures and confined spaces (your cave story fits well into this category).

If you are looking for cool stories of hauntings/folklore near the A.T. then do some reading about Dudleytown in Connecticut. It's a long abandoned settlement in what is now the town of Cornwall, a few miles away from the current A.T. route. Many ghost hunters now question whether it was ever haunted or was just the subject of legends and rumor, but either way it's a cool place to learn about. Sadly the land that Dudleytown sits on is privately owned and the owners have made the area off limits to visitors because of the contestant stream of curiosity seekers and the resulting number of S&R calls made to the area in the late 1990's.

Mountain Mike
10-12-2012, 01:00
I was alway skepticle untill I saw one. Not on the trail but an old house on Nantucket. Science can't prove a lot of things, Like religion, but don't want to go there,

Gray Blazer
10-12-2012, 08:10
We do geriatric and end of life care in our home. Hospice sends patients to us. They pass away in our home. The veil is very thin in our home. The dying patients see their ancestors all the time. Although the spirits don't bother with me very much, they do manifest themselves to others, mostly females. We have had some males who have seen full body apparitions.

The Ghost Hunters should prolly come to our house.

HikerMom58
10-12-2012, 12:13
We do geriatric and end of life care in our home. Hospice sends patients to us. They pass away in our home. The veil is very thin in our home. The dying patients see their ancestors all the time. Although the spirits don't bother with me very much, they do manifest themselves to others, mostly females. We have had some males who have seen full body apparitions.

The Ghost Hunters should prolly come to our house.

That is really interesting Gray Blazer. This is off topic from the Ghost stuff but I can't imagine how rewarding that could be, in some ways, to be with people at that time in their life. Wow!!

Back to the "thin veil" - I find what you have witnessed 2 b very interesting, as well. Hummm.....

Montana
10-12-2012, 17:35
I tell you, Iron Master's Hostel (Pine Grove S.P., PA) has "lot of bumps in the night." I once babysat the hostel while the former manager was away. Never, never again I tell you!! Has any one else stayed there, on a cold lonely night? Maybe if you're brave or foolish that is.

I stayed there in 2008 after helping the then new manager of the place move in. I was up in the attic moving beds around, and I was in the crawl space checking out the hiding spot of runaway slaves. It was a pretty neat place! However, the only thing that I heard that night was another thru-hiker who had consumed a full gallon of ice cream hovering over a garbage can all night. I would stay there again without thinking twice.

Consuming a full gallon of ice cream is foolish, same as believing in ghosts. Bravery has nothing to do with it.

vamelungeon
10-12-2012, 18:26
I used to say there were no such things as ghosts until I had an experience. I don't say it anymore, but I don't discuss what happened because of the reactions you get like the ones we see here, and I honestly could not care less what anyone else thinks about it.

Pedaling Fool
10-12-2012, 22:12
Forget the ghost stories, physics is really getting weird; things like quantum entanglement, the world as a hologram, parallel universes... People use to scoff at ideas like parallel universes, but now it has become mainstream. This story is getting weird, even a little scary.

jody
10-12-2012, 23:21
[QUOTE=bamboo bob;1346348]This "ghost' question is a form of trolling. I which it was banned from the site.[/QU

Why do you try to control what other people post? When you (and science) can prove they DO NOT exist, THEN you have earned the right to bash the people who believe...

Gray Blazer
10-12-2012, 23:40
[QUOTE=bamboo bob;1346348]This "ghost' question is a form of trolling. I which it was banned from the site.[/QU

Why do you try to control what other people post? When you (and science) can prove they DO NOT exist, THEN you have earned the right to bash the people who believe...


I'm used to people bashing and making fun of me for what I have seen and experienced. Heck, I used to feel the same way before I and two of my sons had Big Foot experiences and all the paranormal activity that people have witnessed in my homes. I've never seen a UFO, but, since I've had my experiences, I have respect for people who tell their story at the risk of being called lunatics. Heck again, I could bash Bamboo Bob for not proofreading his post in which the second sentence doesn't make sense, but, I won't mention it.

Big Dawg
10-13-2012, 00:43
When you (and science) can prove they DO NOT exist, THEN you have earned the right to bash the people who believe...

It's not up to science to prove they DO NOT exist,, it's up to the believers to prove they DO. But then again, most "believers" are not that interested in proving what they believe. And you're right, no one has the right to bash people for what they believe. Belief in something is such a personal experience.

coach lou
10-13-2012, 09:14
Simple question...have you or someone you know ever had any ghostly or unexplained experiences happen while on the AT?

Campfire ghost stories are as old as camping:eek:

wnderer
10-13-2012, 09:46
http://www.amazon.com/Haunted-Hikes-Spine-Tingling-Americas-National/dp/1595800093#reader_1595800093

i met a guy in AC doing the mid-atlantic section of this book. he had just finished the pine barrens looking for the Jersey Devil. very serious about it.

I heard of a camper that was carried off by the Jersey Devil. The other campers chased them deep into the pine barrens. When they finally found the guy, he was sitting in a bathtub full of ice and one of his kidneys had been surgically removed!:eek:

10-K
10-13-2012, 22:00
We do geriatric and end of life care in our home. Hospice sends patients to us. They pass away in our home. The veil is very thin in our home. The dying patients see their ancestors all the time. Although the spirits don't bother with me very much, they do manifest themselves to others, mostly females. We have had some males who have seen full body apparitions.

The Ghost Hunters should prolly come to our house.

And some psychic mediums too.. :)

Sarcasm the elf
10-13-2012, 22:52
Campfire ghost stories are as old as camping:eek:


Campfire ghost stories are as old as camping........It's all good.:eek:

Lou, you already said that!!! :D

Now can I convince you to have a campfire if we're hiking this winter in new england?

coach lou
10-14-2012, 08:01
Lou, you already said that!!! :D

Now can I convince you to have a campfire if we're hiking this winter in new england?

Okay Dave, but a get git screerd easy!:o

Pedaling Fool
10-14-2012, 14:40
I don't know what to say about this, I can find a lot of "issues" with his story, which I've heard before, besides this article. Just weird. There's also a video in the link http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/10/07/proof-of-heaven-a-doctor-s-experience-with-the-afterlife.html

Carl Calson
10-14-2012, 21:07
we had 4 dogs (3 beagles and 1 enormous white dog) follow us from the gap all the way to no business knob shelter. probably like 6 miles. i called the guy on the tags and he came and got the dogs, then told us to watch out for sasquatch. weird.

Sarcasm the elf
10-14-2012, 21:20
Not really a ghost story, but I recently figured out that when I'm hiking down towards a stream crossing it's easy to hear the sound of the water rushing over the rocks and mistake it for the sound of children laughing and playing in the distance. This is something that I hear all the time when hiking and always assumed that I must have been close to a house or a family that I couldn't see.

Has anyone else experienced this?

HikerMom58
10-15-2012, 10:25
I don't know what to say about this, I can find a lot of "issues" with his story, which I've heard before, besides this article. Just weird. There's also a video in the link http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/10/07/proof-of-heaven-a-doctor-s-experience-with-the-afterlife.html

Interesting link......4 me, it confirms the Truth that I choose to believe. I do believe that unconditional love exists for each one of us. None of us are capable of that kind of love. Religion is man's search for God. There's no limit to the different beliefs (religions) that we have invented. Science is our attempt to figure it all out.. it's bigger than any one of us. I'm a believer in God- I don't have full understanding..... yet. Thanks for sharing that link,john gault.

mad4scrapping
10-15-2012, 14:43
Not really a ghost story, but I recently figured out that when I'm hiking down towards a stream crossing it's easy to hear the sound of the water rushing over the rocks and mistake it for the sound of children laughing and playing in the distance. This is something that I hear all the time when hiking and always assumed that I must have been close to a house or a family that I couldn't see.

Has anyone else experienced this?
Funny you should ask this. I was doing a community service project at the Richmond Pump House, which used to pump water from the James River. There's a canal that runs right below the building. I asked Ralph White, who is the James River Park Director, if he had any ghosts stories. After telling me several stories about people hearing strange voices while in the Pump House, he explained that what they were really hearing was the water. He said the human brain tries to make sense of things and in this case, translates the water into voices.

chiefduffy
10-15-2012, 14:56
...what they were really hearing was the water. He said the human brain tries to make sense of things and in this case, translates the water into voices.

Makes sense to me. I have heard the voices many times camping near water. (Use ear plugs now)

T-Rx
10-15-2012, 16:37
I don't know what to say about this, I can find a lot of "issues" with his story, which I've heard before, besides this article. Just weird. There's also a video in the link http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/10/07/proof-of-heaven-a-doctor-s-experience-with-the-afterlife.html

thanks for the above listed link John gault. I do choose to believe in God and try to practice my faith each day in my life. However, I was trained academically as a scientist and scientists rely on truths and facts to reach conclusions. So I have spent many years reading and searching for proof of God. Naturally this lead me nowhere except to a deeper understanding of the word faith. It was an event in my personal life that lead to me to the conclusion that I do believe in God with every ounce of my being. And I think this is true with many people that it takes a personal life event to get them to reevaluate their beliefs. Whatever your beliefs may be I wish you well.

Pedaling Fool
10-20-2012, 11:59
I don't know what to say about this, I can find a lot of "issues" with his story, which I've heard before, besides this article. Just weird. There's also a video in the link http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/10/07/proof-of-heaven-a-doctor-s-experience-with-the-afterlife.html


BTW, this is the other side of the issue http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/proof-of-heaven/

It does address some of the questions I have when I hear of these stories.

Pedaling Fool
10-20-2012, 12:01
Not really a ghost story, but I recently figured out that when I'm hiking down towards a stream crossing it's easy to hear the sound of the water rushing over the rocks and mistake it for the sound of children laughing and playing in the distance. This is something that I hear all the time when hiking and always assumed that I must have been close to a house or a family that I couldn't see.

Has anyone else experienced this?Strange. All I hear is rushing water when I approach rushing water, maybe you should get that checked out :D;)

Sarcasm the elf
10-20-2012, 14:37
Strange. All I hear is rushing water when I approach rushing water, maybe you should get that checked out :D;)

Trust me, with my hobbies my ear drums are going downhill fast!

Regarding the imaginary children giggling around rushing water, I have heard the phenomenon referred to as "matrixing". Our brains really like making sense of the things we observe, so apparently if we pick up on a bunch of sounds that we can't identify, our brains just identify it as the closest thing that it sounds like. We do the same thing with smells, which is why all those ghost hunter shows have people claiming that they smelled roses in a musty basement and the like.

HikerMom58
10-20-2012, 20:03
BTW, this is the other side of the issue http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/proof-of-heaven/

It does address some of the questions I have when I hear of these stories.


Yeah, I understand there will always be a thoughtful response to people that claim to have had an encounter of the "divine" kind. Of course, lots of doubting and questions. It's completely normal. No surprise.

Personally tho, when I read the questioning and doubting thought process of others, I immediately understand where they are coming from. They are trying to have complete understanding of something that cannot be completely understood by us, IMHO. If God is God then no amount of critical thinking, on our part, can explain His "ways" or His plans. If this man did indeed experience something divine then that fact will stand in and of itself. It won't matter is anyone belives it or not... it will be Truth.

Are we going to rely on and believe in only the things that can be explained/proven/disproven? OR are we going to "believe" that there's something/someone out there bigger than us that we cannot fully understand or explain. That is the question...

Each one of us get to decide and it's personal....

Do you stuff or fold... do you believe or not believe.......
This man's experience may or may not prove anything. I'm really glad he shared his experience with us.

Thanks again for sharing both links john... interesting articles.