Okay, I'll start it off.

On my 1992 thru hike, at one shelter, a couple guys showed up with mouse traps just to see how many they could catch. I was on the left side against the wall and they set one right above me. About the time of darkness, and I was tired from hiking and writing, I closed my eyes to sleep. No less than 30 seconds passed....SNAP!! One of the guys let out a "WAHOO! We got the first one". Yeah, right on the trap only 2 1/2 feet above my head. They grabbed the trap and dropped the mouse into the dying emebers of the fire pit, reset the trap, placing it again above my head, and we all laid back to sleep. Less than a minute goes by....SNAP!!......SNAP!!! "WAHOO! Two more!!"

Needless to say, the two guys quickly lost their entusiams after having to get out of their bags sevearl more times over the next 15-20 min. I stopped counting at 12 the number of mice they caught.

During another hike on the AT, I camped near a spring. During the night, I could feel the weight of mice running up and down the length of my bag and then jumping off at my head. All I could think of was that I was the platform for the performance of their nightly held "Mouse Olympics".

At Ice Water Spring Shelter in the Smokies, my friend Dave and I were set up next to each other. Just about the time we closed our eyes for sleep, the resident skunk Priscilla came out from under the platform, climbed up onto it and proceeded to step onto my bag while I was in it, walked its entire length, then jumped off and walked the length of Dave's bag also, then stepped off into the space between us and sniffed around for anything to eat, all the while just inches from our faces. It was all we could do to not move a muscle and freak the animal enough to spray us. I can see that look on Dave's face even now as the skunk walked by us and back onto the ground.

So how about the rest of you? Any amusing stories to tell?