After a half mile or so, i realized that this guy and i were hiking at the same pace. Which… was kind of annoying. I dont want to have to feel rushed with someone behind me. So i stopped to let him pass me. When i did this, he also stopped and took a drink… which was annoying. But whatever. I waited a few moments and continued on.
When i got to St. Marys falls (the first of 3 waterfalls on this hike), the man was still right on my tail. We both took our time resting and enjoying the view, and after about 10 minutes, I continued on. As i left the viewpoint, i got a good glimpse of the man following me. He was dirty, wearing ratty clothes, and had a humorously large pack for such a short hike.
Annoyingly so, after i left the waterfall, so did he. But after about a quarter mile or so, there was another viewpoint to stop at. Again, I took another 10ish minute break, giving this man ample time to continue on his way without me. But again…. he did not.
At this point, i was just annoyed. He was clearly following me. And quite honestly, he didnt look like a clean-cut person, so (call me judgemental) i was slightly on edge because of him. But I just kept telling myself, “This dude must be nervous about bears, so he is staying close to someone else.” And “Maybe this guy is on a multi-day or multi-week backpacking trip.” I was almost to Virginia Falls, so i couldnt stop now. And there werent many other people on the trail that day (which is crazy, cause the park is almost always packed). i continued on, and so did he.
I picked up my pace a little because i just wanted this hike to end. I figured there’d be some people at the main attraction, so rushing there would be my best bet for “safety.” (At this point, i felt bad for thinking ill of this man, but I was just soooo annoyed, i couldnt help myself.)
I could hear the fall off in the distance. I knew i was close. As i went around a big bend in the trail, i noticed the man was no longer behind me. I thought, “Oh. Great. Picking up my pace made him back off.”
I got to my destination, enjoyed myself for 15 minutes or so, and turned around. There were some other people there, but i embarked on my return journey alone.
About 15 minutes after starting the hike back to my car, i see the man… he’s off the trail by himself, holding a hatchet. I stopped in my tracks… panicking. “What the heck is going on?” i said to myself outloud. The man and i locked eyes, and he walked back onto the trail. I grabbed my bearspray and unclipped it so i could spray the man.
The man looks at me and says, “It’s okay. You can come on by. I’ll get back off the trail so you can pass. I know i have a REALLY big bag.” (To which i thought to myself… “What an odd thing to point out about yourself. Also, the big bag is not my main concern at the moment. Also, why get back onto the trail, just to get back off?”) My mind was racing at a hundred miles an hour. The man slowly got back off the trail, far enough that i figured i could spray him with my bear spray if he makes a move toward me.
I quickly walked by him (in my head, it felt i like a sprint, but i probably waddled by him like a doofus). I turned around to see him off, and he nodded at me. I nodded back and continued back to my car.
About 3/4 of the way back to my car, i noticed two park rangers absolutely BOOKING it down the trail. As they got closer to me, they yelled, “HAVE YOU SEEN A MAN WITH A *REALLY* BIG BAG?!” To which i responded, “Yes! He was right by Virginia Falls when i saw him last!” And they sprinted past me and doen the trail.
It was a very strange situation. Reading back through my experience, maybe it doesnt sound that spooky. But in the moment, my heart was pounding! And my hike was ruined. I never heard if they found that man, or why they were looking for him.
So… all this to say… i know there are other spooky stories of solo hikes/travels out there… what are they?
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