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  1. #1
    Thru-hiker 2013 NoBo CarlZ993's Avatar
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    Default Strangest Encounter on a Trail?

    What was your strangest encounter while on a hike? Any hike.

    Mine was on a 6 mile day hike along Lake Tahoe. I rounded the corner on the trail and met a scuba diver in a full dry suit and re-breather apparatus on his back. He was hiking the 1/2 mile back to where he had parked his car. He looked like a monster from the lost lagoon. My wife & I were so astonished by this that we forgot to take a picture of him. Really weird.

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    Hiking in northern Michigan, just as the sun was setting and the trail was getting to dark to hike without a flashlight, miles from the nearest trail head,

    I came around a corner in the trial and coming towards me was a line of people all in dark hooded robes with rope belts all carrying burning candles.

    I stepped aside and they passed me one by one, no one looked at me, and I could not see their faces. None of them said a word.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by bfayer View Post
    Hiking in northern Michigan, just as the sun was setting and the trail was getting to dark to hike without a flashlight, miles from the nearest trail head,

    I came around a corner in the trial and coming towards me was a line of people all in dark hooded robes with rope belts all carrying burning candles.

    I stepped aside and they passed me one by one, no one looked at me, and I could not see their faces. None of them said a word.

    I was afraid to say anything to you because of the others.

  4. #4
    Registered User FarmerChef's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bfayer View Post
    Hiking in northern Michigan, just as the sun was setting and the trail was getting to dark to hike without a flashlight, miles from the nearest trail head,

    I came around a corner in the trial and coming towards me was a line of people all in dark hooded robes with rope belts all carrying burning candles.

    I stepped aside and they passed me one by one, no one looked at me, and I could not see their faces. None of them said a word.
    Did they hit their foreheads with boards by any chance?
    2,000 miler. Still keepin' on keepin' on.

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    Quote Originally Posted by FarmerChef View Post
    Did they hit their foreheads with boards by any chance?
    No boards but this was in the 70s and Rosemary's Baby was still on my mind.

    I was just glad none of them had a small child in their arms.

    In retrospect I figured that Northern Michigan University was not that far away, so I tend to think it may have been some frat thing....I hope.

    Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by bfayer View Post
    Hiking in northern Michigan, just as the sun was setting and the trail was getting to dark to hike without a flashlight, miles from the nearest trail head,

    I came around a corner in the trial and coming towards me was a line of people all in dark hooded robes with rope belts all carrying burning candles.

    I stepped aside and they passed me one by one, no one looked at me, and I could not see their faces. None of them said a word.
    Could be a college fraternity thing....

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    That is exactly what I was thinking- a college fraternity initiation night.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by jimmyjam View Post
    That is exactly what I was thinking- a college fraternity initiation night.
    Easy for you to say Out in the woods alone, getting dark, robes... See if you think "hey look it's Animal house"

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by jeffmeh View Post
    Could be a college fraternity thing....
    Quite possibly. If it had been in the south it would of surely been devil worshipers.
    "Hiking is as close to God as you can get without going to Church." - BobbyJo Sargent aka milkman Sometimes it's nice to take a long walk in THE FOG.

  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by bfayer View Post
    Hiking in northern Michigan, just as the sun was setting and the trail was getting to dark to hike without a flashlight, miles from the nearest trail head,

    I came around a corner in the trial and coming towards me was a line of people all in dark hooded robes with rope belts all carrying burning candles.

    I stepped aside and they passed me one by one, no one looked at me, and I could not see their faces. None of them said a word.

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!



    Some pretty funny posts here...

  11. #11
    Registered User macdude's Avatar
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    I was surveying the property line along the AT, walked upon a naked and stoned sunbather in Rice Gap, north of Devil's Fork Gap.i told him if someone from Spill Corn, the NC side had found him they would kill him. He started running naked down the trail.

  12. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by bfayer View Post
    Hiking in northern Michigan, just as the sun was setting and the trail was getting to dark to hike without a flashlight, miles from the nearest trail head,

    I came around a corner in the trial and coming towards me was a line of people all in dark hooded robes with rope belts all carrying burning candles.

    I stepped aside and they passed me one by one, no one looked at me, and I could not see their faces. None of them said a word.

    That sounds exactly like a Freya walk. But I don't know what they were doing in Michigan... . If they were from Hollins, they were all women. From Hollins University's student orientation handbook (2013):
    Freya Walk. Freya Walks take place on nights of special events or issues. Members of this secret society walk at night to call attention to or celebrate current events. They wear black-hooded robes to protect their anonymity and carry candles to symbolize hope. Since 1903 Freya has sought to emphasize the notion that "concern for the community is a creative and active force." Please join Freya tonight as they welcome and show support for the new sisters of Hollins.

  13. #13
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    Dogwood... Do you remember the '06 AT hiker, Trouble?" He was the second to the last man walking NOBO that year. He frequently hiked at night.

    I recall a story that he was intercepted by the Secret Service for hiking too close to Camp David in the middle of the night. He'd set off motion detectors, or some such thing. I never got to ask him if the story was true, but I recall many NOBOs had heard the rumor.

    You?
    When you get to those unexpected situations in life where it’s difficult to figure something out, just ask yourself, “What would MacGyver do?”
    See ya!
    Rickles McPickles

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    Quote Originally Posted by pipsissewa View Post
    That sounds exactly like a Freya walk. But I don't know what they were doing in Michigan... . If they were from Hollins, they were all women. From Hollins University's student orientation handbook (2013):
    Freya Walk. Freya Walks take place on nights of special events or issues. Members of this secret society walk at night to call attention to or celebrate current events. They wear black-hooded robes to protect their anonymity and carry candles to symbolize hope. Since 1903 Freya has sought to emphasize the notion that "concern for the community is a creative and active force." Please join Freya tonight as they welcome and show support for the new sisters of Hollins.
    Well I wish I knew they were all college girls at the time. Isn't Freya the Norse version of Aphrodite?

    Actually I think they were guys, but it really would not have mattered at the time. Did you ever see the movie "The Omega Man"? I did.

  15. #15

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    BFAYER: No, never saw that movie--looks scary! There are probably other chapters of the Freya Society (at co-ed schools) around that I'm not aware of. After all, it IS a "secret" society!

  16. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by bfayer View Post
    Hiking in northern Michigan, just as the sun was setting and the trail was getting to dark to hike without a flashlight, miles from the nearest trail head,

    I came around a corner in the trial and coming towards me was a line of people all in dark hooded robes with rope belts all carrying burning candles.

    I stepped aside and they passed me one by one, no one looked at me, and I could not see their faces. None of them said a word.
    OMG! I would have freaked out if I was alone :-/


    Sent from somewhere in the woods.

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    Were you in the Keweenaw by any chance? There is a monastery near Eagle River. Don't know if they go on night hikes but they make some excellent thimbleberry jam. And you could get a buzz eating a slice of their abbey cake.

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    Quote Originally Posted by ocasey3 View Post
    Were you in the Keweenaw by any chance? There is a monastery near Eagle River. Don't know if they go on night hikes but they make some excellent thimbleberry jam. And you could get a buzz eating a slice of their abbey cake.
    Pictured rocks actually. But anything is possible. Most monks I have met are pretty outgoing usually, even the quiet ones. Either way they did no harm except to freak me out for the night.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by bfayer View Post
    Hiking in northern Michigan, just as the sun was setting and the trail was getting to dark to hike without a flashlight, miles from the nearest trail head,

    I came around a corner in the trial and coming towards me was a line of people all in dark hooded robes with rope belts all carrying burning candles.

    I stepped aside and they passed me one by one, no one looked at me, and I could not see their faces. None of them said a word.
    Sorry, meant to add this quote.

  20. #20
    Registered User jfarrell04's Avatar
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    We saw the tuba-dude somewhere in VA back in I think 2000 on a section hike.

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