Member III
Strangest Camping Encounters
- Thread starter ArkansasDon
- Start date
In the early to mid 90's my mom used to lead Sierra Club family trips and I would get to come along for free. These family trips involved bringing in all the food for a 7-9 day trip for 16 people on horse back. This particular year we were base camping near Thousand Island Lake near Mammoth. Two large Coleman ice chests were used to keep all the perishables cold for the week and at night we would pile all the pots, pans, ladles, and lids on top of a tarp to act like a warning alarm for furry invaders. The tarp was weighted down with large rocks. There was no way an animal could get through all of these "defenses" without getting spooked.
Most years nothing bothered us, but this particular year the Mammoth bears had their eyes set on us. Like an invading Mongol horde they hit our camp every night for the first four nights, sometimes they would be in our food 20 minutes after we all went to our tents. But most nights we were able to chase the bears off by yelling, clapping and blowing whistles. Until the fourth night.
We had all gone to bed and about two hours later we heard the clanking, clattering, and crashing of pots and pans. My mom and I, as well as the co-leader and other campers all got out of our tents, we shone our flashlights towards the noise and as the beams came together we see the fattest, goofiest looking bear sitting on his butt with our Costco sized block of cheese in one paw, and our jug of peanut butter in the other. He had unscrewed the cap off the peanut butter and peeled away the cheese wrapper with expert precision. We were all standing in our underwear screaming, clapping, blowing whistles and this bear did.not.move. I even chucked some rocks at him and he just sat there eating, looking at us like "so, whatcha gonna do about it?" He was right, he knew we couldn't do anything to him.
After he finished off the huge block of cheese and peanut butter he grabbed a full loaf of bread and a full pack of danishes in his mouth and slowly, very slowly, got on all fours and sauntered off into the night.
After he left we took stock of our food. He had got the peanut butter, cheese, bread, and danishes. He also clawed at the trail mix, smashed the chips, and ripped open all the deli meats. It was the biggest eff you ever.
The next morning it was decided that the co-leader and I would hike out to Red's Meadow, take our van into Mammoth and buy new provisions for the group since we still had four more days in the back country. On that day we ended up hiking 18 miles and carrying full packs of food.
The bears never came back the rest of the time we were there. I'll never forget that experience.
Most years nothing bothered us, but this particular year the Mammoth bears had their eyes set on us. Like an invading Mongol horde they hit our camp every night for the first four nights, sometimes they would be in our food 20 minutes after we all went to our tents. But most nights we were able to chase the bears off by yelling, clapping and blowing whistles. Until the fourth night.
We had all gone to bed and about two hours later we heard the clanking, clattering, and crashing of pots and pans. My mom and I, as well as the co-leader and other campers all got out of our tents, we shone our flashlights towards the noise and as the beams came together we see the fattest, goofiest looking bear sitting on his butt with our Costco sized block of cheese in one paw, and our jug of peanut butter in the other. He had unscrewed the cap off the peanut butter and peeled away the cheese wrapper with expert precision. We were all standing in our underwear screaming, clapping, blowing whistles and this bear did.not.move. I even chucked some rocks at him and he just sat there eating, looking at us like "so, whatcha gonna do about it?" He was right, he knew we couldn't do anything to him.
After he finished off the huge block of cheese and peanut butter he grabbed a full loaf of bread and a full pack of danishes in his mouth and slowly, very slowly, got on all fours and sauntered off into the night.
After he left we took stock of our food. He had got the peanut butter, cheese, bread, and danishes. He also clawed at the trail mix, smashed the chips, and ripped open all the deli meats. It was the biggest eff you ever.
The next morning it was decided that the co-leader and I would hike out to Red's Meadow, take our van into Mammoth and buy new provisions for the group since we still had four more days in the back country. On that day we ended up hiking 18 miles and carrying full packs of food.
The bears never came back the rest of the time we were there. I'll never forget that experience.
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Enthusiast III
My now ex wife and I drove to the upper peninsula of michigan for our honeymoon. We headed for Muskallonge state park on the southern shore of Lake Superior. We pulled in about 1 AM and it was raining as hard as I've ever seen so I threw the tent up as fast as I could. It stopped soon after (of course) and I kept hearing sounds outside the tent the rest of the night. I got up about 6AM and went to get the campfire going and start cooking breakfast. The ex got up a little while later and was walking around the site. She called me over on the other side of the tent. When I reached her she was pale as could be. All over the ground in back of and under the tent had to be about 50 loafs of bread someone had thrown to attract animals. I found bear prints as close as 2 feet from the tent......fun stuff.
I was up north at my hunting shack, 16 miles of dirt road and around 30 minutes of driving to the nearest town with a post office the size of a mailbox. No real towns for over 100 miles around. There’s a reservation near us but they wouldn’t be involved in this...
Me and my cousin were out tearing up the trails near one of the slashes (muddy clearings) and managed to get both of our wheelers stuck. It was pretty normal procedure, rock and floor that sucker till she goes, but in the process I looked up and saw what looked like a light bar pointed directly at us over the clearing, the road is blocked by trees in that direction & more than 200yd away.
I shrugged it off and figured someone was taking a rip and got stuck, although the area is impassible. But I never heard anything.
We got back to rocking and winching now, and I asked him if he saw the light and he said yes. I don’t know why but we both checked a few minutes later and it had vanished, not quick enough to catch a glimpse of the light pointed now directly at me, disappearing as if caught red handed.
I don’t know if anyone would get freaked out by that but we booked it back to camp pretty damn fast. Somehow managing to get the wheelers out.
Me and my cousin were out tearing up the trails near one of the slashes (muddy clearings) and managed to get both of our wheelers stuck. It was pretty normal procedure, rock and floor that sucker till she goes, but in the process I looked up and saw what looked like a light bar pointed directly at us over the clearing, the road is blocked by trees in that direction & more than 200yd away.
I shrugged it off and figured someone was taking a rip and got stuck, although the area is impassible. But I never heard anything.
We got back to rocking and winching now, and I asked him if he saw the light and he said yes. I don’t know why but we both checked a few minutes later and it had vanished, not quick enough to catch a glimpse of the light pointed now directly at me, disappearing as if caught red handed.
I don’t know if anyone would get freaked out by that but we booked it back to camp pretty damn fast. Somehow managing to get the wheelers out.
Influencer I
I have a couple I can share.
My group and I were camping around this time of year just outside Prescott, AZ. Nothing out seemed out of the ordinary for most of the night, no noises or feeling uneasy or anything of the like. We're four mid-twenties guys out in the woods anyway (armed to the teeth too), what would spook us? Apparently banjos in the middle of the night will. Around 2am I woke up because nature calls, as I prepare to face the night chill I hear, very distinctly I might add, "Happy Birthday" being played on a banjo. I decided that peeing was no longer a necessity, slipped my AR into my sleeping bag and layed still until dawn. No one believed me when we talked around the morning fire, but they still felt a little odd about the situation.
Story number two, we were the creepers of the incident. Same location as mentioned before, but a year or two earlier. We had set up at our regular spot and we were all pretty excited because we managed to be the only people in the area for miles. We drank, shared stories and had a good time into the night. Around 11:30 or so, a truck rolls past a little too slowly to just be out for a night drive. Once they got past us, they sped up and off into the darkness. 45 minutes later the truck returns. Slows by our site, and speeds off again. Weird, maybe they're looking for friends camping in the area, but we knew no one else was around. About 1:30 rolls around and wouldn't you know it, same truck back again, but this time they stop on the road. In our infinite wisdom, we decided to shut our lights off on a count of 3. 1..2..3, lights out. And just as luck would have it, a quick gust blew out our fire at the same time. Apparently, the occupants of the truck DID NOT appreciate the theatrics and took off like a bat out of hell. Needless to say, we did not have visitors for the rest of the night.
My group and I were camping around this time of year just outside Prescott, AZ. Nothing out seemed out of the ordinary for most of the night, no noises or feeling uneasy or anything of the like. We're four mid-twenties guys out in the woods anyway (armed to the teeth too), what would spook us? Apparently banjos in the middle of the night will. Around 2am I woke up because nature calls, as I prepare to face the night chill I hear, very distinctly I might add, "Happy Birthday" being played on a banjo. I decided that peeing was no longer a necessity, slipped my AR into my sleeping bag and layed still until dawn. No one believed me when we talked around the morning fire, but they still felt a little odd about the situation.
Story number two, we were the creepers of the incident. Same location as mentioned before, but a year or two earlier. We had set up at our regular spot and we were all pretty excited because we managed to be the only people in the area for miles. We drank, shared stories and had a good time into the night. Around 11:30 or so, a truck rolls past a little too slowly to just be out for a night drive. Once they got past us, they sped up and off into the darkness. 45 minutes later the truck returns. Slows by our site, and speeds off again. Weird, maybe they're looking for friends camping in the area, but we knew no one else was around. About 1:30 rolls around and wouldn't you know it, same truck back again, but this time they stop on the road. In our infinite wisdom, we decided to shut our lights off on a count of 3. 1..2..3, lights out. And just as luck would have it, a quick gust blew out our fire at the same time. Apparently, the occupants of the truck DID NOT appreciate the theatrics and took off like a bat out of hell. Needless to say, we did not have visitors for the rest of the night.
At Lake Ellen this summer. Campsite was empty on a Monday night. Its around 7 at night and we are sipping whiskey and beer. A rattlecan black 93 mitsubishi galant rolls up and stops in front of our truck. The guy gets out, probably mid to late 50s and starts commenting to Scotty about our setup. I syrupticiously grab my camp knife and pocket it before i come into his view.
Turns out the guy was harmless and we chatted about him being a prepper and Lake Ellen being his SHTF getaway plan. He was convinced marshal law was coming any day, blah blah blah.
After about a half hour he basically asked in a roundabout way if we would have sex with him. I shot that shit down right away, and as he was leaving he insisted we have a 3 pack of Hurricane malt liquor.
We left the Hurricane on the picnic table when we left. Yuck and yuck.
Turns out the guy was harmless and we chatted about him being a prepper and Lake Ellen being his SHTF getaway plan. He was convinced marshal law was coming any day, blah blah blah.
After about a half hour he basically asked in a roundabout way if we would have sex with him. I shot that shit down right away, and as he was leaving he insisted we have a 3 pack of Hurricane malt liquor.
We left the Hurricane on the picnic table when we left. Yuck and yuck.
Member III
After the recent OB west rally, my wife and I headed to Trona Pinnacles for the night. After dinner, I set up my camera for some astro shots when all of a sudden this happened...no sounds could be heard just a spectacular light show. Found out later it was a SpaceX launch with the first stage coming back to land at Vandenburg as the rest of the went to space to unload a satellite. 
LOL! Great captures of the lights and gas bloom.
We were rollin north on 395 to the next spot when I saw it. Git the brakes, Waffled the guy in the back who was dozing, Pulled over and tried to get some shots of it. Absolutly AWESOME sight to behold. I got nothing but cellphone shots I'm afraid. Some friends got great shots.
Boort
Member III
I have to say, being in an area where a few sci-fi films were made, my first thought was an alien invasion...LOL
@HappyOurOverlanding
The next night we were taking dusk/MW shots near by and I'd love to be in that location setup to shoot for the next one!
Boort
Funny, Waffles in the back seat went to the same line of thinking. From our vantage point the rocket was just a small very bright dot (no cone) nearly in the center of the gas cloud. It looked nearly stationary to the mountains/stars. My first thought was "WTF?" followed by "If that is a super nova, it's very close and how long before we get wiped out by it..."
The next night we were taking dusk/MW shots near by and I'd love to be in that location setup to shoot for the next one!
Boort
Member III
Sounds like a road trip. I guess it is all based on clear skies to see a certain distances.
It was a spectacular late October day bow hunting deep in the hardwoods of the Manistee National Forest, fall colors were at their peak and I was perched 25 ft up an oak tree marveling at the master piece Mother Nature had created. Suddenly off in the distance I hear "clack, clack" then a few seconds later, I hear another "clack, clack" but this time it's a little closer. This goes on for several minutes each time getting louder and louder, clearly coming right at me. My pulse begins to pick up, I go from total relaxation to full attention expecting to see a couple of bucks squaring off. They are just on the other side of a ridge from me, Then "CLACK, CLACK" they are just out of sight, suddenly I catch a glimpse, "What the Heck" it appears to be a dude in cloak with a wood sword then a second dude appears, one mutters something Shakespearean with a terrible English accent and they square off "CLACK, CLACK". I think to myself "do I say something", I decide to remain silent never muttering word. They passed directly under my tree never knowing I was there.
Expedition Master III
While not a camping encounter, my dad and I were heading home in the middle of the night, Living in Southern NV. , you see or hear of strange things. Just North of Vegas is the military's play ground, the test site and bombing range. It is also area 51's playground. Anyway we pulled over to take a break and stretch. We were north of Alamo NV, in the canyon, when we saw navigation lights low and about 3-4 miles North, away, above the canyon. The problem...err,,,intrigue! You could not hear a thing, no noise whatsoever. They were completely silent. Keep in mind you could always hear aircraft in conditions like this at much further distances. They were moving slow in formation at helicopter speeds. We speculated about a new aircraft being tested under cover of darkness.
For those reading this have you put 2&2 together?.......This was about 2002, flash forward a few years and to Pakistan and O'sama Bin Laudin's take down. The Chinese were sure happy when Pakistan turned over that broken tail-assembly laying over the wall.
For those reading this have you put 2&2 together?.......This was about 2002, flash forward a few years and to Pakistan and O'sama Bin Laudin's take down. The Chinese were sure happy when Pakistan turned over that broken tail-assembly laying over the wall.
Expedition Master III
This is one of the best. Definitely a laughable and humorous adventure,.............AFTER THE FACT!!!!!!!! At the time......uh....NO. Just glad it all worked out, as it had the makings of a really bad situation.
One of the things I like about van camping is that if your spider senses start speaking to you, it's pretty easy to make haste and beat feet. I had a truck camper before and it required exiting the vehicle and leaving the area (which we did a few times over the years). I like and will continue to use a self contained rig (no RTT, jacks extended, etc.) because I'm almost always alone in the middle of nowhere. I do recall getting spooked in the van one time by hearing scratching on the roof early one dawn. I think it was birds.
Last week we were up in Utah for 3 days and two of the days saw naked people. I thought that was strange. But now I'm thinking may the day we didn't see some one naked was the strange day.
Influencer I
Least you dont gotta worry about getting your clothes dirty... except that sun burn though. Thats a serious con!!
Member III
LOL... that was my first experience at Saline Hot Springs in Death Valley. Especially when a lady came and stood in line for the shower while my wife and I were getting ready to get in. [emoji12][emoji23][emoji846]
