Apocoflips Thread

Man I always get to threads after their moment has passed. Anyway, I figured I would share.

I do a lot of solo backpacking in western North Carolina. Usually Pisgah or Nantahala, but I've been all around. I have quite a few stories, most of them aren't really paranormal, but are definitely creepy - especially alone.

About two years ago I was on a 4 day solo trip at Cold Mountain in Shining Rock Wilderness. I came up through Art Loeb trail but got to my put-in later than I had planned. It was immediately clear there was no way I'd make it to my planned site before pitch black and I needed to make camp ASAP.

While walking through a rhododendron and high growth tunnel known as "The Narrows," I get the unmistakable feeling that something is definitely stalking me. The dim light keeps fading and I finally find a low lying, swampy area to camp (after passing a couple of claimed spots). I fire up my snowpeak stove, cook, eat, smoke a bowl, and bear bag what I needed to. It's completely pitch black at this time and the feeling of being watched is so strong that it's making my head buzz. I chalk it up to the bud, laugh it off, and get in my small tent.

I lay perfectly still, enjoying the high and listening to the ambient sounds when, suddenly, I feel something reach under the base of my tent near my head on the left side and brush my cheek. I immediately jump 2 feet off the ground and rip my sleeping bag off. I sit there motionless for maybe 5 minutes holding my knife and trying to figure out what the FUCK just happened. I convince myself it's a mouse/rat/whatever and lay back down.

Finally I'm drifting off and all is good, when I hear (sense, really) three or four 'somethings' walking around my site. I quietly get my knife back out and prepare for the worst, when I feel something reach under the tent again. Then again. Then two at the same time on opposite sides. Then 3. I finally break my silence and shout a "HEY! GET!," but they keep pawing and reaching.

At this point I'm pretty certain I'm dealing with coyotes. Even though they're usually pretty timid and are mostly scavengers, they were coming at me HARD. I hear growling and whimpering and I start smacking at their paws with my boot as they keep digging under my tent and yelping. This goes on for about 6 or 7 loooonnngg minutes as I keep shouting and playing midnight Wack-A-Mole. They seemed to be getting more aggressive and I 'm fearing for my life a little, when out of nowhere I hear a dog barking and growling in the distance, and getting closer. The pawing and scratching stops and I hear the 3 or 4 coyotes snarling in the same direction near where I heard the dog. The dog keeps barking and they keep snarling and then I hear a scuffle and some of the most God-awful animal noises I've ever heard... Then silence. COMPLETE silence that's even louder than the animal noises.

Needless to say I don't sleep a wink, and when morning comes I get out to investigate to find my tent fly ripped and spots of blood all over my campsite. I'm definitely shaken but I break camp and continue up towards the summit. About an hour in I run across a group of 20-somethings searching frantically for a dog. Apparently she disappeared from their site in the middle of the night and they'd been looking for her since morning. They ask me if I've seen her (a German shepherd) and I recount my story from the night before. We all kind of knowingly mull over the possibilities and I promise to keep an eye out.

I never did see the dog. Didn't see them again for the rest of the trip either. I really hope they found her and she's ok, but all I know is she may very well have saved my life.

I have some more if anyone is interested, but for now my thumbs are cramping from mobile.