Camp Monsters - Spirit Lake

Episode Date: July 13, 2022

You’re supposed to be alone out here in the dark waters of Spirit Lake— the ranger ensured you there was nobody else. So why is there a strange glow across the lake? What is it coming from? Tonight you’ll find out.Welcome to Camp Monsters Summer Camp. Over the past few seasons of the show, we’ve gotten tons of suggestions on the monsters we should cover. We noticed that a lot of these take place at a summer camp. So we’ve collected the best of the stories you’ve sent — and researched a few of our own — to create our first series of legendary summer camp creatures. Hopefully you can take these episodes with you to summer camp or they’ll bring you back to when you were a camper, scared of what might be lurking outside of your cabin.This year’s sponsor is YETI. Check out all of their amazing gear in store or at REI.com. Pack it up – Shop YETI Camp CoolersDrink it in – Shop YETI Drinkware

This is an REI Co-op Studios production. You're supposed to be alone out here. The ranger at the nearest station said there was no one else out on this remote lake. But maybe someone... Maybe some other camper came up here without informing the ranger. Maybe. But it would make you feel better if the signs you've seen of them made more sense. If you could spot them during the day in another canoe or hiking along some shoreline trail. By daylight, the only things you've seen are the ashes of their campfires and those strange marks you found around their camp.

But every night you see their fire, with figures passing in front of it, and you hear those strange sounds all night long. And every night, they seem to be getting closer. This is the Camp Monsters Podcast. Well, you all did fantastic on the first day out. That's a hard pull, isn't it? There's no current in a lake like this, but it's hard to believe after a few hours of paddling these canoes. It's the mountains all around us.

They throw the scale off. They're so massive they make you feel like you're standing still, even when you're making pretty good time. According to the map, we've done well. I'd say about ten miles from the logging road where we put in. We're ahead of schedule. A few more days like this and we'll get our 50 miles easy. How about that scenery on the paddle up, huh? Snow-capped peaks sliding almost straight down into the water.

We're lucky there's this little ledge of shoreline for us to camp on here. And the wildlife. Birds on the lake and bear and mountain goat up on the slopes above where the trees thin out. If we feel like stretching our legs early tomorrow, there's a little trail up the ridge behind us that gives an amazing view from the top. Tonight there's barely a moon and I don't think it's peaked up over the mountains yet. No. We'll have to content ourselves with these stars. You'll never see them more clear and bright than this. Our fire is the only light for 20 miles at least. Did you hear that?

A pair of loons calling to one another. We're at the very southern edge of their range here, so we're lucky to hear them. Eerie sound, isn't it? Beautiful though. Hmm? Oh, I couldn't tell what direction it was coming from. From off over the water somewhere. What?

Over by what fire? Where? Wow, I... No, that can't be a fire. It's too faint. Or... No, maybe you're right. Huh. I can't remember what's over there on that far side of the lake. I don't think there's many good spots for a camp over there.

And when we checked at the ranger's station, didn't she say our canoes would be the only things out on the water? There's no motors allowed up here, and this late in the season all the other paddlers have packed it in. Hey, did any of you see another canoe or kayak up here? Trailing behind us, maybe? here and this late in the season all the other paddlers have packed it in. Hey did any of you see a another canoe or kayak up here trailing behind us maybe? You'd think we'd have spotted whoever it was. We must have been too tired from all that paddling to look behind us. Unless... well I didn't see any trails on those slopes over there. Do you think somebody could have hiked in?

Well, forget it. There's no use guessing about it tonight. We'll just paddle over there tomorrow and say hello before we head up lake. Oh, there are those loons again. Bit of a cold sound, isn't it? I don't think I want to turn in. I suggest you all follow before too long. Last one here, be sure to douse the fire, okay? Shh. Sorry. Shh Sorry

I don't know what there is to be quiet about It just feels that way this morning, you know I've never seen water so clear and still When we put the canoes in, I swore I could look straight down A hundred feet to the pebbles at the bottom. And looking out across the water, it was so still the reflection looked like another world standing on its head below us. And it's so quiet out here right now. You'd think every animal on this lake was nocturnal.

They were sure keeping up a racket last night, weren't they? Waking me up with their calls and rustling in the bushes. But now, listen. Not a sound. Like the whole world is sleeping, or dead, or waiting for something. No, I didn't sleep well either. My arms are sore. Do you remember about where that fire showed up last night? Probably just about there in that little grove of pine trees, right? Yeah. I think I can still see a little smoke rising. Or is that mist? I hate to think they're the kind who don't smother their fire when they go to bed. Funny, I don't see any

canoes or anything drawn up near there, do you? Look out! Careful now. Hey, you other canoes stay back. Stay clear. It's a snag. Dead wood under the water. Careful it doesn't tip us over. Now let's back paddle. Slowly. Gently.

There we go. I look down under the water there. See all those things like naked white arms reaching up toward us? It's a drowned forest. This is a man-made lake, after all, a huge reservoir. These valleys were all steep mountain forests a hundred years ago. Some of the trees are still down there, lifting their dead limbs to bleach in the sun. Kind of frightening to look at, the lake so clear. And those old limbs

will tip a canoe in a flash if we're not careful. That's why we usually keep out in the middle of the lake whenever we can. Alright, let's back paddle a bit more. We'll try to pick our way through this. Tough place to get to shore if those other campers are traveling by water. Hello! Hello there! Good morning! Hmm. Nothing.

I suppose they struck camp and got on the water before us. Must have been really early. I gave up trying to sleep around first light. I've been watching the lake ever since. I didn't see a soul. Well, here we are. Tie off on these old stumps, nice and firm. And look, there are tracks on the bank here, like someone... I'm not quite sure what these are signs of.

Something was doing a lot of... something down here. Running back and forth at the water's edge. What do you make of it? Animal, or... Yeah, hard to say. The mud holds the impressions just fine, but what made them? Hoof, or paw, or... I've never seen anything quite like that.

Well, it must have been something slipping in the mud, smearing its own prints. Let's all move up into the trees a bit. That's definitely smoke rising over there. Smell it? Yeah, it's almost hard to smell that smoke with the other stink masking it. No, that's more than any smell we would have stirred up in the mud. There's something large rotting around here somewhere. Sometimes an avalanche will kill a moose or bear or something in the winter. Carry them down to the base of the slope here and then

all summer they stink in the winter. Carry them down to the base of the slope here and then all summer they stink up the area. Heck of a place for those others to make camp. Put your bandana over your nose if you want to. It's all so steep through here.

I wouldn't camp here unless I had to. It's even steeper back there where the trees end. I don't see a sign of anything but game trails. They must have come by water. I can't imagine anyone hiking down those scree slopes just to camp here. And where would they have come from, anyway? There's nothing on this side of the lake but mountains.

Well, we made it. Here's the fire. Not much of a fire. No wonder it looked so faint last night. Still, they should have put it all the way out before they left. Oof. Oof. Seems like I kicked up more of that nasty smell kicking the dirt over the fire. Must just seem stronger when the smell of smoke is gone.

Hey! Hey! Stay out of the trees. Let's... Let's all just stay where we can see each other, alright? No sense wandering off where we have to spend half the morning looking for someone. What? What about the trees?

Blood? Blood? Where? Let me see. No, that isn't blood. That's sap. That's the tree bleeding. It's been blazed here, you see. Someone has taken a hatchet, or...

Well, maybe some animal has taken its claws and hacked a chunk of the bark away. It's fresh, too. Sap's still fairly pouring out. That's a funny thing. Look. Look at the other trees. They're all like this. Every last one in this stand is blazed Right down to that little sapling over there

It must have been the other campers that did this, but... What? No No No, that's just an optical illusion, I think I don't think all the trees are blazed in the direction of where our camp was last night. You're imagining things. Why would they do that? And again, why would they do any of this?

Anyway, they must have done this blazing before we pulled in yesterday evening. We would have heard them otherwise if they'd been hammering into all the trees like this just across the lake I said stay out of the woods stay where we can see each other who's gone back there in the brush who's back there one 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Oh Okay It's alright, it's none of us Just an animal, maybe

Hello? Alright, well there's no sense hanging around in this stink We put the stranger's fire out for them and All right, well, there's no sense hanging around in this stink. We put the stranger's fire out for them and... I've seen what they've done to the trees. I don't know what it means. I don't think it means anything. Just someone being destructive. Now, it's high time we got back on the lake and started paddling.

Let's head back to the canoes. Everybody stay together. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! I've got it Saved this canoe just as it was drifting off Who tied this one up? Okay, no It's alright, just Just be more careful next time

Hate to have to leave a few of us here on the shore While the rest of us go looking for a lost canoe There's no current in this lake us go looking for a lost canoe. There's no current in this lake, but wind will push a drifting canoe in a hurry. Whew! This mountain air has a chill to it this time of year. At least it does now that I'm soaking wet. No, no, don't worry about a fire. Just let me change clothes. I'll be alright.

The paddling will keep me warm. Especially if this breeze keeps blowing. We'll be alright The paddling will keep me warm Especially if this breeze keeps blowing We'll be heading right into it Whoo, whoa, I don't know about you, but I'm beat. You all did great, though. You did great. Eight miles into that wind, and barely any light left to set up camp by the time we got here. But we got it all together, got camp set up, and a good dinner in us. Amazing what a change that makes, huh? Now let's douse this fire and retire now to our tents and to our dreams.

We've earned it. We'll all sleep well tonight. Sing on, loons! Every animal in these woods could start singing opera, and it wouldn't wake me from the sleep I'm about to take. Okay. Okay. Quiet, everybody. These tent walls are thin, remember? How do any of you have enough energy left to horse around? Go to sleep. It's just the loons, everyone.

Quiet down. Cut the chatter. Is that someone going to the bathroom or trying to play a prank? Trying to play a prank, huh? Well, now we've heard you sneaking through the bushes, so now the joke's over, so now go to bed. That's it. I'm coming out here And whoever I find is going to get to do all the breakfast dishes by themselves tomorrow Okay, come on out

I've got the flashlight on you I can track you by the bushes moving You're not scaring anyone Who is that? light on you I can track you by the bushes moving you're not scaring anyone who is that who is that who is What was that? What was that? It had to be... It must have been...

It was just... It was just a deer, everyone. It was just a deer. You saw it too? In the flashlight? When it ran out of the brush? It was just a deer, right? A big stag?

No, no. It couldn't have been a wolf. Didn't you see the big horns? The rack of antlers? Yes, I saw its face too, but that must have just been the way the light was hitting it. It made its teeth look like that.

And a lot of animals have red eyes when you're shining a strong light on them. No. No, no, no. That's impossible. I know. I know what it looked like, but deer, wolf, whatever it was, there's no wild animal that runs on just two legs it must have had four it must have had four it had it had four legs stop it everyone just everyone stop it we're not making

anything better by imagining things you'll think you see all kinds of stuff in a sudden situation like that. Look. Look, it startled me right back into my tent. It flattened the whole thing. Somebody help me get this back up, and somebody build another fire, if we have enough wood for it. If it makes everyone feel better, I'll stay up for a little while.

And then I'll wake somebody else up, and we'll take it in turns to sort of keep watch, okay? Whatever it was, it's not likely to run through camp again, but I wish those loons would quiet down. All right, get that fire going, Everyone, try to go to sleep. We've got a long night ahead of us and a long day tomorrow and we need rest. Light. Finally. At least we have some birds this morning. That's a friendly sound. Huh. No one's up yet. Fire's almost out. I thought that whole keeping watch thing would get old after the first few hours. I could barely keep my own eyes open after the adrenaline wore

off. I better get this fire built back up in time for breakfast. Hey, good morning. I see everyone managed to fall asleep, even after last night's excitement. Well, that's good. That's good. We all need our rest. Who, uh, who took the last watch? Well, when my watch was over, I woke you up. Now, who did you wake?

Okay, and then who did you wake up? You woke Jim, alright. And Jim... Well, Jim must still be sleeping. Looks like the rest of us are up now. Did Jim pass the watch off to anyone? Did he wake any of you up? Ah, well, let's not give him a hard time. I'm sure he tried to wake one of us up to take over for him, but... We're all so bone tired he probably couldn't rouse us.

Let's let him sleep a little bit longer. Who knows how long he stayed up last night. We'll wake him when breakfast is ready. Hmm? Oh, he's still sleeping. Jim. Of course, he's still sleeping. He isn't out here, is he? Well, you you ought to know you two share a tent with him come on what do you mean he's not in

there no he's just rolled up in his sleeping bag or here hey Jim Jim Jim Hey, Jim. Jim. Jim? All right. Okay. He might have... He must have just gone to the wrong tent. Will everyone please check your tents, please? No?

No sign of him? Uh Sleepwalking, maybe Does anyone know if Jim was a sleepwalker? I mean, he couldn't have gone far Asleep or awake We're on another one of those Little flat landings here

If he tried to climb those cliffs behind us He wouldn't be near the top by now We'd still be able to see him He's not there landings here. If he tried to climb those cliffs behind us, he wouldn't be near the top by now. We'd still be able to see him. He's not there. We've got to find him, though. If he wandered off and curled up somewhere in the open to sleep, he could be in real danger. It was cold last night. All right, you two, take a canoe and paddle in close along the shore and holler if you see anything. The rest of us, let's all go down to where the flat area meets the cliffs and we'll sweep this whole ledge from end to end, alright? Jim! Hey, Jim!

Jim! Jim! Jim! I don't get it. I don't get it. If he'd gone in the water, we'd have heard him. If he'd tried the cliffs, we'd see him. And if he was gone in the water, we'd have heard him. If he'd tried the cliffs, we'd see him, and if he was anywhere on this ledge, we'd have found him. We've been over every inch of this place. And even

if... I mean, the water in the lake is so clear, even if... And who's ever heard of someone sleepwalking silently into a lake? It doesn't happen Anyway, somehow he's not here Jim isn't here and we've got to get help

Everyone try your phones again We're way out of signal range And we've wasted most of the day looking But the sky is clear And we're supposed to have a bit more of a moon tonight It should rise early There's only one thing to do Let's get in the canoes

Everyone only load survival essentials And leave everything else behind We want the boats as light as possible We've got to paddle Straight through the night And tomorrow and even the next evening Until we get to the landing where the van is supposed to meet us. Since we'll get in early, we may have to hike out from there too, at least until we can get a phone signal.

Listen, it's going to be rough, but we've got to get help as quickly as we can in case... Well, just in case Jim still needs it. Come on, everybody. Let's get these boats loaded. Keep them together, everybody. Keep the canoes close. Tighten up, tighten up. This moonlight is tricky. Just because you can see the mountains lit up way over there

doesn't mean you won't lose sight of the other canoes if they get more than a few yards away so stay close I know it's tough you're all doing great don't don't ask me how much longer just assume we're going to be paddling for eternity and then when it finally ends you'll be glad you overestimated. What's that? Up ahead. Over on the far shore. See it? Through the trees? We'll see it better as we're around this point. There.

Oh. It's a campfire. Just like the other night, but bigger. That's impossible. There's no one else up here. There couldn't be. We haven't seen a canoe. We haven't seen another soul. Stop. Stop. Stop paddling, everybody. Something just crossed the firelight. Between us and the fire. There it is again. Something pacing. Racing back and forth on the shoreline...

No... Quiet... It's too far off to see that clearly... It must just... It must just be a man wearing a mask and... Antlers... Anyway, let's... Let's head off along the far shore...

As far from that fire as we can. Slowly, feeling for snags. That wasn't a loon. That sounded... Did that sound like Jim? It came from the fire. What's going on here? What is this?

Alright, well, listen, we've got to find out. Okay. Okay. The rest of you, keep your canoes out here and talk a bit amongst yourselves. Tap your paddles on the canoes now and then. Let whatever it is by that fire hear you. And be ready to bolt down the lake on my signal or if you see something swimming towards you in the water. The two of us in my canoe will loop around and land on the far side of the fire. Try to creep up close and see. I'll see if

anyone there needs help. All right here we go. See the rest of you in a bit okay? Listen for us. Pull it on shore just a little. Don't tie it off. We may have to leave in a hurry. The fire's not far away. Follow right behind me. Quietly. Down.

Over here, behind this log. Big fire tonight. Bigger than before. Nothing around it. You see something? Where? There. Let me move over to the other side of you and get a better angle.

Yeah, I see it. Like old clothes or twisted, filthy sleeping bag or... Did it just move? Is it... It's Jim. It's Jim! Shh! Did you see his face? Just barely in the firelight.

It's him, I'm sure of it. It's gotta be him. Let me go! We've gotta help him. What? Of course. Of course it's a trap, but what other choice do we have? Hopefully the others have distracted whatever...

I mean, whoever... Hopefully the others have distracted that thing over by the water down there. Come on, you've got to come with me. If Jim's hurt, it'll take two of us to carry him. It's him. It's him, it is. Jim.

Hey, Jim, Jim. From the way he's laying, I thought he'd be tied up, but it's like he's just sleeping. I don't know. He's got a good pulse. Jim, wake up. Come on, buddy. Come on. Come on. Get him on his feet. Come on. Heave him.

There he is. There he is. Hey, Jim. Jim. Jim, hey, we gotta go. We gotta go, buddy. Can you walk? This way. This way. Quick as you can. What was that?

There it is It sees us it's coming. Oh look it Oh Jim Oh Jim Jim buddy. We gotta run come on come on buddy This way. Come on, Jim. Get up. Get him up. Get him up. Drag him along. Come on, Jim. Come on. Up, buddy. Run. Run. Where is it?

Where is it? Where's the canoe? It was right here. Oh, into the water. Into the water. It'll wake Jim up some more. We've got to swim. We have to swim for it. Swim for the boat.

Swim! Hey! Hey! Here we are! Here we are! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!

Here we are! Here we are! Hey! Hey! Hey! Here we are! Here we are! Hey! Mountain lakes hold many secrets. Archaeologists know that from the number of prize artifacts that they find in them, all over the world. Beautiful objects, expensive, costly things. Sacrifices, it would seem, to hungry, long-forgotten spirits.

Nowadays we know better than to believe in such things, and we show it in the way we've named our lakes. A good example of that is the lake whose legends inspired this story. In modern times, it's named after the man who was assistant commissioner of the water and power department in the nearest middle-sized city back in the 1920s, when the dam that expanded the lake was built. There had been a lake in that valley before, a much smaller one, with a name in the local tongue which translated roughly as Spirit Lake. Having heard this story, it seems probable that though the name has changed, the spirit remains. And it doesn't sound like the spirit of a middle-aged water commissioner, does it? Thanks for listening.

Camp Monsters is part of the REI Podcast Network. The lake in tonight's story was man-made, and the man who made the sounds of it was our very own Nick Patry, engineer extraordinaire. Thanks, Nick. The spirit crying hungrily across the cold waters was our senior producer, Chelsea Davis, endlessly seeking the next finished script. Miles away, basking in the warm glow of the electricity that the dam at the end of the lake produces were our executive producers Paolo Motula and Joe Crosby. And paddling frantically across the choppy night waters was yours truly, writer and host Weston Davis. Thank you very much for listening. And remember to like, share, rate and review this podcast. We appreciate it every time.

Next week we'll be back on the water, but water is much larger than these. Out on the open ocean, out past the furthest glimmer of land, out with the dark waves like foam-capped mountains all around us. Most of the legends out there live in the depths below, but next week... next week the uncanny has climbed out of the sea and is hiding somewhere aboard our ship.

We'll seek out that stowaway. And then, we'll find it. See you next week.