Lighthouse Horror Podcast - I Work for The US Forest Service. There Are 11 Rules To Survive the Appalachian Trail | Scary Stories

Episode Date: October 11, 2023

Have you heard them?       Story from NormalAlfalfa8523 Make sure to check out more of their work at u/NormalAlfalfa8523                              Original Post: If You See a Target store in rural Appalachia Keep Driving : r/nosleep  Original YouTube link: I Work for The US Forest Service. There Are 11 Rules To Survive the Appalachian Trail      For more stories like this one, check out my YouTube channel: Lighthouse Horror | YouTube  Patreon: Lighthouse Horror | Patreon Merch: lighthousehorror.com  Music: Lucas King - YouTube Myuu - YouTube  Incompetech Darren Curtis Music - YouTube  Thank you for listening to this scary story! If you enjoyed this new creepypasta story, please check out some of my other horror stories. We'll be uploading new episodes every day, featuring ghost stories, haunted encounters, mysteries, true stories, creepypasta, and anything supernatural and paranormal. Don't miss out on the thrill and suspense that await you in each episode!

I was born and raised in Appalachia. I spent my first 22 years in Kentucky and moved to Tennessee. I'd always love the outdoors and was lucky enough to get a job with the Forest Service a few years after high school. My family back in Kentucky had a lot of issues and being in another state without cell reception, it felt like an escape. I learned a lot about survival in my time with the Forest Service. I love the wide open spaces and the sense of peace being in nature. rather than spending my days stuck in a cubicle under fluorescent lights. And I like helping people.

I've helped many lost hikers find their way back, and I've even helped with injured hikers and rescues. It was the perfect job for me. I live alone in a trailer with my Labrador Barclay. My nephew Riker flew in to visit a few weeks after his college graduation. He'd always wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail, and I supported this, but only if he is prepared. Too many young people.

They watch a few survival shows and they think they're ready to handle nature. They are not. I was always really close to Riker, despite being estranged from the rest of the family. I never settled down or had kids, mostly because of work. So Riker was the closest relative I had, and I wanted to pass along the skills I had before I got too old. I met Riker at the airport and he gave me a huge bear hug. We went back to my trailer and I cooked them up some steak and potatoes. We talked about our plans for the week.

I'd taken some vacation time to spend the entire week hiking together. We would set out on the trail tomorrow morning. I strongly suggested Riker get a good night's sleep. We would have our work cut out for us tomorrow. But before he retired to the guest room, I needed to give him a warning. Hey, make sure you close the curtains in there before you go to sleep, all right? I told him. Riker looked confused.

Okay, but there's no one out here. We're literally in the middle of nowhere. It's not like anyone's going to look in the window. He said laughing. We'll talk about it tomorrow, I assured him. Luckily, Riker was always very respectful about following my house. sold rules, so he agreed. After spending some time getting our equipment ready for tomorrow, I headed to bed myself. I made sure to close my bedroom curtains before drifting off. You see,

when I first moved out here, I used to like the moonlight streaming in through my window at night, being in a secluded area, I didn't think it was a problem. Until this one night I woke up, I was still pretty tired, and I glanced out the window next to my bed. I noticed two red lights a few inches apart. I rubbed my eyes and looked again. They weren't lights. They were eyes, and they were unnaturally red. Now I knew the wildlife in the area, and there was nothing that could explain what I saw.

As I watched, the eyes began to slowly rise as if whatever creature was attached to them stood up. I slowly backed out of the bedroom and I shut the door. I slept on the living room couch that night. And I have never slept with my curtains open again. On the morning of our trip, I woke up early, anxious and excited to get started. I gave up trying to sleep and started brewing coffee around 5 a.m. Although I tried to be as quiet as possible, Riker woke up around 5.30, so we decided to eat breakfast and get an early start. As I was making breakfast, Riker glanced over to see Barclay standing outside on

the front porch scratching on the sliding glass door. He got up to let him in. Just as he got to the door, I said, wait. Riker paused looking confused. I motioned for Riker to follow me into the living room, and I pointed to Barclay, who was sleeping peacefully on his bed. Keep the door closed, I said. He nodded. Is it a stray?

He asked. I shook my head. You see, Barclay is a very distinctive-looking dog. He was older and his coat was going gray. He also had a scar over his left eye from a fight with a raccoon many years ago. Riker glanced back to the sliding glass door and he noticed the dog was gone. This was another rule that I needed to tell Riker. If you see anything that looks like your pet trying to come into your house or your campsite,

you make sure it's really them. Reiker asked what just happened, but I didn't think he believed me. So I just told him out to explain later, since we needed to be on our way. While Reiker did seem disturbed by the whole incident, he was a trooper and was ready to set out an hour later. The next few hours of hiking were amazing. We took in the most beautiful views and we got a chance to really catch up, you know. I'd been debating when to tell Riker about the rules for the trail, but I was worried he wouldn't take it seriously.

At least not yet. Before he arrived for his visit, I tried explaining that the Appalachian Mountains have a strange supernatural activity, but he wasn't really interested. Now, I'll admit, I didn't believe most of it either, at first. It took seeing it with my own eyes for me to understand. But that's why I'm here with my nephew, to show him that things are out there, that we can't understand everything. But if we follow the rules, then we'll be okay. After another hour of hiking, Riker began to look uneasy, and he stopped every few steps to look around.

Finally, I asked him what was wrong. Don't you hear that? He asked. I shook my head. We continued walking while staying quiet, and then I did hear it. The sound was similar to a tornado siren off in the distance, but it sounded distorted. I stopped Riker in his tracks. We need to get as far away from that north.

noise as possible, I said. Reiker briefly tried to argue that we should get closer in case it's a weather alert siren. But I let him know it was deadly serious that we get away from the source. We started running in the opposite direction. Eventually, the sound started to fade like it was getting farther away. But a few minutes later, we heard a loud blast from the siren almost. almost right in front of us. What the hell?

Riker said, putting his hands over his ears. We were running hard now, which was extremely unpleasant, carrying all our equipment. Suddenly, we were forced to stop dead in our tracks. The ground beneath us started to shake and what looked like an old vine-covered telephone pole with speakers at the top. began moving across the trail. That siren was deafening. Riker and I booked it.

We didn't stop moving until we hadn't heard the siren for a good 20 minutes. We both tripped over route several times, and were pretty scratched up and out of breath by the end. Riker demanded an explanation. He wanted to know what the hell was going on out here. So I decided it was time to have the talk with him. He'd be much more open-minded now that he'd seen some things of his own. So I agreed to give him a rundown.

It was hard to remember all the strange things that had happened out here and how to avoid him. But when Riker told me he was going to hike the Appalachian Trail, I made a list of rules for him, and I wrote down what I could remember. Always sleep with your curtains closed. Leaving them open can result in waking up to red eyes peering through. I've only had one brief encounter with the red eyes, but another ranger I knew. He wasn't so lucky. Dan Williams was young, around 30, and in fantastic health.

One day, he just didn't report for duty. This was not typical for him as he was one of the most dependent. people I ever met. Being a close friend of Dan's, I drove to his house and I knocked on the door. After getting no answer, I saw that it was unlocked. I entered and I called out to him. There was no answer. When I got to his bedroom, I had a bad feeling. I opened the door to find him laying on the bed, completely still. His eyes and his mouth were wide open. Frozen in the worst expression of horror I've ever seen. I quickly called 911.

And when I reported back to our boss, he asked if the curtains in the bedroom were open. I confirmed they were. I tried to ask why he wanted to know, but he wouldn't tell me anything. After my own encounter, I started closing them every night. If your pet is trying to get into your home or campsite, make sure it's really them. Letting the wrong one in is like putting out a welcome mat to an evil spirit. If you hear a siren out in the woods, that doesn't sound quite right. Avoid getting close to it at all cost.

The sound you're hearing, it's not a siren at all. It's a cryptid that uses the sound to lure people in. This creature disguises itself as an old rusty telephone pole or speaker. Whenever its intended victims get within range, it will detach from the ground and chase them down. It's been said by some of the older folk who are familiar with this cryptid that if caught, The victim's screams are harvested to power the siren. There's a creature that roams the Appalachian Mountains called a Wampus cat.

It's unlike any other large feline in that it has six legs, four in front and two in the back. It's larger than a full-grown lion and has unnatural abilities. These include being able to outrun arrows and in some cases even bullets. The wampus cat can walk on its hind legs and has these piercing golden eyes. Avoid making contact with it at all costs. Making eye contact results in a hypnotic state. If you become hypnotized, you'll be unable to move and eaten.

If you encounter a wampus cat, your best bed is to try to catch it off guard and shoot. it or try to hide if you don't have a gun. Forget out running it. You wouldn't have a prayer. If you're out in the woods and you hear someone say your name, but there's no one visible, pretend you didn't hear it. You may also hear other things. Like the sound of a baby crying or someone calling for help in a monotone voice, as unnerving

as this is to hear, ignore it. Even so much as turning around or following the voice for a few steps can lure you to your death. Several years ago while working on trail maintenance, I had a woman frantically run up to me, screaming for help. She said her name was Jenny and explained that she and her husband were hiking when he started acting strange. He got really quiet, and he stopped to look around every few steps. She asked what was wrong, and he said he said he. thought he heard their son call out to him. Now this wasn't possible because their son, 10-year-old Brandon, passed away the year before. He was hit by a car while riding his bike.

Jenny tried to talk him out of following the voice, telling him this couldn't be Brandon, but her husband was very determined and refused to listen. He went off trail to follow the voice. She looked for him for over an hour, but almost getting lost herself, she had to stop. I agreed to help look for him, but eventually had to call in backup as I was unable to locate him. He was quickly declared missing, and a full-on search began. Now, sadly, this story doesn't have a happy ending. His body was recovered on the bottom of a steep drop-off. It was unclear if he was jumped or was pushed. Don't whistle outside at night. I made this mistake once when I was younger in camping with my dog. This was before Barclan. It was my old dog Rex, and I'd been warned by other

forest workers not to whistle at night. But naturally, I was in my early 20s, and I thought it was just some old wives tale. I'd been hiking all day, and I started drinking by the campfire. as it got dark. Rex was pretty good about staying nearby, so I let him wander off leash during the day. As it got dark, though, I became apprehensive about him getting lost or hurt, so I whistled for him to come back. He didn't respond to my whistle at first, which was very unusual for him. I couldn't handle something happening to Rex. He'd been my one constant companion and pretty solid. military life. Rex, I said as I whistled again, louder this time.

I noticed that it sounded like my whistle had an echo, which didn't make any sense. Rex finally ran back to me. He was acting different, though. He was clearly on edge, looking into the woods and growling. I shined my flashlight in the direction he was focused on, but I didn't see anything. I finished up the rest of what was in my flask and turned in for the night. I woke up around 2 a.m. with a distinct feeling I was being watched. I got out of my tent to look around.

The light on my flashlight kept dimming, despite having a new battery. I smacked it trying to eat it to work. The first thing I noticed is that Rex was nowhere to be found. I called out to him and whistled again. And just then my flashlight went out. I heard a distant crunching of branches, and I got my flashlight to work just enough to see the outline of something about 10 feet from my campsite.

It appeared to be a rail-thin, white figure that looked vaguely humanoid. Its stature was what really alarmed me. It was extremely tall. I'm talking about seven feet tall, but walked hunched over. Its neck was also unnaturally long, and its head was looking forward. The creature was moving with a slow, distorted crawl. I stood in silence. What the hell?

I said to myself. And this was a huge mistake. The figure's head turned at a sharp unnatural angle, and it began to screech. I'd never heard a noise like this before. Think of a distorted human scream mixed with an injured animal. I dove back into my tent, grabbing my beer repellent and knife. Stupidly, I hadn't brought my gun on this trip. I could hear it screeching outside my tent, and I knew it was.

time to defend myself. Just as I turned around, I heard a snarl and sharp bark. Rex, I thought. The figure let out another screech and it charged back into the woods. I noticed Rex had blood on his muzzle. I hugged him, checking for any harm, but luckily he was okay. He was still very nervous, though. Good boy. I said, Needless to say, I don't whistle in the woods anymore. If you become lost on the trail for longer than a day, don't trust everything you see. An old friend of mine, John, who also worked for the park service, became lost during a solo excursion.

Now he was a very skilled survivalist and knew all the trails like the back of his hand, so I was shocked when he went missing. He was found about a week later, but he wasn't himself. He babbled on and on about finding a cottage with a woman living there who rescued him. He said she gave him tea and pastries, then allowed him to stay in her guest rum. He reported feeling drowsy the whole week it was there, but he had these strange memories of the woman coming in and out of his rum with food and tea. He said some of the tea had sliced mushrooms floating.

floating in it. When he was asked how he got out, he said he just woke up one day on the forest floor. John attempted to show his rescuers where the home was, but there was nothing there. He became obsessed with searching for it, and the rescuers had to convince him to take some time off and get medically cleared. John's mental state never recovered. He lives in a long-term care facility now. At first, I assumed his experience was just a high-stress event that may have triggered underlying mental health issues, but other rangers have told me this wasn't a unique story. So like I said, if you're lost on the Appalachian Trail and you see a cottage in the woods, don't trust it. Stop and ask yourself if what you're seeing makes sense before going in to ask for help.

If you see a woman in her 60s wearing silver-eyed glasses wandering around in the woods, and she asks you to get back to the trail, assist her. If you successfully help her find her way back, you'll be granted good luck for the next seven years. You see, this woman was a very avid and determined hiker. She got lost off trail one day and was unable to find her way back. Her body was recovered a few years later. She is a benevolent spirit. And hikers who have seen her have described her as having an infectious smile.

A co-worker of mine told me about a case where a lost hiker reported seeing this woman while off trail. The woman with the silver glasses said she was lost too. The hiker reported they walked together for a few hours, just talking about life. and trying to find the trail. The woman suggested making a turn that did lead back. The hiker was ecstatic, but when he turned around to thank her, she was gone. The wood should never be completely silent.

You should always be able to hear something, bugs, animals, birds, water, wind, basically anything. If you're ever on the trail and you notice it's completely, silent. Keep moving until things sound normal again. You should also talk, hum, sing, or turn on music to break the silence until you get to a normal area. Now, I don't have firsthand experience with not following this rule as the uneasy feeling of being in total silence is usually enough to keep me moving. There's an old man with a long beard and walking stick who may approach your campsite as you were sitting around the fire with friends or family, he will calmly take a seat and begin sharing a story. Do not ask him who he is, interrupt the story, or walk away while he is

talking. Legend hasn't. That if you do, someone from your group will walk into the woods during the night and you will never see them again. I narrowly avoided this a few years ago, camping with a few of my buddies. As the old man approached, I was about to ask if anyone knew him when my friend put his hand over his mouth and he shook his head. He gave me a very serious look. After all the strange things I'd encountered over the years, I took his word for it and I stayed silent. The old man's story was actually pretty good. While hiking in Appalachia, you may come across a large camp in an area that is not designated for camping.

Usually these are pretty far off-trail. These are off-grid communities that don't like outsiders. The camp will likely consist of handmade tents, various survival supplies, and oftentimes there are active fires, sometimes even with food still cooking. But there won't be anyone there. Now it may be tempting to look around or even help yourself to food or supplies, but do not do it. Even if you notice something at the site that was stolen from your campsite, although these camps appear empty, you are being watched in real time,

and you will be attacked very quickly if you take anything. These groups protect their camps at all costs. and they not only outnumber you, but also know the terrain much better than you. And that was the list I'd written out for Riker. We talked over everything as we set up for camp that night. Despite his arrogance before, at this point he was convinced to follow the rules. We prepared dinner and had a good talk. We talked about old times, and I turned in around midnight.

I slept peacefully for a while, and then I began having this strange dream. I was sitting on a rocking chair, on the large porch of what appeared to be an old farmhouse. It was dusk, and the air was still. Off in the distance, I noticed an animal approach. It was about the size of a large dog, but as it got closer, I noticed something wasn't right. Although it had the stature and build of a dog, the animal's head was that of a rabbit. But it was much bigger than any rabbit I'd ever seen. I stood up as it approached.

Its eyes were these hollow, dark sockets, and I didn't understand how it was able to see. I started panicking, trying to unlock the door to the house, and it wouldn't open. footsteps approached on the porch behind me as I pounded on the door. And just then, my eyes shot open and I was in the tent hyperventilating. Relieved it was only a dream. I turned over and got comfortable again. I was starting finally to drift off when I felt my blanket slowly slide off of me. And I froze.

The air became ice cold, despite the temperature outside. I heard whispers all around me. They were all different, distinct voices. Uncle James, yelled Riker. I sat up. He dove into my tent, trying to catch his breath. Did something just happen to you too?

He asked. And I nodded. I read about this a while back. I think it's the bell. A witch, Riker said. I was somewhat familiar with a historical haunting, but I'd never known anyone who was haunted by her on the trail. Riker and I packed up our things and we moved camps.

The next day, Riker laughed about how he had something to add to my list. And I nodded. Most don't realize just how old these mountains are. They've been on this earth for me. billions of years. They've seen things that no human has or ever will. I have discovered so much on the trail, but I doubt I'll get to know all its secrets in my lifetime.

Riker. Can you promise me something? I asked. Sure, anything, he said. When you tell other people about this place. Don't leave out the good things. I said. Riker looked at me confused.

What I mean is, I know a lot of weird stuff happens out here, but it's also one of the most beautiful and peaceful places on earth. There's so many good people here too, you know? I just want you to make sure you don't leave that out whenever you tell your friends back home about this trip. Don't worry, Uncle James. I actually have some news. I'm moving out here next month. I got a job at the community college. I want to be closer to the trail, and now that I'm graduated and everything,

going back home just, I don't know, it just doesn't seem like a good idea to me. I laughed. So even after seeing all that, you're ready for more? He nodded. I gave him the sheet of paper with a list. All right, well, keep this up to date. I said smiling, you're gonna need it.