Campfire Stories
I Was Chased by….Something
A Scary Trail Story
So, there I was. Hiking in one of the many forests here in Indiana. It was a warm summer day, and I had hiked about ten miles into the woods for an overnight campout. I was in my early days as a survival instructor and wanted to push my limits a little past my comfort zone, so I brought only a few items: A tarp, a knife, a canteen, a compass and map, and a headlamp, and some rope and paracord for a ridgeline. The hike had gone well enough, as I had seen an abundance of wildlife and discovered some new fungi that I hadn’t yet seen before.
As the sun began to set behind the tree line, I stopped to check my map and saw I had another few miles until the shelter I was hoping to stay at. I stopped at the roots of a tree and took a water break. Once I was ready to move on, I strapped my headlamp on and continued hiking down a ravine. The trail led across a small wetland nature preserve, across some brambles, and up across a highway, to a trailhead with camping spots.
I considered stopping there for the night, but the thought of an elevated bed and a fire pit was calling me, so with the nocturnal creatures to keep me company, I continued. Crossing a bridge over a rippling creek, and up along an abandoned logging road. By this point, the sun had dipped below the tree…
