Bad Vibes on remote waters ?

glamcaster

glamcaster

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Apr 11, 2021
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Hey all,

I realize the subject is cryptic, but try and hear me out here. Does anyone else, from time-to-time, get panicky on the water alone? And yes, I'm taking my mood stabilizers :hammer:

The area I'm most susceptible to the ick is State Gamelands 211; Stony Valley in general. I'm a sucker for some of the mining-Appalachia "folklore" but idk...NEVER will I forget my first, and last, outing to West Branch Fishing Creek. (Spoiler alert: **** acidic water, more newts than brookies) Greeting me by the swampy-spring headwaters: A deer skull, pile of a deer? bones, and other bones I mistook for femurs. A flattened Coleman tent also shook me.

Where the creek runs narrow through some pines, the panic really set in. The wind picked up, and whistled ominously. Starting here, I simply felt watched. Something trampled a lot of brush, even a small pine tree. Fur matted the ground. Fumbled along until I reached a little meadow. This feeling persisted the whole 3 mile scramble to my Volkswagen. Had similar moments in the swamps below

Maybe I dodged a bear, upset a god, or both. Maybe I need a break from the "Gods of Appalachia" podcast.

Regardless, there's a reason people of these towns are so tight-lipped, and wary of outsiders. Anyone else have stories as such? Any tips on keeping calm+safe on solo expeditions?

When the mountains get fed up with me, my city slicker a$$ is quick to evacuate. Would greatly appreciate any feedback, cheers






 
Sounds like you should find a partner or stay in the city.... I am never more relaxed and connected to my surroundings than when alone on a remote stream or big woods area whether I am hunting or fishing.
 
It is probably the ghosts of all the Brown Trout you threw on the bank coming to haunt you.
 
I have spent many nights backpacking and sleeping alone in the PA woods. Nothing ever scares me or bothers me. I have never had anything but good experiences with other people, not to say that the opposite couldn't happen.

Try to get out of your head a little. Sounds like irrational worry and panic is ruining what's supposed to be a good time.

Maybe take up golf at a very tamed and well manicured country club? You can eat sandwiches and drink beer at the end of a a hard round.....
 
So far no. You can always pack a sidearm in the event you feel you may be visiting a dicey area.
 
I've been roaming around the PA woods since I was young and most of the time I feel comfortable there.

But I have got the willies a few times. And there does seem to be a pattern, similar to what you described. The areas that are dark, shaded with hemlocks, that feel closed in, are mostly likely to give me the willies. Areas of open woods, i.e. where the understory is open enough that you can see around easily feel more comfortable to me.

IMHO, this is just encoded into our DNA, and makes sense logically. For our ancestors, when there were common dangers from man and beast, the places where you can see were less dangerous than where you could see.

One thing that helps is not watching scary movies. Another thing that helps if fishing with a buddy.

I think the PA woods is actually a very safe place. But that's the logical part of the brain. The challenge is convincing the other part of the brain that that is true.
 
my gf carries pepper spray with her and it makes her more comfortable in the woods alone. There's no animal that wants anything to do with you in the woods though, you'll do a lot better once you get the idea out of your head they're stalking you.
 
larkmark wrote:
It is probably the ghosts of all the Brown Trout you threw on the bank coming to haunt you.

Or, you’re being followed by a family of Squatch’s, hoping you’ll leave them a tasty treat. I’ve heard they actually prefer Brookies, so probably good you’re not banking those.

All of the uneasy encounters I’ve had fishing in the woods have involved another human, or humans. None of whom were other anglers, but were in areas I didn’t expect to see anybody and were exhibiting at least some type of odd behavior.

You hear weird sounds in the woods all the time, some of which you can’t immediately explain. Sounds that are obvious as to their origins in daylight, become less clear to your brain at night. As a species, humans are very much vision dominant in terms of processing information. Once you’ve been out on the woods enough, you’ll become more tolerant of “weird” things.

In terms of medical and economic cost, the most dangerous animal in the woods of Pennsylvania is the tick.
 
I had something like this happen just two days ago, and it was very much triggered by the human imprint on the place - like the tent you describe - rather than the natural vibe itself.

I was not in a tremendously remote area, as a small town was probably 20 mins away, but I had driven awhile down a dirt road and then accessed the water by about a ten minute hike back into a string of some informal day use areas with fire pits. No one was around on either the road or back in the woods, but at the last little fire pit I found a stack of wood covered with plastic, a metal bucket, and a weird cheap vodka bottle with the cap off hung from a tree by paracord (to collect rain water?? No clue).

I was trying to fish a pool 20 feet from this little camp, and, while I would guess it was just a hangout spot for teenagers, I couldn't help but feel spooked by having my back to the potentially lurking meth-infused occupants. It certainly didn't help that, in my opinion, once you get north of Lake George area the ADK small towns get a little... fringe.

But, from there on, I was paying an inordinate amount of attention to my surroundings - was that huffing in the woods a bear?? - and not really enjoying myself until I moved a good deal downstream.


 
I always felt at ease in the woods. Ticks do scare me. But thats not an immediate, life threatening fear. I get the willies about snakes too when wading through territory that feels snaky. But thats about it. I must look funny hiking alone but speaking loudly "hey snake, heeeey there snake, do rattle for me, doooon't be silent". Moments when you hope nobody's around, lol. It's never made me think I should get outta there though.

I don't much like cities.

When it comes to fishing, deep woods I am mostly at ease. I have gotten the willies in semi green spaces in urban and suburban environments. That cow eyeing you up and walking towards you to check things out when the fenceline comes close to the stream. The drug deal you just know must be going down up the bike trail. The drunk just released from prison guy walking the railroad tracks. The "is this or is this not posted land" question when 60 year old posted signs end and you decide to cut in, wondering if some angry landowner interprets things differently. The dog barking and trying to break his chain from that cabin over there. And the worst is adjacent to golf courses. Am I going to very suddenly be on the recieving end of a wayward slice? But I had that feeling when I used to golf too! I don't know how golfers live with it! Maybe its how bad I was at the game and feeling worried for the guy on the adjacent fairway as I teed off. I don't golf anymore for obvious reasons!

Those cross my mind from time to time.
 
Mostly well said replies, IMO.

I think primal fear is cured by experience/familiarity. When urban or suburban is your "normal", it's natural to feel somewhat ill at ease in the natural world. The opposite is also true.

For me, humans (and by association abused dogs) are my concern. Nearly all people are ok. I've run across folks who look dicey. But, with a smile and a waive, we end up having a nice chat. The one's that have their own isolation-based morality plus a good dose of controlled substances are wild cards. PA has "remote" areas, but we are never truly far from other people.
 
troutbert wrote:
I've been roaming around the PA woods since I was young and most of the time I feel comfortable there.

But I have got the willies a few times. And there does seem to be a pattern, similar to what you described. The areas that are dark, shaded with hemlocks, that feel closed in, are mostly likely to give me the willies. Areas of open woods, i.e. where the understory is open enough that you can see around easily feel more comfortable to me.

IMHO, this is just encoded into our DNA, and makes sense logically. For our ancestors, when there were common dangers from man and beast, the places where you can see were less dangerous than where you could see.

One thing that helps is not watching scary movies. Another thing that helps if fishing with a buddy.

I think the PA woods is actually a very safe place. But that's the logical part of the brain. The challenge is convincing the other part of the brain that that is true.

Well said.^

I'm also in the camp that tends to feel at home in the woods and I'm usually alone when fishing remote streams. I think this may come from having done this since I was a kid. Nighttime can make me feel a bit out of sorts, but this tends to be more a practical issue (fear of falling down or getting disoriented) rather than a sense of foreboding, such as the OP describes.

Interesting topic and a good thread. . .
 
Once a long time ago...in the early '70's, I was bow hunting near the Loyalhanna Dam. I was pretty deep in the woods (not deep like up north....but deep) when I stepped across a log that had fallen over the path.

In the center of where I was going to step was a paw print. At the time I judged it as a cat track.....likely a Bobcat. The mud was just soft enough to make the track appear larger than what ever actually made it.

All I had was my recurve bow and 4 arrows. I recall the sense of being watched....and not by whitetail deer.

I felt a bit creepy and turned back to setup closer to my vehicle.
 
I came across a drug cooking operation a couple years ago on a remote brook trout stream. I carry when fishing so it really doesn't concern me though I'd really rather not deal with it.

I love being alone in the woods and as remote as I can get. I've never really felt uneasy about fishing. Not in remote places. I've fished some shady urban places that made me feel uneasy though.

I've had coyotes track me in archery season though. That's always a little hairy. I know they don't want anything to do with me though. Our critters are more afraid of us than we should be of them. Humans are the only thing I don't trust.
 
silverfox wrote:
Humans are the only thing I don't trust.

Amen. And the only time I've ran into shady people is fishing more urban stream environments. Spring Creek in Harrisburg could be one such place.

A few weeks ago I was walking some old abandoned railroad tracks and I passed a guy that was down in the bushes that made me turn around and glance a couple of times once I was passed him.
 
You need to watch the movie Deliverance before your next trip into the remote woods. That will put your mind at ease!! :)
 
pcray1231 wrote:

That cow eyeing you up and walking towards you to check things out when the fenceline comes close to the stream.

I grew up on a dairy farm. Cows won't hurt you. They are not aggressive. They are very curious, which is why they walk towards you and look at you.

Bulls are dangerous. Do not go into a field where there's a bull.

 
Not that this will make the OP feel any better about SGL 211, but one of my weird(est) human encounters occurred there. It was New Years Day a few years ago, and while it was above freezing that day (40 deg maybe) there was snow on the ground. My wife and I decided to go for a hike and try to catch our first Trout of the new year, a bit of a tradition for us. We parked at the Gold Mine Road lot and hiked west on the rail trail with a plan to have lunch at Rausch Gap, and fish Rausch Creek below the diversion wells a little bit. This is approximately 3.5 miles from the Gold Mine Road lot, the closest vehicle access point.

When we got to Rausch Gap, there was a guy, alone, standing on the bridge over Rausch Creek. He was wearing white high top sneakers, a white T-shirt, and grey cotton sweatpants. I did not see that he had a backpack with additional gear. Weird. As we approached, I gave him the usual “Hi, how ya doin?” He didn’t respond, just kept staring down at the water.

My wife and I hiked downstream maybe a 1/4 mile along the creek and stopped and had lunch. We fished back up, and upon getting within eyesight of the bridge, I noticed him still standing there. We quit fishing, and hiked east in the woods a couple hundred yards parallel to the rail trail before popping up back on it. When we did, maybe 400 yards east of the Rausch Creek bridge, we noticed him start walking behind us, roughly a 1/4 mile down the trail. We double timed it from there. He never walked faster, or got any closer, but his behavior was definitely out of place. To be 3.5 miles from the nearest road, in those conditions, with such improper clothing? And to not respond? I was maybe being extra cautious as my wife was with me, but still.

We encountered 4 women walking their dogs about a mile up the trail from the lot on the way out. You could still see the man in the distance down the trail at the time. We relayed what happened, and they decided it best to turn around and walk out with us. When we got back, and got into our vehicle to leave, we noticed that all of the remaining vehicles belonged to the four women. The lot was empty when we left…And I could no longer see the man following behind us on the trail…
 
Swattie87 wrote:
Not that this will make the OP feel any better about SGL 211, but one of my weird(est) human encounters occurred there. It was New Years Day a few years ago, and while it was above freezing that day (40 deg maybe) there was snow on the ground. My wife and I decided to go for a hike and try to catch our first Trout of the new year, a bit of a tradition for us. We parked at the Gold Mine Road lot and hiked west on the rail trail with a plan to have lunch at Rausch Gap, and fish Rausch Creek below the diversion wells a little bit. This is approximately 3.5 miles from the Gold Mine Road lot, the closest vehicle access point.

When we got to Rausch Gap, there was a guy, alone, standing on the bridge over Rausch Creek. He was wearing white high top sneakers, a white T-shirt, and grey cotton sweatpants. I did not see that he had a backpack with additional gear. Weird. As we approached, I gave him the usual “Hi, how ya doin?” He didn’t respond, just kept staring down at the water.

My wife and I hiked downstream maybe a 1/4 mile along the creek and stopped and had lunch. We fished back up, and upon getting within eyesight of the bridge, I noticed him still standing there. We quit fishing, and hiked east in the woods a couple hundred yards parallel to the rail trail before popping up back on it. When we did, maybe 400 yards east of the Rausch Creek bridge, we noticed him start walking behind us, roughly a 1/4 mile down the trail. We double timed it from there. He never walked faster, or got any closer, but his behavior was definitely out of place. To be 3.5 miles from the nearest road, in those conditions, with such improper clothing? And to not respond? I was maybe being extra cautious as my wife was with me, but still.

We encountered 4 women walking their dogs about a mile up the trail from the lot on the way out. You could still see the man in the distance down the trail at the time. We relayed what happened, and they decided it best to turn around and walk out with us. When we got back, and got into our vehicle to leave, we noticed that all of the remaining vehicles belonged to the four women. The lot was empty when we left…And I could no longer see the man following behind us on the trail…

Maybe it was a mothman pupae
 
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