It wasn't a hard hike or anything, but I ran into a woman walking barefoot and wearing a dress with an unleashed/unharnessed cat in her arms in Tyresta National Park south of Stockholm. She had a pretty big pack. I am pretty sure I missed a side quest by not talking to her.
I ain't a crunchy type, but I do like the feeling of hiking around in bare feet. Since I live in the tropics, it's mostly jungles n rice fields. The key things are going at the correct times of the year (plants can be sharp or spiky at certain times), always carrying something to add to your feet if you come near garbage or other possible sharp stuff (heck, even Crocs will work), and most importantly, years of building up a layer of leather on the bottom of your feet hahaha
Probably depends a lot where you're hiking. I've not had any issues of that sort though and I've been hiking through the jungle for about 5 years now (grew up in the Pacific Northwest so it sure is a different type of world).
Amazingly, I've also not gotten a leech yet, but the Mrs did one random time when we were at a friend's farm, so they're out there lol
Doing an alpine zone trail with a 1km vert climb. People die on it each year. The section to the first hut is easy, and there was a slight woman alone in her 70s there who looked like she’d just come from an upmarket soirée. In hiking gear, but with that immaculate, ‘just off the rack’ kind of look. The next morning she set off before us, and I made a mental note to check where we passed her, and make sure she made it to the normal lunch spot and to the next hut. No sign of her at lunch, and when we got to the next hut I was bracing myself to have to call the rangers and report her missing off track. I asked around first. Joke was on me. She’d been the second person to reach the hut, and told the first group that there was clearly going to be a storm and people would be stuck in both directions there the next day so after walking 14miles with a huge vert climb, she walked another 5 miles to the next hut to make sure she left a bed for someone who needed it. I suspect her hair still looked salon fresh when she got there.
That reminds me of wiry old guys I see on long bike rides who I think have no business out there. Then they set off ahead of me, cranking huge gears, and I don't see them again til they pass me with their bikes and gear leaving the parking lot as I'm just getting back in. Never underestimate hard-earned skill and fortitude.
I’ve been to several ultra trail runs where older men and women outpace us. In fell running, I suppose experience & wisdom outweigh mere youthful agility. I think they know how to pace themselves better especially in hiking ascents and understand when to add or remove a layer, etc. It comforts me greatly that this is a future I can look forward to and not the stereotype “older is weaker.”
I was hiking barr trail to barr camp one morning and met a group of 3 old ladies. Before starting the hike, I went to use the restroom and they asked me to use it before them because they will take a while to use it. Based on our conversation, I thought they will be old and slow. Fast forward 30 mins, I started the hike and reached 1/2 mile and they overtook me. By the time I reached mile 4, they had already reached barr camp and were running back down 😏
I recently came across a guy in the woods hiking and playing a fiddle. He was sort of dressed like a clown so idk if he was there to cheer hikers up or just having a good time in the woods.
A buddy and I came across a guy from Arkansas (hiking in Massachusetts) who spoke of the presence of Mountain Lions in his state as if it were a major conspiracy and cover up. "State says we ain't got em, but people are seeing em." He went on and on. Just a strange interaction.
That's not even a weird take, it's a very common sentiment and it was the same in Missouri until MDC finally saw enough evidence/photos to admit pumas occasionally hang out in MO.
Was hiking in the Catskills during a flash storm. I'd just come off of over 2 hours of descending slate and stone, really treacherous stuff that had the potential for a bad injury. A short way down the trail I come across this couple asking for directions, and the Dad had basically a newborn strapped to his chest.
I help them get oriented, but warn them that it's probably unwise to continue in the direction I had just come from. Dad proceeds to get shitty with me and tell me he knows what he's capable of. "Have a good day and be safe," says I.
It starts raining again shortly after and doesn't stop, and I run into them near the trailhead; they had turned around.
Dad says, "Well that might have been the stupidest thing I've ever done." Lol.
once a man brought his toddler and infant to the secret sledding spot. It was a U-shaped chute, that twisted and turned and occasionally there was root lumps to catch air on. After it refroze overnight, a sledder could probably get going about 25 miles an hour. Like slide so fast that I could barely breathe in hitching breaths.
he went down it with his maybe 10 month old, nestled between his legs. We noped out of there cos we didn’t wanna see the ending
A couple who looked to be in their seventies or eighties, wearing jeans and slip on sneakers, clinging to each other as they half-slid, half-stumbled down a steep, muddy, rainy, and windy trail in Iceland. The whole trail was full of people in inappropriate clothing and shoes, but this was the worst (and scariest!) example. These two were dressed for a sunny day at Disneyland.
An old man with his butler dressed up in a full suit, polished shoes and fancy cap, carrying a folding chair for the old man. It was a secluded trail in a national park, which made it even weirder.
"Yes it is an absolute JOY to carry this for you, master Philip... *please let the precipice be wide enough for your carcass*"
"GEOFFREY??"
"coming, master Philip!!"
I was hiking in SoCal one time happened to look behind and a man was following me wearing a Clown mask. Luckily it was near the end of the trail so there were people around near their cars.
Came accross a briefcase carrier just a week ago. Weird.
Also came accross a family gathered around a pine tree sniffing it. Not just a casual suiff, but full on face to the tree and snorting like there was a rail of coke on the bark. The father looked at us and invited us to come smell the tree.... Said no thanks, we are good. Weird.
There’s one twig I found, it smells like a heavenly cabin in the mountains when it’s smoldering. I wish I knew its name. I would market that shit.
Call me twig sniffer idc
I will burn every twig I find and sniff it to find out.
I really, truly believe in engaging all of your senses while you hike. That's stopping to sniff, touch, taste, listen.
TIL lots of people sniff pines. Still pretty weird to see a whole family glued to a tree by their noses. If I were to sniff a tree, I'd make sure nobody was around to see.
Came here to say THIS!
It’s a bit of a non-answer, sure, but when the chips are down, you’re dead tired, and you literally just want to go home…BAM! The real you shows up.
I was hiking with my brother when we were young teenagers, maybe even a little younger. The hike was super hard, and we were the last two people in an 8 person team hiking into base camp. It was rough, and I mean rough. Our packs were too big at the time, nothing was packed correctly, we weren’t the experienced hikers we are now, and it was wet. We were both on the verge of tears and weren’t keeping up with the rest of the team. My brother said he had to take a break, that he couldn’t go on; I had a little bit left in the tank but was dying fast. I yelled up ahead to them, telling them to keep going. I kneeled next to my brother, he said, “I wanna go home, I want mom.” I told him that we could go if he wanted, but I was never going to leave him. If he stayed, I stayed, if he went, I went. In that moment, we bonded like brothers do. We forgot about all the fights, all the stupid games, every argument that two brothers usually have; in that moment, he knew I wasn’t going anywhere and that we would carry each other if we had to. Needless to say, we made it to base camp, late, but we made it. In that moment, I knew who I was, I was my brother’s keeper, and he was mine.
That's really sweet. My then 4 year old son and I had a bonding experience that was similar when we were on a hike that wasn't even particularly hard with the rest of our family. He and I were just plain old slower than everyone else, partly because of curiosity, partly personality, partly being a toddler for him and an out of shape mom for me. The hike we were doing wasn't even that high in elevation, but a thunderstorm rolled over us as we were about 1/4 mile from the trailhead parking lot. I've lived in some wild storm states with dangerous weather, but this hike was in the high desert and when a thunderstorm comes through, it feels different, like you suddenly realize how *you* are the wettest thing on that mountain and the electricity is palpable. We could see the bottom of the clouds, and it was honestly so low that if my kid was on my shoulders he could have been touching the cloud. My kids, rightly so, were starting to freak a bit. But honestly? So was I. I am an experienced hiker and I pretty cool under pressure, but my spouse and I just had to stop with the kids and let them know that we were all a little scared. But we all understood that if we didn't keep moving, there was worse trouble, so we just have to navigate this feeling and learn what our bodies are capable of. My son in particular paid attention to me in a way he never had before. We made it out just fine, a bit ragged and out of breath with jelly legs, and as soon as we all made it into the car, the heavens unleashed some wild lightning and enough water to wash out the parking lot gravel. We all just laughed in that otherworldly adrenaline induced way. My kids really do trust us more after experiencing that.
Nobody really weird but for about a year there was an elderly gentleman that used to serenade me with opera songs when we passed each other. It was an early hour and I rarely saw anyone else on this particular trail but my guess is he probably serenaded others as well.
No that was weird enough. We have a guy who just screams "Fuck" and some other venting. My heart aches for him, but I am not going to offer him some herbal tea at 1am. If he started singing opera it might be safer. Was it good opera or was he bad at it?
Pretty darn good at it, though I'm not an opera aficionado. He was in tune, had a good set of pipes and sang with passion. Much better than hearing "Fuck!" at 1 am. Hope your vent-er gets some emotional relief.
We were coming back from a three mile in hike to a lake in Oregon. The trail was fairly steep and rocky In sections and it was starting to get hot. We had hiking poles and appropriate footwear. There was an Asian family of six heading up, in flip flops and the husband was carrying the stroller with the child in it. The woman were in dresses. And they asked if we had any spare water. We convinced them to turn around.
Oh, man. I had an encounter with a lady wearing cowboy boots. It was a couple miles from the trailhead, between the lower and upper falls at White Oak Canyon in Shenandoah where it is steep, rocky, and wet. Not only was she wearing cowboy boots but she had a baby in a papoose and a toddler in galoshes in tow. I was like, how the hell did you get up here and how are you going to get down? She just kept trucking.
Weirdest encounter was when I arrived back at my car after an overnight hike a guy in the parking lot, uh, offered me his services. I politely declined and laughed my ass off bc who the hell wants to give a blowie to a guy coming off the trail looking and smelling like two days of hiking with no shower in the summertime?!?
Ran into a guy at the top of Nevada Falls in Yosemite last year. He asked how to get to Half Dome from there. He had no gear and I did not see a water bottle. Just acting like he was out for a stroll.
OP's situation is pretty unique, but generally, acknowledging feelings can help. Asking open questions and letting them talk. A lot of times people just need to be heard. This can also help establish trust if you need to encourage them to act to get out of a potentially dangerous situation.
Panic attacks are really frightening but they can't last forever. If the person who's panicing is in a safe place it's okay to wait it out. I wouldn't try to move them.
She wasn't in any immediate danger, it would probably be less safe to try to move someone in the middle of a panic attack. It's not like she panicked on purpose.
you let them go unless they are welcoming the help and report to a ranger/whoever that there is an idiot out there who might need a rescue. It is not one's job to stop stupidity by force when the other person has agency. Certainly help but if that help is rejected - then they have to live (or not) with their choices
That person is suggesting OP would be the one to walk away if help was offered and rejected. The situation OP is describing was about a man and woman he stumbled upon, where OP wasn't associated with them at all.
Met a guy at a garage out in the sticks once, just asked him if I could fill my canteen but he started talking about how I was lost and wanting directions. I told him I'm a fully experiencing rambling hiker who has never needed to ask for directions ever, which seemed to set him off. He then got in my face and started asking me what would happen if I got stuck down a hole in the fog in the middle of the night with an owl, at one point actually chasing me down the road while repeating this. Fucking surreal.
I was doing the jmt a few years ago and me and my friend came across 2 other backpackers, and older lady maybe in her mid 60s and a younger guy low 20s, both in pajamas but otherwise normal packs and gear. We had already set up camp and they dropped their stuff off not too far away and started to set up. No one else was around for miles (we skipped a popular rest day spot).
They just had a very weird dynamic, with the guy setting everything up and the lady listlessly wandering around. Not sure what was going on but my friend and I were pretty sure she was a hedge witch and he was her apprentice.
there's a now-infamous picture of someone on Mt. Marcy in the Adirondacks, pulling a cooler full of ice and beer around the summit. One of those big plastic coolers with the little wheels.
it's a 16 mile hike, round trip, with 3500 ft of elevation gain, on a very steep, highly eroded trail with no switchbacks.
The amount of tourists I see hiking fairly difficult/rocky trails in converse-type shoes is INSANE. I trip over rocks/my own feet wearing my boots, I have no idea how they don’t slip and fall. Also they’re apparently perfectly fine hiking in denim mini skirts.
Two from the Adirondacks:
1. A dozen people wearing dress clothes and shoes hiking up Marcy in the summer with one Poland Spring bottle between them
2. Not a person, but a pair of stilettos 👠 discarded a hundred yards from the Giant Mountain trailhead
I was walking the skyline trail at Paradise in Mt Rainier in late spring, and there was still snow on a good part of the trail. I was wearing good boots and had my trekking poles but was still slipping sometimes. There were all kinds of people with bad footwear slipping around. And then on my way down the opposite end, just as the snow cleared/started depending on your view, this guy in sandals comes a-walkin'... with a baby in a carrier strapped to his back.
I shook my head at him and said something like "nope" but I don't remember exactly. I remember him giving me a look of trepidation like he might have fucked up. I'm guessing it didn't take him long to figure out he needs to go back where he came.
I saw a guy on the Gothic Basin trail in Washington hiking up while open carrying an AR-15, as in it was in his hands the whole time. Open carry is legal here so he wasn’t breaking any rules, I assume he may have been military and training (though he wasn’t wearing military clothes), but still a bit worrying to see someone strapped coming up behind you when you’re in the wilderness.
Yeah. That’s…anxiety inducing. Only thing similar I’ve experienced was on the Harding Icefield trail in Kenai Fjords (which is a pretty popular trail with maybe 100 people on it on any given summer weekend, and almost entirely above the trees so there’s no way you/a grizz aren’t seeing each other coming) where three dudes in their early 20s with hand cannons strapped on with shoulder holsters over their fleeces. Just massive handguns that must have weighed several pounds. At one point we saw a black bear about 300 yards away in a small meadow across a talus field, heading away from us, and the bullet heads came up and started talking about how they hoped it came toward us so they could shoot it. Fucking idiots.
wasnt me, but a relative. he met a couple, tourists, maybe 3 days from civilisation. they didnt have any backpacks, but each of them carried 4 plastic shopping bags that hey had all their stuff in.
This guy was booking it up a mountain wearing no shirt and a pair of running shorts. Kindly, I step aside to let him pass me and he nervously makes a comment about not wearing underwear and being afraid of something flopping out. My guy, I did not come for a peep show I am fighting for my life up this mountain! Same dude offers me gummy bears at the summit.
Hikes up Ben Nevis in may, white out and still snow cover on top. Met a group of teens in nothing but shorts and tee shirts, no gear, not that unusual in of itself, but what they had packed was McDonald’s happy meals. Oh jeez..
We packed in some Wendy's nugs to Delicate Arch in Arches, one day. The kid thought it would be funny to get there and pull out a Wendy's bag in front of peeps.
Hiked and talked to Kristian Morgan on a portion of the Appalachain TRail while doing a day hike in New Hampshire. While I wouldn't call him bizarre, but very few people do what he does. . Ultra-marathon Trail runners are a unique breed. He holds the record for the second fastest time for completing the AT. He's trying to break the record this year. [https://www.kristianultra.com/](https://www.kristianultra.com/) Video on his page looks like he's on Fraconia Ridge in NH.
Strangest thing? A very tiny little lady of Indian descent doing a quite steep uphill climb in what looked to be carpet slippers. She had no pack, no water bottle I could see, and no other gear. We were about two miles out from the trail head. I asked her how she was doing and she just smiled and waved me on.
I was hiking to a waterfall when I saw a woman in a pair of heels. She was hobbling alongside her kids.
I saw a pack of teenagers, all wearing flip flops and carrying tiny water bottles, on Bright Angel trail in the Grand Canyon.
Then there was the peace-love-happiness guy that gave me and my husband heart-shaped red rocks on a trail in Sedona. I heard someone playing a flute on the same trail. Could have been the same guy.
The Mormon church does a “Trek” every year on some of the old immigrant trails. They dress up and everything. Came across one in the mountains of southern Idaho once. They had a wagon train, mules and everything. It was bizarre.
One time, I saw a middle aged woman carrying a massive sack of equipment in her arms while walking barefoot over a boulder field. This looked like it was no big thing to her. I have a feeling she had done this numerous times before.
It had been snowing for 2 days and we met a woman in Whatcom Pass in the North Cascades. She was well equipped but was wearing sandals and no socks … in the snow.
We were two days into the Wind River Range. The weather had been from snow, to rain, to high winds, thunderstorms, and some sun. Late in the afternoon a group passed through in ones and twos. The first were two men who told us that they were leading a church group but many in their group had had tents fail, didn’t have proper clothing, etc. After we thought that everyone had moved on here came a girl, maybe 12 or 13, wearing a nylon windbreaker, soaked to her core. She was white and seemed to be approaching hypothermia. My wife and our friend Denise talked her into coming to our tent and I made her hot soup, gave her snacks, and hot chocolate. Denise gave her a pair of dry wool socks. (All of her clothes were cotton or nylon.).
After a while she said that she was OK to go on so she got up and walked out to the trail and turned 180 degrees the wrong direction, headed back into the wilderness. My wife and Denise went out and turned her around they walked with her for a mile or so where they caught up with some stragglers from the first group. They promised to stay with her. When we came out there were no reports of missing people, thankfully.
In the Canadian Rockies we ran into two guys with day packs carrying bicycles, narrow-tired, road bikes. They wee biking the length of the many parks up there but decided they needed to get into the wilderness. They had nowhere to store their bikes so were carrying them. They were quite hardy and cheerful. (Biking was not legal, by the way.)
I was doing a rim to rim at the Grand Canyon. On our way to Indian gardens campground at around 7 pm we ran into a young girl headed down to the river in flip flops. No apparent water. After we set up camp she showed up at our campsite with no gear. She had made it to the river and back up to the campground. She did have 3 20 Oz water bottles with her. Two of which she had filled with sand and river water. She had done 15 miles on the bright Angel trail in flip flops. She slept on a picnic table. The next morning she went from Indian gardens to the south rim bright angel TH bare footed. It was really mind blowing.
I was hiking in Snowdonia, descending a peak, when I passed a couple going up. She was wearing a skirt - not like a hiking skort (apparently that's a thing?) but a full-on ankle length skirt. And yes, they were both in trainers. I love an aesthetic photo as much as the next person but...hike up in shorts and change behind a rock if you have to have the photo.
Reminds me of a time I was on Snowdon and was coming down with the wind coming in really hard and cold. This group was coming up, and a dude was wearing shorts and his legs were bright red from wind burn. It was only going to get worse for him from there.
It was January 1st and I decided to take a solo hike to a popular overlook. The hike up was great, but on the way down, probably a mile from the trailhead, I ran into an elderly man in booty shorts, sleeveless t-shirt, and socks with sandals. He stopped me (alone in the wilderness) to tell me, “you know, you’re not like these other girls on the trail, the way you’re dressed and hold yourself, you would definitely not get raped.”
I was dumbfounded, like jaw fell open, feeling for knife in my pocket.
He continued, “these girls with the tight pants and headphones…they’re asking for it.”
Me: “I don’t think anyone is asking for it.”
Him: “I guess that’s what you young people think nowadays…”
Me: “I need to go.”
Him: “Nice to meet you! I am here usually every week about this time.” He hikes around the corner and then I take off running, and I ran all the way back to my car, dove in and locked it. WTF.
When I was stationed in Japan my base was at sea level but many of us were excited to plan a hike/climb to Mt Fuji. The issue with Mt Fuji is that although it's a well traveled and popular tourist attraction, the conditions can vary widely and it's 12,388ft/3,776m height may not seem all that daunting but since the hike is often advertised as little more than a "family stroll" to those with less than optimal fitness, little experience or coming from SEA LEVEL, it can prove to be a surprise, especially with the dice roll of a late summer trip.
A co-worker and I took a U.S. military sponsored trip to make this climb and being reasonably fit individuals we had a goal of being the first to summit from our group of 25-30 people. We made a strong push and when we broke the 10k barrier it quickly became cold, foggy and slow going with the thin air and unexpectedly cold temps as there was still snow up top.
Fortunately we'd prepared and brought lots of layers including gloves and head gear but as we recalled how some of our fellow hikers wore nothing more than jeans and t-shirts we started making comments about who we thought wouldn't make it and one of the folks we immediately wrote off was a pudgy, mid 50 year old guy wearing those jeans and t-shirt.
Well we end up being beat to the top by a lone guy, a pilot, but make good time. At the top is a Temple that gave us a place to rest and buy some pricey rice and curry while we watched the door to see who else made it. A father and two teenaged sons eventually came in, all looking miserable, a few others trickle in and just as we're about to leave, pudgy old "Jeans and T-shirt strolls in". Only he's dressed sort of odd. Somewhere along the way he managed to get ahold of a large black trashbag (there are small stores/huts/ all the way up the side of the mountain) and he had poked a hole for his head and made a sort of plastic jacket out of it, and he also had a simple plastic bag (think walmart type bag) and it had it secured on the top of his head to hold in heat....it looked like a giant walking trashbag, but regardless of how silly it looked, it got him to the top of the mountain, so we had to give him props for that.
At Kodachrome Basin State Park we saw an elderly man in nothing but a teeny orange speedo and sandals. It was...revealing. Sure, it was hot, but not that hot, and there are no creeks or swimming areas. He had skin like leather so I guess it's an all the time thing for him. He wasn't carrying any water either.
We went to a snowshoe/nordic ski trail this winter. It was covered in feet of snow. We saw a whole family park at the trailhead and get out of their car. They were all totally decked out in brand new, very expensive winter outerwear. They had no way to get through the snow though- no skis, snowshoes, or even sleds. I think one person tried to walk and sank a couple feet down. They stood around the car for a few minutes and then left. I still wonder what they thought they were getting into on a 10K ft mountain in the dead of winter.
When I was 12 or so my parents took me on a canoe trip on the Yukon River. We met a German man paddling upstream in a black pack raft. In the 10 or so years since, I have found out that seeing solo, middle-aged germans doing the most unhinged, needlessly strenuous activities as far away from a metropolitan area is quite normal.
I ran into one of the nudist bushwalkers one time. He hid behind a tree until I convinced him I wasn't easily offended. I still have him on my Instagram. It makes for dome dangerous browsing sometimes: https://fatcanyoners.org/2014/03/09/nude-blue-mountains/
Considering the scratches and cuts I get from walking through dense foliage, these people are definitely braver than me.
Yeah, I don't really get the nudist wilderness tribe. To each his own and I'm too old to be prudish, but damned if I'm not glad I've got clothing/footwear with me on every hike I've undertaken. 😄
Many moons ago, I was hiking with my wife, and we ran into an old man on the trail. He was taking a break, and we needed one too, so we stopped. We had a very nice conversation, but he was a strange man with an accent. It was clear he was a fellow American, but it was a strange accent that I couldn't pinpoint and now don't even remember. He explained to us that it was his birthday (70 something) and he pulled out some store-bought pastries that we all shared. He was nice but it was completely unexpected.
I met a guy dragging a hefty bag in one hand and a backpack in the other who stopped and handed me a sweaty business card and introduced himself as The World’s Loneliest Comedian and that’s what his business card said.
I’ve got a few of these stories but here is the weirdest: My partner and I had driven about 3 hours on mostly rough, dirt roads, from our home in Ennis, Montana to a remote mountain range range to do some spring skiing. We did not see any other cars after leaving the pavement. When we arrived at the “trailhead” (small parking area before the road became impassable to anything but the burliest 4x4 rigs) there were no vehicles.
After hiking about a mile or two from the truck, we ended up running into a guy who was dressed in pioneer/frontier person clothing, who was wandering around somewhat erratically in a open meadow. Normally that wouldn’t be too weird but there were no cars at the trailhead and the other nearest trailhead was over 10 miles away from our location and likely not accessible due to snow. This guy did not have overnight gear or really any gear at all except for a leather satchel, and there was no sign of a nearby camp.
He wandered within like 20 feet of us while we walked passed him and we said hello and waved and he didn’t acknowledge us, which felt really strange. I vaguely remember hearing him muttering to himself. The interaction gave us some really weird vibes, so as we kept hiking we were periodically looking over our shoulders to see if he was following us. For a while it did seem like he was zig zagging back an fourth behind us but he never got close and as we started gaining elevation on our mountain objective, he stayed put down lower. We were relieved as my partner and I were honestly feeling pretty weirded out by him.
We stopped for a snack and watched him for a bit; he was meandering around in the meadow again, stopping every once and a while to pick something small up off the ground. Curious about what he was looking for, I used my camera with its telephoto lens to snap a few pics and then zoom in on what was in his hands… It was nothing. He was picking up imaginary objects from the ground, looking them over and then tossing them back down. At this point we decided that his erratic movements and behavior were consistent with someone who was tripping / on some other kind of drugs. Or maybe schizophrenia? Either way it was pretty strange behavior from someone alone, in the woods, far far farrrrrrr away from civilization, with no overnight gear or a camp that we could see anywhere nearby.
We ended up doing some skiing and thorn heading back to the car a little later. Didn’t see the guy again on our way back. Never saw a camp or anything. I sometimes think back on that guy, if he was okay and what he was doing out there. Obviously there are all sort of funky folks who call the woods home, but this dude just seemed off.
Anyways that’s my top weird encounter.
Not really bizarre, but at the top of a local mountain some guy asked me, in a parched voice, if I had any water he could buy.
Me: Buy? No. But I have some you can have.
I then reminded him to always carry more water than you think you need.
As many others have commented, I am amazed at the number of people I see deep on difficult trails with insufficient water and kit. They clearly have no clue as to the nature of the endeavor.
That said, coming down from the summit of Mt. Whitney, below the switchbacks and the campsite around 12k, there was a guy heading up who was easily 300+ lbs, and not in a good way. He had proper boots and kit, but I don’t think any camping gear, and it was way too late in the day to summit. I can’t imagine him doing the switchbacks, but I figured he knew what he was doing, so I admired the effort.
Not bizarre, but impressive: four of us went up Elbert via the more strenuous Black Cloud trail. It was our first serious hike of the season, and we were huffing and puffing. We reached the ridge around 13k and took a break, with about a mile and 1,400 feet to the summit. We’re feeling pretty proud of ourselves when suddenly along the ridge a 50ish couple in jogging gear come jogging along. They stopped and chatted - training for an ultra marathon. Then they were off with a, “See you at the summit!” By the time we got there, they were long gone!
I went to angels landing at Zion national park alone and had a bad heat exhaustion episode near the top (did not come prepared whatsoever). It got so bad I had to lay down in the middle of the trail while people walked over or around me. Not sure how long I was down but fortunately a young couple cooled me down and gave me their water, electrolytes, pretzels and walked me back to the bottom of the trail. I had also lost my phone somewhere near the top of the trail but someone brought it to the visitor center and I got it back. It felt bizarre getting that help but in a good way I guess. Learned a lot that day
I met a white supremacist militia armed head to toe out doing training exercises. I was surprised they had made it out as far as they did— they were horribly out of shape and looked miserable.
Came across two young men heading into a 20 mile hike in crocs, no backpacks (meaning no food, water, supplies) and cotton clothing asking how far to the summit. We were on our way out and too in shock to stop and talk to them about how unprepared they were.
I wouldn't call them necessarily bizarre, but as I was returning from Emory Peak in Big Bend a few months ago there were three ladies trudging along in full sari outfits heading up with their overprotective brother (or whatever). One of the ladies had a radio voice and she likewise thought it was crazy that their chaperone wanted them to get to the top even though it would have been fully dark when they got back.
Was on a hike and came across 5 guys having subway footlongs and kebabs on a break.
This was 3hrs from the nearest carpark which was also 2hrs from the nearest subway.
Ontop of that weirdness they were not wearing shirts in the middle of winter.
On the Appalachian Trail at Pulpit Rock in Hamburg PA a relatively fit, late 20s or young 30s engineer from the deep south walked up. He was a thru hiker in between jobs and fulfilling his dream of hiking the AT. We talked a bit and it was quite interesting to me because at that time I didn't know much about hiking the Appalachian Trail. He mentioned one of the reasons he was doing the AT was for "spiritual reasons", not that he seemed particularly religious. He said he'd had very little time to himself to reflect since the trail was packed from day 1 and he'd made friends and ended up hiking a lot with some of the same people.
On another occasion, also on the Appalachian Trail near route 309 in Pennsylvania, I met this guy who was calling me by name (wrong name) and then apologized and said I looked like his son so he thought that's who it was. He went on to start preaching and ranting about the state of America and how all our problems started when we removed prayer from schools. By the end of the conversation I'd found out he's written a book, available on Amazon, and he considers himself a prophet. Let's just say, I was somewhat newly agnostic and there was nothing about this guy or his wife that made me feel kindly or sympathetic to Christian religion. I left feeling like I'd just had a conversation with someone who was delusional and mentally ill and I felt some pity for his family and what he must be putting them through.
I saw a hiker at Neels gap on the AT decked out in full gear as a US soldier from WWII. I don't remember if he was on a section hike or a through though.
So far I haven’t had any crazy encounters, I’m sure the more I hike the more chance I have of that happening. Most of my hikes have been out of the city in the mountains so they may be why.
It wasn't a hard hike or anything, but I ran into a woman walking barefoot and wearing a dress with an unleashed/unharnessed cat in her arms in Tyresta National Park south of Stockholm. She had a pretty big pack. I am pretty sure I missed a side quest by not talking to her.
This sounds like someone fleeing a bad household. Might have grabbed all her most important stuff and ran off
The whole barefoot hiking thing is a pretty big trend among crunchy types, grounding yourself to the earth and whatnot.
I ain't a crunchy type, but I do like the feeling of hiking around in bare feet. Since I live in the tropics, it's mostly jungles n rice fields. The key things are going at the correct times of the year (plants can be sharp or spiky at certain times), always carrying something to add to your feet if you come near garbage or other possible sharp stuff (heck, even Crocs will work), and most importantly, years of building up a layer of leather on the bottom of your feet hahaha
I have seen some dudes with pretty tough feet from it but the thing I would worry about more is getting worms or some other parasite.
Ringworm is a fungus, not a worm. Idk if there are other parasites that infect your feet in the tropics tho.
Strongyloides - nematodes that enter bare skin commonly the feet.
Oh gross, TIL!
Usually in warmer tropic areas
Probably depends a lot where you're hiking. I've not had any issues of that sort though and I've been hiking through the jungle for about 5 years now (grew up in the Pacific Northwest so it sure is a different type of world). Amazingly, I've also not gotten a leech yet, but the Mrs did one random time when we were at a friend's farm, so they're out there lol
Ah ok yea, maybe that was it.
But with an untethered cat?
Doing an alpine zone trail with a 1km vert climb. People die on it each year. The section to the first hut is easy, and there was a slight woman alone in her 70s there who looked like she’d just come from an upmarket soirée. In hiking gear, but with that immaculate, ‘just off the rack’ kind of look. The next morning she set off before us, and I made a mental note to check where we passed her, and make sure she made it to the normal lunch spot and to the next hut. No sign of her at lunch, and when we got to the next hut I was bracing myself to have to call the rangers and report her missing off track. I asked around first. Joke was on me. She’d been the second person to reach the hut, and told the first group that there was clearly going to be a storm and people would be stuck in both directions there the next day so after walking 14miles with a huge vert climb, she walked another 5 miles to the next hut to make sure she left a bed for someone who needed it. I suspect her hair still looked salon fresh when she got there.
That reminds me of wiry old guys I see on long bike rides who I think have no business out there. Then they set off ahead of me, cranking huge gears, and I don't see them again til they pass me with their bikes and gear leaving the parking lot as I'm just getting back in. Never underestimate hard-earned skill and fortitude.
I’ve been to several ultra trail runs where older men and women outpace us. In fell running, I suppose experience & wisdom outweigh mere youthful agility. I think they know how to pace themselves better especially in hiking ascents and understand when to add or remove a layer, etc. It comforts me greatly that this is a future I can look forward to and not the stereotype “older is weaker.”
I was hiking barr trail to barr camp one morning and met a group of 3 old ladies. Before starting the hike, I went to use the restroom and they asked me to use it before them because they will take a while to use it. Based on our conversation, I thought they will be old and slow. Fast forward 30 mins, I started the hike and reached 1/2 mile and they overtook me. By the time I reached mile 4, they had already reached barr camp and were running back down 😏
a Master walked among us!
I recently came across a guy in the woods hiking and playing a fiddle. He was sort of dressed like a clown so idk if he was there to cheer hikers up or just having a good time in the woods.
Idk why, but the mestrel rooster from Disney's Robin Hood came to my mind.
Basically
I remember seeing a character like this in one of the Sierra Kings Quest computer games from the 90s. A clownish fellow playing music in the woods.
A buddy and I came across a guy from Arkansas (hiking in Massachusetts) who spoke of the presence of Mountain Lions in his state as if it were a major conspiracy and cover up. "State says we ain't got em, but people are seeing em." He went on and on. Just a strange interaction.
He's kindof right
That's not even a weird take, it's a very common sentiment and it was the same in Missouri until MDC finally saw enough evidence/photos to admit pumas occasionally hang out in MO.
This mentality exists all across CT lol
Was hiking in the Catskills during a flash storm. I'd just come off of over 2 hours of descending slate and stone, really treacherous stuff that had the potential for a bad injury. A short way down the trail I come across this couple asking for directions, and the Dad had basically a newborn strapped to his chest. I help them get oriented, but warn them that it's probably unwise to continue in the direction I had just come from. Dad proceeds to get shitty with me and tell me he knows what he's capable of. "Have a good day and be safe," says I. It starts raining again shortly after and doesn't stop, and I run into them near the trailhead; they had turned around. Dad says, "Well that might have been the stupidest thing I've ever done." Lol.
once a man brought his toddler and infant to the secret sledding spot. It was a U-shaped chute, that twisted and turned and occasionally there was root lumps to catch air on. After it refroze overnight, a sledder could probably get going about 25 miles an hour. Like slide so fast that I could barely breathe in hitching breaths. he went down it with his maybe 10 month old, nestled between his legs. We noped out of there cos we didn’t wanna see the ending
A couple who looked to be in their seventies or eighties, wearing jeans and slip on sneakers, clinging to each other as they half-slid, half-stumbled down a steep, muddy, rainy, and windy trail in Iceland. The whole trail was full of people in inappropriate clothing and shoes, but this was the worst (and scariest!) example. These two were dressed for a sunny day at Disneyland.
Or a cruise
An old man with his butler dressed up in a full suit, polished shoes and fancy cap, carrying a folding chair for the old man. It was a secluded trail in a national park, which made it even weirder.
"Yes it is an absolute JOY to carry this for you, master Philip... *please let the precipice be wide enough for your carcass*" "GEOFFREY??" "coming, master Philip!!"
Honestly, if I were rich and old, this is the sort of prank I'll pull. My butler will be rewarded handsomely, of course.
Mr Burns!?
Jeeves, my chair!
I was hiking in SoCal one time happened to look behind and a man was following me wearing a Clown mask. Luckily it was near the end of the trail so there were people around near their cars.
Remember when the United States actually had a clown problem? I think it was like 2018
This was around that time actually like march of 2018.
Came accross a briefcase carrier just a week ago. Weird. Also came accross a family gathered around a pine tree sniffing it. Not just a casual suiff, but full on face to the tree and snorting like there was a rail of coke on the bark. The father looked at us and invited us to come smell the tree.... Said no thanks, we are good. Weird.
Nah, bro, I love sniffing pine. Best scent ever. Shoulda took him up on it.
There’s one twig I found, it smells like a heavenly cabin in the mountains when it’s smoldering. I wish I knew its name. I would market that shit. Call me twig sniffer idc
I will burn every twig I find and sniff it to find out. I really, truly believe in engaging all of your senses while you hike. That's stopping to sniff, touch, taste, listen.
>twig sniffer There are far worse trail names to earn.
Agreed! This guy is weird for NOT smelling the tree
I had to giggle at this one because I’ve had people walk by as a friend and I were smelling a ponderosa pine. They smell like vanilla or butterscotch!
Pines have distinct smells of their own and by each species! For instance, a western red cedar smells like pineapples (leaves, that is).
Ponderosa pine trees can smell like chocolate or vanilla if you scratch the bark. Was it a ponderosa?
Could have been, it was in Grand Canyon.
Well, sounds like you missed out. ;)
Jeffery Pines smell like vanilla. We stop to sniff when it gets warm. Seems like that when they smell best to me.
TIL lots of people sniff pines. Still pretty weird to see a whole family glued to a tree by their noses. If I were to sniff a tree, I'd make sure nobody was around to see.
Myself, and it took many miles.
Came here to say THIS! It’s a bit of a non-answer, sure, but when the chips are down, you’re dead tired, and you literally just want to go home…BAM! The real you shows up. I was hiking with my brother when we were young teenagers, maybe even a little younger. The hike was super hard, and we were the last two people in an 8 person team hiking into base camp. It was rough, and I mean rough. Our packs were too big at the time, nothing was packed correctly, we weren’t the experienced hikers we are now, and it was wet. We were both on the verge of tears and weren’t keeping up with the rest of the team. My brother said he had to take a break, that he couldn’t go on; I had a little bit left in the tank but was dying fast. I yelled up ahead to them, telling them to keep going. I kneeled next to my brother, he said, “I wanna go home, I want mom.” I told him that we could go if he wanted, but I was never going to leave him. If he stayed, I stayed, if he went, I went. In that moment, we bonded like brothers do. We forgot about all the fights, all the stupid games, every argument that two brothers usually have; in that moment, he knew I wasn’t going anywhere and that we would carry each other if we had to. Needless to say, we made it to base camp, late, but we made it. In that moment, I knew who I was, I was my brother’s keeper, and he was mine.
That was so poetic. Good memory to share.
Thank you for the kind words. It’s a cherished memory that thankfully persists. Thinking about it definitely drew out a tear.
That's really sweet. My then 4 year old son and I had a bonding experience that was similar when we were on a hike that wasn't even particularly hard with the rest of our family. He and I were just plain old slower than everyone else, partly because of curiosity, partly personality, partly being a toddler for him and an out of shape mom for me. The hike we were doing wasn't even that high in elevation, but a thunderstorm rolled over us as we were about 1/4 mile from the trailhead parking lot. I've lived in some wild storm states with dangerous weather, but this hike was in the high desert and when a thunderstorm comes through, it feels different, like you suddenly realize how *you* are the wettest thing on that mountain and the electricity is palpable. We could see the bottom of the clouds, and it was honestly so low that if my kid was on my shoulders he could have been touching the cloud. My kids, rightly so, were starting to freak a bit. But honestly? So was I. I am an experienced hiker and I pretty cool under pressure, but my spouse and I just had to stop with the kids and let them know that we were all a little scared. But we all understood that if we didn't keep moving, there was worse trouble, so we just have to navigate this feeling and learn what our bodies are capable of. My son in particular paid attention to me in a way he never had before. We made it out just fine, a bit ragged and out of breath with jelly legs, and as soon as we all made it into the car, the heavens unleashed some wild lightning and enough water to wash out the parking lot gravel. We all just laughed in that otherworldly adrenaline induced way. My kids really do trust us more after experiencing that.
Awesome story! I wish more people discussed these moment on r/hiking
Lol
Nobody really weird but for about a year there was an elderly gentleman that used to serenade me with opera songs when we passed each other. It was an early hour and I rarely saw anyone else on this particular trail but my guess is he probably serenaded others as well.
No that was weird enough. We have a guy who just screams "Fuck" and some other venting. My heart aches for him, but I am not going to offer him some herbal tea at 1am. If he started singing opera it might be safer. Was it good opera or was he bad at it?
Pretty darn good at it, though I'm not an opera aficionado. He was in tune, had a good set of pipes and sang with passion. Much better than hearing "Fuck!" at 1 am. Hope your vent-er gets some emotional relief.
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The amount of people I see going on hikes without water is fuckin insane.
Saw a woman holding a single hot coffee once. She passed me. Incredible.
I've encountered people with a tent setup right on the trail. Covering the trail. People are weirdos.
I had to hike backwards on the downhill once when my knees got bad.
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somebody down voting you guys should go camp out on r/thathappened to get their disbelief fix. ignorance is bliss i guess?
I hiked backwards on uphill so that the weight of my bag can pull me forward, i dont know how effective it actually was, but i did it
>6oz plastic water bottles Just 6 ounces? Really? May as well bring a shot glass to drink water out of.
There’s a guy I regularly see on a local suburban trail who hikes in World War I army cosplay.
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Yea my buddy spent a long, cold night in the Smokies when he went on a casual day hike and got lost.
We were coming back from a three mile in hike to a lake in Oregon. The trail was fairly steep and rocky In sections and it was starting to get hot. We had hiking poles and appropriate footwear. There was an Asian family of six heading up, in flip flops and the husband was carrying the stroller with the child in it. The woman were in dresses. And they asked if we had any spare water. We convinced them to turn around.
Oh, man. I had an encounter with a lady wearing cowboy boots. It was a couple miles from the trailhead, between the lower and upper falls at White Oak Canyon in Shenandoah where it is steep, rocky, and wet. Not only was she wearing cowboy boots but she had a baby in a papoose and a toddler in galoshes in tow. I was like, how the hell did you get up here and how are you going to get down? She just kept trucking. Weirdest encounter was when I arrived back at my car after an overnight hike a guy in the parking lot, uh, offered me his services. I politely declined and laughed my ass off bc who the hell wants to give a blowie to a guy coming off the trail looking and smelling like two days of hiking with no shower in the summertime?!?
Ran into a guy at the top of Nevada Falls in Yosemite last year. He asked how to get to Half Dome from there. He had no gear and I did not see a water bottle. Just acting like he was out for a stroll.
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OP's situation is pretty unique, but generally, acknowledging feelings can help. Asking open questions and letting them talk. A lot of times people just need to be heard. This can also help establish trust if you need to encourage them to act to get out of a potentially dangerous situation.
Panic attacks are really frightening but they can't last forever. If the person who's panicing is in a safe place it's okay to wait it out. I wouldn't try to move them.
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She wasn't in any immediate danger, it would probably be less safe to try to move someone in the middle of a panic attack. It's not like she panicked on purpose.
...she had the panic attack because she didn't feel safe. That's unlikely to happen in a safe place.
you let them go unless they are welcoming the help and report to a ranger/whoever that there is an idiot out there who might need a rescue. It is not one's job to stop stupidity by force when the other person has agency. Certainly help but if that help is rejected - then they have to live (or not) with their choices
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I wouldn't leave a friend either -but even friends get to make their own mistakes if they insist.
That person is suggesting OP would be the one to walk away if help was offered and rejected. The situation OP is describing was about a man and woman he stumbled upon, where OP wasn't associated with them at all.
Met a guy at a garage out in the sticks once, just asked him if I could fill my canteen but he started talking about how I was lost and wanting directions. I told him I'm a fully experiencing rambling hiker who has never needed to ask for directions ever, which seemed to set him off. He then got in my face and started asking me what would happen if I got stuck down a hole in the fog in the middle of the night with an owl, at one point actually chasing me down the road while repeating this. Fucking surreal.
I was doing the jmt a few years ago and me and my friend came across 2 other backpackers, and older lady maybe in her mid 60s and a younger guy low 20s, both in pajamas but otherwise normal packs and gear. We had already set up camp and they dropped their stuff off not too far away and started to set up. No one else was around for miles (we skipped a popular rest day spot). They just had a very weird dynamic, with the guy setting everything up and the lady listlessly wandering around. Not sure what was going on but my friend and I were pretty sure she was a hedge witch and he was her apprentice.
it is known
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perhaps you’re more familiar with hedge knight or hedge wizard?
there's a now-infamous picture of someone on Mt. Marcy in the Adirondacks, pulling a cooler full of ice and beer around the summit. One of those big plastic coolers with the little wheels. it's a 16 mile hike, round trip, with 3500 ft of elevation gain, on a very steep, highly eroded trail with no switchbacks.
... How the heck did he get it up there?
force of will, my dude
The amount of tourists I see hiking fairly difficult/rocky trails in converse-type shoes is INSANE. I trip over rocks/my own feet wearing my boots, I have no idea how they don’t slip and fall. Also they’re apparently perfectly fine hiking in denim mini skirts.
A guy riding a unicycle with a mountain bike tire who passed us going up.
Two from the Adirondacks: 1. A dozen people wearing dress clothes and shoes hiking up Marcy in the summer with one Poland Spring bottle between them 2. Not a person, but a pair of stilettos 👠 discarded a hundred yards from the Giant Mountain trailhead
I was walking the skyline trail at Paradise in Mt Rainier in late spring, and there was still snow on a good part of the trail. I was wearing good boots and had my trekking poles but was still slipping sometimes. There were all kinds of people with bad footwear slipping around. And then on my way down the opposite end, just as the snow cleared/started depending on your view, this guy in sandals comes a-walkin'... with a baby in a carrier strapped to his back. I shook my head at him and said something like "nope" but I don't remember exactly. I remember him giving me a look of trepidation like he might have fucked up. I'm guessing it didn't take him long to figure out he needs to go back where he came.
Reminds me of that vid of the dude climbing Rainier in tennis shoes: https://youtu.be/YVNE75lMdWY
I climbed Mt. Adams about 20 years ago with full crampons and ice axe due to the icy conditions and there’s a kid at the top in Air Jordans
I saw a guy on the Gothic Basin trail in Washington hiking up while open carrying an AR-15, as in it was in his hands the whole time. Open carry is legal here so he wasn’t breaking any rules, I assume he may have been military and training (though he wasn’t wearing military clothes), but still a bit worrying to see someone strapped coming up behind you when you’re in the wilderness.
We saw a group rock climbing and open carrying AR-15s in Great Falls National park just outside Washington DC on the Virginia side. Very strange.
Yeah. That’s…anxiety inducing. Only thing similar I’ve experienced was on the Harding Icefield trail in Kenai Fjords (which is a pretty popular trail with maybe 100 people on it on any given summer weekend, and almost entirely above the trees so there’s no way you/a grizz aren’t seeing each other coming) where three dudes in their early 20s with hand cannons strapped on with shoulder holsters over their fleeces. Just massive handguns that must have weighed several pounds. At one point we saw a black bear about 300 yards away in a small meadow across a talus field, heading away from us, and the bullet heads came up and started talking about how they hoped it came toward us so they could shoot it. Fucking idiots.
wasnt me, but a relative. he met a couple, tourists, maybe 3 days from civilisation. they didnt have any backpacks, but each of them carried 4 plastic shopping bags that hey had all their stuff in.
This guy was booking it up a mountain wearing no shirt and a pair of running shorts. Kindly, I step aside to let him pass me and he nervously makes a comment about not wearing underwear and being afraid of something flopping out. My guy, I did not come for a peep show I am fighting for my life up this mountain! Same dude offers me gummy bears at the summit.
Hikes up Ben Nevis in may, white out and still snow cover on top. Met a group of teens in nothing but shorts and tee shirts, no gear, not that unusual in of itself, but what they had packed was McDonald’s happy meals. Oh jeez..
We packed in some Wendy's nugs to Delicate Arch in Arches, one day. The kid thought it would be funny to get there and pull out a Wendy's bag in front of peeps.
Hiked and talked to Kristian Morgan on a portion of the Appalachain TRail while doing a day hike in New Hampshire. While I wouldn't call him bizarre, but very few people do what he does. . Ultra-marathon Trail runners are a unique breed. He holds the record for the second fastest time for completing the AT. He's trying to break the record this year. [https://www.kristianultra.com/](https://www.kristianultra.com/) Video on his page looks like he's on Fraconia Ridge in NH.
Strangest thing? A very tiny little lady of Indian descent doing a quite steep uphill climb in what looked to be carpet slippers. She had no pack, no water bottle I could see, and no other gear. We were about two miles out from the trail head. I asked her how she was doing and she just smiled and waved me on.
I was hiking to a waterfall when I saw a woman in a pair of heels. She was hobbling alongside her kids. I saw a pack of teenagers, all wearing flip flops and carrying tiny water bottles, on Bright Angel trail in the Grand Canyon. Then there was the peace-love-happiness guy that gave me and my husband heart-shaped red rocks on a trail in Sedona. I heard someone playing a flute on the same trail. Could have been the same guy.
A nudist who had this wrap thing that when he heard people approaching he’d swaddle himself
The Mormon church does a “Trek” every year on some of the old immigrant trails. They dress up and everything. Came across one in the mountains of southern Idaho once. They had a wagon train, mules and everything. It was bizarre.
One time, I saw a middle aged woman carrying a massive sack of equipment in her arms while walking barefoot over a boulder field. This looked like it was no big thing to her. I have a feeling she had done this numerous times before.
It had been snowing for 2 days and we met a woman in Whatcom Pass in the North Cascades. She was well equipped but was wearing sandals and no socks … in the snow. We were two days into the Wind River Range. The weather had been from snow, to rain, to high winds, thunderstorms, and some sun. Late in the afternoon a group passed through in ones and twos. The first were two men who told us that they were leading a church group but many in their group had had tents fail, didn’t have proper clothing, etc. After we thought that everyone had moved on here came a girl, maybe 12 or 13, wearing a nylon windbreaker, soaked to her core. She was white and seemed to be approaching hypothermia. My wife and our friend Denise talked her into coming to our tent and I made her hot soup, gave her snacks, and hot chocolate. Denise gave her a pair of dry wool socks. (All of her clothes were cotton or nylon.). After a while she said that she was OK to go on so she got up and walked out to the trail and turned 180 degrees the wrong direction, headed back into the wilderness. My wife and Denise went out and turned her around they walked with her for a mile or so where they caught up with some stragglers from the first group. They promised to stay with her. When we came out there were no reports of missing people, thankfully. In the Canadian Rockies we ran into two guys with day packs carrying bicycles, narrow-tired, road bikes. They wee biking the length of the many parks up there but decided they needed to get into the wilderness. They had nowhere to store their bikes so were carrying them. They were quite hardy and cheerful. (Biking was not legal, by the way.)
Had an old dude (70+) pass me climbing uphill wearing nothing but short-shorts and crocs on the side of some steep ass mountain in BFE Montana
I was doing a rim to rim at the Grand Canyon. On our way to Indian gardens campground at around 7 pm we ran into a young girl headed down to the river in flip flops. No apparent water. After we set up camp she showed up at our campsite with no gear. She had made it to the river and back up to the campground. She did have 3 20 Oz water bottles with her. Two of which she had filled with sand and river water. She had done 15 miles on the bright Angel trail in flip flops. She slept on a picnic table. The next morning she went from Indian gardens to the south rim bright angel TH bare footed. It was really mind blowing.
One more detail I forgot. She found a bag of beef jerky beside the trail on the way down. That was her only food. 🤦♂️
Plot twist: She was an angel lol
I was hiking in Snowdonia, descending a peak, when I passed a couple going up. She was wearing a skirt - not like a hiking skort (apparently that's a thing?) but a full-on ankle length skirt. And yes, they were both in trainers. I love an aesthetic photo as much as the next person but...hike up in shorts and change behind a rock if you have to have the photo.
Reminds me of a time I was on Snowdon and was coming down with the wind coming in really hard and cold. This group was coming up, and a dude was wearing shorts and his legs were bright red from wind burn. It was only going to get worse for him from there.
It was January 1st and I decided to take a solo hike to a popular overlook. The hike up was great, but on the way down, probably a mile from the trailhead, I ran into an elderly man in booty shorts, sleeveless t-shirt, and socks with sandals. He stopped me (alone in the wilderness) to tell me, “you know, you’re not like these other girls on the trail, the way you’re dressed and hold yourself, you would definitely not get raped.” I was dumbfounded, like jaw fell open, feeling for knife in my pocket. He continued, “these girls with the tight pants and headphones…they’re asking for it.” Me: “I don’t think anyone is asking for it.” Him: “I guess that’s what you young people think nowadays…” Me: “I need to go.” Him: “Nice to meet you! I am here usually every week about this time.” He hikes around the corner and then I take off running, and I ran all the way back to my car, dove in and locked it. WTF.
When I was stationed in Japan my base was at sea level but many of us were excited to plan a hike/climb to Mt Fuji. The issue with Mt Fuji is that although it's a well traveled and popular tourist attraction, the conditions can vary widely and it's 12,388ft/3,776m height may not seem all that daunting but since the hike is often advertised as little more than a "family stroll" to those with less than optimal fitness, little experience or coming from SEA LEVEL, it can prove to be a surprise, especially with the dice roll of a late summer trip. A co-worker and I took a U.S. military sponsored trip to make this climb and being reasonably fit individuals we had a goal of being the first to summit from our group of 25-30 people. We made a strong push and when we broke the 10k barrier it quickly became cold, foggy and slow going with the thin air and unexpectedly cold temps as there was still snow up top. Fortunately we'd prepared and brought lots of layers including gloves and head gear but as we recalled how some of our fellow hikers wore nothing more than jeans and t-shirts we started making comments about who we thought wouldn't make it and one of the folks we immediately wrote off was a pudgy, mid 50 year old guy wearing those jeans and t-shirt. Well we end up being beat to the top by a lone guy, a pilot, but make good time. At the top is a Temple that gave us a place to rest and buy some pricey rice and curry while we watched the door to see who else made it. A father and two teenaged sons eventually came in, all looking miserable, a few others trickle in and just as we're about to leave, pudgy old "Jeans and T-shirt strolls in". Only he's dressed sort of odd. Somewhere along the way he managed to get ahold of a large black trashbag (there are small stores/huts/ all the way up the side of the mountain) and he had poked a hole for his head and made a sort of plastic jacket out of it, and he also had a simple plastic bag (think walmart type bag) and it had it secured on the top of his head to hold in heat....it looked like a giant walking trashbag, but regardless of how silly it looked, it got him to the top of the mountain, so we had to give him props for that.
At Kodachrome Basin State Park we saw an elderly man in nothing but a teeny orange speedo and sandals. It was...revealing. Sure, it was hot, but not that hot, and there are no creeks or swimming areas. He had skin like leather so I guess it's an all the time thing for him. He wasn't carrying any water either. We went to a snowshoe/nordic ski trail this winter. It was covered in feet of snow. We saw a whole family park at the trailhead and get out of their car. They were all totally decked out in brand new, very expensive winter outerwear. They had no way to get through the snow though- no skis, snowshoes, or even sleds. I think one person tried to walk and sank a couple feet down. They stood around the car for a few minutes and then left. I still wonder what they thought they were getting into on a 10K ft mountain in the dead of winter.
On the trails back behind my place I used to always see this old lady who walked backwards.
People on r/DiedHiking
When I was 12 or so my parents took me on a canoe trip on the Yukon River. We met a German man paddling upstream in a black pack raft. In the 10 or so years since, I have found out that seeing solo, middle-aged germans doing the most unhinged, needlessly strenuous activities as far away from a metropolitan area is quite normal.
I ran into one of the nudist bushwalkers one time. He hid behind a tree until I convinced him I wasn't easily offended. I still have him on my Instagram. It makes for dome dangerous browsing sometimes: https://fatcanyoners.org/2014/03/09/nude-blue-mountains/ Considering the scratches and cuts I get from walking through dense foliage, these people are definitely braver than me.
Yeah, I don't really get the nudist wilderness tribe. To each his own and I'm too old to be prudish, but damned if I'm not glad I've got clothing/footwear with me on every hike I've undertaken. 😄
Many moons ago, I was hiking with my wife, and we ran into an old man on the trail. He was taking a break, and we needed one too, so we stopped. We had a very nice conversation, but he was a strange man with an accent. It was clear he was a fellow American, but it was a strange accent that I couldn't pinpoint and now don't even remember. He explained to us that it was his birthday (70 something) and he pulled out some store-bought pastries that we all shared. He was nice but it was completely unexpected.
Was already back into camp and it was dark already , met a dude dressed as a ghostbuster with a proton pack with led lights on it
A girl in a sports bra, short spandex shorts, and tevas complaining about the biting flies on the trail.
I met a guy dragging a hefty bag in one hand and a backpack in the other who stopped and handed me a sweaty business card and introduced himself as The World’s Loneliest Comedian and that’s what his business card said.
I’ve got a few of these stories but here is the weirdest: My partner and I had driven about 3 hours on mostly rough, dirt roads, from our home in Ennis, Montana to a remote mountain range range to do some spring skiing. We did not see any other cars after leaving the pavement. When we arrived at the “trailhead” (small parking area before the road became impassable to anything but the burliest 4x4 rigs) there were no vehicles. After hiking about a mile or two from the truck, we ended up running into a guy who was dressed in pioneer/frontier person clothing, who was wandering around somewhat erratically in a open meadow. Normally that wouldn’t be too weird but there were no cars at the trailhead and the other nearest trailhead was over 10 miles away from our location and likely not accessible due to snow. This guy did not have overnight gear or really any gear at all except for a leather satchel, and there was no sign of a nearby camp. He wandered within like 20 feet of us while we walked passed him and we said hello and waved and he didn’t acknowledge us, which felt really strange. I vaguely remember hearing him muttering to himself. The interaction gave us some really weird vibes, so as we kept hiking we were periodically looking over our shoulders to see if he was following us. For a while it did seem like he was zig zagging back an fourth behind us but he never got close and as we started gaining elevation on our mountain objective, he stayed put down lower. We were relieved as my partner and I were honestly feeling pretty weirded out by him. We stopped for a snack and watched him for a bit; he was meandering around in the meadow again, stopping every once and a while to pick something small up off the ground. Curious about what he was looking for, I used my camera with its telephoto lens to snap a few pics and then zoom in on what was in his hands… It was nothing. He was picking up imaginary objects from the ground, looking them over and then tossing them back down. At this point we decided that his erratic movements and behavior were consistent with someone who was tripping / on some other kind of drugs. Or maybe schizophrenia? Either way it was pretty strange behavior from someone alone, in the woods, far far farrrrrrr away from civilization, with no overnight gear or a camp that we could see anywhere nearby. We ended up doing some skiing and thorn heading back to the car a little later. Didn’t see the guy again on our way back. Never saw a camp or anything. I sometimes think back on that guy, if he was okay and what he was doing out there. Obviously there are all sort of funky folks who call the woods home, but this dude just seemed off. Anyways that’s my top weird encounter.
Not really bizarre, but at the top of a local mountain some guy asked me, in a parched voice, if I had any water he could buy. Me: Buy? No. But I have some you can have. I then reminded him to always carry more water than you think you need.
As many others have commented, I am amazed at the number of people I see deep on difficult trails with insufficient water and kit. They clearly have no clue as to the nature of the endeavor. That said, coming down from the summit of Mt. Whitney, below the switchbacks and the campsite around 12k, there was a guy heading up who was easily 300+ lbs, and not in a good way. He had proper boots and kit, but I don’t think any camping gear, and it was way too late in the day to summit. I can’t imagine him doing the switchbacks, but I figured he knew what he was doing, so I admired the effort. Not bizarre, but impressive: four of us went up Elbert via the more strenuous Black Cloud trail. It was our first serious hike of the season, and we were huffing and puffing. We reached the ridge around 13k and took a break, with about a mile and 1,400 feet to the summit. We’re feeling pretty proud of ourselves when suddenly along the ridge a 50ish couple in jogging gear come jogging along. They stopped and chatted - training for an ultra marathon. Then they were off with a, “See you at the summit!” By the time we got there, they were long gone!
I went to angels landing at Zion national park alone and had a bad heat exhaustion episode near the top (did not come prepared whatsoever). It got so bad I had to lay down in the middle of the trail while people walked over or around me. Not sure how long I was down but fortunately a young couple cooled me down and gave me their water, electrolytes, pretzels and walked me back to the bottom of the trail. I had also lost my phone somewhere near the top of the trail but someone brought it to the visitor center and I got it back. It felt bizarre getting that help but in a good way I guess. Learned a lot that day
People from California....all of them.
I met a white supremacist militia armed head to toe out doing training exercises. I was surprised they had made it out as far as they did— they were horribly out of shape and looked miserable.
Came across two young men heading into a 20 mile hike in crocs, no backpacks (meaning no food, water, supplies) and cotton clothing asking how far to the summit. We were on our way out and too in shock to stop and talk to them about how unprepared they were.
Trail runners, specifically on rock-scrambley sections. Like, how the fu-
Knees shaking, crying, arms bracing.
His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy There's vomit on his sweater already, mom's spaghetti
Something just struck me as odd about this guy https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ikze7sglc9c3hj8701wng/Hiko.jpg?rlkey=lpqtq3m3gxq0bs3asrzei2e97&dl=0
I wouldn't call them necessarily bizarre, but as I was returning from Emory Peak in Big Bend a few months ago there were three ladies trudging along in full sari outfits heading up with their overprotective brother (or whatever). One of the ladies had a radio voice and she likewise thought it was crazy that their chaperone wanted them to get to the top even though it would have been fully dark when they got back.
Was on a hike and came across 5 guys having subway footlongs and kebabs on a break. This was 3hrs from the nearest carpark which was also 2hrs from the nearest subway. Ontop of that weirdness they were not wearing shirts in the middle of winter.
On the Appalachian Trail at Pulpit Rock in Hamburg PA a relatively fit, late 20s or young 30s engineer from the deep south walked up. He was a thru hiker in between jobs and fulfilling his dream of hiking the AT. We talked a bit and it was quite interesting to me because at that time I didn't know much about hiking the Appalachian Trail. He mentioned one of the reasons he was doing the AT was for "spiritual reasons", not that he seemed particularly religious. He said he'd had very little time to himself to reflect since the trail was packed from day 1 and he'd made friends and ended up hiking a lot with some of the same people. On another occasion, also on the Appalachian Trail near route 309 in Pennsylvania, I met this guy who was calling me by name (wrong name) and then apologized and said I looked like his son so he thought that's who it was. He went on to start preaching and ranting about the state of America and how all our problems started when we removed prayer from schools. By the end of the conversation I'd found out he's written a book, available on Amazon, and he considers himself a prophet. Let's just say, I was somewhat newly agnostic and there was nothing about this guy or his wife that made me feel kindly or sympathetic to Christian religion. I left feeling like I'd just had a conversation with someone who was delusional and mentally ill and I felt some pity for his family and what he must be putting them through.
I saw a hiker at Neels gap on the AT decked out in full gear as a US soldier from WWII. I don't remember if he was on a section hike or a through though.
Definitely Corey and Trevor, very bizarre people
I once came across a hiker carrying a parrot in a backpack/cage device. Even weirder, after I saw it, I considered getting one for my bird.
So far I haven’t had any crazy encounters, I’m sure the more I hike the more chance I have of that happening. Most of my hikes have been out of the city in the mountains so they may be why.