This was in 2015. I had taken a road trip to a forest a few hours from me.
There was a hike up to an abandoned fire lookout that I was really excited to explore.
I should mention it was technically illegal to go inside it or camp in it as it wasn't kept up with and could be structurally unstable.
I had done some research online though and most people said that it seemed okay but the last post I could find about it was 3 years ago.
So I really don't know what I had find when I got up there. Anyway, I found a small ditch on the side of the road that I could park in then I got out my backpack with two days worth of gear and started the hike.
With trips like this, there aren't usually defined path to get there so I used a handheld satellite GPS that allowed me to make sure that I was going the right way, but really the whole time I was just cutting through unknown terrain in the woods, the hike from the road was about 4 to 5 hours.
The further now I got, the more dense and rough the terrain got. I was really banking on the fire lookout to still be intact add good enough for me to camp out in. But I guess if not then I was just going to have to find somewhere else nearby to set up my tent and sleep at.
After the pretty tiring, several hours of hiking through the woods, I finally got there, I could see the building peeking out above the trees. And when I got closer, it actually looked decently in shape, the paint was worn off of course, but it seemed to be holding up well.
I gave the support beans a few pushes and they were really so I tried my luck climbing up the ladder. It was metal and felt sturdy, but still creaked with every step up. When I got to the top I was in awe for a moment at the views. I could see basically the entire forest there were no buildings or roads or houses for miles in all directions.
It was just the woods.
After taking in the view, I went around the ledge and inside the lookouts it was really small not like one of those big ones that you see get turned into Airbnbs or whatever. This was just one room, maybe 150 square feet.
It had a decaying bed in the corner and an old wooden desk in the other corner with rotting windows spanning the entire wall. There wasn't too much else to look at there so I put my bag down and rolled out my mattress and sleeping bag then heated up a meal on my mini camping stove.
Once the sun was setting I walked out to the ledge and watched it. It was by far one of the best views I had ever seen.I felt like it went by quick though. And it was just darkness it was cloudy out too so no moonlight or stars were lighting up the sky with nothing else to do. Though I stayed sitting out on the ledge for a while, it was probably an hour into the night when I saw something below me.
There was a light moving around in the trees. What was strange about it, though it wasn't like an artificial light. It had this orangish hue and was kind of flickering kind of like a campfire worth, which led me to believe it was a torch.
He was moving between the trees in the forest. Not too far from where I was the chances of someone else being out here at the same time as me in such a remote part of the words were really slim given, there wasn't even a trail to get here.
Also travelling around at night without a normal flashlight and using a Torch was pretty odd.
I watched as the light moved under the trees for a while. Then it went behind something where I could no longer see it for the next 30 minutes. I never saw it appear again.
I still stayed out on the ledge, though, taking in the calmness and quietness of the night. Eventually, the wind started to make it a bit cold, so I stood up to take it one last view before heading inside. When I looked below the ledge, though, someone was there, they were standing at the bottom in the grassy area between the fire lookout and towards it looked like they were looking directly up at me. Maybe it was the person with the light I saw earlier.
"Hello" I called out, I didn't know what else to say, they didn't move or else say anything back to me. It was just the strange ten or fifteen seconds of looking at each other before they lifted up their hand like in an acknowledging way or apologizing. Then they turned around and walked Into the Woods.
Still with no light on. Obviously that was incredibly creepy and airy. But for some reason in the moment I felt so sure that it was just another hiker wanting to stay in the lookouts.
It was probably just looking up trying to see if anyone was inside already hesitated to respond. And only lifted his hand up I dont know.
I stayed outside for a letter longer but not seeing anything else. I went inside and got my sleeping back to warm up. It was a little bit hard to fall asleep because of the when heating the windows and the wooden beams creaking under me.
But eventually I did managed to pass out. It's hard to really know how much time passed out. But when I woke up the wind had settled down and it was still very dark. But I was wondering why I was suddenly awake, but then I heard a familiar sound.
The soft metal creek of the ladder outside I sat up thinking I must be mistaken, but then I heard it again and again.
Someone was climbing up the ladder. I couldn't tell how far up or down.They were I could just hear the hinges at the top of the ladder creek with every step up they took.
Outside the windows, though it was completely dark. I unzipped my sleeping bag and got up hard racing as I grabbed my backpack and walked onto the ledge.
During the 20 or so seconds that it took to get up the creeking. Got louder and faster like they were hurrying before it suddenly stopped.
Just as I made it out to the ledge. I studied in place for a moment waiting for another sound.Then I slowly walked around the walkway and peered around the corner at the opening to the ladder. No one was there. I carefully walked closer and felt my heart rate increasing as I leaned over and looked down nobody was on the ladder. I was just in shock for a second confused unscared, and ensure what the hell was going on?Then a sudden sequence of her steps came rushing around the wooden walkway behind me.
I only got a glimpse of their dark figure running between the woods on the other side. I didn't hesitate to lower myself onto the ladder and hurried down.
It was terrifying trying to climb down the slippery metal ladder as my whole body was shaking from the adrenaline rush with someone chasing right above me.
I got halfway down before I saw their head peered out from above. I didn't stop until I got to the bottom and Into the Woods.
Honestly, I don't know why I even grabbed my backpack when I got up to see what was going on. But it was the best decision I have ever made. Maybe even saved my life with my flashlight and GPS on me. I was able to hike my way out of there and back to my car as far as I know I wasn't followed.
I drove away and never looked back.