A listener writes “I have worked with at-risk children for nearly 20 years, in my career as a teacher. Previously, I taught at an outdoor therapeutic school for several years, located in the Chattahoochee National Forest.
Currently, I am the program Director for an afterschool and summer program for kids struggling with mental illness Our program utilizes the north Georgia Mountains as tools for therapy and progress, reconnecting kids to themselves by disconnecting them from the distractions and detriments of “modern” life. My wife and I live 17 miles from the closest town in the southern Appalachians. Our main recreational activity is hiking and backpacking. So, Wes, honestly, I hike for work and play. I’ve tromped all over these mountains, on and off trail, since 2000. I have never had a visual encounter, but my wife and I had a very disturbing experience in 2009.
We were hiking a feeder trail to the AT. This particular trail winds 3.5 miles through deep wilderness areas and intersects the AT at a point several miles from the nearest road. It is crisscrossed with small streams and surrounded by thick rhododendron patches and dense stands of old growth forest in every direction. Julie, my wife, and I were hanging around, resting beside a little stream that cut its way through the forest and Laurel thickets to the bottom of a holler, about 1 and a half miles into the trail. It was summer, the forest very thick and humid and hot, so we were dunking our heads into the pool at the base of a small waterfall, talking, and laughing. Visibility was very limited due to the heaviness of the flora. We’d been relaxing there for about 15 minutes, when we heard rustling upslope about 50 yards away, followed by an ungodly roar that morphed into a scream, deep and powerful with the characteristics of an angry chimp, but with much more bass, power, and growl to the sound. We felt it in our chests. It repeated, and when it did the thick laurels and decent sized poplars, about 35-40 yards upslope from our position, began shaking. The laurels were quaking rapidly and the poplars waving from where they disappeared from view all the way to their tops. The trees that were shaking were probably 5-7 inches in diameter. The laurel and rhododendron patches were thick, old, and gnarled. (Just for reference, these plants were a large part of the reason that early settlers had such a struggle crossing these mountains.)
This noise was something that we’ve never heard before in these mountains. It truly was as though we had come too close to a large ape, making it very angry. We packed up our daypacks quickly and retreated back toward the trailhead, away from the AT, which was our original destination. The screaming growl continued until we were about a mile away, as though it was following us. Finally, when we were about a half mile away from the trailhead, where we’d begun our hike, the “vocalizing” stopped, but we heard a large animal moving back toward the thicker, deeper part of the forest, snapping branches, seeming to stomp with every step.
It took about a year before my wife would return to that particular area of the Chattahoochee National Forest. We hiked in other areas and have gone on multi-day backpacking trips here, and as far afield as Glacier National Park, since then, but we have never heard or experienced anything like that again.”
m99
Hope they’re on soon. Great find. Thanks Wes! 🙂
Mark C
Hey, cool little story. Don’t blame his wife for not returning to the forest for over a year!!
Josephine L
Wes! It would be great to hear them tell their story on your show.
Denise F
I’m wondering when they say ‘poplars’ meaning multiple, are they thinking one large creature doing all of this or the forest had more than one?
I was picturing these trees just erupting violently and sounds from hell…..which is probably what it felt like to be there in person. ?
Dan M
I too have hiked and backpacked the AT in north GA and many of its side and feeder trials aling with multi day hikes in the Blue Ridge area. Would love to know exactly where this happened. Chances are I’ve been at this location, was probably watched and I didn’t even know it!!
Kathy K
What time is our show going to start? ( EST) I cannot wait! lol
Katie F
And STILL no response to help me with my account.
Wes
Katie, I have emailed you 3 times. Did not you receive them? You should still have access to everything but check your email.
Katie F
Hi Wes! I don’t know what is going on. I received 1 from you and I answered back. That was quite awhile ago. But, no, I haven’t received any others. I will check again in the a.m. Sorry to be such a pest? but I have had the SC fever since before you started this website….guess I’m addicted and I’m having withdrawal symptoms. ?????? Thanks Wes.