Podcast Summary: "I Actually Cried Telling This Story..."

Podcast: Katching Up With Katie
Host: Katie Van Slyke
Date: October 16, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Katie Van Slyke sits down with friends and family at Running Springs for a candid conversation about personal grooming mishaps, ranch life, and—most notably—the creepy and paranormal stories floating around the farm and beyond. The group shares their own eerie anecdotes, ranging from unexplained animal mutilations to personal ghost stories, feeding into the season’s spooky vibes. The tone is rooted in Katie’s trademark authenticity, blending humor and heartfelt moments as the group bonds over their fears and beliefs.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Opening Banter: Facial Hair Fiascos

[00:00–04:06]

• The episode opens with playful teasing about a stripped-down mustache (the “stash is gone” [01:06]), personal grooming, and why certain facial hair styles matter to Katie.
• Katie shares, “I would cry if a man without facial hair tried to, like, hold me. I guess it just, like, correlates to, like, manliness to me” ([01:44], Katie).
• Conversation briefly shifts to how facial hair impacts baby interactions and partners.

Transition to Thematic Deep Dive: The Spooky Season

[04:06–05:05]

• With everyone about to be out of town, Katie suggests they delve into “fall season with maybe some creepy stories,” setting the episode’s main theme.

Eerie Trail Ride & Mutilation Gorge Story

[05:05–14:19]

• Katie recounts a chilling story from a Colorado trail ride at “Mutilation Gorge.”
• A stallion left out to graze was later found “surgically castrated... healed perfectly” in the middle of nowhere ([06:42], Katie).
• Multiple healthy bull elk were later found dead and similarly, surgically castrated—meat untouched—sparking speculation about possible occult rituals, unexplained collectors, or strange medical interests.
• “That makes me immediately be like, great. I’m on a horse named Charles… there is no fleeing on this Perseron Lusitano mix” ([06:19], Katie).
• The group debates possible motives: witchcraft, folklore, harvesting for “reproductive health,” or simply an elaborate local legend.

Reflecting on Urban Legends & Haunted Locations

[14:19–16:02]

• Guest shares childhood fascination with “locally haunted places,” mentioning “Crybaby Bridge” and locally notorious haunted sites.
• Katie recalls her husband Jonathan’s belief in the supernatural after frightening Ouija board incidents.

The Ouija Board Incident

[16:02–20:40]

• Katie tells the story of Jonathan and friends sneaking into a historic plantation, using a Ouija board by a well (believed to be a “portal” [15:03]), and experiencing alarming phenomena:
  • “He said every lamppost, every window in the house, everything around them… lit up all at once” ([18:08], Katie, voice trembling).
  • Jonathan was so scared he went home and slept in his parents’ bed, later reporting footsteps and voices in his house ([20:03]).
• The group discusses whether such detail could be fabricated, marveling at the emotional impact: “That’s too much detail for that to be made up” ([20:40]).

More Paranormal Tales: The Top Hat Man and Haunted Farmhouses

[21:02–24:48]

• Katie details haunted experiences at an old farmhouse, including a “man in a top hat” apparition and unexplained physical events (recliners moving, doors slamming, deer skulls detaching).
• “He literally heard this thing pulling it out of the wall… it clipped the back of his head, and he had to have stitches” ([24:48], Katie).

Personal Creepy Encounters & Local Legends

[25:02–29:36]

• Others share regional ghost stories (e.g., the perpetually decaying cow head, the bridge where babies’ handprints reportedly appear) and classic haunted train tracks.
• Guest describes a bizarre childhood experience where a woman lay face down in a creek and seemed unfazed, even after being submerged for minutes ([27:00–28:41]).

Ghosts, Spirits, and Theories on the Afterlife

[29:36–33:45]

• The group discusses loved ones haunting places, with differing opinions on whether lingering presences are comforting or unsettling.
• “If they're still here…it’s not for a good reason” ([30:45], Abigail).
• The consensus trends toward spirits being spiritual or demonic manifestations, not literal “ghosts”—with the risk that benign-seeming entities (like children) could actually be something more sinister ([33:03], group).

Universal Paranormal Themes, Ancient History & Beliefs

[33:45–36:54]

• The group notes that stories about the paranormal, demons, and dragons appear throughout history and cultures, inviting speculation about the shared roots of such legends.
• Lively digression into childhood love for “dragonology” books and the enduring fascination with mythic creatures.

Mind-Blowing Perspective: Space, Scale, and Humanity’s Place

[37:28–38:55]

• The conversation pivots to the vastness of the universe, using a galaxy-size thought experiment to put earthly problems in perspective.
• “[If] the Milky Way was the size of the United States, the sun would fit in between the ridges in your finger” ([38:21], Alex).

Quick Farm and Travel Updates

[38:55–41:18]

• The group briefly runs through upcoming travel: Katie’s appearance at a Facebook event in NYC, logistics for the Congress horse show, and recent farm moments (like calving season and animal relocations).
• Katie closes by inviting listeners to share their own scary stories for future episodes: “Let us know your scary stories or spooky situations that you’ve been in in the comments” ([41:18], Katie).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the “Mutilation Gorge” story:
  “[The stallion] had been surgically castrated... healed perfectly... middle of nowhere.” ([06:42], Katie)
• Facial hair and childhood trauma:
  “I would cry if a man without facial hair tried to, like, hold me.” ([01:44], Katie)
• Ghosts and belief:
  “That’s too much detail for that to be made up.” ([20:40], Alex)
• Philosophy on lingering spirits:
  “If they're still here… it’s not for a good reason.” ([30:45], Abigail)
• Space and perspective:
  “If the Milky Way was the size of the United States, the sun would fit in between the ridges in your finger.” ([38:21], Alex)
• On comforting—or not—hauntings:
  “If it could be a nice ghost, and it’s my Nana… but they always tricky.” ([30:26], Katie)
• Closing invitation:
  “Let us know your scary stories or spooky situations that you’ve been in in the comments.” ([41:18], Katie)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [05:07] Katie begins the Mutilation Gorge/Colorado trail ride story
• [13:18] Emotional impact: “He told us that, like, it rocked me.”
• [16:02] Start of Jonathan’s Ouija board ghost story
• [18:08] Katie gets visibly emotional and watery-eyed retelling the story
• [24:08] Haunted farmhouse: deer skull incident and near injury
• [27:00] Alex’s “face-down woman in the creek” story
• [29:36] Real/fake comforting spirits (“If they're still here… it’s not for a good reason.”)
• [37:28] Discussion about the size of the universe vs. the sun
• [38:55] Katie’s farm and travel updates
• [41:18] Closing remarks and call for listener stories

Conclusion

This episode of Katching Up With Katie leans into the autumn mood with entertaining and sometimes unnerving stories, blending the everyday rhythms of farm life with the mysteries that still haunt rural communities. It’s a session full of laughter, introspection, and real fear, amplified by Katie’s vulnerable storytelling and the camaraderie of her friends—perfect for listeners who enjoy heartfelt authenticity mixed with a spine-tingling twist.