National Park After Dark

Trail Tales 76 (Episode 320)

Release Date: August 28, 2025
Hosts: Danielle & Cassie

Episode Theme & Purpose

This episode of "Trail Tales" features listener-submitted stories that blend the eerie, harrowing, and heartfelt experiences found in national parks and wild places. Danielle and Cassie deliver a signature mix of chilling outdoor legends, lightning-strike survival, animal encounters (sometimes hilariously personal), emotional journeys, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into working with wildlife. While some tales are spooky or gross, others inspire reflection, healing, and personal growth through wilderness adventures.

Key Stories and Insights

1. "Shoebox Lane": A Connecticut Small Town Legend

(00:26–04:12)
Submitted by Roger

• Story Summary: Roger recounts a local legend from Wallingford, CT ("Shoebox Lane"/Tyler Mill Road) involving a gruesome unsolved murder from nearly 140 years ago. The real story: a man’s dismembered torso was discovered in a wooden crate by a dog and its owner, Edward Terrell; limbs were found later, and arsenic was present in the victim’s stomach. The murderer was allegedly known to a later police chief but never revealed.

• Key Discussion:

  • Danielle feels a personal connection (her father lived in Wallingford).
  • Hosts reflect on how real history morphs into scare legends kids dare each other with.
  • The unresolved, spectral nature of local park mysteries.

• Notable Quote:

  • Danielle: "So the dark woods of Wallingford still holds its secrets. And supposedly a ghost of the poor man ... is still wandering the woods, looking in discarded shoeboxes ... for his still-missing head." (03:42)

2. "Mount Mitchell Lightning Drama"

(05:37–09:06)
Submitted by Jill

• Story Summary: As a 20-year-old forestry student (1985), Jill worked on Mt. Mitchell, NC, gathering cloud data. Alone during a fierce storm, lightning travels through the landline while she is using it, literally throwing her against the wall—demonstrating just how dangerous mountains and electrical storms can be.

• Key Insights:

  • Lightning’s unpredictable dangers ("Yes, friends, lightning can travel through landlines. One more reason to let them go for good." 08:51)
  • The value of heeding storm warnings and being prepared.

• Hosts’ Reflections:

  • Childhood lightning safety advice ("don’t shower, don’t use the phone"),
  • Danielle shares her excitement about buying a vintage-style Bluetooth landline for the home (a quirky, lighthearted tangent).

3. "I Chose the Bear Twice"

(12:32–19:08)
Submitted by Jess J.

• Story Summary: Jess reflects on leaving a long-term relationship after a traumatic incident, and how solo travel in national parks—starting with Olympic—became a catalyst for personal transformation and growth. On her would-be wedding day, she encounters two grizzly bears, a sign of her journey toward self-healing and adventure.

• Key Discussion:

  • The wilderness as a place for healing and reinvention.
  • Symbolism of prescribed fire and growth: "Sometimes prescribed fires are necessary to encourage growth."
  • The importance of change, facing grief, and traveling alone to find oneself.

• Connections:

  • Both Cassie and Danielle personally relate, sharing how travel helped them recover from failed relationships.

• Memorable Quotes:

  • Jess: "Because sometimes what comes next is far less scary than what we’ve already been through. You just have to take it 10 steps at a time ..." (18:20)
  • Cassie: "So if you’re ending a relationship, just go travel." (21:37)

4. Spontaneous Swiftie Chat

(23:26–28:19)

• The hosts spin into an unscripted chat about Taylor Swift—the power of her fandom, her storytelling abilities, and her perseverance through hardship.
• Reflects the show’s casual, friendly, relatable style.
• ("You can't bash Taylor Swift. She will... her fan base will come after me." (27:24))

5. "Peeing with Friends" – Goat Encounters in Colorado

(29:33–35:35)
Submitted by Rachel

• Story Summary: Attempting Colorado "fourteeners", Rachel describes being accosted by mountain goats desperate for salt while taking a bathroom break. One bold goat licks urine off rocks directly below her, making for a highly memorable and embarrassing mountaineering moment.

• Key Insights:

  • The unique behavior of mountain goats in high-use backcountry areas (urine = salt source).
  • The necessity of Leave No Trace principles, especially urinating on rocks.

• Hosts’ Amused Commentary:

  • Danielle: "Imagine... your pants are down, and he comes up and starts licking you down there." (35:35)

6. "Really Gross Story – Definitely Not About Poop"

(36:31–45:03)
Submitted by Emily

• Story Summary: While working trail crew in Vermont’s Green Mountains, Emily drinks from a stream, contracts a stomach bug, and is forced to relieve herself in the forest. The next day, a hiker’s dog rolls in what is revealed (to Emily alone) as her own "desperate" waste. She suffers in silence as the dog's owner thanks her for helping to clean the dog in the stream, blissfully unaware of the public shaming.

• Memorable Lines:

  • "Those are things a pooper would say. Immediate suspicion would fall on you." — Cassie (42:52)
  • On the dog: "You know my insides." — Danielle (44:14)

7. "A Big Bear in Our Brush with Death"

(46:14–53:07)
Submitted by Morgan, Wildlife Biologist

• Story Summary: Morgan shares her work tracking and collaring black bears in Utah. During one storm, she and coworkers risk dangerous weather to ensure a tranquilized bear safely recovers. A follow-up visit months later leads to an escape attempt by the bear (while the team blocks the den with backpacks) and the discovery of cubs—a testament to the unpredictability and non-aggressive nature of black bears.

• Notable Insights:

  • Lightning and flash flooding as top dangers—sometimes scarier than the wildlife itself.
  • The complexity and excitement of real wildlife conservation work.

• Funny Visual & Quote:

  • "The guys tried so hard, but once she got one paw out, she steamrolled right over the top and took off... Have you ever pushed your dog’s face back... this is what the bear looked like..." — Danielle (52:45)
  • "Sign us up, Morgan." — Cassie (51:33)

Notable Quotes & Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote or Moment | |------------|-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:42 | Danielle | "...the dark woods of Wallingford still holds its secrets..." | | 08:51 | Jill | "Yes, friends, lightning can travel through landlines. One more reason to let them go for good." | | 18:20 | Jess | "...sometimes what comes next is far less scary than what we’ve already been through..." | | 21:37 | Cassie | "So if you’re ending a relationship, just go travel." | | 27:24 | Cassie | "You can't bash Taylor Swift. She will...her fan base will come after me." | | 35:35 | Danielle | "Imagine...your pants are down, and he comes up and starts licking you down there." | | 42:52 | Cassie | "Those are things a pooper would say. Immediate suspicion would fall on you." | | 44:14 | Danielle | "You know my insides." | | 52:45 | Danielle | "...once she got one paw out, she steamrolled right over..." | | 51:33 | Cassie | "Sign us up, Morgan." |

Story Timestamps Overview

| Segment | Timestamp | |--------------------------------|---------------| | Shoebox Lane Murder | 00:26–04:12 | | Lightning Drama – Mount Mitchell| 05:37–09:06 | | "I Chose the Bear Twice" | 12:32–19:08 | | Taylor Swift Sidebar | 23:26–28:19 | | Peeing (and Getting Goated) in Colorado | 29:33–35:35| | The Pooping Trail Crew | 36:31–45:03 | | Bear Biologist Scary & Funny Encounters | 46:14–53:07|

Overall Tone

• Conversational and relatable, with a mix of dark humor, candid vulnerability, and deep respect for wild spaces.
• Danielle and Cassie balance eerie and embarrassing stories with inspiration and friendship.
• Listeners get a blend of practical wilderness insight, genuine empathy, and plenty of laughter.

Conclusion

"Trail Tales 76" brings together the haunting and the hilarious, reminding listeners that national parks are filled with layered secrets, awkward moments, acts of courage, and opportunities for deep personal change. Whether delivering advice on lightning safety, Leave No Trace principles, or just helping you laugh at yourself, the hosts create a community where every wild story—ghostly, gross, or empowering—has a home.

To share your own Trail Tale, visit npadpodcast.com or email npadstories@gmail.com.