333: Trail Tales 80

Summary

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National Park After Dark – Episode 333: Trail Tales 80

Release Date: November 6, 2025
Hosts: Danielle & Cassie
Podcast Theme: Listener-submitted stories about strange, spooky, and unforgettable experiences in national parks and wild spaces.

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Episode Overview

This Trail Tales edition of National Park After Dark features Danielle and Cassie reading a collection of listener-submitted stories. True to form, the tales range from eerie and supernatural encounters, to hilarious mishaps and deeply relatable coming-of-age moments—all set against the backdrop of America's wild places. From haunted campgrounds to bear spray disasters, this episode explores the unpredictable nature of outdoor adventure and the bonds we form with both people and place.

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Key Segments & Stories

1. Lighthearted Banter & Intro

[00:19–04:06]

• Hosts' dynamic shines as Danielle wears a "MILF" ("Man, I Love Frogs") shirt, leading to jokes about Instagram ads and targeted marketing.
• Danielle admits to being hungover after a historic wine-tasting event in New Hampshire—adding charm and relatability to the episode.

Notable Quote:
"I usually wear it to bed...I'm actually still in my PJs. I'm actually hungover right now and I'm having a lot of time." – Danielle [01:29]

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2. Spooky State Park Experience

[04:13–07:31]
Submitted by: Derek

• Derek recounts a 2019 group camping trip at Hiwassee/Ocoee Scenic River State Park in East Tennessee.
• After ingesting "little chocolates containing a spore bearing fungal fruiting body," Derek has strange experiences:
  • He sees a shadow like a bear trotting on all fours.
  • Hears high-pitched giggling and whispering from the treeline, which doesn't match the seasonal insect sounds.
• Later discovers the proximity of a historic Cherokee detention site (Fort Marr)—possibly explaining the supernatural vibe.

Notable Quote:
"I wonder if it opened a door to being laughed at and with by the local native spirits of the area." – Derek (as read by Cassie) [07:12]

Host Reactions:
"You were just on those shrooms. Were doing wonders for you, in my humble opinion." – Danielle [07:31]

• Both hosts riff on mushrooms and drugs in the outdoors with humor and openness.

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3. The Chronicles of George the Mouse: The Swish Heard Round the Rim

[08:20–15:32]
Submitted by: Grace

• Grace shares a multi-generational trip to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
• Strange night: Grace awakes to her aunt's claim of an animal in the cabin, followed by the discovery (and naming) of a mouse, George.
• Grandma has a parallel mouse story with "Charlie."
• A park ranger casually informs them: "Someone was strangled right there last night," aligning with the exact time both grandma and aunt heard disturbances.
• Cabin and much of the North Rim is lost to fire three weeks later; Grace reflects on impermanence and gratitude.

Notable Quote:
"He said someone was strangled right there last night and pointed to the trail 30ft in front of our porch. Excuse me." – Grace (as read by Danielle) [13:21]

Host Reflection:
"At first from the beginning, I didn't know where I was going, and then from the ranger, and then it being the location of the recent fire. It just had a lot of things going on." – Cassie [15:34]

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4. Bear Spray Don't Play

[18:20–23:17]
Submitted by: Mackenzie

• Mackenzie describes prepping for a North Shore hike, including a bear spray self-check.
• Accidentally discharges bear spray inside her apartment, causing chaos, coughing, sneezing, and ruined towels.
• Husband attempts cleanup, donning towels as makeshift gas masks.
• Bear spray compared (unfavorably) to the army gas chamber experience.

Notable Quote:
"Let me tell you, I was in the Army and having been in the gas chamber during basic training, that was nothing compared to the bear spray. I would have rather gone through the chamber again." – Mackenzie (as read by Cassie) [22:05]

Host Anecdotes:

• Danielle and Cassie each share personal stories about accidental exposure to bear/pepper spray and safety tips.
• Advice: Practice with blanks, never indoors or upwind.
  "Just don't mace yourself or bear spray yourself." – Cassie [26:02]

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5. Becoming a Woman at Crater Lake National Park

[29:55–33:32]
Submitted by: Isabelle

• Isabelle recalls a formative family road trip at age 12, stretching across famous Western parks.
• After witnessing the beauty of Crater Lake, she experiences her first period—paired with midnight sickness and maternal support.
• The event adds a unique association to Crater Lake, blending the challenges of adolescence with the wild.

Notable Quote:
"I like to think that this was the universe telling me that my womanhood and the great outdoors go hand in hand. Or maybe life just sucks sometimes and you get your first period at Crater Lake." – Isabelle (as read by Danielle) [33:16]

• Hosts connect with their own memories and reflect on how adolescence intersects with outdoor experiences.

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6. Was It Our Imagination? I Don't Think So

[40:32–43:13]
Submitted by: Trish

• Childhood friends experience a series of paranormal events at a neighbor's abandoned, rundown house: smoke from a vanished chimney, physical sensations, flying objects.
• Later learn a child had died from neglect in that house.
• The unresolved haunting only occurs when the two friends are together at the house.

Notable Quote:
"We didn't know about the little girl that died in the house but feel like she was the cause of all the disturbing things that we experienced." – Trish (as read by Cassie) [43:06]

• Hosts express how the discovery of the real-life tragedy contextualizes the eerie activity, leading to a sobering reflection.

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7. Nature’s Toilet Never Gets Robbed

[45:17–47:45]
Submitted by: Anonymous (CO grad student)

• In desperate need of a bathroom break during field research, the listener accidentally walks into an active gas station robbery—not realizing it at the time.
• The "robber" simply says, "I don't work here and they're not open"; the listener naively leaves, only later realizing the gravity of the encounter.
• The story ends with the lesson: sometimes, you should just pee in the woods.

Notable Quote:
"That guy had totally been robbing the place. And somehow, through sheer confusion—his and mine—I just walked right back out." – Anonymous (as read by Danielle) [46:53]

• Pure comedy gold; hosts imagine the security footage and the robber’s possible perspective.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On accidental drug adventures:
  "Milf. Man, I love fungus." – Danielle [07:29]

• On the perils of outdoor hygiene:
  "If a mouse shows up in your cabin, name it something ridiculous and let it crash. It's way more fun than freaking out." – Grace (read by Danielle) [15:18]

• On bear spray mishaps:
  "I would have rather gone through the [army] chamber again." – Mackenzie (read by Cassie) [22:05]

• On awkward bathroom breaks during a robbery:
  "I don't work here and they're not open." – Robber (as recounted by the listener) [46:57]

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Host Reflections & Tone

• Danielle and Cassie create a playful, honest, and deeply empathetic atmosphere—they never shy away from real talk about embarrassment, fear, or curiosity.
• They urge listeners to keep sharing all types of stories, from “formative moments” to supernatural events—acknowledging that the outdoors catalyzes some of life’s biggest and strangest experiences.
• Each story is met with laughter, poignant reflection, or both—anchoring the episode in a tone of genuine wonder and openness.

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Bonus Content & Subscription Mention

[49:25–49:57]

• Teasers for bonus Trail Tales ("The Time My Mom Narrowly Avoided a Machete Wielding Man on the AT" and "Don't F*** With Bob").
• Details on how listeners can access additional stories via Apple or Patreon subscriptions.

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Closing Takeaways

• Enjoy the View, But Watch Your Back: The hosts’ signature sign-off encapsulates the episode’s mix of awe and caution—nature’s beauty is matched by its unpredictability.
• Nature is for Everyone—Awkward moments included: From peeing in the woods to haunted memories, these stories highlight that authentic connection to wild places is often messy, unpredictable, and profound.

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:19] — Episode Intro & Banter
• [04:13] — Spooky State Park Experience
• [08:20] — George the Mouse at the Grand Canyon
• [18:20] — Bear Spray Disaster
• [29:55] — Becoming a Woman at Crater Lake
• [40:32] — Rural Haunting: Was It Our Imagination?
• [45:17] — Nature’s Toilet Never Gets Robbed
• [49:25] — Bonus Story Teasers & Wrap-Up

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For More Stories:
Visit npadpodcast.com or write your own tale to npadstoriesmail.com. For extended content, join their Patreon or Apple subscription channels.

"Enjoy the view, but watch your back."

Transcript

[A]

Foreign.

[B]

Hello everyone. Welcome back to National Park After Dark. We have our trail tales today and we have lots of special stories for you. But in case you are listening and not watching on YouTube, you must know that Danielle is wearing a shirt that says MILF on it today.

[A]

Oh yes, it got me.

[B]

Man, I love frogs.

[A]

Man, I love frogs. Yeah, and it's like one of those Instagram ads. I think we talked about this on a trail tales like a few weeks ago.

[B]

I think we did too follow hopefully.

[A]

And maybe it wasn't. Maybe it was just a private conversation, I'm not sure. But yeah, we. The targeted Instagram ads got me, wore me down. Every. This thing was everywhere. It was in my Instagram, it was in my Google, it was it. I know everything's connected and it's a whole thing, but yeah, I've never seen.

[B]

That on my Instagram ad. So it was like for you specifically.

[A]

Specifically it's cuz I lingered on it too long once and it was like she must need this. Love frogs, man. She must love frogs. So yeah, I got it.

[B]

Looks great.

[A]

Thank you. I usually wear it to bed and actually I did wear it to bed last night and I'm actually still my PJs. I'm actually hungover right now and I'm having a lot of time.

[B]

A rarity. A rarity.

[A]

It is a rarity. But I am here for work with a smile on my face. Yeah, I was telling Cassie before the recording, but in my quest to fall back in love with New England, I've been doing different adventures and tours and things around the area. And last night I went to a historic building. It's the Library Restaurant in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It's in a really historic building. It's beautiful. I've been there before. But they were offering a special event where they did like a wine tasting food pairing kind of intertwined with a historic tour. So like between courses and wines they would tell you the history of the building and its life since the 1700s. And kind of a little bit about the old rough and tumble version of Portsmouth, which was super interesting. 15,000 sailors, 60 brothels, 150 taverns and two police officers. Wow. So those police officers. The wild west of the east, anything. Yeah, yeah. But anyways, so I thought it was going to be a wine tasting, which is great. And it was. But they gave full glasses of wine and there was four rounds and they. The event was only like two hours or less and I don't drink often and if I do it's like One cocktail. My bod is just not what it used to be.

[B]

And it can't. It can't hang.

[A]

I'm having a very difficult time. I texted my mom this morning. I'm like, I feel like I got hit by a train. Like, I don't feel well at all. Meanwhile, yesterday, she's totally fine. But, yeah. Anyway, that's why I'm in my PJs. Half of my PJ still. And I, like, I really do love this shirt. Like, the colors are nice, right? Yeah.

[B]

It's aesthetically pleasing and it's funny.

[A]

Yeah. I love it all.

[B]

I understand why the Instagram got you.

[A]

Okay. Yeah. So we have Trail Tales. Anyone that's tuning in for the first time ever, welcome Trail Tales or our episodes where we share listener stories that are submitted by our audience. And we each read three and do two bonus ones if you're a part of our subscription through Apple or Patreon. So do you want to go first or would you like me to go first?

[B]

I would love to go first.

[A]

Thank God. I need a moment.

[B]

Perfect.

[A]

Great.

[B]

My first one is titled Spooky State Park Experience. Hello, Cassie and Danielle. My name is Derek and I have a quick story about an experience I had camping in the Hawassi O Ocoee Scenic River State park in East Tennessee. I very much apologize if I butchered that. I just never heard of this before.

[A]

There's no way that can be correct. So.

[B]

Let me look at the Ocoee. I think Ocoee might be right. Oh, yeah, Scenic. Sorry for everyone who knows what this is and it's like you're not saying it right. I did not read this beforehand. It's all of our first times learning the story. A group of friends and I got a group camping site in Gee Creek Campground in October of 2019 to enjoy the introduction of the cool fall months. When we arrived and set up camp in the late afternoon, one of my friends pulls out a bag of little chocolates containing a spore bearing fungal fruiting body of undisclosed species. We took a little and started a fire and let the evening set in. So, drugs.

[A]

Thank you for clarifying. Yeah.

[B]

In case.

[A]

Anyone?

[B]

Little chocolate containing drugs.

[A]

Milf. Man, I love fungus.

[B]

It really goes with everything. It does.

[A]

I know. And we're just beginning.

[B]

As it starts to get close to dusk and we're beginning to experience the chocolates a bit, clouds and frontal winds start pushing in, giving the campsite an eerie fall feeling. I went to the tree line away from camp to pee at one point and to my left in the corner of my eye, I see a shadow about the size of a bear trotting on all fours towards the tree line from the field that we're in. I shook it off, blaming it on the chocolates and went to camp. Throughout the rest of the evening until I finally go to sleep, I am hearing dozens of slightly high pitched giggling and whispering coming from the tree line surrounding us. I have done quote unquote chocolates many times before, but have never had this type of experience. I attributed it to distorted sounds of insects, but it was cool that night and insects really aren't prominent during this time of year. I would get close to the tree line to investigate and the sounds wouldn't change, they would just get closer. I finally decided to crawl into my tent to lay down listening to the giggling whispering right outside until I fell asleep. The next day I couldn't shake off the unique experience. So when I got home later that day, I did research on the history of the area. Not surprisingly, I find that the place had been inhabited by the Cherokee dozens of years. However, what really shook me was that on the other side of that same tree line, not a quarter of a mile away from our camp, was an old fort called Fort Marr that was used to stockade in 1837 to detain Cherokee from the surrounding area prior to forcing them down the Trail of Tears. I know that the chocolates could have very likely been the main cause of my experience, but now I wonder if it opened a door to being laughed at and with by the local native spirits of the area. I haven't been back to this area since, but do plan on going back one day to see if I can get a similar experience while sober. Thanks for all the fun trail tale stories. My wife and I love Yalls podcast best. Derek.

[A]

Derek, you're just on those shrooms. Were doing wonders for you in my humble opinion.

[B]

Humble opinion?

[A]

Yeah, I've never been on laughing and.

[B]

Giggling and the noises. I also have not.

[A]

I did try one time and it didn't work.

[B]

Oh, why didn't it work?

[A]

That is.

[B]

Were they just like regular mushrooms?

[A]

No. Maybe. I don't know. It was in college of course, and they were like sprinkled on a peanut butter sandwich and.

[B]

Yeah, mushroom and peanut butter. That's disgusting first off.

[A]

But continue. I understand. Okay, I know, but yeah, I don't know. Like I was just kind of bracing myself and waiting for something to happen and nothing ever did and I was.

[B]

Just like, well, someone just made you eat a mushroom peanut butter sandwich and laughed at me.

[A]

Stupid freshman or whatever I was. Yeah, I don't know. But I know enough. They're like, that'll be 200, thank you, idiot. Yeah, but I do. I have seen enough people on shrooms to realize and recognize that that's probably you just had a good trip in the woods and that's fine. We all deserve luxurious moments and I'm telling you guys right now, we can all have them at home with Kuchi who are in a league of their own when it comes to bedding, bath and home products and their organic sateen and flannel sheet sets are the key to more comfortable, healthier sleep year round. I'm at a time in life where I really want to be intentionally investing in quality products no matter what they are. I am also aware that we live in a time where there are countless options for almost every product, including lots of choices for organic bedding. But Koyuchi stands above the rest because of their 35 year heritage, their extraordinary quality and their commitment to ethical production. And that's why I love them. Plus their vintage patterns, peaceful botanicals and calming hues bring elements of the natural world that I love so much right into my home. Whether it's bedding or bath towels, table linens or spa robes, all of Koyuchi's products are of the absolute highest quality. Made with natural fibers, low impact dyes and certified fair trade, Koiuchi looks great, feels amazing and is good for your health and the planet. It's luxury you can feel good about. If you want healthy, handcrafted luxury bedding that lasts a lifetime, you need Koiuchi. Get 20% off when you visit Koiuchi.com NPAD that's Koiuchi.com N To get 20 off, that's C-O-Y-U-C-H-I.com NPAD okay, my first story is titled the Chronicles of George the Mouse. The Swish Heard Round the Rim hi Danielle and Cassie. My love for national parks began when I was 14. Thanks to my grandma who is solely responsible for this obsession. She took me on my first park trip. We flew into Jackson Hole, cruised through the Tetons and spent a week exploring Yellowstone. And since then I have been hooked. Fast forward to more recent years. Grandma decided she wanted to see the north rim of the Grand Canyon. I live in the Phoenix area, so she flew in from Wisconsin and we hit the road. Now a few things about this story that are objectively wild. So let's just jump right in. We had Cabins right on the rim. Incredible views. My aunt and I shared one that connected to grandma's. We were tired from traveling and crashed early, probably around 9:30pm One thing you should know about my aunt, she snores. And loudly. Like could be heard on the south rim type of loud.

[B]

Oh no.

[A]

So I took sleep meds, put in my earbuds, crank some thunderstorm sounds and passed out. At 11:15pm I woke up to flashing lights in my face, confused, groggy, blind, with no contacts in. I realized it was my aunt with her phone flashlight whispering, I think there's a wild, wild animal in here. Not the thing you want to hear when you're barely conscious. She said she had heard noises outside. Maybe a raccoon or a mountain lion, or oddly, a group of people, perhaps dancing. She kept hearing a weird swishing sound. Then I heard the swishing. It was coming from the tiny empty garbage can in the corner. We tiptoed over and she suddenly screamed, there's a mouse in the trash can. Naturally, she named him George, after my 17 year old brother, which somehow felt fitting. I couldn't actually see George again. I was blind. But I heard him launch himself out of the can and scurry across the floor. He dove under the fireplace and disappeared. All that remained in the garbage were a few little pieces of mouse poop inside a flimsy garbage bag that was responsible for the said swishing noise. We were rattled, but eventually fell back to sleep. Now you may be thinking, why are you telling us about a mouse in a garbage can? This isn't exactly trail tale material, but hang in there. A few days later, Grandma and I were sitting in the front of the cabin taking in the canyon views when she started telling me her own mouse story about a different mouse and her garbage can. She named hers Charlie, after my 24 year old brother. Again, weirdly appropriate. She had tried to trap Charlie by placing a book over the can, hoping he'd go to sleep, question mark. When that failed, she marched outside in her well dressed and coffee obsessed nightgown and released him into the wild. I was dying laughing at the mental image. And right as I was picturing this mouse eviction scene, a park ranger walked up. He asked how long we had been staying and if we had heard anything unusual on our first night there. We both said no and asked why. And with the casual energy of someone commenting on the weather, he said someone was strangled right there last night and pointed to the trail 30ft in front of our porch. Excuse me.

[B]

What?

[A]

I immediately went to get my aunt, the one who had woken up to what she described as rhythmic dancing noises outside of the cabin. She launched into the whole George the mouse story shout out to the ranger for patiently listening to that one. And then we realized something wild. Both my aunt and my grandma had woken up at the Same exact time, 11:15pm that's when the ranger told us that the crime had been reported to have happened. He did eventually mention that the person was okay, but after we freaked out for a few minutes, it seemed like he realized he shouldn't have told us someone was strangled and was trying to backtrack on the story. I sure hope that's true and that she really was okay. It seems likely that whatever my aunt and grandma had heard mysterious swishing, rhythmic dancing mouse gymnastics was somehow connected to that incident. And I, of course, heard none of it because I had medicated myself into a thunderstorm coma. Part of me wishes I hadn't had the earbuds in. I'm a light sleeper, so maybe I could have helped. But what could I have done? Called 911 with no service scream Throw George at this strangler. Despite the insane twist, the trip was actually wonderful. On our last night, George returned for an encore. I took a page from Grandma's mousetrapping playbook, put a book on the trash can and carried him outside. We even left a note for the next guest explaining the mouse catching technique. So I guess you're welcome, strangers. Sadly, about three weeks after our stay, the cabin and much of the North Rim was destroyed in a fire. It's surreal to think that the lodge where we ate dinner, the visitor center, the gift shop, and the very porch we sipped wine on are all gone now. I truly hope George and his extended family made it out alive. I visited the South Rim many times, but this was my first time seeing the North Rim. I even rode a mule down part of the North Kaibab Trail. It was an unforgettable experience, and I'm so grateful I got to see it before the fires. So here's my advice. Enjoy the view, watch your back. Explore while you can. The opportunity might not always be there. And if a mouse shows up in your cabin, name it something ridiculous and let it crash. It's way more fun than freaking out. Lots of love to the both of you. Grace.

[B]

Wow, what a ride of a story.

[A]

I know at first from the beginning.

[B]

Like I didn't know where I was going, and then from the ranger, and then it being the location of the recent fire. I mean, it just had a Lot of things going on.

[A]

Yeah. I'm not sure if I don't know what the protocol is as far as like disclosing information about someone being strangled is. But like, if they apprehended the individual that was strangling someone, like, do they have to disclose? Because it's not like a threat. It's not like somebody's out on the loose or on the run.

[B]

Yeah. I would imagine that the. More like, I don't know if proper is the right word for it, but to say someone was assaulted instead of giving full details. But I really have no idea. I'm not in law enforcement at all.

[A]

So I would want to know for sure.

[B]

I would want to know what was going on, especially if I had a similar experience or if I noticed something that was weird. I mean, maybe that's part of telling the truth of what happened in case someone actually does have real information.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That can connect it or hurt something. But yeah, it does sound like if they both woke up at the same time and both heard like this scuffling noise, it could have potentially you could have heard that person being attacked.

[A]

Right. Yeah.

[B]

I feel like they're probably okay as well, just because if someone was murdered there, it would have been bigger news.

[A]

And it would have been a huge investigation. Like, I'm sure you would have recognized that there was some sort of investigation going on and especially if it was right out front of the cabin. Yeah, I don't know. Anyway, well, I'm glad everyone's okay. And hopefully the. The mice did survive the fire, but it's not looking good. You're standing on the beach when you notice something strange. The horizon doesn't look right at first. All you can see is a thin white line. Then the line starts to rise. You realize it's not the horizon at all. It's a 30 foot tall wall of water and it's racing straight towards you. What would you do on the day after Christmas? In 2004, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of Indonesia, triggering a devastating tsunami. It struck Thailand without warning. No alarms, no cell phone alerts, no evacuation. In this season of against against the Odds, experience one of the deadliest natural disasters in history through the perspectives of those who did everything they could to survive. Follow against the odds on the Wonry app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes of against the odds Tsunami in Thailand early and ad free right now on Wonry plus.

[B]

Okay, well, onto my next story. It is titled Bear Spray.

[A]

Don't Play.

[B]

Hi there, my name is mackenzie. Since I have started listening to your guys podcasts back in 2021, every time I go out into the wilderness for a hike or excursion, I say to myself, please don't become a listener tale before my hikes as a pre hike ritual. Oh man, I feel like you're almost like putting it out into the universe that way. At the same rate, I think to myself, well, it may not be the worst thing to have a cool story to write in though, right? Wrong. My story begins the night before my hike. I was planning a trip to Minnesota's North Shore just for a quick weekend visit as I live just two hours south of Duluth. Not sure when you're reading this, but I hope you enjoy Slash enjoyed your time up there while you came up.

[A]

You did.

[B]

It was really fun.

[A]

Oh, oh yeah. And Duluth. I don't we gotta return to Duluth.

[B]

Because we were in Duluth very long. It was like raining and foggy and we couldn't even see it.

[A]

Yeah. And every single person we talked to, not just the recommendations that listeners give, but even when we were physically there, like up after up in the Voyagers area and we mentioned Duluth and every single person has the same reaction. Oh my God, we love Duluth.

[B]

Duluth is great. It's really amazing. Barely see it. We went to the Starbucks and then left. Drove to Wisconsin and then yeah, yeah.

[A]

We gotta do a redo for sure.

[B]

I was checking things off my list for my upcoming hike. Boots, socks, backpack, self defense items and bear spray of course, as we are in bear country in the Superior National Forest. We have black bear here, but that doesn't mean you won't run into wolves, big cats and other predators that you may spook. Slash may spook you on the trail. Anyways, I was sitting in my guest bedroom at my apartment collecting my gear and when I got to my bear spray, I noticed the expiration date was coming up this year and thought to myself, I need to get another one of these before my upcoming trip to Voyagers National Park. I was reading the bottle out of curiosity to see what the protocol for the use of spray was as I have never actually practiced using the spray. From the looks on the container, it appeared that there is a safety latch that you pull back and then you push a button to the top of the can and this triggers the spray. Because I am curious and dumb. I wanted to pull back the safety to see if it was true that there would be a button there. It wasn't true. As I pulled back the safety, the can let out a solid spray on the white wall of my guest bedroom.

[A]

Oh no.

[B]

Fun fact, Bear spray is brown or at least the can I have is. It didn't take long for my throat and nose to get pierced with the gas and coughing and sneezing ensued amongst watery eyes and a nose that started running like hell. I got up quickly and shut the door to the guest room, running out to the living room where my dear husband was sitting on the couch, I said to him, weari we have a slight issue. Knowing me and knowing there's always something I'm up to, he sprung into action and asked what happened. I told him I sat on the can of spray and it sprayed as I was too embarrassed to tell him the truth of how the situation came about. My husband, bless his heart, didn't ask many questions, but I am pretty sure by the spray pattern on the wall he figured it out pretty quickly that I was fibbing. He immediately started to clean the spray up, opening the window in the guest room and bringing a huge box fan from the guest room to into the guest room to air it out. He didn't last long before he needed to cover his mouth and nose with towels before making short trips into the guest room while holding his breath to get this cleaned up. Meanwhile, while he was being brave and tackling the spray, I was dying. Let me tell you, I was in the army and having been in the gas chamber during basic training, that was nothing compared to the bear spray. I would have rather gone through the chamber again. I couldn't even stand within five feet of the guest room without the gas and wafting out into the hall and piercing my nose and throat, causing the sneezes and runny nose to start all over again. When my husband was done cleaning, he asked me if we should put the towel he used to clean the spray in the washing machine. No, we are not keeping the thing as I'm sure the spray would not leave the towel with a wash, but even if it did wash out, it would remind me of how silly this whole thing was or is I am typing to you as I sit comfortably on the couch still recovering from the spray while sneezing every few minutes, preparing to leave for my hike in the morning. Hopefully tomorrow as I head out for my hike and say to myself my pre hike ritual. I remember that bear spray is not a toy and hopefully we learn from this that if you're going to test bear spray, know that it is a real weapon and please for my sake test it outside with the wind. Probably I don't know. I'm no expert, clearly. And then they just end it.

[A]

And that's all. Well, I've said this before, but we've had an incident. Me and Ian had an incident once with bear spray. And it was so awful. And it wasn't even a full spray. It's like it leaked somehow and it got. It was like on the side pocket of the. Of our packs and it leaked or something and got on something and I didn't know and I went to reach for it and it got on my hands and then it got in his hand and it was. It was a mess and it was awful. And I can't even imagine a full spray of it because that was pretty brutal.

[B]

This isn't bear spray, it's mace. But I will always remember in college, my roommate Aaron, who, you know, and if you're listening, I'm sorry, I'm retelling the story, but she had just got pepper spray and she had it on her keys. And we were in college and we were walking and she's like, yeah, I'm really excited. I have this pepper spray look like, let's see how far it shoots out. And she holds. She picks it up, holds it out in front of her and sprays it forward. But unluckily for her, the wind was coming towards her and it was kind of strong too. And immediately the spray comes back and she pepper sprayed herself in the face. And we. Luckily there was a bathroom not too far away that we ran into and she's like washing her eyes out and we're like. We were with me and my other roommate and we were kind of laughing and also sad for her too, because it was funny how it happened, but it sucked that it was happening. She was clearly in pain, but it was. I'll never forget that if you are spraying anything, do not spray it right in front of your face and make sure that the wind is not coming towards you as well.

[A]

Yeah. And in the context of the bear spray at least. I don't know about pepper spray or mace, but there are bear sprays out there that you can get that come in packs where one is a blank. So it is the same, like size. It's in the same can. It has the same mechanisms, right? Yeah. So you can practice with it. So you don't have to practice with the actual bare mace. But it's. Yeah, just like a blank. And that's how I first familiarized myself with bear spray. And it was very helpful.

[B]

Also comes out a lot stronger than Maestas. So like if you're in a situation with a bear and it's like windy, like you don't have to worry as I mean if you spray bear spray you're probably going to feel the effects anyway at least a little bit. But if you spray bear spray and there's a gust of wind, you don't have to be like, well I have to wait for the gust of wind before I can spray this. You know, it's gonna, it's very powerful. But just in case anyone was like, oh no, now I have to worry about bear spray. It's mace. Don't. Mace comes out a lot lighter than bear spray does. And just don't, just don't mace yourself or bear spray yourself.

[A]

Speaking of bear spray, I was going through our suggestions recently and somebody wrote in and said you should do a story on the history of UDAP bear spray, which is like a very, very popular brand of bear mace. And like you would recognize the logo I'm sure like your bear mace maybe even is that brand. But the whole reason the guy created it is because he got attacked by a bear in Montana by a grizzly and then he, he's like the founder of that spray and stuff.

[B]

So I don't know. It's good marketing. I mean it's a. Trust me than someone who has experienced what happens if you don't have it, right?

[A]

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[B]

The national park ever seen one, I pick Mount Rushmore.

[A]

I mean, you live, you learn.

[B]

Not even the Badlands. The Badlands are right there.

[A]

They did mention they stopped a crazy horse. So there is that. And I don't know, I can kind of see like this person is 12 years old at the time.

[B]

You learned so much about Mount Rushmore at that time.

[A]

And that's like peak Mount Rush. Mount Rushmore's on everything.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

When you're 12 years old, it's like everywhere. In every textbook, on every poster, in every history class. So I think the only national park.

[B]

You even know about is Mount Rushmore.

[A]

Right? Yeah. So it's like, I can understand why you're like, I. I gotta see this baby in person. Once we reached the end of the trail with the expanse of cerulean spread out before us, he paused and listlessly stated, so it's just a lake. Morale continued to deteriorate as we left the park to drive to our campsite and my dad suddenly realized that he had put his digital camera down on the top of the car after we finished our hike and had forgotten to grab it before we drove away. We turned around and searched along the road and in the parking lot for signs of the lost camera. But alas, the camera was nowhere to be found. We arrived at Mazama Campground and indulged in a sad and quiet family meal of pesto pasta and canned peaches. Yum. We took turns trekking to the bathrooms, which were a three minute walk from our camper to brush our teeth, and then climbed into bed. I woke up around midnight feeling weird, lightheaded, nauseous, feverish, and an extra layer of something strange. There was a cramping in my abdomen that I had never felt before. I woke my mom up and she walked with me to the bathrooms. Half delusional and sick in a bathroom stall, I asked my mom, what is happening to me? Her answer? You're becoming a woman. Whatever that meant. Eventually, we walked back to the camper, but my stomach jolted and I turned us right back around. I made it within 15ft of the bathrooms before I puked up half digested pesto pasta and canned peaches onto the side of the trail. I woke up the next morning to find that not only did I feel a lot better, but also that my shorts felt strangely damp. So my mom dragged me back past the shameful puke pile and taught me how to use a pad in the Crater Lake campground bathroom. After finding out that I had gotten sick the night before my brother, forever the hypochondriac, convinced himself that he was coming down with whatever I had. My mom, doing her very best not to embarrass me, tried to explain to him that this was not an illness that he could catch, nor would ever catch this illness. This tactic did not work. And eventually, after he started to complain of a stomachache, I told him the truth. I had just gotten my very first period. He suddenly and miraculously felt so much better. The rest of the trip went on without a hitch. But I will never be able to think of Crater Lake without remembering this formative piece of my lore. I like to think that this was the universe telling me that my womanhood and the great outdoors go hand in hand. Or maybe life just sucks sometimes and you get your first period at Crater Lake. Thanks so much for all that you do to support our nation's beautiful parks. Your podcast brings me joy, laughter, and hope. Best, Isabelle.

[B]

That's a cool first period story.

[A]

Def. I could not tell you when I know I was young, I got my first period very young. Did I remember when, like, it wasn't a memorable.

[B]

Yeah, I don't remember. And I thought it would be too, because I remember, like, taking classes and learning about your period and being like, I'm gonna know when this happens. And don't wear white shorts or don't wear clothes, white pants, white shorts, anything. As soon as I learned about a period, I didn't want to wear anything white just in case. And I remember during my. During the class, because we were in sixth grade, they taught us about our periods. And during that class, I like, I remember I thought I got my period and I definitely did not.

[A]

I think it's actually happening.

[B]

There was like, a dot on my underwear and I was like, it's here and it was not. But that's my only memory of my first period. But then after that, I didn't get it till I was like, 14 or something.

[A]

That's so funny that you bring up the white, because have you seen those memes where it's like, talking about, like, the sun exploding or the Bermuda Triangle or something and just learning about it and thinking was going to be, like, such a huge problem in your everyday life? Yeah, I thought that, like, wearing white was going to be a huge problem because my period could come at any time and lo and behold, I. Wearing white has never been an issue for me. I don't think I own anything pure white. Yeah, like, especially bottoms. Like the whole don't wear white after Labor Day never An issue for me.

[B]

Couldn'T reward to begin with.

[A]

Yeah. I remember I had white jeans forever.

[B]

And I never wore them, and I ended up donating them. I have, like, one picture in college where I'm wearing white pants, though, and I can.

[A]

Because you were afraid of your period or you just didn't. I just.

[B]

No, I just don't wear white pants because they're not practical at all. Like, you know what? Everything. You don't always sit on clean surfaces and you eat and just. White pants don't make any sense.

[A]

Yeah. Whenever I see someone in a white pant, I'm like, oh, they have their life together.

[B]

Yeah, you have to have your life together to wear white pants. That's brave.

[A]

One of my nicknames growing up, my family had for me was mesomatic. Like, I'm a messy. Like, especially eating. I'm just, like, a very messy eater.

[B]

So I could never notice you being a Met. You're a very fast eater. I don't even see you eat, like, or. Well, I see you eat, but it's gone in, like, one second. Like, I've taken, like, three bites and your meal is gone. And I'm like, oh, my God.

[A]

It's so funny you say that, because a couple months ago, and I know this about myself, I do know this, and I'm kind of trying to become more aware of it. It was never an issue. And it's usually not an issue because I'm by myself when I'm eating, so I don't need to be cognizant of that. But. And even when I'm with you, it's like, we're not, like, at a formal. This doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. But like, a month ago, I don't know when it. Whatever it was, Jeff and I were out to dinner in Boston, and it was a combination of me eating fast, but also I was starving. And also this was, like, a really good meal. Like, one of the best meals I've ever had type of thing.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And it was like a ravioli. So they only gave me, like, seven or eight little raviolis. It wasn't a huge meal. But then he had, like, a giant pizza to himself. So he said, like, one thing. By the time he even finished his sentence, I was literally done. And I've never seen someone react to my eating like that before. He's like, what just happened? He's like, why? You've never. Where did it go?

[B]

It's, like, picking up the point. Like.

[A]

Like, I was like. Like, scraping the Sauce. Like, I was done. He's like, he didn't even have one slice down. Like, it was just. I'm like, I'm so sorry. And then it was weird because he.

[B]

Was alone eating right and I didn't.

[A]

Know where to look. I'm like, I'm. I should have just taken this one ravioli at a time, like. Yeah. And put down my fork. It's like the same thing.

[B]

Life mantra. One ravioli at a time.

[A]

Truly. Same thing with walking, though. I have to be cognizant to walk slow. Yeah. When I'm with people because otherwise quickly I'm alone, walking very far ahead of everybody. Oh, Lord. What? We're talking about periods. I don't know what happened.

[B]

Anyway, cool story about your period. I mean, it is. I think that it's nature, you know.

[A]

I would love to hear about people's memorable formative moments. It doesn't have to be your period because clearly I don't remember. I remember yourself in the woods.

[B]

That has been a comfort.

[A]

No, we get enough. Do you know how many shit stories we get? You don't even know because I only know we did. I asked for embarrassing stories and everyone just happens to.

[B]

The embarrassing stories usually involve shit.

[A]

I feel like we need to expand beyond that because, yes, that's embarrassing.

[B]

But the most embarrassing, arguably, I'm, I, I'm honestly honored that people trust us with their stories because that is, I.

[A]

Feel like, kind of sacred. Yeah, yeah, we were just talking about, we were just talking about that like a couple days ago.

[B]

Yeah, people just.

[A]

Their pants feels like it should be something that's written.

[B]

I don't know if men are just more comfortable with telling the stories of them. Their pants, or if men truly their pants more than women.

[A]

No, I think it's that. I think it's both. But I don't know what's going on biologically, but I feel like they're just more prone to. I don't know, whatever. I don't want to talk about this anymore. I want to tell you guys about a podcast that I think is mandatory listening for any true crime fan. It's called Small Town Dick Dicks. On Small Town Dicks, the hosts sit down with real detectives to hear the stories of the cases that stayed with them long after the investigation ended. Cases that shaped their careers and their lives. These aren't dramatizations or secondhand retellings. These are first hand accounts from the people who were in the room, on the scene and solving the case. The show is hosted by Emmy winning actress Yardley Smith. Yes, the voice of Lisa Simpson alongside identical twin detectives Dan and Dave and renowned Cold Case investigator Paul Holes, who developed the revolutionary DNA technology that helped catch the Golden State Killer. Over the last 16 seasons, small town Dicks has built a reputation for respectful, compelling storytelling and offers an extremely rare behind the scenes look at how investigations actually unfold from the first lead to the final arrest and the emotional toll it takes on everyone involved. Involved. So if you're ready for a true crime podcast that trades sensationalism for substance, check out Small Town Dicks. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts [e-mail].

[B]

Anyway, our next story is Mine is titled Was It Our Imagination? I don't think so. Hi ladies, my name is Trish. I wanted to first thank you for the great podcast and how much effort you put into the stories that you tell. My story happened over several years ago. I grew up in a rural area. As a kid we didn't care or even pay attention to people's financial, social status or any of that kind of thing. We played with whatever kids were around. My friend Jen and I would play at each other's houses as often as we could and just down the gravel road from her house was a rundown house with a gaggle of kids that we would play with. All of a sudden the family was gone and the house was boarded up. Being young, maybe 10 or 12, we just thought they moved and didn't think anything of it. Then strange things started happening when we were together at her house. One example was when she had a slumber party for her birthday. I think it was her 14th birthday. I went to her house early to help her get ready for the party and we were getting the living room ready with sleeping bags and lots of pillows when we both stood at the window that faced the old rundown house and we were frozen in our tracks. Her dad asked us what was wrong and we told him that smoke was coming out of the chimney of that house. He said that wasn't possible since the chimney had fallen off and away from the house. Later that night when all the other girls fell asleep, she and I moved to a corner of the room away from the other girls so we could talk about what we saw until we fell asleep. I woke up feeling that someone was standing on my arm. At the same time she felt like someone was pinching her leg. No one was near us when this happened, but I ended up with a bruise on my arm the size of a child's foot over the Years we had other odd occurrences, but only when we were together at her house. Like, hearing hands or something dragging down the walls of the hallway outside her room. Clothes in our closet, moving on the hanging bar, A hairbrush breaking the mirror of her antique dressing table. Yes, we saw the brush fly across the room. At around the age of 16, we decided that it would be a good idea that we stop getting together at her house, since scary things only happen when we were together. When we told our moms about our plan, we had told them about everything that we had experienced as it happened. They told us what happened at that rundown house. Apparently the family that had five or six kids that we played with had a child that they had locked in the closet that. In that house. And she eventually passed away from neglect. The parents were arrested, and the kids went into foster care. We didn't know about the little girl that died in the house, but feel like she was the cause of all the disturbing things that we experienced. We've never been in that house together again, and neither of us had had any other experiences.

[A]

That's really frightening.

[B]

That's a really sad story. That's awful.

[A]

To have, like, an actual potential explanation. That's so sad. And, like, as a kid, not understanding either. Like, that's just. I don't know.

[B]

That's creepy.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

The fact that you were, like, there playing with the kids and, like, the whole neighborhood didn't know what was going on, and then it.

[A]

Yeah, that's so.

[B]

That always makes me. That always breaks my heart when you hear of kids that are neglected and abused. And I just. Those stories are really tough.

[A]

And it's always kind of like. I shouldn't say always, but often it's like, the neighbors would never suspect type of thing. Like, I had no idea that this was happening, or I wouldn't have suspected those people to be the culprits of something so evil. You know, I think it's hard to.

[B]

Comprehend that anyone is capable of that. I mean, there's no one that I've ever met that I've been like, they are capable of something like that. And collectively, we both know someone who was convicted of something similar. So, I mean, I have never. We do.

[A]

Yes. Oh, yes. Oh, my God. Yes.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Oh, my God. Yeah. Wow.

[B]

Huge case in New Hampshire. I would have never thought. And I didn't know them super well or anything, but I would never, never suspect anything like that. And I think that that's the thing, is no one suspects that anyone is capable of such cruelty until it's too late, which is really tough. And what happens inside people's homes are often really secretive and people just don't know, so I Stories like that always just make me really, really sad.

[A]

Well, I will turn it around with my last story. Okay, and it's titled Nature's Toilet Never Gets Robbed. Hey ladies. I love the POD and have been really inspired by you two to get out there more as a solo female traveler. So maybe that means you're responsible for what happened to my story. Just kidding.

[B]

Oh no.

[A]

Anyways, I'm a graduate student in Colorado, but my research takes me to Southern Oregon a couple times a year. This past summer was my first field season, so I was doing my best to explore whenever I could. On weekends and break, I visited the Redwoods, Crater Lake national park and Oregon Caves National Monument and was having a great time hiking and seeing the sights on my own. All while listening to your podcast, of course. On my final weekend, I decided to make the three hour drive to Lava Beds National Monument. Now, one thing you should know about me, I hate peeing in the woods. Yes, I love hiking. Yes, I love nature. But I'm a shy peer. Okay, so I had my morning coffee, hit the road, and two hours in, I was desperate. There had been literally nothing around for hundreds of miles except dense forest. So when I finally saw a gas station in the middle of nowhere, I took a hard right into the parking lot. When I entered the store, there was a man standing behind the cash register, so I abandoned all pretenses of buying something and immediately asked where their bathroom was. He stared at me and said, how did you get in here? Now, I've never been asked that question before, so I'm pretty sure I just gestured vaguely at the front door and said something like that through the door. Then he said, I don't work here and they're not open. I immediately apologized and left. It wasn't until 10 minutes down the road that it hit me. That guy had totally been robbing the place. And somehow, through sheer confusion, his and mine, I just walked right back out. I can't stop thinking about whoever.

[B]

I don't work here and this building is closed.

[A]

I'm trying to commit a crime. Like, please leave.

[B]

It's not a great time.

[A]

I can't stop thinking about whoever had to review that security footage. Just me confidently strolling into an active robbery, asking to use the bathroom, and then apologizing to the robber and leaving totally unfazed. So anyways, enjoy the view, but maybe just pee in the woods next Time. I just envision this Spider man meme, and they're just, like, pointing finger guns at each other, not knowing what to do. Yeah, I'd love to get the robber's point of view and totally not panicking, just being like, yeah, you got. I. I think if I was robbing it, I would have just gestured to the back like, it's a gas station. Right. There's got to be a bathroom in the back. And just.

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

I think to not cause, like, drive.

[B]

I think I would say the same thing. Like, I don't work here, and it's not open because I wouldn't want them to go to the bathroom and then come out and then, like, realize that no one's around.

[A]

Okay, but by saying, I don't work here and they're not open, then why are you here? Like, that raises questions for me. Yeah.

[B]

But I think I would be similar to this person where I wouldn't really think about it. I would just be like, oh, okay. And I'd leave because I wouldn't. I wouldn't put two and two together until after I left. I don't think I would be like, what are you doing here? Like, I'm not that.

[A]

Tell me.

[B]

Yeah, tell me what you're doing. I think I would be the same thing. I'd be like, oh, this is awkward. And, like, kind of leave, like, sorry, I'm disturbing you in your home.

[A]

Or like, I don't know.

[B]

Like, I'd be like, clearly, you're supposed to be here, but I'm not. I don't know. I would just love to get the robber's perspective of, like, yeah, I was in the middle of robbing. I had a timeline. I was. Was trying to get out, and then this girl just interrupted me. I thought I had to run, but then she just needed to use the bathroom, and we were both confused.

[A]

I don't know.

[B]

I would just love to get their perspective.

[A]

All senses do kind of go out the window when you have to pee that bad. I can't relate because I will pee anywhere. Yeah. Like, I don't have the shyness factor. But, like, you just. Everything starts to go. Your judgment and perception of the world kind of just gets skewed when you have to pee so bad. You're like, I don't care. I literally don't care if you're actively robbing a place. I just need to pee.

[B]

It's like, do your thing. I'm not a snitch.

[A]

Anyways. Okay, well, that's all three of my stories. Cool.

[B]

Well, thank you everyone for hanging out and tuning in this week for Trail Tales. If you are interested in hanging out with us for our next Trail Tales, we have two if you're on Patreon or Apple subscriptions and mine is titled the Time My Mom Narrow Avoided a Machete Wielding man on the at.

[A]

Okay. Mine is titled don't with Bob.

[B]

Don't with Bob.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Oh. I'm interested in both of these stories and you guys should come hang out with us on Patreon and listen to them.

[A]

Okay. Well we will see everybody next week. In the meantime, enjoy the view, but watch your back. See ya. Thank you for joining us again this week. If you have a trail tale of your own you'd like to share, you can write to [e-mail] or visit our website at npadpodcast.com bonus trail tales and content are available to Patreon members and Apple subscribers. Follow the show on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and X at National Park After Dark. And if you prefer to watch our episodes, you can find us on YouTube at National Park After Dark. And as always, if you enjoy, enjoy the show. Please take a moment to rate, review and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

[B]

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