351: Trail Tales 86

Summary

National Park After Dark – Trail Tales 86 (Ep. 351)

Release Date: January 29, 2026
Hosts: Danielle & Cassie
Podcast Theme: Two friends sharing chilling, inspiring, and sometimes hilarious stories centered on the wild, weird, and occasionally spooky experiences people have in and around national parks and wild public lands.

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Episode Overview

This Trail Tales edition kicks off National Park After Dark’s anniversary week with Danielle and Cassie sharing listener-submitted travel and outdoor adventure stories. From near-abductions in the Arctic Circle to almost running out of fuel in a tiny airplane, embarrassing slopeside mishaps, and mysterious missing time in the Smoky Mountains, this episode weaves together suspenseful, funny, and supernatural experiences. Alongside these stories, Danielle and Cassie banter candidly, reflect on lessons learned, and tie the tales back to their own misadventures and insights about staying safe in the wild.

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Key Stories & Discussion Segments

1. Almost Abducted in the Arctic Circle

[00:47 – 10:46]
Storyteller: Allison (read by Danielle)

• Summary: Allison, an adventurous solo traveler, recounts a harrowing Northern Lights excursion in Tromsø, Norway. After all reputable tours are canceled due to a blizzard, she books the only one still running. A suspicious, emoji-laden WhatsApp contact picks her up—driving a beat-up black SUV with two men inside. Inside a snowstorm, the guide locks Allison and another silent American tourist in the car, disappears for half an hour, returns with mystery red liquid (“It’s a surprise”), and ultimately drives them back to town in silence when the weather never clears.
• Notable Moments:
  • On ignoring red flags:
    “Red flag number one should have been that all the reputable tour companies had canceled and this was the only one still running. But I was blinded by hope…” —Allison, read by Danielle [03:19]
  • On solo travel and risk:
    “As long as you do it safely, you can have some of the best experiences of your life…Enjoy the view, but watch your back.” —Allison, read by Danielle [08:41]
  • Host reactions:
    • “I think I would be, not cool with this. I’d be…finding sharp things in my pocket.” —Danielle [05:49]
    • “I hope you weren’t drugged. Let’s just say that.” —Cassie [10:50]
  • Casual reflection: Both hosts relate with times they ignored their intuition in pursuit of adventure.

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2. Should I Laugh or Cry?

[12:36 – 24:32]
Storyteller: Mary from Mountain View (read by Cassie)

• Summary: Mary tells of a dizzying flight in a tiny Cessna from New Mexico to Lake Powell with her pilot husband and friends in 1989. After getting sick and vomiting—into Tupperware provided by Liz, the other wife—Mary thinks embarrassment is the worst of it. Suddenly, the engine dies midair; their pilot husbands have to switch to a reserve fuel tank on the fly. They survive, but the postscript reveals Liz was upset her Tupperware wasn’t returned!
• Notable Quotes:
  • “I would have been like, my husband has never been more attractive than in this moment…” —Danielle [24:32]
  • “Instead of being happy or relieved, Liz was annoyed. She wanted hers back.” —Mary (read by Cassie) [22:48]
  • Host stories: Danielle and Cassie riff on Tupperware used for pet urine and other fluids, reminiscing about veterinary jobs.
• Lesson:
  When flying (especially in the “olden days”), always check your fuel, and maybe don’t bring back the Tupperware.

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3. Impatience in Peru

[27:21 – 35:47]
Storyteller: Unnamed listener (read by Danielle)

• Summary: A woman and her boyfriend (now husband) embark on ambitious Peruvian hikes soon after they start dating. After nearly blacking out from altitude sickness during one trek, their relationship faces a new test: during a harrowing ascent out of Colca Canyon, the boyfriend leaves her—along with her pack and passport—when she has to take an emergency bathroom break. She’s furious, but eventually retrieves both the boyfriend and the pack (with the help of an entrepreneurial mule driver) and continues on to happier adventures.
• Host reactions:
  • “I would be so mad. I don’t know if I would recover from that quickly.” —Cassie [32:52]
  • “He must have really made up for it in other ways after that fiasco.” —Danielle [32:58]
• Personal reflections: Danielle and Cassie reminisce on their own couple-dynamics while hiking, discussing empathy, patience, and physical endurance on group treks.

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4. Sometimes Your Significant Other Can Believe in You Too Much

[38:03 – 43:25]
Storyteller: Unnamed listener (read by Cassie)

• Summary: During a family ski trip in Bavaria, a listener’s husband, a former snowboarding instructor, overestimates her abilities, leading her straight onto a brutal “red” (advanced) run. She ends up “butt scooting” the entire way down the icy drop-offs in a neon green helmet, visible for all, as toddlers sail by in “Kinderland.” Humiliated but ultimately safe, she shares the importance of knowing your limits (and understanding trail markings abroad).
• Notable Quotes:
  • “Narrator voice: she could not handle this.” —Listener (read by Cassie) [39:04]
  • “So there I was for at least an hour, butt scooting, sliding, falling down a mountain in a neon green helmet. Highly visible, unmistakable. A beacon of failure.” —Listener (read by Cassie) [42:05]
• Hosts share their own struggles with sporty partners and learning curves on the slopes.

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5. Smoky Mountains Alien Abduction?

[50:26 – 61:08]
Storyteller: Unnamed listener (read by Danielle)

• Summary: While celebrating at a “fish party” near the Great Smoky Mountains, the storyteller and her boyfriend black out for five hours after escorting a friend home. They later learn that their microdosing, alien-obsessed friends felt they’d communicated with extraterrestrials exactly at the same time. The couple debates whether they were really abducted or possibly drugged.
• Hosts’ candid takes:
  • “Girl, I just…You got drugged? Yeah. That’s my opinion…” —Cassie [54:52]
  • “To just lose five hours of time…” —Danielle [55:39]
• Personal analogs: Both hosts describe incidents of being drugged unknowingly, emphasizing the importance of caution and that not all missing time is supernatural.

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6. New Year Whose Bones?

[61:14 – 71:03]
Storyteller: Chris (read by Cassie)

• Summary: Chris and her husband, Scott, encounter disturbingly “settled” graves and a visible bone during a New Year’s Day stroll in an old cemetery. Scott, ever curious, unearths the bone—sparking a series of calls to friends in local law enforcement who confirm (after much confusion) that it’s thankfully a deer bone, not a human arm. The incident prompts a brief sidebar into recent “real-life” grave robbing news.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “I tell him he’s definitely getting haunted and take a couple steps away from him.” —Chris (read by Cassie) [63:15]
• Hosts’ digressions: Discussion of true crime media, social media desensitization, and algorithm horror.

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Notable Quotes & Banter Highlights

• “You get tunnel vision…that’s where it can get dangerous. Because all your senses are just like, whatever, who cares, let’s ignore all these feelings.” —Cassie [10:30]
• “My only friend that I knew was drugged in the bathroom…So I waited until [the suspect] left and then I walked home by myself.” —Danielle, sharing a cautionary college story [59:42]
• “So there I was...butt scooting, sliding, falling down a mountain in a neon green helmet. Highly visible, unmistakable. A beacon of failure.” —Listener (read by Cassie) [42:05]
• “Remember, enjoy the view. But even in a cemetery, maybe especially in a cemetery—watch your back.” —Chris (read by Cassie) [65:25]

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Host Insights & Takeaways

• Both Danielle and Cassie emphasize the importance of listening to intuition, preparing for emergencies, and respecting one’s limits, especially when traveling or adventuring in remote places.
• The show consistently blends practical advice with humor and empathy; the hosts frequently remind listeners to “enjoy the view, but watch your back,” encapsulating their ethos of mindful adventure.
• Personal stories (from being left by partners on a trail to being drugged at parties) help create a relatable, authentic atmosphere.

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Timestamps Overview

• 00:47–10:46: Arctic Circle near-abduction story
• 12:36–24:32: Vomit and near-disaster in a Cessna
• 27:21–35:47: Poop panic and abandonment in the Colca Canyon
• 38:03–43:25: Skiing humiliation in Bavaria
• 50:26–61:08: “Missing time” and alleged alien abduction in the Smokies
• 61:14–71:03: Bone in a graveyard on New Year’s Day

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Tone & Style

• Casual, conversational, and often comedic, while handling safety, consent, and caution respectfully and empathetically.
• Banter and relatable anecdotes reinforce the sense of community among outdoor lovers, experienced travelers, and park fans.

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Takeaways for Listeners

• Adventure is thrilling, but intuition and preparation matter.
• Embrace the unexpected—plan for mishaps when heading into parks or the wild.
• When traveling solo, double-check credentials and be wary of “last resort” options.
• Ski slopes—and boyfriends—are not always as reliable as advertised.
• Leave Tupperware used for bodily fluids behind.
• Even the supernatural sometimes has a logical explanation (but keep an open mind).
• If you stumble across bones, maybe don’t touch them—or at least be ready for a call from the coroner.

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[Enjoy the view, but watch your back!]

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Transcript

[Cassie]

Foreign. Hello, everyone, and welcome back to National Park After Dark Trail Tales edition on our anniversary week.

[Danielle]

Drum roll, please. Yes. Yes. We have so many stories today. As always, thank you all for writing in. If you are listening and you're like, hey, I got a story for you. How do I write in? Go to our website, npadpodcast.com and there's a submission link right on there. We'd love to hear it.

[Cassie]

Yep. And I would love to hear you tell me a story first, please.

[Danielle]

Oh, I love a girl who knows what she wants. All right, my first story is titled Almost Abducted in the Arctic Circle. Hi, ladies. My name is Allison and I absolutely love your show. My fiance introduced me to the podcast and it has quickly become. Become one of my comfort listens. I love that because we're so dramatic.

[Cassie]

I know. Usually a comfort listen is. Or a comfort watch. I don't know. I don't know.

[Danielle]

Your comfort watch is Titanic and that is a true story.

[Cassie]

That is devastating.

[Danielle]

Horrific and devastating. So we get it.

[Cassie]

Yeah, that's true.

[Danielle]

Minus this is 40, but that is insane. Tomato, tomato. So funny. So funny. It's so funny. I can't get over it every time I laugh. Okay, I thought I'd share a trail tale that isn't from a national park, but from a very remote mountain in the Arctic Circle. A little background on me. I love traveling with other people, but I will never shy away from a solo trip. My life motto is that I'm not going to put my life on hold until other people are ready to live their lives. Which is how I ended up by myself in Tramso, Norway. A few years ago. I was on a very determined mission to see the northern lights. I had already traveled to Iceland the year before and somehow managed to miss them. So I did what any reasonable person would do, picked up a bunch of overtime shifts and booked another trip, this time farther north and in the dead of winter. Tramso, also known as the gateway to the Arctic, sounded perfect. And this is in Norway for people.

[Cassie]

I think you said that. I'd like to. Yeah.

[Danielle]

Did I? Oh, okay.

[Cassie]

But now we really know.

[Danielle]

Are you sure?

[Cassie]

No, I'm not sure. Okay.

[Danielle]

It's in Norway. One of the places I really want to go. The city had everything on my bucket list. Reindeer sledding, northern light expeditions, and polar plunges. Unfortunately, the weather was absolutely awful. It snowed non stop, visibility was terrible, and I only had five nights there. I was determined to take every possible, possible opportunity to see those stupid lights. So when my Northern lights tour was Canceled due to weather. I was devastated. I immediately went online and booked another tour that night, hoping that a smaller group might be able to get farther away from the clouds. Red flag number one should have been that all the reputable tour companies had canceled and this was the only one still running. But I was blinded by hope and happily booked it. The tour was set to pick me up at 7pm but I was never told where to wait, so I tried calling them. The phone number they gave me went straight to a disconnected line. I tried googling the number and got Nothing. Then around 6pm I got a WhatsApp call from a random number. Calling it a number is is generous because it was literally just a string of emojis, whales, boats, fish and a flexing arm. I didn't know that that could happen on WhatsApp.

[Cassie]

Yeah, I think you can do that. I guess.

[Danielle]

There's no rules on WhatsApp. They told me the tour was still on and they'd pick me up at my Airbnb, which was located at the end of a dark alley at the top of a hill. Overlo booking the city. Against my better judgment, I gave them my address. At around 8.30pm, an hour and a half after the tour was supposed to start, I got a call saying they were finally on their way. I waited for a tour bus or at least a van to drive down the alleyway, but instead a slightly beat up black SUV with tinted windows slowly pulled down the alley and stopped next to me. There were two men inside. One was driving and the other sat silently in the back seat directly behind the passenger seat. The driver leaned over and said, northern Lights Tour. Every instinct in my body started screaming, but the other part of my brain, the one obsessed with checking off bucket list items, won. I accepted that no one lives forever and got in the car.

[Cassie]

What? Okay, thank you're writing this so clearly it was surprised. That's why I'm laughing. But Jesus, okay.

[Danielle]

Thankfully, the silent man in the back turned out to be another American tourist. Though he didn't talk much, our guide assured us we'd have have better luck over the mountains to the north. So we drove for about two hours through tunnels, winding roads and heavy snowfall. The farther we went, the worse the weather got. Eventually, we ended up on a dirt road in a desolate mountain area surrounded by snow covered peaks. The guide parked the car and said he needed to check for the northern lights, got out, locked the car and walked up the road until he disappeared into the snowstorm. The other tourist and I sat there in Silence. Watching this man vanish into the blizzard. Finally, he said, is this as sketchy as I think it is?

[Cassie]

Cassie, you would. Not that I think you would have ever made it this far. You would have bailed out pretty much immediately.

[Danielle]

I would have jumped out of this moving.

[Cassie]

That's what I'm saying. Literally bailed out. But you would be on the verge of a panic attack.

[Danielle]

I think I would be not cool with this. I'd be, like, figuring I'd be finding sharp things in my pocket to, like.

[Cassie]

The second those doors locked, that's that guy.

[Danielle]

I'd be looking for keys and driving away, leaving him there. I'd be like, this. Yeah, yeah, that's. This is scary so far, and I hate it. And they replied, yep, it is this sketchy. About 30 minutes later. 30 minutes. The guide reappeared and announced that visibility was poor. No. He then opened the trunk and handed out snacks, cheese crackers, and thermos filled with hot red liquid. When I asked what it was, he said, it's a surprise.

[Cassie]

I feel like this is made up.

[Danielle]

It's a surprise. Like, there's something that. It's fun where, like, if you're in another country and they're like, try our local drink.

[Cassie]

Like this.

[Danielle]

It's our local. Everyone loves this. Everyone in Norway drinks this. But to be in the middle of the mountains alone with a stranger, that's like, drink this. It's a surprise.

[Cassie]

I don't know.

[Danielle]

At this point, I was too tired to argue and realized that if he actually wanted to kill us, he would have done so by now. I took a sip of the drink that he handed out. It tasted like a sickeningly sweet and thick melted Popsicle. He watched us drink it and then asked if we liked it. I think me and the other tourists both just nodded and made comments about how it was really sweet, but that it was nice. After that, he played a very long educational video about the northern lights. I got extremely sleepy around this time and fell asleep.

[Cassie]

Wait, are you sure you got sleepy on your own or. Yeah, well, it was super late.

[Danielle]

Cars, yeah, and car rides make me sleepy. I've totally fallen asleep in an Uber before and woken up and been like, oh, my God, what am I doing? Don't do that. When I woke up a couple of hours later, we were still parked in the same spot. The video had been replaced by smooth jazz, and the guide was just sitting and staring at the snowstorm ahead. After some time, he turned around and, yeah, I don't think we're gonna see them tonight. And put the car into reverse. He then drove us back to Tramso in complete silence. And I have never been really so relieved to see civilization to this day. I don't know if he was just an eccentric man with a genuine passion for the northern lights or if something far more unsettling was happening. I still wonder what would have happened if the other tourists hadn't been in the car with me. Either way, the entire experience has become one of my favorite travel stories. It felt less like a tour and more like Fever Dream. I hope you all enjoyed the story and I hope that it inspires you to step out of your comfort zone and try solo travel, hopefully without blindly ignoring red flags along the way like I did. As long as you do it safely, you can have some of the best experiences of your life. And as always, enjoy the view, but watch your back. Side note, I did ask him about the emoji phone number during the drive back. Apparently he lives in a seaside town during the summer and just really loves it there.

[Cassie]

Okay. I feel like this is a wholesome person that just came off in all the worst ways. It's like, just don't do any of what you just did again, ever.

[Danielle]

To another, I do need to know more about the sleeping thing. Like, did the other American tourist get really sleepy and fall asleep as well?

[Cassie]

I want to hear from the other American tourist. Imagine they hear us right now.

[Danielle]

Are you out there and we. We reconnect you. Or maybe you're already connected.

[Cassie]

Yeah. Trauma bonded for sure. But yeah, I don't. It reminds me a lot of the. And I've told this a million times, I feel like. So I'm not going to tell it all over again, but in Ibiza, when Ntea and I got into a car and went off into the Ibizan countryside with our standup paddle board instructor that we met hours before and didn't tell anyone where we were, where we were going, and we didn't know what was happening and he just pulled up on a in a white windowless van and whisked us away.

[Danielle]

Perfect.

[Cassie]

And it ended up great. We had a great time, but it was definite, like reflecting back a very red flag situation that I probably wouldn't pursue if it happened to me now, but it happened to me when I was in my early 20s and didn't have developed brain cells.

[Danielle]

Your brain wasn't fully developed yet. I totally can understand really wanting to see the northern lights, though, because I've been on many trips where I have been in search of the northern lights. And you do get desperate.

[Cassie]

Well, you get tunnel vision, you know, when you're like, I'm right here, I'm so close. I. You know, I've planned for this.

[Danielle]

I. I know it happens.

[Cassie]

I've saved money for this. I've spent years trying to do this. And that's where it can get dangerous. Because then all of your, you know, senses kind of are just like, whatever, who cares? Let's ignore all of these feelings and thoughts. So. And she didn't even get to see him also.

[Danielle]

I know, but you have a hell of a story. You walked away.

[Cassie]

I hope you weren't drugged. Let's just say that yes, If Cash App could add the perfect discount code for me based on my spending habits, I would have to say it would be Dunkin Donuts. I mean, as a New Englander, I can't escape the absolute chokehold that place and their iced caramel macchiatos have on me. Cash App just released a new status program for the way people actually spend. Called Cash App Green. It unlocks new ways for you to pay, get rewarded, and easily grow or manage your money on your terms. Now, when you spend at least $500 a month with the Cash App card or Cash App Pay, you earn green status, which unlocks benefits like up to $200 of free overdraft coverage, higher borrow limits, and custom personalized cash back offers every Friday at places that you love to shop. Turn everyday spending into status with Cash App Green. Download Cash App today or visit Cash App New to learn more about this and other great features. Launching now for a limited time, new Cash App Customers can earn $10 if they use the code CASH APP10 in their profile at signup and send $5 to a friend within 14 days. Terms apply. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's Bank Partners Prepaid debit card issued by Sutton bank member FDIC Cash App Green overdraft coverage Borrow Cash Back offers and promotions provided by Cash App a Block Inc. Brand. Visit Cash App Legal Podcast for full disclosures. Okay, my first story is titled Should I Laugh or Cry?

[Danielle]

Maybe both.

[Cassie]

Dear Cassie and Danielle, I discovered you two last summer and started with episode one. Now that I'm hooked, I'm on episode 60 something and often bounce up to current shows to stay in the loop. You are easy to listen to and remind me of my own three daughters age 27 to 35. Thank you for your honesty and ability to laugh at stupid regular stuff that we all relate to and for teaching me the history of some of the most beautiful and terrifying places in the world.

[Danielle]

Oh, thank you.

[Cassie]

My trail tale takes place in the olden days of yellow pages, Mary Kay parties and Tupperware. Oh, Mary Kay. We've never talked about this, but my.

[Danielle]

Mom, Mary Kay Queen, she a Mary Kay lady.

[Cassie]

I don't think she was involved. I did. She don't think. No, but she was a active particip buyer of Mary Kay.

[Danielle]

She fell for the Mary Kay.

[Cassie]

I just remember the. The makeup remover specifically. Just always being around Mary Kay.

[Danielle]

I remember Mary Kay came to my school. Not. I don't know if there's the Mary Kay. But what happened is my home. In my home EC class, one of the home EC classes, they had a Mary Kay ambassador come and advertise all of their makeup and did makeup trials on a ton of us in the middle of class and then sent us home with pamphlets of.

[Cassie]

It's like joined by lml. What is it? Mlm. Multi Level Marketing Scheme.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Cassie]

Preying on children. I know, that's weird. It's dark. Dark. Okay, I'm in it. I'm back. I'm zoomed back. Specifically 1989. All right, I'm not there yet. I'm not alive yet, but close. My husband and I were newlyweds in our late 20s living in. I do this. Why you do this to me? Alma Gordo in Almagordo, New Mexico, where he was stationed at Holloman Air Force Base, which is just down the street from scenic White Sands National Park. No, I stayed there in Alma. Almagordo. Alamogordo.

[Danielle]

Yeah. Yeah, I stayed in a hotel in that little town.

[Cassie]

Cool. Well, the story does not take place in White Sands, but I just wanted to name drop because it's a super cool place. Do you agree?

[Danielle]

Yeah. I really liked White Sands. I thought it was so cool. And the sunsets. The day that I was there was incredible.

[Cassie]

I remember seeing pictures of that and I was just like, this looks Photoshop, you know, just unreal. My husband had recently earned his pilot wings at Shepherd Air Force Base in Texas, and we moved to Holloman for his next phase of training before moving to Tucson, where he would learn how to fly the A10. The apartment complex we lived in had hosted many other couples just like us, new pilots who had graduated from the same pilot program as my husband at shepherd and their wives. Side note, in 1993, a few years after my story took place, the first female Air Force pilot was allowed to fly combat fighters. Training in New Mexico was just six months. My husband And I quickly fell in love with the landscape and wanted to take advantage of every opportunity before moving again. When another couple we already knew, who I will refer to as Brian and Liz, invited us on a long weekend at Lake Powell, we jumped on it. Brian and Liz had lived in the same apartment complex as we did in Texas and Brian was in my husband's pilot class. We had already known each other for well over a year as couples, we were not close friends at all. And honestly, we didn't mesh with them. It's not that we didn't like them either. You know what I mean? They were fine, but we knew we were only friends due to our circumstances. Circumstances. I had a motto in the military, you don't necessarily get to choose your friends. You make do with who you get. The plan was that the guys would rent a single engine Skyhawk Cessna and the four of us would fly to Lake Powell where we would rent a boat and set up camp somewhere along the lake. We were stoked for the adventure. We drove to the local airstrip where the guys filled out the paperwork and completed the required pre flight checks before we set off into the great wide open. The sky was clear and calm. Flying a Cessna from New Mexico to Lake Powell takes roughly two and a half to three and a half hours depending on the specific Cessna model, winds and fuel stops covering about 300 to 400 nautical miles, but requires a fuel stop as most Cessnas can't do. The full distance. Non stop. Stopping to refuel was part of the original flight plan. And when we took off, our plane's gas tank was full, supposedly. No. Have either of you flown in a flimsy little aircraft? The vibration is intense and the noise from the engine is so loud that you must shout at the person seated next to you for them to hear what you're saying. Yes. And only once. When I was flying from Costa Rica to Panama in a true puddle jumper like I. There was no wall between the pilots and the four seats in the plane.

[Danielle]

My actual nightmare.

[Cassie]

It was an experience. I. It was fine and nothing happened. But I have a very vivid memory of looking out the tiny little window and just down at the vast expanse of jungle and thinking if this thing goes down, there is literally no way I will ever survive or be found.

[Danielle]

There's that too. Yeah.

[Cassie]

So. So yeah, I have been.

[Danielle]

Yeah, I loved it.

[Cassie]

Yeah, it was great. Okay. Oh, because of the shouting, it's better to just not talk at all. That is, unless you are desperate. We hadn't been airborne for very long when I started to feel queasy. Something I hadn't anticipated. As much as I tried to mentally hold it down and overcome the inevitable, I couldn't. When my mouth started watering, I knew I was about to lose it. I grabbed Liz's thigh and yelled, I'm gonna be sick. Kudos to Liz. She was a quick thinker. She unzipped her backpack and pulled out a large Tupperware container filled with fruit. She dumped the fruit into her pack and thrust the Tupperware into my hand, where I proceeded to hurl. Our husbands, who were mere inches from us, had no idea what was taking place behind them because the sound of the engine consumed the plane. But their noses didn't lie. Everyone knows the smell of vomit. Not wanting to get sick themselves, they quickly opened the windows while Liz held up my long hair. As I continued to throw up over and over, nearly filling the Tupperware, which I already told you was large. I studied my bowl of vomit as best I could under the circumstances of bouncing around in the sky in a tiny tin can. It slushed around and I was worried it would splash over the edge into my lap. So I snapped the lid on after expelling the entire contents of my upper intestines. Eventually, the queasiness settled. I still had gross vomit mouth and the sloshing Tupperware container resting on my lap. And yes, I was terribly embarrassed, but at the time I was just too sick to care. I would deal with the embarrassment and apologies later. Just get me onto the ground. As if that wasn't enough, something far more frightening was about to unfold. The plane went silent. No vibration, no deafening noise. No engine. I will never forget the sound of that silence 6,000ft up in that tiny tin can of a plane. It wasn't complete silence. I heard the soft whisper of moving air, like that of a person blowing out birthday candles, only louder, but very gentle. We glided like that, suspended in the wind, and time stood still for what was likely only a few seconds. Because planes don't glide very, very long without an engine. They spiral and plummet. Liz and I stared at one another wide eyed, saying nothing. We looked at our husbands, who calmly shifted into well trained emergency pilot mode. They consulted each other and proceeded to push buttons and turn knobs in the cockpit. They kept trying to restart the plane. You know that sound your car makes when the battery's dead and you turn over the key of your ignition? Or when you pull the starter cord of your lawnmower or chainsaw, but it just won't catch that was the sound the plane was making again. Your nightmare.

[Danielle]

My actual nightmare. At first, I thought the worst part of this story was sloshing vomit in a Tupperware container. I was like, oh, that's a visual she. Or like they really painted the. The photo. The picture there. I could envision it. But now she buried the lead for sure.

[Cassie]

Yeah, like, oh, you thought that was bad. I'm about to. To get into a accident.

[Danielle]

Bring back the vomiting. I'd prefer it.

[Cassie]

They kept trying to restart the plane a few times, and with each attempt, the plane jerked and lost more altitude. I gotta say, the two pilots never lost their cool. Eventually, on the fourth or fifth try, the engine started up. It chugged and sputtered and we bounced up and down in our seats as it stabilized, gained speed and leveled off. Thank God. Needless to say, we all survived. The plane had run out of gas. Our husbands had utilized the emergency reserve fuel tank by switching tanks midair, something they had never done before. They said the guy who they rented the plane from told them the fuel tank was full and would easily take them to the airport they had intended to stop at to refuel. But it didn't. Not knowing how much fuel the reserve tank had, our husbands used their map to locate the closest airstrip where we could stop and refuel. I gladly dumped out the unsavory Tupperware contents into the toilet at the airstrip and rinsed it out in case I needed it again. And I'm glad to report that I made it to Lake Powell without further puking. Lake Powell is part of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, so there's my NPAD connection. The canyon rock walls were spectacular. I'm from Silicon Valley and had never laid eyes on anything like it during my husband's nine year career in the Air Force. We moved throughout the Southwest and overseas to RAF Woodbridge, where the famous Rendlesham Forest UFO incident occurred. You might want to look into that. By now you're probably biting your nails about what happened to the Tupperware. Actually, I didn't even think about it, literally at all. But sure, tell us. I threw it away when we got back to our apartment. Found a local Tupperware lady in the Yellow Pages and ordered Liz a replacement. I felt this was a considerate thing to do. Instead of being happy or relieved, Liz was annoyed. She wanted hers back. Isn't that disgusting? I was stunned.

[Danielle]

And this is why we weren't friends.

[Cassie]

I mean, there's been. It didn't happen a lot, but there was a couple Times. So when we worked at Vet Med, in Vet Med, people would drop off for a variety of reasons. We needed urine samples from pets, and we would try and collect them when the animal was there. But if not, we asked the owners to bring in a sample. We're like, oh, just use, like a. You know, a used and clean. I don't know, like, cream cheese container, Tupperware or whatever. And some people would want it back. I'm like, oh, yeah.

[Danielle]

They'd bring in. They'd bring in your regular old Tupperware stuff that you'd put, like, soup in or something. So just think about that next time you want to eat leftovers at a friend's house, Just ask them what they do with that Tupperware when there's not food in it. Ask them if they've done anything else with that Tupperware, because it could have. People would do that with feces, too.

[Cassie]

I do.

[Danielle]

Like, a lot of people would do it in a bag, but sometimes they would come in Tupperware containers.

[Cassie]

I'm like, you. You've never heard of a doggy bag? Like a poop bag? Why are you. Whatever. That's just. We've moved here for everyone. Okay, so, Mary, back to Mary. I was stunned. I wouldn't have kept it if it had been my own. Thanks to your show, I am no longer an outsider to the phenomenon of podcasts. I tell everyone about you and have even forced a few to listen. I hope you know how blessed you are to have careers that you love. Not many young people can say that. Goodbye, ladies. Enjoy the view from 6,000ft. But before you do, make sure your fuel tank is full and you have a Tupperware in hand. Sincerely, Mary from Mountain View.

[Danielle]

That was a great story, and I cannot tell you, like, the thought that was going through my head when their husbands were navigating this whole situation. I would have been like, my husband has never been more attractive than in this moment in my life.

[Cassie]

How good you're gonna get it if you get us out of this.

[Danielle]

It's like, when we get home tonight, I'm gonna repay you for all of this.

[Cassie]

It's like, I am hopeless in this situation, but I will be of service later. You know what I mean?

[Danielle]

Yeah. So it's like, I knew you were. I knew you were trained, and I knew you had some skill, but now that I see it in real time, it's like, you have never been more attractive in our whole marriage. Saved our marriage today.

[Cassie]

Switch those fuel tanks.

[Danielle]

Yeah. Save our lives, honey. Anyway, oh, it's my turn, right? I'm like anyway, tell me more.

[Cassie]

All right everyone, we have reached a point in our parasocial relationship that I feel comfortable enough talking to you about pleasure. I have some exciting news. We are giving away a ton of vibrators from Bellesa. Because why? Because they're amazing and you deserve to feel good. If you don't know Bellesa, they're a by women for everyone company redefining sexual wellness. Their whole mission, empowering you to embrace, explore and celebrate your pleasure. Now, the girlies at Bellesa sent us a ton of new toys including their new game changing silent collection. And our minds are blown. Yes, Bellesa just launched the first ever silent vibrators. The brains at Bellesa created what they call whisper tech and somehow, don't ask me how, they have made full power all the right spots hitting no noise making line of toys. The Whisper collection includes Whisper Vibe, Whisper Rabbit and Whisper Bullet. So there's a toy for whatever spot you are trying to hit. These things are somehow so quiet, but so powerful. And honestly, this collection is insane. You have to see it but not hear it to believe it. And of course we have to hook you up. So we're doing a giveaway with Bellesa where everyone wins a free spicy toy. You heard that, right? A fully free Whisper vibe or a free rose suction toy with any whisper order. You know that viral rose shaped suction toy that's all over your Instagram feed? Yes. Retails for $99 but you get it free. All you got to do is click the link in the episode description or head to bbvibes.com dark that's B B V I B E S. C O M D A R K. The Whisper vibes will stay completely silent, but the big question is, can you?

[Danielle]

Well my next story is titled Impatience in Peru. Hi ladies. I'm so excited to finally be writing in. My co worker turned me onto your podcast a little over a year ago and I have been an avid listener ever since. The outdoors mixed with the dash of true crime and a side of aliens and spookiness. I feel so seen. I love it all. So thanks for putting on such a great podcast. I wanted to share a story from 2015 when my boyfriend, now husband, despite his questionable judgment that is soon to be seen and I took a month long trip to Peru. We had only been dating for about three months when he suggested the trip. I was so into him and it sounded fun. So the next thing I knew we were making plans. The trip got off to a dicey start. We were living in San Francisco at the time. We were in our 20s and in great shape. So we thought going from sea level to a trek that starts at 7,000ft and maxes out at 15,000ft, we'll be fine. What could possibly go wrong? Well, a lot. It turns out all the coca tea in the world could not stave off altitude sickness. By the end of day two, we couldn't eat due to the nausea, couldn't sleep due to the pounding headaches, couldn't apply sunscreen due to the weakness and disorientation, and I even started hallucinating. I had excellent hiking stamina, but that was no match for the altitude. I have a vague recollection of a gorgeous glacial pond at the top, but it's really a blur until we return to sea level in Lima and what I assume was brain swelling finally went down. Despite also being sick, albeit less so. My boyfriend was very sweet and attentive through his first obstacle. So near death experience probably, but also a check in the marriage material category. Then came the next trek, a shorter one night descending, then ascending the Colca Canyon in southern Peru. Now, at this point, we had been in Peru for over a week. I know you get a fair share of poop stories, but don't worry, poop is only a supporting character here. We both had had a bit of tummy troubles over the last week, but hey, it was only making our relationship stronger. On the second day of the trek, we were ascending the side of the canyon. It's a narrow trail with nothing but rocks on the side, nowhere to hide. Picture just switchbacks up the canyon wall where you can look up and see the people ahead of you the whole way up. About halfway through, my stomach started gurgling. I mentioned it to my boyfriend and he brushed it off by saying, just wait until we're at the top. I'm sure we will be somewhere soon. What baseless assurance. And obviously if I could wait, I would not be panicking right now. We had plenty of canyon yet to ascend and my stomach was only getting worse. I started nervously rambling about it, trying to figure out what to do, and I could tell that he was getting annoyed. He wanted to get to the top and he couldn't understand why I couldn't hold any it. Now, my husband has his redeeming qualities, but patience is not one of them. After about 10 minutes of fearing this is the day I poop my pants in public, I see my salvation. A tiny offshoot of a trail that bends right around a big rock. I tell him my plan, drop my pack and run. Crisis averted. Or so I thought. I walk back to the trail to find no boyfriend and no pack. That jerk left me. Yes, it's an impossible trail to get lost on as long as you know up from down. But we were still in another country, the wilderness, and all I have are the clothes on my back and some broken Spanish. The pack had my water too, so I am both angry and thirsty. I start walking up, scanning the switchbacks above for the guy who has now lost said check in marriage material category. After another mile or so I spotted him above. I yell his name as loud as I possibly can to get his attention. He has the gall to look at me like what's wrong? Situational awareness. Another area of growth for him. I angrily ask him if he has my pack and he replies why would I have your pack? So not only am I deserted on this trail, but my pack with my passport in it is also missing.

[Cassie]

I would have.

[Danielle]

There are plenty of other people on the trail. So when this genius decided to keep on hiking and leave my pack unattended on the side of the trail, someone else just picked it up. I was mad before, but now I'm fuming. We keep on hiking about a half mile apart from each other. Mind you, he did not wait for me to catch up. Even then I'm rehearsing in my mind how I'm going to rip him a new one when I get to the top, all the while scanning the switchbacks for my green pack. Finally I get to the top and see my soon to be ex boyfriend sitting down with my pack next to him. Upon reaching the top, he spotted a man with my pack attached to his mule. The man told him he had to pay to get my pack back. A small piece of justice at least. At this point he had the sense to look sheepish and muttered, sorry, I probably shouldn't have left you. Yeah, you think that's what they wrote?

[Cassie]

Not me, but I'm thinking it. So yeah.

[Danielle]

I then proceeded with my aforementioned ripping of a new one. He was on his very best behavior for the rest of the trip. We ended with an incredible five day trek to Machu Picchu. Well, acclimated to the altitude to that point. Over 10 years, a move to Colorado and two kids later, we are still adventuring. I am happy to report he is slightly more sensible than that fateful day. But only slightly. Thanks for reading and thanks again for such a fun podcast. Enjoy the view, but watch your back I mean, pack.

[Cassie]

I would be so mad. I don't know if I would recover from that quickly.

[Danielle]

Yeah. He must have really made up for it in other ways after that fiasco.

[Cassie]

Yeah. Men, you know, what are you gonna do?

[Danielle]

It's so funny because we were. We were hiking yesterday. We went into the backcountry for some skiing and snowboarding. And when we were on the trail, there was this woman and this guy. And this guy just took off way in front of her. And Al looks. And he's like, look at him just leaving his lady in the dust. And she's so far behind in skiing. She's so far behind him, in fact, that he, like, turns around. We watch him. We see him turn around and see how far she is behind. He skis back down to her because he has, like, a whole run at this point to get back to her. And then he starts hiking back up with her. Totally passes her again.

[Cassie]

I'm sorry. I can't. I can't do this. I can't do this now.

[Danielle]

And I were just watching from afar, and it was. It was comical.

[Cassie]

In another country, though, it takes on a different level. And she was so exposed. She's like. She literally. Her pants. And he's like, bye.

[Danielle]

Yeah. The fact that she wasn't feeling well and then just dipped out on you.

[Cassie]

Yeah. It's like, hope you make it. I don't know.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Cassie]

The disrespect.

[Danielle]

I don't know. When we were in Machu Picchu, Al left me in the dust. I was hiking by myself for the most part.

[Cassie]

Yeah. We were in a group, though, and, like, not that we were.

[Danielle]

Yeah, I didn't mind.

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

I didn't mind being left behind.

[Cassie]

I don't know. You were like, the. I was so impressed by you in that. I really. I think about that a lot, that hike. Like, I've never seen Cassie, so just, like, trucking it in your own world. And, like, everyone around you is dropping like flies, and you're just. I'm like, you know, Kris Jenner, she's like, go, Kylie, go. Like, that's how I thought about you. Like, wow, look at her.

[Danielle]

Look at her go.

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

I don't know what got into me that day. I had, like, a good breakfast or something because I was just like.

[Cassie]

That was one of the hardest hikes I have ever done in my life for a variety of different reasons. Just the altitude was getting to me. The humidity was awful. I. For my personal, like, how I like to stay in shape. I was not in the Best shape of my life. And I just, I struggled really hard. And there are like thousands of steps.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

It's interesting because of all of like the group trips we've done and hikes that we've done.

[Cassie]

I.

[Danielle]

For me, I don't know why, because it is a very hard hike. It just. For some reason, that day wasn't for me, but the hardest one for me, you did much better on. And that was the one we did in Patagonia that was. I think it was like 16 miles. It was a really long day.

[Cassie]

I remember the day. I don't remember the name of the hike, but up to that lake, right?

[Danielle]

Yeah, like the three. The three lakes or something. The three towers. Yeah, something. I forget the name of it, but yeah, that was the hardest one for me. I don't know. And that one, you were doing way better than me on that hike and that hike. I was like, oh my God, I am not in the shape that I want to be in here. I was like, like. And I remember one of the guides at one point being like, how you doing?

[Cassie]

It's like, I'm fine, like, I'm gonna make it, but I'm upset.

[Danielle]

So, like, I'm gonna make it. I'm just. My legs are really tired. We've been out here for so long.

[Cassie]

We still have to go all the way back. Yeah, that was a rough one.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Cassie]

I am still reveling in that time of year where the new year has started but hasn't been, hasn't really ramped up yet. I'm soaking in the last little bit of relaxing on the couch moments that I have with Chaska before things go crazy, which of course he's loving. He's getting older and slowing down and I can tell he really loves the slower pace. And I love him. So I make sure that he gets the very best. And that's why I feed him Ollie. They offer fresh, protein packed meals made with real human grade ingredients. All their recipes are backed by vet nutritionists and crafted with culinary experts. And they're all slow cooked for top nutrition. Chaska's favorite, hands down turkey and blueberry. He has never strayed. And I personally love that the Ollie app offers on demand health screenings and that the meals come perfectly portioned in mess free packaging, which makes it super easy to store and serve. Your dog's well being starts with their food and that's why Ollie delivers fresh human grade food that your dog will love. Head to ollie.com npad tell them all about your dog and use code npad to get 60 off of your welcome kit when you subscribe today. Plus, they offer a happiness guarantee on the first box, so if you're not completely satisfied, you'll get your money back. That's O L-L-I-E.com NPAD and enter code NPAD to get 60% off of your first box. Well, my next story is titled, sometimes your significant other can believe in you too much.

[Danielle]

I feel that so hard.

[Cassie]

Do you? Yes.

[Danielle]

Al always thinks I can do everything, and I try to tell him I'm just a girl, and he doesn't believe me.

[Cassie]

Yeah, his confidence in you is pretty high, which is nice and very.

[Danielle]

It is nice and it is really sweet. But sometimes I'm like, I just want you to do it.

[Cassie]

Well, let's see if you can relate to this. Okay. Even more. Hey, ladies. You recently asked for the most embarrassing moments that didn't involve poop. So here it is. My family recently moved to Europe, and we rang in the new year at a ski lodge in Bavaria. We were thrilled, mostly because my kids had never seen snow before, let alone skied in it. First snow, first skis. Core memories unlocked. My husband and I snowboard. So after dropping the kids off at their lessons, we headed to the lifts for what we thought would be some much needed adult time on the slopes.

[Danielle]

I already relate to this. Where did he take you, girl?

[Cassie]

Tell us everything.

[Danielle]

Tell us everything. How did he make you cry? I've been there.

[Cassie]

Quick side note, my husband is an excellent snowboarder. Like Bet, former instructor, muscle memory of a superhero, hops on a board and instantly remembers who he used to be. Yep, it had been years since we had snowboarded, but he stepped on it like it was yesterday. Me, I am not that. I never took lessons. I am terrible. And I'm notorious for doing everything the hardest way possible for no reason at all. Somehow, somehow, my husband forgot just how bad I am. And as we're waiting to get on the lift, I ask him where the easiest routes are. Now, in Bavaria, trails are marked differently than here in the States. There's only blue, red, and black. We learn that blue is easiest, black is hardest. Simple enough. But then there's something called Kinderland, which sounds adorable and implies, hey, even a toddler can do this. So naturally, I'm thinking, great, put me where the children are. We do one quick run, and shockingly, I do fine. Like, better than expected. My husband gets confident. Too confident. As we approach a red run, he says, I think you can handle this. Narrator voice she could not handle this. I start off okay until a skier whips by. I lose my balance and fall. No big deal, except I cannot get up at all. Ladies and gentlemen, this red run would have been a single black diamond minimum in the States. This thing was a series of straight drops. I'm talking straight drops in all capitals. There's a lot of punctuation going on. It's serious. Each one would taper off briefly, just long enough to give me hope before turning into what felt like a vertical cliff. So I did the only thing I could do. I went down on my butt the entire way. No, I butt scooched, I slid, I crab walked, I prayed my pants wouldn't rip. People stared. Some people asked if I needed help. And honestly, I. I didn't even know how they could help me. Like, unless you have a helicopter or a crane, I think we're past that. At one point, I fully lost control when I saw two people on what looked like a nearby trail. It looked close. It was not close. So I cut my losses, unclipped from my board, and very carefully, very slowly made my way over. When I finally reached it, I took a deep sigh of relief until I saw signs pointing to nearby towns. My town was 50 minutes away. 50 minutes. How long was this run? Was I even still in Germany? I took another deep breath, decided to enjoy the view, and accepted that I had no choice but to get back to my family under my own power. And honestly, the view was beautiful. Snow covered landscapes, a small creek, horses, Very Sound of Music. Very peaceful for someone who had just emotionally accepted death. Eventually, I saw the lift again. I made it back to the lodge, got some incredible Bavarian food, mulled wine, and waited for my husband. And that's when I realized what made this whole thing even worse. Earlier that day, I had asked the ski rental place for a neon green helmet because I love a pop of color. Okay. My jacket and pants were neutral. I wanted balance. So there I was for at least an hour, butt scooting, sliding, falling down a mountain in a neon green helmet. Highly visible, unmistakable. A beacon of failure. If I had worn the regular white helmet, no one would have known who I was. But no, I wanted personality. For the rest of the trip, I joked that I hoped everyone could sleep peacefully at night, knowing that I had survived. So, thank you for listening to my tale. And if you ever find yourself in a bad situation on the slope, remember, enjoy the view, but watch your back. You never know how other countries label their ski runs. Final side note, because this matters My husband is wonderful. He checked on me, apologized profusely, and I told him to go enjoy himself while I made my way down. Eventually, when we finally met up, I did ask him if he'd recently increased my life insurance payout, because at that point, it really felt like he was just trying to kill me. Can you relate? Yes.

[Danielle]

Oh, my God. Yeah. Mine is less at the resort.

[Cassie]

Well, yeah.

[Danielle]

I mean, Alice, definitely Alice, a way better snowboarder than I am. So we've definitely been on some trails that he can do no problem, just fine. And me, I'm just kind of, like, moving pretty slow down, which is fine. I've never been on a trail at. At the resort, per se, that I felt really uncomfortable on. But I've been in the backcountry with Al, where I've been like, I can't. I don't have the skill for this. Like, I. When I first got my split board that I got, because he does a lot of backcountry stuff, and I wanted to be included. He's like, great. You have one. We just go out into the woods. There's no clearing anywhere to snowboard. And he's like, all right, find a line.

[Cassie]

Bye. It's like, please don't do this to me.

[Danielle]

And it was. It had snowed, but it was wet snow, so it was really heavy. And where we were, I wasn't moving fast enough, so I was getting caught under the snow, and then I'd fall, and I couldn't get up, and it was just, like, a whole. It was a whole mess. But we actually went out into the backcountry yesterday, and we went pretty far, and we found. So he's like, don't worry. It's open. You'll be able to do it. And the whole time, I'm like. Like, I don't know if I believe you, but this skin where we're skinning up, I know I can snowboard down this. So if we get anywhere, I'll just snowboard back the way we came, and it won't be a big deal. But we got there, and it was a level that I could do, and I was really excited about it, and I've gotten better, and we had a really nice time, and I can finally do more backcountry stuff, which is exciting.

[Cassie]

That is exciting. And it's also nice because it's just reassuring that Al is medically trained. So if anything did happen to you, like, you have that level of okay, I might be in over my head. But if something does happen, at least I'm with somebody who has knowledge about how to keep me safe or help me if something does happen bad.

[Danielle]

Yeah, I was. He was like, what are you nervous about? And I was like, well, I'm afraid that you're gonna be far away from me and I'm gonna fall. It was pretty deep snow, and I was like, I'm afraid I'm gonna fall and drown. And he was like, okay, well, I will stay close to you then. So if you do fall and start drowning in the snow, I can pick you up.

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

Like, great. Because he fell over in one spot when we were skinning. He's not good at. I love saying this because he's so much better.

[Cassie]

Like, I love putting him down where he's literally.

[Danielle]

He's literally physically better at everything than me. But we were skinning, and we had. We were sk. Downhill, and he's just not good at downhill skiing. And he fell over in the snow, and he couldn't lift himself back up. So then after I saw that, I was like, oh, no, that's gonna happen to me, but I'm gonna drown.

[Cassie]

Yeah. I don't enjoy any of. I mean, it's funny because I was texting with Sabrina the other day from two girls, one ghost, and we're trying to figure out, like, times to get together and stuff, and she, like, said something about, like, oh, like, is there a time that, like, maybe you want to go skiing or something? I'm like, oh, honey, that's. You're talking to the wrong girl. You're. That's a Cassie request. I don't. No, no.

[Danielle]

Like, you will not catch me.

[Cassie]

And she's like, oh, I'm sorry. I thought you grew up in New England and then lived in Colorado for a decade.

[Danielle]

And, like, yeah, it's like, what have you been doing?

[Cassie]

It's my dirtiest secret. I don't know how to, like.

[Danielle]

It's. I think, is really funny about that, though, just because I've been snowboarding with you before. I think that if you, like, took the time to stay out there, I think that you would be a good snowboarder. Like, just from the very small amount that you've done. I think that if there was ever a time where you're like, all right, I gotta learn how to do this. I feel like you would pick it up quick.

[Cassie]

That's nice. That's a good. That's a good thing to have for my confidence. I just. I'm not going to pursue that.

[Danielle]

Noted. But just so you know, if you ever decide.

[Cassie]

Thank you.

[Danielle]

I will go with you and I.

[Cassie]

Will no, because then I'm gonna no, you just want me in your position that you're in with Al and I see how it's an MLM scheme and I don't want to be.

[Danielle]

No, it's not. I would be so nice to you and I would not put you anywhere. That way we would stay on green trails. I've been on the other side, so I would be extra nice.

[Cassie]

Put me in Kinderland or wherever that was.

[Danielle]

You don't want to be there. Remember, it was false advertised.

[Cassie]

Right?

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Cassie]

Over the last couple of weeks, I've been waking up with a cough that lasts for, I swear no more than two minutes before it completely goes away. And I have that moment of like, am I about to get sick? But then it disappears. For the rest of the day I feel totally fine. But then like clockwork, the next morning, it happens again. I have no idea what's happening, but I know I'm not 100% percent. That's why I'm starting iM8's daily Ultimate Essentials. It's a daily all in one wellness drink that gives my body the benefits of 16 different supplements in one tasty drink. It's co founded by David Beckham and crafted with insight from experts at Mayo Clinic, Cedar Sinai and a former NASA chief scientist. It simplifies my wellness routine and makes it easier to support my health. This drink is loaded with 92 nutrient rich ingredients like vitamins, minerals and adaptogens plus pre and pro postbiotics. They use effective ingredients and back them with research through clinical trials. IMA also uses clean ingredients. It's vegan, gluten free and non gmo. Every ingredient is third party tested and what I am trying to say is David Beckham is just not messing around. Okay with all of that. I feel confident about what I'm putting into my body, especially on the year that I'm focusing a lot on my health. Not only because it's, you know, the right thing to do, but also because I had a tarot poll for this year and it said my two 2026 focuses are on personal health and romantic relationships. So we'll tackle that other one later. I like to drink my IMA in the morning because I just feel like I'm loading my body up with what it needs for whatever the day is about to bring and it helps that taste really good. So it's a nice little way to start the day. Feel your best self every day with IMA. Go to I am 8health health.com npad and use our code npad for a free welcome kit 5 free travel sachets plus 10 off of your order. That's I am number 8h E-A-L-T-.com npad code npad for a free welcome Kit, 5 free travel sachets plus ten off of your order imatehealth.com npad code npad these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

[Danielle]

All right, well, my last story is titled Smoky Mountains Alien Abduction. Question mark Hello. I have a combo of events that ultimately made me want to write in. First of all, after hearing about your Smoky Mountain trip, I am so sorry. Doesn't sound that sorry.

[Cassie]

Laugh at my pain.

[Danielle]

I spent my I spent my college summers working right outside the park and it is so amazing and awesome. Pigeon Forge is nuts. We lived in a tiny town west of Gatlinburg called Cosby, and I had some of the most amazing experiences of my life. We lived right off the Blue Ridge Parkway in the foothills of the most amazing mountains. With that being said, let's dive into the story. I moved to Tennessee for my first summer in 2020. Yes, in the thick of COVID I worked for Zipline and we had employee housing which fit, I want to say, around 50 mostly college age staff members. Our company owned an entire condo unit, so it was just us and we had fun. We had parties and games every night and there was never a shortage of things to do. So this story comes in June of my first summer there. We had just started a bender of a week, but my friends had just gotten a fish and we were throwing a fish party. Since it was the excuse. It's like you caught a fish party.

[Cassie]

Right?

[Danielle]

Oh, like they bought a fish.

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

Oh, I thought they were saying they caught a fish either way, but a new pet?

[Cassie]

Yeah, right.

[Danielle]

Something either way. Fish party. Since it was right next door, I wasn't not going to go. I remember only having two white claws in my fridge and thinking to myself, thank goodness that I didn't have to drink much that night. Oh my God, this is bringing back so many more.

[Cassie]

I know, I'm having flashbacks. Yeah.

[Danielle]

This particular month, a few of my co workers were really into aliens. They had watched a ton of documentaries and had been practicing getting into a spiritual space in which the aliens would communicate. It is worthy to note that this was induced with microdosing. My friends had planned that night to go to the field behind my house to try and communicate with the aliens. Okay. Scene set back to the fish party. I arrived around 8:30 and many people were already drinking pretty heavily. At around 10 I noticed that my boyfriend at the time's roommate could barely stand up up. I had only had two drinks at this point and did not mind taking a break from the part. So I asked my boyfriend if we should walk his roommate home and we both agreed that we that that would be a good idea. It was only a couple minute walk between the condo buildings, but it's down a dark gravel road. We had a lot of fun on the walk holding his roommate up but laughing so much. We finally got to their apartment and put his roommate to bed. We chatted with him for a bit, then decided that we were going to leave and go back to the party. That is the last thing I remember. The time stamp was around 10.30pm I snapped back into consciousness at around 3am I woke up to being mid makeout with my boyfriend in his bed. I didn't want to say anything because at first I was embarrassed thinking that I had blacked out from drinking. But then I remembered I had hardly drank. I pulled away from him acting super weird when he kind of did the same. He told me then not to be mad, but he thinks he had just just blacked back in. I explained to him that I had the same thing. We decided to just go to sleep and talk about it in the morning when we woke up we discussed every possibility. We thought maybe someone had drugged us, but my body is so sensitive that there would have been no way that it would have affected us at the same exact rate. We could not find any rational solution for the missing five hours at time. Fast forward a few hours. We were back with our friends and we were talking about our night. They told me that they were successful in communicating with the aliens that night. I asked them what time they think it was and they said it started around 10:30. I don't know if I believe in aliens, but I do know that this experience was supernatural. I have no other explanation for the missing time unless I really had been drugged or something. I chose to joke about it and say it's when the aliens abducted me. But honestly I sometimes think it may be true. Anyways, this is my creepy alien experience from the Great Smoky Mountains.

[Cassie]

Girl, I just. You got drugged? Yeah. That's my opinion as somebody who has gone through unfortunately an experience similar to that. And I was drugged when I was out at in southern New Hampshire after college Same thing happened to me, only I was the sickest I've ever been in my entire life. The next day, like, I almost went to the hospital. My parents were like. Like, you, like, need medical attention.

[Danielle]

Something's really wrong here.

[Cassie]

Yeah, that's the only. That's the only thing that is. Like, maybe you weren't drugged, because if your body literally didn't have any sort of reaction at all. But, I don't know, everyone tolerates things differently, but, I don't know, to just.

[Danielle]

Miss time like that and your boyfriend and you're at a party, and you're at a party. I would. I would like to know what more, because you just kind of grazed over the fact that your friends were like, yeah, we communicated with aliens. And then just, like, nothing else was said on that.

[Cassie]

So. Yeah, what does that mean?

[Danielle]

Yeah, what does that mean? Did they know you were abducted? Did. Were they abducted? Like, I need to know a little bit more context there.

[Cassie]

And also, what does the communicating in a field with them mean? Like, but I. I just. I don't even know what to envision. Like. Like, I just envision everyone kind of sitting in a circle in a field on drugs and, like, meditating and trying to. Or like, with a Ouija board of some kind, but not a Ouija board, because, I don't know, I'm lost.

[Danielle]

We need to know the connection here. But I agree, it sounds like, I don't know, to just lose five hours of time.

[Cassie]

I don't know. But just, like, snapping back into it, I mean, same thing. Hanging mine was more embarrassing. Why? I talk about embarrassing stories. It doesn't have to do with poop, but it has to do with pee. And I had pissed myself when I was drugged, but I had, like. I snapped back into consciousness mid it. Somebody's random house that I had never been to before was someone I knew from high school and hadn't seen in, like, almost eight years. And I had. I was holding a hair dryer and, like, drying off my jeans that were still on. I was fully dressed. I was mid conversation with this person, but I snapped back into consciousness and reality in my body. And I was, like, drying off my jeans because I had peed myself. And he was, like, comforting me and trying to talk to me and stuff, but we were clearly mid conversation and I had not been there for hours. I don't remember leaving the bar. I don't remember having these conversations, making these plans, going to this house, doing any of this stuff. And this was when I was at my height of I know what being drunk was, okay. I know it was. Blacking out was from alcohol.

[Danielle]

It was different. Do you know who. Do you know who did it?

[Cassie]

No, not to the state. And I remember I was with Nataya, and she. And I called my stepdad to come pick me. I'm like, I am not okay. This is crazy. And my stepdad came and picked me up, and I, like, we. Again, kind of, like, laugh about it now. It's not funny. But I was. I started getting pretty sick pretty immediately, and I was legitimately hanging outside of the window of his car and throwing up. And just, like, my body was so wrecked. I was so. I know that there was some sort of drugs in my system that was like, my body was trying to detox from. And it was crazy.

[Danielle]

I was like, get this out of me.

[Cassie]

Yeah, that took me out. And it was super scary because I've been blacked out before. I've browned in and out before, but nothing like that. So.

[Danielle]

Yeah. Yeah, that's so scary. I have never been drugged, but I had a very close call my first night of college. My first. Yeah, my very first night of college. Someone drugged my drink, and it was a beer. And I know who did it, but it was a beer that I actually didn't like. So I had been avoiding it. And one of my friends, I saw, he was drinking a beer that I did like. And I asked him if he wanted to switch with me, and he did, and he got drugged, and he was. I mean, within 30 minutes, he was in the bathroom puking like crazy. He was so sick. And I remember being like, are you okay? What. What is going on? And I remember telling everyone, because we were at my friend's house, and it was just a party that they were having, and this person showed up, and I told them the series of events that happened. This person I had been talking to right before that I had left my beer alone with him. I came back, I switched it with someone else.

[Cassie]

And then that happened. Yeah.

[Danielle]

And he. I mean, it was very early in the night. We hadn't even been drinking really. We hadn't even really started. So I saw the effects that it had. And that same night, that same person I had noticed he kept talking to me, and he was like, how are you feeling? Do you want to walk? Do you want me to walk you home? Like, you've been drinking for a while. Are you feeling okay? And I remember being like, yeah, you weirdo. Like, get away from me.

[Cassie]

Oh.

[Danielle]

And I.

[Cassie]

That's so creepy. That is so Nefarious. Also, like.

[Danielle]

And I remember. Yeah. And I remember he had been, like, waiting around for me to go home, and I was like. And I specifically stayed because it was my first night in college. I didn't know many people. My only friend that I knew was drugged in the bathroom.

[Cassie]

Yeah. Unintentionally. Yeah.

[Danielle]

Yeah. So I was waiting for him to leave because I didn't feel comfortable walking home with him around. So I waited until he left and then I walked home by myself and. But he waited a really long time until like 2 o' clock in the morning. And. Yeah.

[Cassie]

Yeah, it's. You gotta be careful out there at fish parties and beyond, you know, you never know. Yeah. What's happening. And I don't know. Me. I'm not trying to discount your alien situation.

[Danielle]

It just feels very familiar.

[Cassie]

It hits close to home. Yeah. So I just. Yeah. I.

[Danielle]

Unless there's more context to your friends and how they communicated with aliens and how they could have been there that night, it feels like some partying went a little foul.

[Cassie]

Yeah. So you can follow up. Feel free to follow up and we can make a ruling from there.

[Danielle]

Yes.

[Cassie]

But. Okay. All right. My last story is titled New Year Whose Bones? Hey, girls. Love your podcast, especially enjoying catching up on all the trail tales. My name is Chris, and I wanted to write in with one of my own that I hope will entertain you. My husband, Scott, and I love the creepy, the haunted, and the unexplained. So it's fitting that this story takes place not in a national park, but a graveyard. It was New Year's Day, and we had been visiting Scott's mother, who now lives in my small hometown. We go out there every January 1st for her version of Hoppin John to bring us good luck for the coming year. I've never once heard of Hoppin John.

[Danielle]

Me either. So it's a type of food.

[Cassie]

What? Hold on.

[Danielle]

Does that make sense?

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

Oh, yeah. It says Hoppin John is a traditional Southern US dish of black eyed peas and rice, often flavored with pork like bacon or ham hock and seasonings, and is famously eaten on New Year's Day for good luck.

[Cassie]

Oh, yeah. The very next sentence says after the meal, so that makes sense. I thought they were saying they were in the graveyard for Hoppin John.

[Danielle]

Hoppin John does sound like a name of someone.

[Cassie]

Well, I'm sure of a ghost, right? That lingers in this.

[Danielle]

Yeah, hoppinjohn is a ghost that lingers.

[Cassie]

For sure after the meal. And on our way back home, we decided to stop by the local cemetery and visit a couple relatives that are buried there. We also had our dog, a blue heeler mix named Rue with us. So we decided to take her on a short walk around the cemetery. This cemetery is on the older side and there are some beautiful gravestones, small mausoleums and interesting markers. So we were going slow, ambling along and enjoying just being outside on the overcast chilly day. As we went up a small hill, I noticed several graves that looked odd, just muddy areas, but the areas were directly in front of the stones and coffin shaped, not new burials as the dirt had settled so it was even with the grass that was growing between them. The stones were all people who had died at least 50 years prior and we could not figure out why their sights had been dug up, moved, we had no idea. Stumped, we decided to move on. But suddenly I saw a bone sticking up up out of the gravesite mud. I point it out and say is that a bone? Scott, whom I apparently can't trust to roam a cemetery without strict supervision, decides to dig it out a little and then picked it up to prove that I was wrong. His face quickly changed because yep, it's a bone. To me this is definitely an arm bone from a body that should be buried below us right now. I tell him he's definitely getting haunted and take a couple steps steps away from him. He drops it and we stand there for a stunned second or two and then walked away quickly, a little unsure of what to do next. I realize he's just dropped it on the ground and make him go back and kind of at least bury it a little so a dog or another husband doesn't walk along, pick it up and carry it off. We run over to my grandparents site which is very close to where we were walking and I tell them all about how Scott dug up a grave and is getting haunted first for sure. I could just imagine my grandma's reaction, a little mortified, but laughing at the both of us as we talk over each other explaining. We drive back to our house about 30 minute drive talking over what we should do next, if we should call someone, etc. We decided to call the local police department and just let them know what we saw. I hear Scott on the phone giving the dispatcher the story and after giving his name he starts laughing. We actually know the dispatcher he's talking to. She's an old friend of ours. She sends a cop out to take a look and talk to the cemetery owner. She texts Scott a bit later after some confusion over where the grave Actually was and says that they found it. And the cemetery owner says a tree came down and pulled up some roots and they had to just fix some damage, that no bodies were out of the ground or anything. I found this so odd because tree roots wouldn't have popped up. Just three graves and not the earth in between them with which hadn't been disturbed. And we were about to point that out when we got another text from another text from our friend. Correction. Then another. He just found it. Then another. He was wrong. We need to get the coroner out here then. Radio signal.

[Danielle]

That's a series of texts.

[Cassie]

I know. Like, you were right. She called us later and gave us the full story. The cemetery owner said he was mistaken. It wasn't a tree root, but several graves that had settled that needed to be filled in. They had to bring in fill dirt from a farm nearby. And the bone that had been in the dirt was identified by the. By the coroner as, thankfully, a deer bone. So the first day of 2026 for us had some graveyard drama, even if it ended up being a little anticlimactic. Remember, enjoy the view. But even in a cemetery, maybe especially in a cemetery. Watch your back. This, remember, reminds me of the story that just came out of that guy in Mount Moriah cemetery. Did you see that? Is this your algorithm? So, oh, my God, Cassie, this guy. I don't know his name. I'm probably gonna butcher a bunch of the details, but long story short, has been breaking into mausoleums and digging up old graves and whatever of hundreds of people and literally hanging the bodies from his ceilings and lining them up all in his home. And, like, there's, like, heads everywhere. There's bodies everywhere. There's pieces of people's families. Like an entire mausoleum of generations of people. And he just got caught.

[Danielle]

How'd they catch him?

[Cassie]

No, I don't know. I think there. I think something to do with. Not only did he have them in his house, like, Ed Gein style, but he was also dealing that, like. Like. Like selling them as. Yeah. And he. His mug shot is so creepy and, I mean, it's super disturbing. And there I did stumble upon some, like, leaked footage from the police body cams of, like, when they originally went into his home. And it's pretty gnarly and disturbing and so heartbreaking to know, like, yes, it's gross and creepy and, like, spooky and scary, but also someone's family. Yeah, like, these are people's loved ones that you're doing this too. And it's so. There's so many layers to it. And it's, it just happened as we're recording this maybe like a week or two ago.

[Danielle]

I don't know how I have not seen it, but I have been hiding everything on my algorithm that's been. You know how you can like be like, not interested. Not interested. Not interested.

[Cassie]

Can you do that on Instagram? I don't use tick tock, so.

[Danielle]

Yeah, yeah. On Instagram you can do like in the corner you can click not interested. Because I was getting flooded with. I mean, I would open Instagram in the morning and instead of seeing a garden or people snowboarding or something, I was seeing people being murdered.

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

And live footage on Instagram. And that was just a bit. I want to be informed and I do try to stay informed of obviously what's going on, but watching people get murdered is not a way that I want to stay informed. I would rather like, I want to read about it. I want to know that it happened, but I don't, I don't need to. Without my permission. If I want to see a video like that and it's out there, I will look it up. But I just don't think it's right that without my permission I'm being forced to watch it.

[Cassie]

Well, yeah, you know, long go, long gone are the days that there's like a video that's like kind of blurred out and you have to select play to watch it. You know, it's just like this automatic, immediately in your face violence. And it's a lot. Especially when there is so much violence going on and there's, there's, like you said, toeing the line of being informed and, you know, being involved but not having this overwhelming. I mean, a single person seeing that much unfold in the mat in like the span of minutes.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Cassie]

You know, like video after video and scene after scene of mobs and riots and shootings and you know, it's just, it's a lot, it's a lot.

[Danielle]

And I want, it's just, it, it, it's been going on for a little while now that my algorithm has been doing that to me. But. And I saw one meme that I just kind of resonated with a lot. And it was like our mental capacity is not supposed to be making breakfast, see someone be murdered, then take care of my children, then go to work and then watch another video of someone being murdered and then go and then call about my electric bill.

[Cassie]

Like, it's like you are desensitizing us in a really scary way.

[Danielle]

And I don't want to be desensitized to that stuff, but I also don't want it to be, like, I don't want it to be normal for me to open Instagram and watch someone be murdered. And.

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

So I think my algorithm is figuring out that I don't like that. It still does come up for me. I get a lot of. Yeah, I just. I don't need to see that on Instagram. I will find out what's going on in the world in many ways, but watching it on Instagram is not. Not my news source.

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

So, great.

[Cassie]

Well, let's all fix our algorithms while also being. And staying informed, present and informed. Yes, let's do that. I would like to change my algorithm because right now it's all dogs that are on the euthanasia list. And it's like, that was my Facebook.

[Danielle]

Algorithm for a while.

[Cassie]

Oh, my God. It's just a. It's videos of the volunteers that are like, you know, taking these dogs out for their last day because they're up for euthanasia. And I'm like, I'm seeing this, like, two weeks after the fact or a day after the fact, and it's like, I know that they're not around anymore, and, like, I couldn't save them. I'm like, all right, what's going on, please?

[Danielle]

It's too much. It's too much sadness. I know, but I'm just looking for a recipe. Like, you know, it's just not. Yeah, it's too much. It's too much.

[Cassie]

Well, what do you have for your bonus story today?

[Danielle]

Well, we are all done with our main stories, but if you would like to hang out on a brighter note, maybe, maybe not for our next stories. Mine is titled don't listen to the Locals, and you can listen to it on Patreon or Apple subscriptions.

[Cassie]

And mine is titled Fiasco in the Cordiera Blanca. So who knows what we have in store, but come find out and we'll see you over there.

[Danielle]

Yeah. In the meantime, enjoy the view, but watch your back.

[Cassie]

Bye. 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, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and xationalparkafterdark. 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 the show, please take a moment to rate, review and subscribe. Wherever you listen to podcasts.

[Danielle]

The New Year brings new health Goals and wealth goals Protecting your identity is an important step. Your info is in endless places that could expose you to identity theft leading to lost funds. LifeLock monitors millions of data points per second. If your identity is stolen, LifeLock's restoration specialist will fix it, guaranteed, or your money back. Resolve to make identity, health and wealth part of your New year's goals with LifeLock, save up to 40% your first year. Visit lifelock.com iheart Terms apply. This is Julian Edelman from Dudes on Dudes with Gronk and Jewels. Sunday mornings I've got my game day ritual, coffee, Lucky socks and now New Morning Uncrustable Sandwiches. It's all about that 12 gram protein boost with the new Uncrustables Bright Eyed.

[Cassie]

Berry or Up and Apple flavors.

[Danielle]

Bright Eye Berries got a feisty receiver energy up an apple. Your classic Do it all tight end, soft pillowy, packed with protein and easy enough for Gronk to grab from the freezer. Whether you're on the couch, driving to the tailgate or heading to the locker room, New Morning Uncrustable Sandwiches are the MVP of snacks. Your new Sunday kickoff ritual starts here with New Morning Uncrustable sandwiches packed with 12 grams of protein.