Trail Tales 91

Summary

National Park After Dark – Trail Tales 90 (April 9, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this Trail Tales edition, hosts Danielle and Cassie share listener-sent stories highlighting extraordinary, chilling, and sometimes humorous experiences in and around public lands and National Parks. This episode explores everything from near-misses with disaster and paranormal encounters to lessons in humility, family lore, and group dynamics—all wrapped in the hosts’ signature blend of wit, compassion, and enthusiasm for nature and its mysteries.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power of Family Lore – The “Ari” Story

[02:05 – 05:25] Danielle & Cassie

• Summary: A listener's family recounts how a simple injury—a cinder in great-uncle Ari’s eye—led to the family missing their ship to America. That vessel turned out to be the Titanic.
• Takeaway: Sometimes misfortune is a blessing in disguise, as generations of the family avoided a tragedy and now name a son “Ari” in each generation to honor the boy who unwittingly saved them.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “As soon as I read 1912 and ‘ship,’ I knew where this was going.” – Danielle, [04:40]

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2. Humility in the Wild – “A Master Class in Dry Socks and Humility”

[05:25 – 12:22] Cassie & Danielle

• Summary: Alyssa narrates a harrowing childhood hike up Mount Washington during a snowstorm, underprepared and reliant on makeshift gear (socks on hands, no proper gloves). The situation gets risky when a child begins showing signs of hypothermia. Luckily, the intervention of a passing hiker convinces the group to turn back before the trail becomes truly perilous.
• Themes: The vital importance of preparation, listening to warnings, and how pride can cloud judgment in nature.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “There is nothing that will sober a hiking group faster than seeing a nine year old's toes auditioning for hypothermia.” – Cassie (reading from Alyssa’s letter), [09:21]
  • “Mother Nature absolutely humbles, but also lets you leave sometimes with just a story and a newfound respect for dry socks.” – Alyssa, [12:18]
• Hosts’ Take: Danielle and Cassie discuss how even familiar trails can quickly become treacherous and reflect on the universal rite-of-passage that is learning humility from nature.

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3. An Encounter with Fear – “I Think It’s Just a Deer?”

[14:54 – 19:20] Danielle & Cassie

• Summary: Anna describes a tense late-night experience at an Oklahoma cabin where what she assumed to be a deer turned out to be a mountain lion—just steps away in the dark. Despite feeling panic, she calmly led her boyfriend away from the predator. The story takes a somber turn when a neighbor’s Chihuahua goes missing, a reminder of the ever-present risks in wild places.
• Themes: Facing fears, animal awareness around homes and rentals, impacts of wildlife on pets.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “You do not run.” – Anna (read by Danielle), explaining her survival mindset, [16:30]
  • “Not to end the story on a downer, but... an older gentleman asked if we’d seen a Chihuahua...” – Danielle, [18:42]

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4. Group Dynamics and Gender – “Silent Fury and Karma”

[21:34 – 27:51] Cassie & Danielle

• Summary: Kelly shares a story about a hike in Cuyahoga Valley National Park where, despite doing all the planning, her advice was ignored by male companions—including her brother-in-law—about navigation and water supplies. When her advice proves right, karma quickly follows.
• Themes: Challenges women face in being heard in outdoor (and mixed-gender) groups, value of preparation, and quiet vindication.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “I smiled with my teeth gritted and said, yep. But what I wanted to say was, ‘bitch, do not underestimate me.’” – Kelly (read by Cassie), [24:02]
  • “It’s a marathon, not a sprint. But I digress.” – Kelly (read by Cassie), [26:24]
  • “Anyway, I hope this tale helps other women or soft spoken men feel more empowered to speak up when their voice is being crowded out...” – Kelly, [27:20]
• Hosts’ Take: Danielle and Cassie discuss studies about male-dominated group dynamics and how often women's knowledge is sidelined, emphasizing the importance of using your voice and respecting thorough preparation.

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5. History and Hauntings – “Southern Maine is a Haunted Place”

[29:51 – 36:13] Danielle & Cassie

• Summary: A listener from Maine recounts a late-night paranormal experience at York’s Wiggly Bridge—which, after historical research, she connects to the area’s painful legacy of slavery. Learning about local enslaved individuals, including an indigenous man named Bonito, gives haunting context to her experience, and she urges listeners to recognize the darker stories embedded in familiar landscapes.
• Themes: Overlooked history, regional ghosts, and the deeper stories tied to land.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “We are not supposed to be here.” – [31:41]
  • “Enjoy the view, but learn about the land you live on and tell these stories of the people who lived there before you.” – Listener, [35:59]
• Hosts’ Take: Danielle and Cassie reflect on how knowing the true histories of places deepens, rather than diminishes, their meaning and importance.

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6. Lightning on the Mountain – “High Altitude Lightning, Not Recommended”

[39:59 – 44:23] Cassie & Danielle

• Summary: Jill, a former forestry major, shares her near-death experience during an internship atop Mt. Mitchell when she’s struck by a bolt of lightning traveling through a landline during a storm. Her story is a caution about mountaintop research, outdated tech, and the persistent danger lightning poses in the field.
• Themes: Dangers of remote fieldwork, outdated technology, environmental hazards.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “Lightning can travel through landlines. One more reason to let them go for good.” – Jill (read by Cassie), [43:18]
• Hosts’ Take: Danielle and Cassie tally up the number of lightning stories they’ve encountered on the podcast and share their own lighthearted memories of using walkie-talkies in the field and on childhood adventures.

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “Sometimes bad things are blessings in disguise.” – Cassie, [04:36]
• “Would high school me think I was cool?” – Cassie, [06:07]
• “Moose are not real. And I stand by that.” – Cassie (joking while reading a listener letter), [07:53]
• “A girl found water. She must be a witch.” – Cassie (reading), [26:00]
• “God forbid a girl try to be a little romantic.” – Listener (reading), [31:32]
• “I can learn about these things on my own now… Tell these stories of the people who lived there before you.” – Listener, [36:13]
• “Stay off the mountain in thunderstorms.” – Jill, [43:10]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:05] Family Lore – The Titanic near-miss
• [05:25] Dry socks, humility, and the perils of Mount Washington
• [14:54] Mountain lion encounter in Oklahoma
• [21:34] Water, group dynamics, and karma on the trail
• [29:51] Haunted history and hidden stories of Southern Maine
• [39:59] Surviving mountain-top lightning in North Carolina

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Podcast Tone & Style

• Danielle and Cassie maintain a casual, storytime atmosphere—balancing humor, empathy, advocacy, and a love for the wild.
• They regularly riff off each other, share personal anecdotes, and use conversational asides to connect with the audience.
• The storytelling is warm, supportive, and often punctuated by empowering messages for listeners.

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Key Takeaways

• Even in familiar wild places, unpredictable risks and lessons lurk—whether storms, wildlife, or group dynamics.
• The past is always present in our landscapes, and knowing the history (even the painful parts) enriches our experiences.
• Advocacy (especially for underrepresented voices and stories) is as important on the trail as it is off.
• Sometimes, survival is just about listening—whether to family lore, a warning from a stranger, or your own instincts.

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Enjoy the view—and watch your back!

Transcript

[Danielle]

Alright everyone. We've reached a point in our parasocial relationship that I feel comfortable enough talking to you about. Pleasure. Shocker to no one if you've gotten to know me. But nonetheless, I have exciting news. We have teamed up with Bellesa, who's giving away free spicy toys to every single one of you. And not just any spicy toy. We're talking about the one that has taken over your TikTok for you page. The rose. It went viral for a reason. This little flower shaped toy has 10 mind blowing modes and it's rechargeable, splash proof and silent, but deadly in the best way. If you somehow haven't heard of Bellesa, let me fill you in. This is a by women for everyone company that's completely flipping the script on sexual wellness. Their mission is to empower you to embrace, explore and celebrate your pleasure. I'm sure you've seen their famous air vibe. You know that little red dual stimulation toy that's all over your Instagram feed. Or their new Whisper collection. Bellesa somehow figured out how to make the most satisfying mind blowing vibrators with zero sound silent without compromising power. And of course we had to hook all of you up. So our friends at Bellesa are sending out a free rose suction toy with every single order. You heard that right. Retails for $99, but you get it free. All you have 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.com/dark. Hello everyone and welcome back to National Park After Dark Trail Tales Edition. My name is Danielle.

[Cassie]

I'm Cassie. Welcome, welcome. We're excited as always to tell you some stories. If you have one that you're itching to write into us, go to our website, mpadpodcast.com we have a submission link. And today we have a lot of good ones. Do you want to go first or do you want me to go first?

[Danielle]

You know, I think I should go first.

[Cassie]

Okay.

[Danielle]

And I don't know why I said that. I just feel like. So my first one is the shortest of them all.

[Cassie]

Oh.

[Danielle]

But I think we should just kick it off with some family lore.

[Cassie]

Oh, I like family lore.

[Danielle]

And I just for full transparency, this email was exceedingly actually long and I just took the second half of it, so that's why short.

[Cassie]

Oh, okay.

[Danielle]

Okay. All right. So this one, of course, titled Family Lore. This story was first told to me by my grandma and I'm going to tell it in much the Same way that she told it to me. My grandpa's great grandparents. So their great, great, great parent grandparents.

[Cassie]

Yeah, their parents great grandparents.

[Danielle]

So. No, their grandparents great grandparents. Oh, whatever. Three greats.

[Cassie]

I think it's three great. Three greats away.

[Danielle]

Came to America from Holland in the Netherlands with their children in 1912. They had to take a train to the port from where they lived. And it was a pretty long trip, as you can imagine. Several small children got pretty restless on the train. One of them, great uncle Ari, who would have been around 10 years old, some stuck his head out of the window of the train. As they were going, a cinder from the steam engine blew back and got into his eye. By the time they got to the coast, it was swollen and full of pus. Since they would be traveling in steerage, they had to pass a health inspection before they would be allowed to board. Ari was denied because they assumed his eye was diseased. And the family didn't speak enough English to explain that he was not sick, he was just merely injured. So they were faced with a choice to split up the family or give up their place on the ship. Well, there was no way that my ancestors were going to leave any family behind, so the decision was made, and they did not board the Titanic. Oh, wow. Okay, so now. So now nearly every generation since has named an Ari in honor of the rambunctious little boy who inadvertently saved the entire family. My grandma had a very, very old newspaper clipping also telling the story, which she showed us after. Since the headline gave the story away. She has since passed away, and I have no idea where it is now or even if someone has it. And then it just ends. That's all. I don't know who this is from or where they are now, but you were saved. You were saved by Ari.

[Cassie]

You know, sometimes bad things are blessings in disguises.

[Danielle]

As soon As I read 1912 originally and ship, I knew where this was going. You're like.

[Cassie]

And no one would have the audacity to write me in a 1912 ship story that was not the Titanic.

[Danielle]

That's right. Yeah. So thank you, whoever you are. And I think it's also really cool that the family collectively, over generations, have just all agreed that we need to keep Ari alive in some way.

[Cassie]

Yeah. That's a good luck charm. You have a good luck family member. That's a lot of pressure for whoever gets that name to live up. It's like, you will bring good things to this family.

[Danielle]

You will bring honor on this family. Yeah.

[Cassie]

For generations, you are The Chosen One.

[Danielle]

I hope you like that name because you're bound to it. But anyway, okay, so I thought that one was cool.

[Cassie]

That's fun. Okay. My first story is titled A Master Class in Dry Socks and Humility. Hey, ladies. First of all, I have to say how much I'm loving your podcast. I came to it a little late mid to late 2025, fashionably behind as usual, after a colleague recommended it, and now I'm hooked. The stories are so vivid and well told that I've even recommended the show to my high school students for a bi weekly podcast assignment they have to do. Lively, engaging, just the right amount of edge. It's such a good Listen. We're teaching the youth.

[Danielle]

I recently talk about pressure. Wait, what are the high schoolers?

[Cassie]

Yeah, okay, so they.

[Danielle]

I don't feel bad about cursing then.

[Cassie]

I just want to know if they think I'm cool. You know, I haven't talked to a high schooler in a while and I just don't know. Am I. Am I aging well? Would high school me think I was cool?

[Danielle]

Ah, that's really hard to say.

[Cassie]

Please only write in if you think I'm cool, because otherwise it'll hurt my feelings.

[Danielle]

I was gonna say that's a risk that you're asking the youth.

[Cassie]

Maybe it's better not to know.

[Danielle]

Okay.

[Cassie]

I recently listened to your 2022 episode, Surviving the Worst Weather on the Planet, White Mountain National Forest, and it immediately unlocked a core. My own ill advised attempt to conquer the beast herself. Mount Washington. Ah, a homeland. A home state story for context. My dad and his brother were raised feral in the wholesome Boy Scout wilderness survival kind of way. Knots, compass bearings, merit badges, the whole aesthetic. Naturally, when they had kids, they raised us the same way. Our childhood photos are less Disney World and more mud cake children triumphantly holding walking sticks. We practically memorized Cuyahoga Valley national park before it even earned the national park. Glow up. When I was 10, my aunt and uncle just moved outside of Boston, which my dad and uncle interpreted as a divine sign to expand their hiking territory. Every fall, we'd fly into Boston. Logan International Airport. The moms would disappear for a well earned girls weekend, and the dads would load up four children like we were heading into battle and drive north to the White Mountains. Year one. Magical. Crunchy leaves, crisp air. Moose spotting. Like we were on the National Geographic. Okay, I don't believe you, but where are they? The White Mountains of New Hampshire.

[Danielle]

Oh, right, yeah.

[Cassie]

Moose spotting.

[Danielle]

Never had the pleasure.

[Cassie]

Moose are not real. And I Stand by that. But I'll. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. The rest of your story is real.

[Danielle]

Yeah, for the sake of the story, we'll accept it.

[Cassie]

Yeah. We belted out Right Said Fred's I'm too sexy at the base of Old man of the Mountain, back when his granite profile still ruled the cliffside. It was idyllic, rugged, slightly ridiculous. So of course we went back the next year. Late October. Arrived at Joe Dodge Lodge in Pinkham Notch, gateway to the mountain. Day one. Absolute perfection. Mid 50s golden light. We hiked to Crystal Cascade and thought, if tomorrow's like this, we're in for a dream hike. Then we woke up the next morning. Snow. Not dramatic, not blizzard level yet. Just that persistent quiet snow that looks peaceful from the inside of a warm lodge and feels very different once you're standing in it with a backpack on. But did that stop us? Of course not. This was pre smartphone. No one was googling, is this a terrible idea? We had confidence. We had snacks. We had baseball caps to keep our heads warm. Baseball caps in all caps. We set off via the Tuckerman Ravine Trail 4.1 miles up, which means over 8 miles round trip. We decided to pace ourselves, which in hindsight just meant prolonged exposure to worsening doom. The snow kept falling and falling and falling. By mile two, I was a walking cautionary tale. Cold, wet, hungry, dead. Last in the lineup and fully at peace with that position, our gear was laughable. Standard pants, thin thermals, sweatshirts, basic winter jackets, basic socks on our feet, and those tragic knitted gloves that turn into 20 pound ice sponges the moment they see moisture. I always had those. I had an aunt who would knit them for us and they were always so cute and it was so nice, but. And they keep you warm as long as you don't get wet. We pressed on, because pride is powerful. Eventually we reached a small hut to regroup. My cousin Rebecca and I had fallen approximately 20 bajillion times and could no longer feel our fingers. The trading post at the base had zero spare gloves, so we ditched the heavy knit gloves and pulled spare socks over our hands and sticks instead. It wasn't glamorous, but it was warmer. Meanwhile, my cousin had been complaining about his toes. My uncle pulled off his boots expecting bunched up socks. Nope. Soaked toes turning blue. There is nothing that will sober a hiking group faster than seeing a nine year old's toes auditioning for hypothermia. Thankfully, because be prepared is apparently code for pack 47 spare socks. My dad had extras. Dry. Socks were deployed. Feet were salvaged. Circulation was restored. Boy Scouts won. Mother Nature currently winning, but it was pretty close at this point. I was done spiritually, physically, emotionally composing my will.

[Danielle]

One spiritually composing my will is perfect.

[Cassie]

One of the dads went ahead to scout the trail and thank every guardian angel in the White Mountains. Ran into a descending hiker who warned him not to continue, especially with 14 kids. Half a mile up, the trail turned steep and required serious rock scrambling in a snowstorm on a mountain famous for casually record recording hurricane force winds. We packed it in. The boys protested. The 14 and 9 year old, not the grown ups. Pride flared, but common sense finally won. We slid, skidded, and half fell our way back down. I mentally directed an entire sock puppet musical to distract myself. It was layered, it was nuanced. It deserved a to. We stumbled back into the lodge, thawed out in front of the fire, cradled mugs of cocos like survivors of a minor Arctic expedition, and laughed nervously about what our mothers would say when they found out. Now, whenever I hear Mount Washington mentioned alongside words like extreme unpredictable or highest wind speeds ever recorded, I don't feel brave. I feel lucky. Lucky no fingers were lost, Lucky no toes were sacrificed. Lucky that somewhere between pride and poor planning, a stranger on the trail decided to speak up. Mother Nature absolutely humbles, but also lets you leave sometimes with just a story and a newfound respect for dry socks. Alyssa.

[Danielle]

Mount Washington. Don't sleep on it. Yeah, I say that all the time.

[Cassie]

I can really picture this whole story too, because that trail that they did is where I took my Abby course.

[Danielle]

Oh, really?

[Cassie]

Yeah, I hiked the same thing. And I know exactly where it gets to. The rock scrambles. That's where you're like in Tuckerman's Ravine before you get to the summit. And you're kind of. You're kind of in a bowl which shields you from the really high winds and awful weather. So I can see how their dad at that point was like, you know, it's not too bad. Like, let's keep going. And a hiker coming down be like, oh, no.

[Danielle]

Yeah, turn back now.

[Cassie]

Turn back now. You're.

[Danielle]

You got to get out of here. Especially with kids.

[Cassie]

Yeah, yeah. You know that thing where you get

[Danielle]

an amazing pair of shoes at a

[Cassie]

really great price and want to tell everyone about it?

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Cassie]

So do we here at Designer Shoe Warehouse. We'll give you something to brag about, like the latest styles from brands you love or the trends everyone's obsessing over or shoes that make you feel like, well, you. So go ahead, show off a little. Buying shoes that get you at prices that get your budget. Head to your DSW store or dsw.com today DSW. Let us surprise you.

[Sponsor]

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[Danielle]

Okay, my next story is titled I Think It's Just a Dear question mark hi Danielle and Cassie. I've been a listener since the very beginning and have had some trail tale adjacent stories before, but none that ever hit so close to my biggest fear as an outdoorsy person. Last year I met and started dating my boyfriend Dan. We live in Texas and frequently drive about three hours to Hochatown, Oklahoma on the edge of Ouachita National Forest for weekend getaways. The Hocha Town area backs up to the National Forest and in Oklahoma State park, so there's very dense forest. The town is almost entirely made up of Airbnbs and rental properties with around 250 permanent residents, but the population skyrockets over the weekends as Dallas residents like us flock here to get away from the city. This holiday season we decided to spend with Dan's family and rent what is basically a mansion in the woods for all 16 of us, plus a new puppy gizmo to stay in before Christmas. The long weekend was full of sweets, games, family time, and the two of us taking plenty of hikes to get away from the aforementioned family time One thing to know about my relationship is that I am the outdoorsy one. I'm an avid hiker with a life goal of summiting the highest peaks in each US State. When friends ask if he likes hiking, my response is, well, Dan likes me and I like hiking, so he hikes. Needless to say, we did a lot of hiking. As you should. On our last night after dinner, I was pretty tired from a day in the state park and also feeling peopled out from being around everyone for four days straight. Dan suggested we go out in the backyard and partake in some herbal remedies to relax a bit. His family is very against said herbal remedies, so we wandered closer to the edge of the woods to get away from the house in case a sister or a nephew came outside. While smoking and looking out into the darkness of the forest, we heard the sound of an animal in the leaves about 10 to 15ft away. Our first thought was this must be a deer because there was a deer feeder on the property that we had been watching with little kids for the past few days. We listen closer and I realize those footsteps seemed a bit too heavy to be a deer. And here is where I reveal my biggest fear. Mountain lions. My eyes start adjusting to the darkness and I realize, oh shit, that is a mountain lion. And then we hear a hiss. At this point, I don't say to my city slicker boyfriend that a I know what this creature is or B that it could definitely kill us and we are way, way, way too close. So as calmly as I can while face to face with my biggest fear, I said let's just back away and get back up onto the porch because the last thing I wanted to do was cause alarm and make him want to run. I've listened to enough outdoor podcasts to know that in this situation you do not run. It was like fighting every instinct to back away slowly and not just make a mad dash up the stairs. While we were backing up and trying to move away, we can still hear the cat hissing and taking slow steps towards us. Finally we make it up onto the stairs on the porch where we can see the mountain lion but aren't in immediate reach like we were before when watching a predator from a distance. It's really beautiful. The way it moves and stalks is amazing, but terrifying to realize that that is exactly what it was doing to us. We finally go inside. Once it had determined the midnight snack, us two grown adults weren't feasible prey and wandered back into the woods. I found the parents of Gizmo the puppy to let them know to keep a very watchful eye when taking him out potty since we'd been letting him run around the yard the entire time we had been there. Not to end the story on a downer, but the next morning when packing up the cars, I was outside with Dan's sister in law when an older gentleman approached us. He asked, I was wondering if you two might have seen a chihuahua running around here. He got out last night and we can't find him.

[Cassie]

Oh, my God.

[Danielle]

I didn't have the heart to tell him that his chihuahua was most likely a cougar snack. On the drive back to Dallas, I loaded up an episode of Tooth and Claw, and Dan got to hear Wes explain just how much damage the creature we were 10ft away from just 12 hours ago could have done. His conclusion was, I'm glad we didn't hear that podcast on the way up here. Thanks for all the years of stories and I'm looking forward to many, many more. Enjoy the view, but watch your back, especially when wandering into the woods to get away from family.

[Cassie]

Anna, I'm just gonna assume that someone took in the chihuahua for the night and it was fine.

[Danielle]

Okay, let's live there in that space.

[Cassie]

That's where I do live all the time.

[Danielle]

You just did a really nice dog episode, so I had to balance that. Okay. I've been crashing out about dogs recently. Chaska's getting much old. Chaska's showing his age a lot in recent weeks, and I'm having a very difficult time. So sad dog things are just kind of like my. I hate technology so much because my entire algorithm is sad dog things.

[Cassie]

You gotta. You have to click that. You're not interested. When you look at a post, it's. I think it's in the bottom right or the top right. There's three dots.

[Danielle]

Okay.

[Cassie]

And you click that and you do. Not interested.

[Danielle]

Wow. Okay, I'm gonna do that.

[Cassie]

It'll change your whole algorithm.

[Danielle]

Thank God. Because it's every maybe three or four videos or posts, even from people. I don't follow. Of course it suggests things to you. Yeah, it's all about pet grief and putting your dog down and like. Or sad situations or whatever. And I'm just like, I.

[Cassie]

To get away from me.

[Danielle]

I can't handle this right now.

[Cassie]

Okay.

[Danielle]

You're making it worse. Yeah. So, yeah, good tip.

[Cassie]

Facebook. Reese. I think it was kind of recent. Or I recently noticed it is they actually have a tab on the bottom now that is you click friends and it only shows A friend's feed, but no one posts on Facebook, so it doesn't really matter. It's like, just watch.

[Danielle]

Okay. Facebook. I know you. You say you're there for your. You have a lot of family on there still.

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

Yeah. I'm not on it enough to. To do that, but it's. Yeah, it is strange. It's like, why would I. I'm not following these people for a reason I don't need. Is your algorithm all bang still?

[Cassie]

Honestly, I've been taking. So the past. I guess, only two days. It's only been two days. I've been taking a social media hiatus.

[Danielle]

Okay, good.

[Cassie]

So I don't know what it is.

[Danielle]

Break free from the banks. You're not going through. You don't need that right now.

[Cassie]

I don't need that in my life.

[Danielle]

You were close. You were close.

[Cassie]

I was close. It couldn't get me. All right, my next story is titled Silent Fury and Karma, that made my day. Hey, y'. All. It's Kelly and one girl who didn't know how to make a bingo card for the year. I'm just a girl. Okay. I know Kelly is on Our Outsiders, and she. I see her on our live streams, in our book club, and our. She was in our livestream, and we did a bingo card, and I think she only got one. Yeah.

[Danielle]

I'm like, okay, now you have to come up with 25 more, or whatever the amount was.

[Cassie]

Okay. First, I'll start off by saying thank you for creating such an amazing space for myself and others to feel connected to. Kinders, spirits. You two and what you have created were something I didn't know I needed until I found you. Thank you. That's very nice. You've helped me to understand my place in this world in more ways than one. And I'm forever grateful for you two for that. Okay, got that out of the way. Now for my trail tale that, as a woman, made me furious. I'll change everyone's name except mine for privacy. Although I know they don't listen because, well, they're just stupid and don't know what they're missing. I'm here for that energy. My home park is Cuyahoga Valley national park, about two hours from where I live. Yes, it's quaint, it's not your average bucket list, and it's relatively new, but, damn, it's beautiful. Imagine a cascading forest, vast valley overlooks, waterfalls with swimming holes with crystal clear water, marshes, and so much wildlife. I go here every single year because it holds a Very special place in my heart. Now for the tale. Last June 2025, I invited my brother in law, who is outdoor savvy and overly confident, to go on a hiking journey through Cuyahoga with my husband and I. We will call my brother in law John and my husband Smith. I did all the planning for this trip, booked our campsites at a Christmas tree farm, smelled so good, mapped out what trails we use, how far we will walk, etc. I shared all this information with John and Smith well before the trip. We got there Friday night, set up camp as the sun set on the Christmas tree farm and cooked dinner over the campfire. Great night and ready for the long hike ahead of us tomorrow. The next morning we woke up early to get started. We met at the Boston Mill Visitor center to talk to the rangers. Since this was during the recent government shutdown. I let them know we were going to be hiking all the way up to the Jait Historic District and looping back and finishing there. This ranger looked at me, eyebrows raised, and said in a very doubtful tone, you're hiking that? I smiled with my teeth gritted and said, yep. But what I wanted to say was, bitch, do not underestimate me. They let us know there are no bathrooms to use on that trail and no water refill stations. No problem. I'm ready. We started hiking and everything was amazing as usual. Visited my favorite waterfall, trucked on through the marshes with low visibility at our feet, where my foot came within 6 inches of the mouth of a basking snaph jumping turtle. Scary, but they literally don't give a shit about you. I admired it and moved on. I let the boys know I was running low on water as we were coming up to the halfway point, which was at the Jayt Historic District. Well, I found out that the boys had been out of water for at least an hour at this point. Are you kidding me? It was 90 degrees out that day and you didn't bring enough water to make it to fill. Whatever your problem, not mine, stay away from my precious water. We are so close to the halfway point and the boys look at the map on John's phone using Google maps while I'm trying to tell the guys guys, I'm using all trails and I can show you where we can likely get water. The ranger station is probably close. Completely ignored. Guys, I think we should just walk the extra mile to the historic district for water. Completely ignored. What happened? We walked to the fucking ranger station that was half a mile out of the way and guess what? It was closed. No water to be found. Okay, no problem. I'll just sit here simmering in my feminine fury thinking I should have left their asses in the dust because now I'm out of water and it's 90 degrees. After they sit and have their nice little pout session, we get back on the trail and walk the half mile back and head for the Jait Historic District. We walk to one of the buildings and find a spigot on the side of one of the old houses. And it works. Oh my gosh.

[Danielle]

Wow.

[Cassie]

A girl found water. She must be a witch. We fill our water bottles and sit at one of the picnic tables to eat some lunch. On our hike back down towards Boston Mill where we started, I made a comment to Smith, my husband, that John is walking way too fast and running up really steep hills to get it over with quicker and he needs to slow down. Not because I can't keep up, but because he's going to feel like absolute shit tomorrow morning. Slow and steady wins the race buddy. It's a marathon, not a sprint. But I digress. We get back to camp mid afternoon. After ten and a half miles of hiking, I'm exhausted. I drink a Gatorade and sleep for a couple of hours. Smith and I cook dinner over the campfire and we head into our tents for the night. The next morning I woke up feeling great, hungry and ready for more hiking. But oh no. Guess who feels like shit? John. Poor John had a tummy ache, could hardly eat breakfast and walk like a slug to Beaver Creek the late morning. Thankfully my good karma and his bad karma blessed my day because he left early to drive home that morning. I was able to enjoy the rest of the day there with my husband Smith and also wring his ass for ignoring me all day before. Smith and I also went to pay our respects to the Balto at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History during this trip. Anyway, I hope this tale helps other women or soft spoken men feel more empowered to speak up when their voice is being overcrowded by men who just assume they know better than you. I know the next time I go hiking with John, I won't be so forgiving for that behavior. If you guys find yourself wanting to check out Cuyahoga, please feel free to get ahold of me and I'll show you all the best spots at this small and charming National Park. P.S. i know this story makes me sound like a total bitch, but I promise I'm about as calm as they come. Love ya K. Bye.

[Danielle]

It's like speak up for yourself, ladies. I'm sorry. I'm sorry about that.

[Cassie]

I'm sorry. I'm not a bitch, but I'm just advocating for you. It's true, though. I. I totally get the sentiment behind it, I think. And we've actually, in some episodes that I've researched, I've read just some different studies they've done about group dynamics and how it is really common that when there are men and women in a group, that men become a dominating voice over women. And women can feel like they can't speak up in a lot of situations. So I feel like that is definitely a conversation that needs to be had a little bit more.

[Danielle]

I think it's also extremely frustrating. Just as they mentioned in the very beginning, they did all of this background research, you know, all this prepping with itinerary and hikes, and just did their due diligence of looking into things. It's not like she's just saying things to say them. And meanwhile, I'm sure this guy just showed up and decided to rule the roost. And that would in and of itself, whether it's you're a man or a woman doing that, it's like, you. Okay, I am the one who just spent all this time putting.

[Cassie]

I'm prepared.

[Danielle]

Yeah, Like, I'm prepared. And I shared this with you beforehand. You know, like, I don't know. People who just show up and try and run things when they clearly don't have a leg to stand on pisses me off. And it pisses me off because I'm usually the one doing all the other research. But I'm also pretty direct and I don't know if I would have a problem. I don't know. Actually, I take that back. I'm not. I am direct. I just. I don't really love confrontation.

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

So I don't know, it's tough because in a situation like that, it depends on how mad I am already to start the day, I guess.

[Cassie]

Depends on what day you get me. That's right.

[Danielle]

Okay, my last story is titled Southern Maine is a Haunted Place. Hi, Cassie and Danielle. I'm a huge fan of the podcast and have been listening for years. Thank you for inspiring me to travel and hike. You truly don't know how much this podcast means to me, but my story is so long, so I gotta cut to the chase. I am from the Southern Maine, New Hampshire area and my trail tale takes place in York, Maine. I want to add a content warning here since I'll be talking about Maine's history of slavery. You ladies have created a platform that I think will appreciate the importance of the story, so I hope you read it and share it with everybody. I work second shift at a hotel in York and usually leave work around 11pm at the time of this story I was living in an apartment without a washer or dryer and had to take my clothes to the laundromat up the road. Since I work late, I'm usually up late and when I do my laundry it's in the middle of the night. One night last year I left work, picked up my boyfriend and we went to the laundromat. His company was always greatly appreciated because laundromats at 12am can be a little creepy so we'd usually get some snacks and drive around while we waited for my clothes to dry. Side note Mini trail He is now my fiance and he proposed on a hike this particular night though I thought it would be romantic to drive over to the harbor. For those unfamiliar with York, it is a touristy beach town in the summer and a ghost town in the winter. It is loaded with historical buildings and beautiful rocky shores, delicious food and the kindest locals on the scenic route to Long Sands Beach. There is a road called Lilac Lane. About 30 seconds on this road. Just before you drive over the river to pass all the cute little boats, you'll see a green bridge on your right called Wiggly Bridge. There are stairs that connect to a dock down below and a dog friendly trail that leads to a tiny island on the river. In the fall. The green bridge contrasting against the red and orange foliage is picturesque New England and it's one of those sites that just makes me feel grateful to live in this area. So this is where my partner and I found ourselves on that night. Except it was February at about 12am Everyone asks why we were there at midnight and to that I say God forbid a girl try to be a little romantic. At first everything was fine. We walked down the stairs to the dock, stargazed and had a cheeky little kiss under the moonlight. But then the energy shifted. All of a sudden a thought came barreling into my brain like a truck. We are not supposed to be here. We looked at each other and booked it up the stairs. There weren't any streetlights, but the moon was bright enough that if someone had been there we would have seen them. But we saw nothing. This was not just a hairs on the back of my neck standing up type of feeling. My entire spine felt like it was going to fly out of my body. We rushed to the car, locked the doors, and sped out of the harbor towards the gas station. I needed to be somewhere where there was light and people and snacks, but that feeling in my spine followed me the entire way there. Flash forward to about a year later in real time. This was last week. I am currently a student at a community college, slowly chipping away at my history degree. This semester I am taking a course on Maine history and there have been so many times that I recognize a name or a place in the material. This particular week our assigned readings were about Colonial Maine and we had to read an article about the Sayward Wheeler House. This is a colonial house that had been preserved by historic New England and hardly changed since it was built in 1719 as a historic site. You can take tours in the summer and learn about the families that own the house. It is located, you guessed it, across from Wiggly Bridge. This article tells the history of the say Words and Wheelers and it talks about the various enslaved people they had over the years. I think Maine often gets left out of conversations about slavery because people assume all northerners were abolitionists, but this is simply not true. On top of that, not only was Maine involved in the transatlantic slave trade, but the colonists also enslaved indigenous peoples as well. One man in particular was named Bonneto. We know from historical records that Bonneto was bought by Joseph Sayward in 1730, but we don't know what his fate was. It's hard to find first hand accounts from enslaved people, so most of what we know comes from receipts of people being bought and sold in the article by historic New England. The last paragraph haunts me where they suggest perhaps Bonito escaped. That the indigenous communities had the advantages of familiarity of the land and family and friends who could help them escape was one reason the European colonists began importing enslaved people of African and Caribbean descent. End quote. So I'm sure that's what they found as part of their research. So not only did they enslave the people of the land they stole, but they kidnapped people from a whole other continent to enslave on the basis that it would be harder for them to escape their conditions. This was the only paranormal experience I have had in my life so far, and learning about the story felt like finding a missing puzzle piece. People like Bonito escaped the horrors of slavery from right here, from this harbor, this area that I know and love and work in. Plus there are countless others who did not have the same knowledge of the terrain. Did Bonito haunt me? Did someone else? I don't know, but In a way, I'm almost glad I had that experience. My boyfriend and I felt something an energy. Another one of my friends crossed the Wiggly Bridge once and when she got to the island, she couldn't find the trailhead. She said she circled the island for over an hour and felt the same exact energy shift before finally finding an exit. Now I know why we had these experiences and I want to tell everyone about what I learned. I still love Maine and I'm grateful to have grown up here, but I wish I had learned about this earlier. I can't change our public school curriculum, but I can learn about these things on my own now. Danielle, I know you mentioned on the pod that you want to fall back in love with New England, so maybe this tour is something you would appreciate in the daytime. Of course. I'll also throw some book recommendations and articles below for those interested. York county is a very haunted place. Anyway, that's my story. Enjoy the view, but learn about the land you live on and tell these stories of the people who lived there before you. Also, maybe don't go to Laundromats at midnight.

[Cassie]

S I really like that story because I think it kind of encompasses why we do the podcast and it's just being able to connect history and stories to the locations that you're visiting and whatever that looks like. And in this case it's a pretty dark history of Maine and a lot of ours are as well. And I think that once you go to a location and you learn about stuff like this, you never look at it the same. And that's not a bad thing.

[Danielle]

Yeah, I guess I'll have to go check out Wiggly Bridge area since it's not too far away from where I am. I'm in Southern Maine as well, so I might have driven past it or even through it or on it or whatever many times before and just have no idea.

[Cassie]

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[Danielle]

actually love using the same Monday.com with

[Cassie]

an easy and intuitive setup. Go to Monday.com and try it for free. Yes, the same Monday.com I don't know about you, but I like keeping my money where I can actually see it. Unfortunately, traditional big wireless carriers seem to like keeping it too. Between sky high monthly bills, random fees and those free perks that somehow cost more in the long run. It adds up. That's why Mint Mobile caught my attention. They're basically flipping the script on wireless by offering premium plans starting at just 15 bucks a month. When you compare that to what most people are paying with big carriers, you could be saving a serious amount of money every single month. And you're not sacrificing quality either. All Mint plans come with high speed data, unlimited talk and text, and run on the nation's largest 5G network. So you're getting the same kind of service just without the inflated price tag. They also make it super easy to switch. You can bring your own phone, keep your number and activate in minutes with an esim. No contracts, no hassle, and straightforward savings. If I were looking to cut down my monthly expenses, this is absolutely where I'd start. There's really no reason to keep overpaying just because that's how it's always been. If you like your money, Mint Mobile is for you. Shop [e-mail] npad that's mintmobile.com npad upfront payment of $45 for 3 month 5 gigabyte plan required equivalent to $15 per month new customer offer for first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra C Mint Mobile phone for details all right, my last story is titled High Altitude Lightning. Not recommended. Hi ladies. Discovered you while out on an epic RV trip out west via a podcast search National Park Deaths. Lol. Love that. Two of my favorite things. Exploring state and national parks and Murder in the Macabre is the inspiration and theme for the podcast. I felt feel so lucky and listen every single week. Now onto my amazing State park internship that also nearly killed me back in 1985. I was a 20 year old forestry major and doing a summer internship with North Carolina State University and the Environmental Protection Agency to gather data and the decline of spruce first stands in the Appalachian Mountains. The three other researchers were grad school guys. It was an awesome assignment. Winky face.

[Danielle]

Oh oh, okay.

[Cassie]

We were based at the top of Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River. Our primary mission was cloud collection. You read that right anytime. There were cloud events very common at 6,684ft of elevation. We took turns climbing an 86 foot high aluminum tower every 30 minutes and collecting the liquid that had been captured in the cloud catcher and funneled into a container. Container. I am so tempted to go into full on science nerd detail here, but I fear I will lose you or other non nerds. So I will carry on.

[Danielle]

I'm glad you kind of explained it because where my brain went was so dumb. What that looked like. I had this vision of somebody climbing in a jar. Yes. Yeah, like climbing up the ladder and having just like a vial and just like swooping it through a cloud. Corking it. It's like got it.

[Cassie]

It's in here.

[Danielle]

It's so much more complicated. I'm sure.

[Cassie]

Yeah, but we're down to try it. There were several ways I could have easily died that summer.

[Danielle]

Lol.

[Cassie]

Peeing alone in the pitch black forest we shared with Black Bear and slipping and falling from an 80 foot tower in the rain being the front runners. But there was also lightning. It was summer so there were plenty of thunderstorms. One site on the mountain was considered safer than the other for riding out these potentially dangerous storms. Pre cell phone of course, so we communicated via walkie talkies. What a hoot that they were actually called that. And each site, while lacking electricity and plumbing, did have landline phones. One day a particularly fierce storm was brewing and the weather radio insisted we hunker down. I was alone at the time and had no idea where the guys were, but I hightailed it to site one. As I got out of the jeep to unlock the metal security gate, an earth shattering clap of thunder and nearly simultaneous lightning scared the shit out of me. It was clearly right overhead and left me seeing stars. I practically army crawled soaking wet to the little work building and sat on the floor praying that this would pass quickly. I was really concerned about the guys since I hadn't heard a word from them. So when the phone rang I stupidly grabbed it to hopefully hear everyone was okay. Instead of reassuring news, a bolt of lightning went through the phone line. To this day I don't know how, but it literally threw me into the wall. As I threw the offending phone away from me and into the other wall. It was so loud, intense and scary that I kind of blacked out for a minute and then gave myself a once over. My ears were ringing and my heart was racing, but I was indeed alive and unharmed. Yes friends, lightning can travel through landlines. One more reason to let them go for good. Thanks again for your company and stories every week and also kudos for leaving a job that didn't serve you. Vet techs work so hard and are so underpaid to pursue and build a career that you love. Happy trails and stay off the mountain and thunderstorms. Jill. Oh, so many people have been struck by lightning.

[Danielle]

I know. I was just thinking, how many episodes on lightning do you think we've done?

[Cassie]

Probably like five or six.

[Danielle]

You think that many? It feels like a lot. It feels like we talk about lightning a lot, but I'm talking about, like, pure, fully dedicated episodes.

[Cassie]

My Jenny Lake Rangers one was a lightning one. You did the Spark Ranger. I did the Yosemite Lightning Strike One.

[Danielle]

So we got three.

[Cassie]

We got three for sure. And then trail tales. We've had a few lightning stories thrown in.

[Danielle]

I think maybe just because they're so memorable.

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

And impactful. That it feels like so much more.

[Cassie]

Yeah. I've been wanting to. And at some point I will. I did the Jenny Lake Rangers Lightning Strike 1, which was horrific and awful, but there's actually a worse one in the same location, or I shouldn't say worse, but larger rescue mission that occurred in the same location because of lightning strikes as well. That happened more recently than that story I told. So there's another one.

[Danielle]

So stay tuned, I guess.

[Cassie]

Stay tuned. It's not an announcement that it's coming soon because I haven't even began researching it, but it's been on my mind ever since I researched that one five years ago, so.

[Danielle]

Five years ago.

[Cassie]

Yeah. I've known about this for a long time. I've been sitting on it.

[Danielle]

Oh, this one. Okay. Yeah. Right?

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

Okay. Okay, great. The. This is not related to lightning at all, but they mentioned very briefly walkie talkies. And I feel like walkie talkies were everywhere growing up. At least in my world, I had them. So, like, I use them frequently.

[Cassie]

My brother and I had them each in our room and we'd talk at night.

[Danielle]

Yeah. And you talk and things.

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

The most recent memory of walkie talkies I had was when Ian and I were driving to Washington. He had his Toyota and I was in my Jeep and we were like, caravanning. Is it a caravan if there's only two of you? I don't know technically or not, but either way, we were following each other. And instead of. We knew that there was going to be long stretches where we wouldn't have cell phone service and we'd want to talk to each other. So we got walkie talkies.

[Cassie]

That's so cute.

[Danielle]

Not all the time, but they worked enough to make it fun, you know? And then, yeah, the batteries ended up dying and that was it. And we never picked him back up again. But that was my last memory of a walkie talkie.

[Cassie]

They're fun. That's a recent memory. I mean, mine's from when I was like, nine.

[Danielle]

So I brought him back. Yeah, you did. I don't know whose idea it was. I don't know if I should take it, Take credit for it or not.

[Cassie]

I feel like it was Ian's idea.

[Danielle]

Yeah, I. I'll give it to him. He's like, but I want to talk to you. Yeah.

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

Cool. Well, thanks, everyone, for sending in your stories. We, as always, have bonus stories for outsiders on Patreon and Apple subscriptions. Mine is titled Dingoes in the Dark.

[Cassie]

Oh. Mine is late night cheesy bread, which I personally.

[Danielle]

You're welcome to forgive you.

[Cassie]

I don't know what it is yet, but I know that I relate.

[Danielle]

Okay, great. We were just also recently kind of talking about the lava cakes from Domino's.

[Cassie]

Yeah, I haven't tried them still.

[Danielle]

I haven't gotten them still. But that day I was like, that's it. I'm getting them today. Now I want the cheesy bread, too.

[Cassie]

Domino's didn't have good cheesy bread.

[Danielle]

I know. I'm not gonna. But it's a nice wish.

[Cassie]

It's so good. You just feel awful after.

[Danielle]

I know. And that's the thing. I don't. But it's kind of.

[Cassie]

Sometimes it's worth it. But it's like I used to be

[Danielle]

able to drink so much and just rally so quickly after.

[Cassie]

I would drink and have cheesy bread

[Danielle]

at the same time. Like. Yeah, ideally.

[Cassie]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

In the perfect night, that would happen.

[Cassie]

That's weird. This probably comes in. It's late night cheesy bread. I too, have had late night cheesy bread.

[Danielle]

Yeah. God. Good times. They were the best of times. They were the worst of times.

[Cassie]

Definitely the worst of times.

[Danielle]

All right, well, let's go find out what this cheesy bread and dingoes are all about. And you can find out with us over on those other places subscription places. If not, we will see you next week. In the meantime, enjoy the view.

[Cassie]

Go watch your back.

[Danielle]

Bye.

[Cassie]

Bye. Thanks for joining us for another episode. We hope you learned something new and have another location to put on your list. If you want more MPAD content, make sure to follow along with our adventures on all socials at National Park After

[Danielle]

Dark for more stories just like this one, with the added bonus of exclusive content. You can join us on Patreon or Apple subscriptions. If you prefer to watch our episodes, head over to our YouTube channel. And if you're enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate, review, and subscribe on your favorite listening Platform.

[Cassie]

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