Haunted Hikes and Camps
Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 11:50 am
Greetings all! Anyone know of any interesting haunted hikes or haunted campsites in the remote backcountry of the Sierra Nevada? I have been compiling well-established stories, history and lore of haunted destinations from all corners of California’s backcountry and would welcome any input from the HST community about haunted Sierra destinations. I am particularly interested in and experiences concerning Native American spirits akin to the evil spirits of the Me-Wuk’s Po-Ho-No and the Winton’s Ku-Ku-Pa-Rick. Also, I am excited to hear anything regarding haunted camps, remote burial places, or remote small cemeteries. I have known about some places for quite a while, such as the haunted locales of Yosemite -- "Haunted hikes" by Andrea Lankford, a former YNP ranger who worked in Yosemite for 12 years -- also author of "Ranger Confidential". Bridalveil Falls trail has a 4-skull rating for the story of an Indian girl who fell to her death due to an evil wind. I guess she still wonders around sometimes.
And I have great stuff from the northern part of the state, but not much from the Sierra. The following is an example of what I am after…it is information/stories/experiences from the Lewis Stringer camp:
Lewis Stringer is a campsite up on the Kern Plateau in the Golden Trout Wilderness, Inyo National Forest, CA. Sam Lewis ran sheep there in the late 1800's with his wife. Lewis Stringer was her favorite place on the Kern Plateau and for many years they spent each summer camped there. Around 1910 she died and Sam had her body cremated and the next spring he scattered her ashes at her beloved camping site.
Starting in the 1920's, people began reporting strange incidents that occurred at Lewis Stringer. Many people started to avoid that area. But then many years passed without any reported incidences. But evidentially the ghost is still out and about.
In 2001, a Wilderness Ranger, Bob Olen, and his wife Pat camped there. The next day, items in their camp had been rearranged from how they had left them the night before. Today Bob is the law enforcement ranger for the Inyo NF out of Lone Pine and he refuses to camp there now.
In 2004, four horsemen were camped at Lewis Stringer. Two went for a day ride and on coming back to camp one of their reins came loose. Both unsnapped from the bit and fell free. On inspection, nothing seemed wrong, and he snapped them back on, but thought it very odd that both unsnapped at the same time for no apparent reason. Later that night, all four saw a glow coming from an old fire pit and heard a woman talking in a soft voice. The next morning they found items arranged in a different place. That night all were awakened by noises and again the sound of a woman's voice. Again a red glow could be seen in the fire pit. The next few nights things began to disappear. They left soon after and all report they are wary to ever stay there again.
A lady veteran backpacker was passing through the area and decided to camp there. It was her first stay there and she knew nothing about the stories about the place. In the middle of the night she was awakened by strange noises, the red glow, and she observed what she thought to be a woman dancing. She was so frightened she walked out to Horseshoe Meadow, leaving all her gear at Lewis Stringer. That morning she walked into the pack station and told the owner what happened and hired him to send a packer in to retrieve her gear. She has said she'll never go back.
In 2003, an Inyo NF trail crew was working in that area and was moved by a packer to Lewis Stringer. It would be their base camp for several days while they worked on the trail. Again, they did not know of the story of Lewis Stringer. Just after midnight, they were awakened by the sounds of a woman singing. Looking around they saw the ghostly figure of a woman dancing in front of the old fire pit. They were so startled they packed up and moved to a nearby location. The next day the packer located them and moved their supplies.
On October 26, 2003 three horsemen were about 3/4 of the way through a pack trip (I know one pretty well and I actually issued them their wilderness permit for this trip!) when they reached Lewis Stringer and decided to camp for the night. They unpacked their mules, removed the saddles, and put the animals to graze. They started dinner and were startled by noises coming from just below where the horses were grazing. They investigated but found nothing. Just about when they were about to turn in for the night, they heard splashing coming from the area of the creek. They got out their flashlights and investigated but again nothing was found. So they were crawling into bed when one shined his flashlight once more towards the creek and yelled, "Look at that! Look at that!" What John saw was two red glowing eyes. They were startled but thought that it was probably just a bear.
In the morning they were packing up and noticed a few items had disappeared during the night. But they packed up and headed out to the Jerkey trailhead and soon forgot about the strange incidences.
A few days later they were talking to a fellow packer out of Lone Pine and he told them the story of the ghost of Lewis Stringer.
During August of 2011 I was on a several day trip from Horseshoe Meadows above Lone Pine to Casa Vieja. On my third day out I came to a nice stream with a fair place to camp beside a fire pit. Checking my map I noticed it was named Lewis Stringer. I had never heard of it.
It was about dusk when I finished my meal and settled down in my sleeping bag. Almost immediately I started hearing strange noises nearby and they alarmed me. They were not the normal forest noises I am used to. Then I felt a “presence” right next to me and a cold chill went up and down my spine and filled my entire body. I sat upright in bed and yelled as loud as I could “Get out of here! Leave me alone!” I knew I was not alone at Lewis Stringer. As I write this the same chill returns to remind me of that evening. I had a fitful night’s sleep, hearing unusual noises all night and I left the area as soon as possible in the morning.
After hiking a few more days I exited the Golden Trout Wilderness at Blackrock trailhead. I stopped at Blackrock Station to tell the ranger about my trip. She was looking at my map where I had marked each nights camping site and when she came to Lewis Stringer she said “Oh, you stayed at the haunted camp”. My jaw dropped in surprise. So it was not my imagination! The ranger said she had heard a couple stories about the place. May I offer this challenge to anyone wanting an interesting experience? Go alone to Lewis Stringer and camp overnight. Tell us what you experience. [This last story complements of a backpacker in his eighties known as “Octogenarian Backpacker”]
This is the type of stuff I am interested in. Please share anything, even if it is simply a personal experience that has no “known” trend or history.
And I have great stuff from the northern part of the state, but not much from the Sierra. The following is an example of what I am after…it is information/stories/experiences from the Lewis Stringer camp:
Lewis Stringer is a campsite up on the Kern Plateau in the Golden Trout Wilderness, Inyo National Forest, CA. Sam Lewis ran sheep there in the late 1800's with his wife. Lewis Stringer was her favorite place on the Kern Plateau and for many years they spent each summer camped there. Around 1910 she died and Sam had her body cremated and the next spring he scattered her ashes at her beloved camping site.
Starting in the 1920's, people began reporting strange incidents that occurred at Lewis Stringer. Many people started to avoid that area. But then many years passed without any reported incidences. But evidentially the ghost is still out and about.
In 2001, a Wilderness Ranger, Bob Olen, and his wife Pat camped there. The next day, items in their camp had been rearranged from how they had left them the night before. Today Bob is the law enforcement ranger for the Inyo NF out of Lone Pine and he refuses to camp there now.
In 2004, four horsemen were camped at Lewis Stringer. Two went for a day ride and on coming back to camp one of their reins came loose. Both unsnapped from the bit and fell free. On inspection, nothing seemed wrong, and he snapped them back on, but thought it very odd that both unsnapped at the same time for no apparent reason. Later that night, all four saw a glow coming from an old fire pit and heard a woman talking in a soft voice. The next morning they found items arranged in a different place. That night all were awakened by noises and again the sound of a woman's voice. Again a red glow could be seen in the fire pit. The next few nights things began to disappear. They left soon after and all report they are wary to ever stay there again.
A lady veteran backpacker was passing through the area and decided to camp there. It was her first stay there and she knew nothing about the stories about the place. In the middle of the night she was awakened by strange noises, the red glow, and she observed what she thought to be a woman dancing. She was so frightened she walked out to Horseshoe Meadow, leaving all her gear at Lewis Stringer. That morning she walked into the pack station and told the owner what happened and hired him to send a packer in to retrieve her gear. She has said she'll never go back.
In 2003, an Inyo NF trail crew was working in that area and was moved by a packer to Lewis Stringer. It would be their base camp for several days while they worked on the trail. Again, they did not know of the story of Lewis Stringer. Just after midnight, they were awakened by the sounds of a woman singing. Looking around they saw the ghostly figure of a woman dancing in front of the old fire pit. They were so startled they packed up and moved to a nearby location. The next day the packer located them and moved their supplies.
On October 26, 2003 three horsemen were about 3/4 of the way through a pack trip (I know one pretty well and I actually issued them their wilderness permit for this trip!) when they reached Lewis Stringer and decided to camp for the night. They unpacked their mules, removed the saddles, and put the animals to graze. They started dinner and were startled by noises coming from just below where the horses were grazing. They investigated but found nothing. Just about when they were about to turn in for the night, they heard splashing coming from the area of the creek. They got out their flashlights and investigated but again nothing was found. So they were crawling into bed when one shined his flashlight once more towards the creek and yelled, "Look at that! Look at that!" What John saw was two red glowing eyes. They were startled but thought that it was probably just a bear.
In the morning they were packing up and noticed a few items had disappeared during the night. But they packed up and headed out to the Jerkey trailhead and soon forgot about the strange incidences.
A few days later they were talking to a fellow packer out of Lone Pine and he told them the story of the ghost of Lewis Stringer.
During August of 2011 I was on a several day trip from Horseshoe Meadows above Lone Pine to Casa Vieja. On my third day out I came to a nice stream with a fair place to camp beside a fire pit. Checking my map I noticed it was named Lewis Stringer. I had never heard of it.
It was about dusk when I finished my meal and settled down in my sleeping bag. Almost immediately I started hearing strange noises nearby and they alarmed me. They were not the normal forest noises I am used to. Then I felt a “presence” right next to me and a cold chill went up and down my spine and filled my entire body. I sat upright in bed and yelled as loud as I could “Get out of here! Leave me alone!” I knew I was not alone at Lewis Stringer. As I write this the same chill returns to remind me of that evening. I had a fitful night’s sleep, hearing unusual noises all night and I left the area as soon as possible in the morning.
After hiking a few more days I exited the Golden Trout Wilderness at Blackrock trailhead. I stopped at Blackrock Station to tell the ranger about my trip. She was looking at my map where I had marked each nights camping site and when she came to Lewis Stringer she said “Oh, you stayed at the haunted camp”. My jaw dropped in surprise. So it was not my imagination! The ranger said she had heard a couple stories about the place. May I offer this challenge to anyone wanting an interesting experience? Go alone to Lewis Stringer and camp overnight. Tell us what you experience. [This last story complements of a backpacker in his eighties known as “Octogenarian Backpacker”]
This is the type of stuff I am interested in. Please share anything, even if it is simply a personal experience that has no “known” trend or history.