An encounter with an
'Infernal Fellow'
on the Appalachian Trail
An encounter with an
'Infernal Fellow'
on the Appalachian Trail
Harpers Ferry, WV June, '09
I had just spent the night sleeping on the beautiful shaded lawn that surrounds the infamous Harper's Ferry arsenal and after packing up my sleeping bag I was about to head off and pick up the trail as it crossed the Potomac on a beautiful bridge but before I left I noticed that three U.S. Park service personnel were standing around something on the lawn that was making them all skittish and so I looked to see what it was and it was a shiny black snake.
It was darting to and fro and was just as skittish as they were. I watched for a few minutes because I thought it to be cutely entertaining when it suddenly dawned on me that this was a harbinger of supernatural things to come while on the trail. And my inclination soon proved to be correct!
Because sure enough after crossing the bridge and continuing along the trail that separated the old C&O Canal and the wild and spring thaw raging Potomac River . . .
I read in a history book a few years ago that a fellow from Virginia back in the 1700's and his native American friend were heading back to the piedmont with their tails between their legs after a disastrous land surveying trip to what is now the 14th street bridge in Pittsburg when they built a raft out of some trees and rafted unscathed down that same raging river. If you believe that story you're nuts . . .
I noticed that about only twenty yards ahead a fellow had just suddenly appeared out of thin air - a lone 'down and out' twenty something male with 'greasy fingers smearing shabby clothes' (and dressed in Confederate drab gray to be honest) who had just appeared suddenly out of thin air on the side of the tow path. He was standing on the side farthest from the river and he was a holding a twelve pack of warm cheap beer. And just as I approached to within ear shot an amazing sweet feeling suddenly entered into me from above (Holy Spirit?) and it put a smile on my face that was so infectious it could have deflected Baelzebub himself. And this was a good thing because just as I passed the fellow he pulled out one of the warm beers and with a weird smile on his face he extended it to me while saying -
'Hey you want to drink some beer?'
(something wrong with this picture)
But my new found energy was more powerful than his and with my new found smile, and much to his dismay, I just said -
'No thanks I'm good.'
His intentions had been thwarted and he knew it - and his facial expression admitted it! I continued on and after another 20 seconds or so I looked back and yep, you guessed it, he was gone. Right into thin air.
RIGHT FROM HELL !!!
(they can do that too)
Close one.