Just wanted some of you veterans to share with us novices the best/ riskiest stealth camping adventures you’ve had on the AT; i.e. remaining unnoticed 20 ft away from a redneck bent on remaking Deliverance, or just disaapearing off trail for a while in order to ditch an annoying companion who’s decided to tag along for 2,000 miles with you.
What’s your best stealth story?
Stealth Camping Stories
When camping alone, never camp near a road, especially if it is a weekend. That’s just asking for trouble.
You may be looking for dangerous stealth stories, which I don’t have. But here’s a story from my CDT journal from what was the best night I’ve ever spent alone on the trail:
"I have a nice camp spot. I think these are juniper trees I’m camped in. Since the western sky looks like rain again, I chose my campsite carefully. I’m sort of in a den of trees. Should have some protection from the rain and wind. It’s really pretty here. I’m sort of up on a plateau, near the edge of a deep canyon. My plateau is dotted with juniper trees. A very lovely place.
I’m a very lucky girl. I layed here in my tent for who knows how long, watching the lunar eclipse. Seriously, I’m lucky. I’m up here all alone. The stars are out. Not a sound. No people, no animals, no birds. Just me and the moon.
Millions of people sat in their living rooms or at some bar tonight and watched the eclipse on TV while the World Series game was on. I got to lay in my tent at 7500 feet on the Continental Divide Trail and watch the eclipse with abslutely no distraction.
Dude, seriously, who wouldn’t wanna be me??? "
— and that’s my stealth story.
yogi
yogi
The five of us had just emerged from crossing Wolf Creek 12 times when we met Murry Ann Ziegenfoss on VA 615, and she agree to give us a ride into Bland to the Dairy Queen. She left us there and her husband George arrived at the DQ to take us back to the Trail. He warned us not to camp along the dirt road because it was a party spot on the weekends with locals drinking and shooting guns at targets.
He recommended a spot about .2 miles north of the road.
It was about 8:45 P.M. when we saw a light coming through the dark along the Trail toward our camp site. We were all ready for trouble from the locals. Instead someone from behind the light said “I thought you guys might like some dessert”. He brought us a large thermos of coffee and warm brownies! If you are going to stealth camp, be sure the Trail Angels know your location!
Lobo
The five of us had just emerged from crossing Wolf Creek 12 times when we met Murry Ann Ziegenfoss on VA 615, and she agree to give us a ride into Bland to the Dairy Queen. She left us there and her husband George arrived at the DQ to take us back to the Trail. He warned us not to camp along the dirt road because it was a party spot on the weekends with locals drinking and shooting guns at targets.
He recommended a spot about .2 miles north of the road.
It was about 8:45 P.M. when we saw a light coming through the dark along the Trail toward our camp site. We were all ready for trouble from the locals. Instead someone from behind the light said “I thought you guys might like some dessert”. He brought us a large thermos of coffee and warm brownies! If you are going to stealth camp, be sure the Trail Angels know your location!
Lobo
I once stealth camped next to the M25 (Britains busiest highway). My site also happened to be 1 mile away from the local menatl institution. They had an old second world war siren to warn locals of escapee’s. Guess what, it went off the night I was out there. To cut a long story short, I was awake all night and jumpier than a mexican bean.
Cheers
Cheers
