17 Horrifying True Stories That Happened To Real Campers (That Will Make You Never Go Outside Again)

14. Stalked by a big cat

“So many scary times.

Crouching in a ditch in the Tetons, on the balls of my feet, with my hands over my ears, while lightning struck all around me.

Being stalked by a big cat in the Wasatch mountains above Salt Lake City. Saw him jump out of a tree and noiselessly vanish.

Encountering a black bear on a mountain bike trail in Idaho. Encountering a moose on a mountain bike trail in Idaho. Encountering a herd of elk on a mountain bike trail in Idaho. Encountering rattlesnakes on mountain bike trails in Idaho, Oregon, and Utah.

Kayaking on the Green River in Utah in a storm with 50+ mph winds. Swimming for my life on the Deadwood river in Idaho when I couldn’t roll back up.

Being awakened in my tent in Colorado as a torrential downpour was causing slides. I could hear the “clock! clock!” sound of large rocks banging into each other. That one was really awful. I was by myself, just shaking with fear in the dark.”

15. Surrounded by rock slides

“Hiking up around Thunderbolt Peak with my dad (he’s exceptionally experienced hiker) and we get to the meadows up there and dump our gear in one of the only camping areas. We then crossed the stream and went up into the boulder fields and it was really nice out, not a cloud around. We then make our way up to the base of the Pallisades glacier–that’s a hike. Walking across the permanent ice with streams running under it is no joke. We basically free climbed out way there since we had no ropes or any other gear. We made it to the last valley with the glacier and then the rock slides started. Minor rock slides all over. Then, we look up, and a snow & hail storm just started coming over the peaks (gawd it was beautiful). Well, fuck. That’s how people die–Rock slides in a snow storm. We hightailed it back to our gear as fast as possible. I was sure I was going to die in the icy wind. But, we made it back to that upper meadow and by then it was too stormy to hike down to a lower meadow so we stayed there. I basically slept in a pile of hail at 11k feet. I lived!”

Holly is the author of Severe(d): A Creepy Poetry Collection.

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