Spooky Sea Tale
I was looking through some old photos recently and came across one that I thought would be appropriate to share over the Halloween holiday. The photo itself isn’t that remarkable, but the story, I think, is worth the telling.
A few years ago I was on a solo paddle in the Haida Gwaii Islands. I had been on the water for about a week and found myself pinned down with heavy weather. Unable to continue up the channel I was following, I decided to back track to an old hunters camp of some sort I had seen in a small protective cove. As the camp was elevated on a high beach, from the water all I could see was the roof which had seemed in good shape; that and a pile of split cedar. Seem like a perfect place to hole up and wait out the weather.
Old logging camp, Renner Pass, BC. (Photograph by Steve Weileman)
I love nothing more then exploring through some old abandoned building, and more then once I’ve lost track of time doing so. That being the case, I told myself not to be distracted by the site until I had set up camp and got everything squared away. However, as I was ferrying gear up the beach to a suitable site, I kept stealing glances at the camp and it didn’t take long before I found myself unsettled by the whole place. I’m not sure what it was, perhaps all the debris scattered, or maybe the smell of diesel fuel, but whatever it was, but the time I had camp ready, the hairs on the back of my neck were standing up.
From the water the camp looked in good repair. (Photograph by Steve Weileman)
I walked through the discarded trash over the porch and could see that the place had been heavily vandalized, both by people and the weather. I walked into the front room to everything was written on with graffiti and most everything broken or heavily weathered. On the wall behind I found written on the wall, “If you stay the night don’t fall asleep!!! The’ll [sic] come for you and they’ll take you away”. Silly really, but man did the goose bumps grow!
Unsettling message left on wall. (Photograph by Steve Weileman)
It didn’t help that while walking around the old camp I found a Hangmen’s Noose in the trees! What was next, a stickmen from “The Blair Witch Project”?
The whole time I was in the islands, I never really had use for my headlamp. Being located so far North darkness came at a really late hour, and being exhausted from paddling all day, I was in my bag long before darkness. That night was the exception. I just couldn’t shaken the weird feeling of the place to relax enough to fall asleep. Finally exhaustion over took me and I crawled deep into my bag.
Just as I was about to drift off, I realized two things that were unsettling. One, that I didn’t hear any Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). There had yet to be a night when they weren’t loudly crying to each other. The other that there now was no wind what so ever in the trees. As a matter of fact, it was unusually quiet and incredibly dark. Not only couldn’t I see the camp which was approximately 20 yards distant but I could see the walls of my tent.
And that’s when I heard the cabinet door hinges for inside the camp give out this incredibly loud and prolonged squeaking noise as the door either swung open or closed! I told myself it was just the wind rustling through the house that caused the noise, but that comfort didn’t last long as I realized that couldn’t be the explanation; there was no wind! I lay frozen in my bag waiting for the sound of heavy footsteps coming across the porch…that’s how it always happens in the movies after all.
Some of the debris left around the camp. (Photograph by Steve Weileman)
Minutes passed by with nothing else happening and I finally found myself drifting off, but the night wasn’t down with me yet. Just as I slipped asleep something on the cliff behind me let loose and came crashing down the slope snapping branches before landing with a thud on the floor! Talk about things going bump in the night! Sleep was out of the question.
Needless to say I was up at first light packing the boat and on the water before the sun came over the horizon. On my chart I marked and bay with a large X and the title, “Bates Hotel”.
Have a safe Halloween everyone.
