Appalachian Wildmen

 

Extending for almost 2,000 miles from Newfoundland, Canada to Central Alabama, United States, the Apalachian Mountains are one of Nature's greatest beauties. They are a vast expanse of land that are home to many types of wild life, that wild life possibly also including Wildmen, also known as Feral People. 

According to the U.S Government, Feral People do not exist and do not live in or around the Apalachian Mountain range. But others who have hiked the Appalachian trail, which covers almost the entire mountain range, have a different story. Some people, including Forest Rangers, claim they have not only seen one of these Feral People, but have also been attacked by them! 

In 1989, a 22 year old woman named Eloise, claims she was stalked by someone or something on the Appalachian Trail going through South Carolina. 

Six months out of college, Eloise decided to take the hike along this part of the Apalachian Mountains to do "some thinking" about where she wanted to go with her life. However, while hiking, she claimed she became aware of another being watching her. 

While she never actually got a good look at whatever or whoever it was, she could hear them walking along through the trees around her. When she stopped, they stopped. When nightfall came and she was forced to set up camp for the night, she said she could hear someone walking around her campsite. One night, she said, this mysterious person came right up to her tent. 

As the days went on, Eloise became more and more paranoid that whoever was following her, would eventually show themselves and attack her. So she made a decision to go off of the trail and into the uncharted forests of the Appalachian Mountains. This would turn out to be a bad choice, because Eloise got lost. 

Since this was 1989, before Cellphones and GPS devices became readily available, people still relied on maps. Unfortunately, Eloise must have got her direction wrong, because when she headed off the trail, she thought she was headed for a road a few miles away. But instead, she was headed deeper in to the forests of the mountain range. 

Two weeks later, Eloise would be found by a hunter, propped up against a tree starring off into space. When the man spoke to her she took a while to come out of her daze. But when she came to, she began to panic and tried to fight the hunter. 

By time Eloise was found, a search party had already been out looking for her when her family reported her missing. That search lasted a week and when no signs of Eloise were found, the search was called off. When the hunter stumbled across Eloise, she had no gear with her. No supplies, no tent, nothing! 

Needless to say, the authorities didn't really buy her story about being stalked and put her fears down to irrational paranoia and the incident was not investigated further. 

However, to this day, Eloise still claims that during those two weeks she was indeed stalked by someone or something. On one of those days, she claimed that her stalker got so close to her she could hear them breathing. It was then she dropped her gear and supplies and ran. 

We can only be thankful that she was eventually found by the hunter. 

                 ____________________

In 1976, a park ranger in Maine, was finishing up his shift for the day and was heading back to his vehicle off the trail, when he caught sight of a man not far from where he was standing. 

The man was partially hidden by a tree but the ranger could still make out that this man had long messy hair, a long beard and was hardly wearing any clothes. 

When the ranger called out to the man, the man ducked behind a tree and then ran off. Wanting to investigate further, the Forest Ranger headed in the man's direction. He wanted to talk to the him to make sure everything was OK and that he wasn't lost. 

It was beginning to grow dark so the ranger, not wanting to go too far off the path, called out to the man again. This time he saw nothing of him or heard him. 

Being alone, the Ranger decided to head back to his vehicle to call back to his headquarters and let them know what he had seen. By now it was almost 9pm and the sun had set over the horizon leaving the sky in twilight. 

As the ranger headed off the trail to where his vehicle was parked, he heard nothing following him, nor did he see anything. 

As he stepped into the small parking lot that was a lot like many others built by the trail, he saw his vehicle and began making his way over to it. He was about 10 feet away when he heard rustling along the trees. Looking up, he could see nothing, as it was now almost dark. Grabbing his flashlight off his belt, he shone it in the direction of the trees and saw no one. Figuring it was probably a squirrel or a chipmunk, he continued his walk. 

Once inside the vehicle, he called back to his headquarters on his CB. He informed them what he had seen and was concerned a person may be lost. When he described the man, the person on the other line said, almost non-chalantly "oh, that was probably just one of those Wildmen..." 

Thinking at first his colleague was toying with him, he tried to get them to be serious. But he soon found out his colleague wasn't joking either. 

A couple of days later, this same Forest Ranger would return to this same area to investigate further and earlier in the day. This time it was his day off and this time he brought a friend. 

As they walked around the trees near the area where this 'Wildman' had been seen, the ranger and his friend headed deeper into the forest. 

Eventually, about a mile off the trail, they found something. A man made hut or tent that had been built around a few trees. And judging by the contents scattered around, the two friends quickly realized this was someone's home. They never saw anyone that day, but as they made their way back to the parking lot, the Ranger decided to keep an open mind to these Wildmen of the Appalachians. 

While this story is fascinating and the writer is not disputing any claims made by this ranger, one also has to note that this story sounds a lot like another, but that one having taken place in the Smokey Mountains. 

In 1973, a Ranger was making his rounds checking fishermen's licenses in the area when he came across an older man with a thick beard and hair fishing alongside one of the rivers that flows through the Smokey Mountains.

When he approached the man, asking to see his fishing license, the man became angry and pulled a pistol out from his jacket pocket. The ranger punched the man in the face but this failed to subdue him. The ranger made his way back to his vehicle to call for backup,  but the man he had encountered followed him. A large rock was thrown by this man and broke the window of the Ranger's Jeep. 

After that, this man became known as The Wildman of The Smokey Mountains. Eventually his identity became known, Arley Phillips. 

However, Arley was not technically a Wildman. He was a homeless man who had decided to make his home in the Smokey Mountains. Arley could talk and form sentences, and since he had a gun on him, he obviously made his way into nearby towns and knew how to interact with other people. 

                    _____________________

While Wildmen can and are disputed, one thing that is not disputed and proven to be fact, is Hermits. 

There have indeed been people, mainly men, who have decided to leave society and chosen instead to live off the grid. Not only in the Appalachians, but any heavily forested area. 

One such man was Christopher Thomas Knight, or better known as The North Pond Hermit. 

In 1986, for whatever reason, Knight decided he didn't like society anymore and headed into the forests of Maine, where he pitched a tent. Here he would live for the next 27 years. In that time he had absolutely No other human contact except for maybe a few hikers he passed and said Hi to. 

Knight became famous when he was caught breaking into a camp for disabled children in 2013. But before breaking into this camp, he had also broken into other cabins and cottages nearby where he stole food and other supplies. 

Authorities couldn't believe what they were hearing. Winters in Maine can get very cold and if one is exposed to the elements, survival is pretty slim. And yet, somehow, Knight managed to survive not only one winter, but 27 of them, in just a tent! 

Today, Knight is back to living in society in a small apartment, but still lives alone, and he still keeps to himself. 

So while Wildmen of the Appalachians may be just a myth, there are indeed Wildmen of a different kind. People who have chosen to leave society and live amongst nature. 

So if you ever happen to be hiking along the Appalachian Trail or any other mountain trail for that matter, and happen to come across someone like Christopher Knight or Arley Phillips, remember, they are there of their own choosing. They don't want or need your help to be brought back in to society. 

Just say hello, and then leave them be.