Mountain Men, what are they doing up there?

This happened about 5 years ago by George, Washington.

So me and my friends were at this 3 night stand DMB show out in George. This is where the Gorge Ampitheatre is at if this makes more sense.

We were camping (as others were) in this big campground exposed on both sides by pretty much nothing in sight and just wilderness etc. So we were doing what your average campers would be doing at night (ha!) and I was joking with my friend betting him he didn't have the "gusto" to climb this massive hill behind the campground by himself - flash his flashlight at the top so we knew he was all the way out there - then come back.

I am from Florida, so this looked more like a mountain to me, but it was just high elevation with sporadic trees, brush, all that stuff.

I think the total got to about $150 from the group. He was seriously going to do it. Then, as I know the sound of this is not highly probable, but me and my other friend turned our heads back to the hill.. Flashlight turns on halfway up this hill, flickers off, then on once more, then just totally dark.

I turned my head to say something, as soon as I opened my mouth my other friend said the same thing. I was going ballistic begging him not to go out there. He was pretty wasted, and it would have had to take at least 2-3 hours and probably was closer to 2AM than 11PM. He didn't end up going. But I didn't sleep more than 15 minutes that night as it was pretty eerie and I definitely thought I was going to get cut in my sleep, haha.

But after reading one thread on here it made me remember this incident.

After this happened that night, I was talking to these hippies the day after that were "selling" their way to the next show in Golden Gate Park. Hippies informed me that it was a well known fact that there are indeed "Mountain Men" (I thought I made that word up?) and they live out in the wilderness because they would just rather be out there?? I found this amusing, almost as amusing as the sight of these 2 hippies dragging a tank of nitrous around a campground.

My only guess is that this mountain man definitely liked to watch people from above and most likely had some sort of voice amplifier for either f'ing with people, or making sure he stays out of someone's way.

Has anyone ever ran into one of these guys? I am guessing there are all sorts of varieties of these people. From the mentally disturbed, outcasts, true nature people, people that don't see everything in the same light as others... Would I ever want to run into one? Well they would probably make sure they didn't run into me the more I think about it... if they wanted to come to you they would have (by cutting you in your sleep! )

reply to post by GreenBicMan


I met a mountain man when I was just a kid.. maybe 5 or 6. It was kind of a show and tell thing. I forget the reason why he was entirely there.

I think it was to tell us about his religious experiences, as it was a christian private school, and he told us about sitting in church for a long period of time on sundays (I think 6 hours)

I remember he was dressed weird. More like you'd expect a native american to look.. With leather pants but not like normal leather. more like brown leather its not smooth, rough at the surface and it tied at the sides.

I remember he had a really big beard, huge burly guy. I think he just told us he loved going up into mountains and being there.

Never encountered any of them in the wild though.

if you were shining your flash light in that direction they were probably letting you know that they were up there.

You have drunks shooting at night sometimes.

Or...

Totally coincidental, guys out there happen to turn on the light to find his toilet paper or something.

reply to post by Miraj


Do you think it was just set-up or was it a legit mountain man? Was he standoffish pretty much or..? I suppose there must be "regular people" compelled to be mountain men as well.

I am pretty interested in the dark side of these guys as some of them have to be ex-military people that kill for pleasure. That is my twisted idea at least, lol.

reply to post by xstealth


These are all possibilities. But the light definitely seemed more like communication than trying to find your bic that fell out of your pocket.

You'll find most mountain men live in small cabins/shacks without running water or electricity.

They want to be away from people, government, law and such.

I've ran across one way out in the middle of nowhere, he was gardening next to his shack.

I live in NW GA and can tell you that if you run into a 'mountian man' around these parts or in northern alabama, you would do yourself a favor and move along. Those in the woods have an agenda. Meth making, pot growing, or a moonshine still, all of which will get your ass shot if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time.

reply to post by GreenBicMan


He struck me as extremely old fashioned.. the kind you know "Dad said I had to be good in church or I got in trouble"

I think he was the real deal. My brothers ex also had a father that was a mountain man.. Although he didn't come off that type at all.

I'd say the guy I met in school was probably the real deal.

I lived in a place called cherryville in BC canada...we had an old guy that lived up sugar lake behind us....he would walk to town once a month and get roaring drunk at the bar...beating everyone he could get into a game of pool, then hed walk the thirty miles or so back to his piano crate up by the lake.
If you did chance to pick him up and give him a ride to town on one of his rare outings from the confines of the upper sugar valley,hed regal you with the most incoherent mutterings and mumblings all to do with the f999999ing queen and the cops and the crown prosecurtor, which of these he never identified but hed ramble on and on about them and the court and the queen till you let him out in front of the bar in town.
He nust have had a helluva good story but he was indecipherable....
and it was a half hour drive o town.....
He died out there one winter in his old packing crate...my friend rudy found him when he was snowmobiling some grub out to him....
frozeb stiff on the floor and half eaten by the cats he kept as pets that were locked in the small confines with him.
now that guy was a puzzle....
id of give a penny or two for the real story.

I lived in a place called cherryville in BC canada...we had an old guy that lived up sugar lake behind us....he would walk to town once a month and get roaring drunk at the bar...beating everyone he could get into a game of pool, then hed walk the thirty miles or so back to his piano crate up by the lake.
If you did chance to pick him up and give him a ride to town on one of his rare outings from the confines of the upper sugar valley,hed regal you with the most incoherent mutterings and mumblings all to do with the f999999ing queen and the cops and the crown prosecurtor, which of these he never identified but hed ramble on and on about them and the court and the queen till you let him out in front of the bar in town.
He nust have had a helluva good story but he was indecipherable....
and it was a half hour drive o town.....
He died out there one winter in his old packing crate...my friend rudy found him when he was snowmobiling some grub out to him....
frozeb stiff on the floor and half eaten by the cats he kept as pets that were locked in the small confines with him.
now that guy was a puzzle....
id of give a penny or two for the real story.

reply to post by space cadet


Yeah, I was guessing something along those lines as well. The first thing I was thinking about was trying to remain from this guy. I thought he was definitely toying with us.

reply to post by stirling


Damn, now that sounds like a real mountain man to me. I bet he got so crazy up there by himself, his cats. Yikes.

Everyone likes a good story. If I was in a bar I would check it out. Especially with a real mountain man.

How did your friend know this guy that well to hook him up with food and all that?

reply to post by GreenBicMan


Pacific NW does have a huge meth problem and a lot of the wilderness areas are used to hide meth labs. A friend told this story once about a run in with "hippies with guns" (Lol) when he got too far "off trail" and into the backwoods. Anyway, it's a thought...

ETA:
Hope the concert was fun!

[edit on 10-7-2010 by LadySkadi]

reply to post by LadySkadi


Yeah, it was pretty fun.

Could def. be drugs. What do you all think about these guys like preying on people in the campground at night? I mean they can totally scope you out with their binoculars and their voice amplifiers etc. Thank god for intoxicants because I would have never slept that night.

reply to post by GreenBicMan


Mountain people can be down right frightening - from the mountains myself, I used to have neighbors that would fire off gunshots over our house, shine lights in our windows, poison our animals and so forth.

I'm not sure what it is, maybe the elevation or the lack of breeding causes people like this to do things so strange.

- Fry

reply to post by GreenBicMan

What do you all think about these guys like preying on people in the campground at night?

Well, I don't know. I've never heard of any particular stories and there are plenty of hunters and wilderness professionals (search and rescue, guides, etc.) in family and as friends. I've heard a few possible "Bigfoot" type encounters, but nothing with crazy mtn. men. If you're picturing a Deliverance type scenario, I'd say if it has happened, it is extremely rare.

If there are real "mtn men" up there and I'm sure they are, they are there because they want to be away from people.

However, if you're encroaching on territory used for (meth labs, mj. growers, etc.) then you may have a problem. They probably won't mess with your mind though, they'd just shoot you.

Thank god for intoxicants because I would have never slept that night.

[edit on 10-7-2010 by LadySkadi]

reply to post by Fryaga


Oh man, that is my ideal mountain man. These guys are totally a different breed of people. You think they kill for pleasure?

I am thinking this too. Military rounds up these people for "testing". Releases them out in the boonies, then they see how long they can "last" after testing. Some just remain odd and lifeless. Some turn into these you are describing, and then some just freeze out on a mountain and die a lonely death.

I guess I can't forget about the drug cartel and the "stable" one the earlier poster said he met.

Well sorry folks.Mountain man here..
no..I don't have a lab..I don't grow dope.
I sure doesn't poison any lifeform, (unlike our governments lol)
But I sure can take a strong stand.
But all men are created under the rule of law, We understand as aqual.
Some may choose to abuse that..and that is a problem,
Me ...on the other hand.
Choose to live in harmony with life..

All I ask in return is the same life giving considerations.
Whether it be..respect...peace..access to (really clean water)
a little bit of land to cherish, not destroy.

Some do choose to usurp powers,
But do be careful..that is not All.

In Love and light

reply to post by silverfox6


SilverFox, how much mountain man street cred. do you really have with a computer at hand with internet connection? I suppose you have DirecTV too?

lol...credentials..55 miles from home...and relaxing.
Longing for a no-chemtrail sunset
Listening to the spring bubbling.yet..wondering how much aluminum has been dumped today..
It's been a busy sprayin' day here.
last minute shoppin..

Love and light