Strange encounters on the trails

[Flow-Rider]

I've had 2 strange encounters in the last month at remote locations of a park. First one I approached a guy on an open fire road from the opposite direction dressed in full camo army gear, boots, belts, and a large backpack, as I went past I said "hi" but he refused to make any eye contact as if he was planning to do something at random, just kept on walking ahead without even flinching like I was a ghost.

The second encounter, I was pushing up a steep hill and noticed there was some lantana encroaching on the trail, so I decided to stop and pull it out of the ground, to my surprise I hear footsteps on dead leaves walking away from me but couldn't see who it was. Never thought I would say this but with all the strange things that are going on in the world, I might start carrying a weapon of some type when I'm out riding alone.

Anyone else come across strange people or things on the trails that have made them feel threatened or uncomfortable, what are other people's experiences and thoughts, I would love to hear them.

 

[Tubbsy]

We have this thread which is kind of similar, should we carry on where it left off or is this a new topic?

Whats the funniest thing you have found on a trail?

What wildlife, dangerous or random thing you have found whilst riding along trails? Yesterday Lleyt0n and i were riding along the commuter path when we both nearly ran over a duckling:eek:. Lleyt0n scooped up the duckling and handed it to a local who would take care of it!:D about 2...

www.rotorburn.com

 

[moorey]

Rode up the mount about a month ago, as I regularly do, up the top, pitch dark, no car or anything to get him up there, a dude all in black standing dead still without any lights as my beam hits him. Startled, I just say ‘hey’. He watches me as I ride past, doesn’t say a word.
I usually do 3 repeats of the climb. Didn’t go back that night.

 

[moorey]

We have this thread which is kind of similar, should we carry on where it left off or is this a new topic?

Whats the funniest thing you have found on a trail?

What wildlife, dangerous or random thing you have found whilst riding along trails? Yesterday Lleyt0n and i were riding along the commuter path when we both nearly ran over a duckling:eek:. Lleyt0n scooped up the duckling and handed it to a local who would take care of it!:D about 2...

www.rotorburn.com

Put it in the LTIL thread with all the camera talk.

 

[Tubbsy]

Camera talk goes in the pets thread, duh

 

[Flow-Rider]

We have this thread which is kind of similar, should we carry on where it left off or is this a new topic?

Whats the funniest thing you have found on a trail?

What wildlife, dangerous or random thing you have found whilst riding along trails? Yesterday Lleyt0n and i were riding along the commuter path when we both nearly ran over a duckling:eek:. Lleyt0n scooped up the duckling and handed it to a local who would take care of it!:D about 2...

www.rotorburn.com

Yeah, if you like, thought there was an old thread with a similar heading but couldn't find it for the life of me.

 

[Tubbsy]

Yeah, if you like, thought there was an old thread with a similar heading but couldn't find it for the life of me.

I feel like there was another more recent one but couldn't find it, but there was a cracker of a thread on mtbr back in the day on this topic, so it's definitely worth reviving. Maybe we should go with a fresh start since it's been a while.

 

[Mattyp]

One time I was out on the trail like any other day...
All of a sudden.... Boom! A Rescue Greyhound named Daisy..

 

[Halo1]

Early morning ride on my local at first light. I came across a tent about 2m from the trail. A hobo looking woman was sitting out side of it on a milk crate. She had long hair that was covering her face as she looked to the ground. She did not move or respond as I rode pst and said “Hey”. It was like a scene from a horror movie.

 

[clockworked]

I've had 2 strange encounters in the last month at remote locations of a park. First one I approached a guy on an open fire road from the opposite direction dressed in full camo army gear, boots, belts, and a large backpack, as I went past I said "hi" but he refused to make any eye contact as if he was planning to do something at random, just kept on walking ahead without even flinching like I was a ghost.

The second encounter, I was pushing up a steep hill and noticed there was some lantana encroaching on the trail, so I decided to stop and pull it out of the ground, to my surprise I hear footsteps on dead leaves walking away from me but couldn't see who it was. Never thought I would say this but with all the strange things that are going on in the world, I might start carrying a weapon of some type when I'm out riding alone.

Anyone else come across strange people or things on the trails that have made them feel threatened or uncomfortable, what are other people's experiences and thoughts, I would love to hear them.

The camo guy was probably full time army jn brisbane. That weight loaded march makes up a large part of promotion and selection courses. He was probably training and well into the hurt locker. In 2017ish there was a very strong directive to never train off-base in uniform, but standards may have slipped again

 

[Jpez]

I passed a surly looking Xc guy in Lycra that didn’t respond to my “Hey” one day.
That really freaked me out. I never went back to that spot again.

 

[PJO]

Maybe we should go with a fresh start since it's been a while.

So what's the off-topic sub thread going to be?
The great philosophers?
Why women go to the bathroom in groups?
The migration of the wildebeest?
The time you broke your favourite hammer?
The possibilities...
I'm waiting with baited breath to see what develops.

 

[shiny]

Night ride a few years ago, uphill heard a rustle on the side and turned my head and a bloke just sitting in the dark with a dog, no lights, just stared at me as I light him up with lights, pedaled faster.

Same area a few months later, stopped for a breather at the top. Trail pops out on a road then you drop back into a down track on the other side. Bloke walks out from the dark into the bush, luckily from where I came up, no torch just fast walking into pitch black.

Also a late evening ride some years back, daylight savings so plenty of light, popped out of trail and came round a corner to find a bloke and a girl dry humping against a gate. Um, evening, they stopped then ran off in opposite directions

 

[cammas]

I’ve had a couple weird ones where I think I see someone standing there then look again and no one there.
A really weird one was doing a mid week ride during the day at the Gisborne trails. So no one around trails to myself and then I get someone breathing heavy into my ear, scared the crap out of me so much so I turn around to see if someone had popped out of somewhere, nope no one around pedalled rather quickly after that.

 

[caad9]

I am local to Mount Dandenong/Silvan so majority of my riding is in there.
Large portion of the area is national park.

I've seen plenty of hobo camps, often in some very unusual spots throughout the park.
Last year during lockdown I found a serious set up about 50m up a steep hill from a main road and bus stop. Poor bugger must have been battling and camping out whilst using the bus. The setup he had going was more than a 1-2 night deal.

There's also another guy locally who has decided to take over an abandoned public tennis court, he's rewired the fencing and put BIG locks on the gates. You won't get in there without him knowing and he's got giant trespassers will be shot signs. There's a real Mad Max vibe about him and he even gets around on a 4 wheel motorbike. Only way I knew he was there is I saw smoke in an unusual spot and went to investigate - I backed out pretty quick. Again, this is just off a very busy road and in the edge of suburbia

 

[Jpez]

A section of the Yarra trails is well known to be a male beat/ meet up place. When I started riding them I first saw underpants hanging from tress and then one day a guy looking very out of place. Very obviously not a walker just standing there and staring at me as I went past.
Was only later I was told it was a beat.

 

[Dales Cannon]

The camo guy was probably full time army jn brisbane. That weight loaded march makes up a large part of promotion and selection courses. He was probably training and well into the hurt locker. In 2017ish there was a very strong directive to never train off-base in uniform, but standards may have slipped again

I have met these guys up through Nebo and they will all give you a nod. Mostly it is horsey people and they are happy to say hello but I have had some early morning rides where it just seems weird then you catch a glimpse of someone hiding in the scrub. Quite unnerving to be honest.

 

[SlowManiac]

Wasn't on a trail but was on a bike...
Was leaving my house very early (like 4am) on the roadie. Pull up to a traffic light and a young lady, completely naked from the waist down, runs across the road. Asked her if she was OK - she sort of laughed and kept running.
No idea what was going on

 

[Jpez]

Wasn't on a trail but was on a bike...
Was leaving my house very early (like 4am) on the roadie. Pull up to a traffic light and a young lady, completely naked from the waist down, runs across the road. Asked her if she was OK - she sort of laughed and kept running.
No idea what was going on

That reminds me when I was about 15 living in Upwey which back then at least had a large population of freaks and antisocial types.
Im riding down the road and this woman comes running up to me crying and obviously been beaten. Told me she was a working girl and she’d gone to this job where this guy had proceeded to lock her in and beat her among other things.
she’d managed to escape when he finally fell asleep and his speed wore off.
No mobile phones in those days so I helped her get to the police station where she wanted to go.

 

[Beaker74]

but standards may have slipped again

They haven’t. He shouldn’t be in uniform.