UKC

My dad worked down the pit. He cycled seven miles to work every day. Seven miles back. For years. His route to work took him over some fields on a path. Depending on which shift, he would often cycle that path at night. Year after year. Then one night something was waiting for him on the path. It was large and shone with a ghostly translucence. The hairs on his neck stood up. Primeval fear gripped him and he couldn't move. But being my dad he garnered his courage and walked through the darkness towards the ghoul waiting for him. It turned out to be a gate post which had just been painted white for some reason the day before. A newly erected spotlight at the pit shone off the gate post creating a ghostly apparition. He was my dad and he was brave.

 I tell the story because when out for a run today a huge horned sheep was sitting right on top of a hedge waiting to pounce on me as I ran past. It didn't make sense. The hairs on my neck stood up. But thinking of my dad I bravely ran  past it. It turned out to be a Give Way sign that was distorted and bent. From a distance it looked just like a sabre toothed tup. If only I had carried a phone with a camera I could have frightened you all.

I remember walking on Mendip at night and suddenly seeing hundreds of eyes shining in my torch light and running right at me. Some prehistoric part of my brain crapped itself and immediately started screaming “WOLVES!!!” 

I just froze as it turns out a lifetime living in Somerset hadn’t given me the requisite experience to know how best to evade a pack of hungry wolves.

I was still physically shaking about 10 minutes after the sheep had got bored and buggered off. 

Optical illusions in the dark...

Once upon a time, in the middle of the night, in the wilds around the Elan valley, I stopped and stared, and looked at the map.  And stared some more, and looked at the map. And wondered where that immense lake was on the map that was very definitely not the reservoir.  And if it wasn't the reservoir and it wasn't on the map, where on earth was I?  In the absence of a better idea, I walked towards it some more, at which point a bird took off from it and it resolved itself into a small llyn about 15m across just in front of me.  I was very , very tired at the time.....

I run through Ecclesall Woods at night (i did it tonight). I don't use torches just moonlight (it was bright tonight). Every shadow was 'Bella emerging from  the Wych Elm' to get me. Every rustle in the bushes was a terror waiting to pounce (or foxes and badgers coming out). I love the thrill of it.

On one of these runs late last year, deep in the woods, i approached a clearing with a steam, all lit by moonlight. As i approached a bridge across this stream i saw a huge owl bathing. Incredible. It turned to look at me then spread its wings and took off. 

You could have frightened us all, for sure.... but you'd never have frightened our dads. For they were our dads, and they were brave.

I logged in because of an interest in Covid, but I found something much better. I really loved the way you told your story Slackboot: I salute you, but most of all, I salute your dad.

I was fishing late into the night on the river Dove a few years ago when the fog came down. The streetlights behind me light up the surrounding fields. Every now and again I glanced round and could see someone watching me. I'd look back and they'd be gone. Eventually I had to pack up and walk back to the car. The person was still there. I'd have to walk past them to get to the car. I gathered all my kit and set off. I got to where the person had been standing and it was the Lifebouy holder. 

Many years ago (40+) I was soloing (what I thought at the time was) lots of easy routes at Stanage - 2 day trip hitching there and back and kipping in Robin Hood's cave overnight. Either I didn't have a torch with me or the batteries had gone - can't remember, so it's dark and I'm alone in the cave and there is nobody else about. So I'm trying to get to sleep.

"rustle" - what's that? "rustle again" - is there an animal with me in the cave - mouse??? RAT!!!

So I strike a match - nothing visible - settle down again

"rustle" - it's still there!!! wtf is it? - strike another match - nothing - try and settle down again

"rustle" - try and ignore, "rustle" - can't, wtf is it?

So I creep over lighting the occasional match - haven't got that many - and eventually discover...

...a tightly multiply folded crisp packet slowly unfolding

I was walking the last few km of a 100km route almost 24 hours in. I stopped my friend and pointed down to the floor next to a seafront shelter and said “What should we do about this pigeon, should we help it?” as it was flapping around helplessly looking like it was dying. My friend looked bewildered and asked what I was talking about, I looked back down and it was just a piece of fabric blowing in the wind. 

Was a passenger in a car in a dark, rainy night when we turned into a street the driver had never been down before.  

Suddenly, he slammed on the brakes, screamed and ducked down behind the wheel for no reason I could see.

When we came to a rapid halt, he peered over the wheel and whispered "I thought it was a big wall".

We had turned into a narrow cobbled street.  He'd mistaken the cobbles on the road for a vertical wall right in front of the car.

My distance vision is pretty bad so I often get stuff like this when there is a bin next to a lamppost or similar.

I was about 70km into a one day route. Tired and hungry, but feeling good. It was bright so I didn't have my head torch on. Then out of the corner of my eye, I saw a vampire pulling his cloak up across his face. Just for a brief second. I looked again and couldn't see him. Instead there was a wire fence. You know how they have supports at 45 degrees, on some posts. This one was a post with two supports, a bit like a cnd sign. I was certain it had moved. To take my mind of spooky things, I started humming tunes. The ear worm I had was Ghost Town, by the Specials. It was like Father Ted. The only other cheerful tune I could think of was Girlfriend in a Coma, by the Smiths. In hindsight, I could have spent 30 seconds, getting my headphones and plugging into my phone. But when you're on a mission to get it done, these things are not that obvious.

I thank you for your kind words on behalf of myself and my dad. It is my intention to try and take a photo of the sign in question and frighten everyone here. But I'm just beginning to  wonder whether my very bad eyesight combined with two cataracts might have some bearing on what I saw.

Walking the dog without a head torch I stopped, crouched down and watched an owl pruning it’s wings under a hedge for 10mins. 

It was a deflated foil balloon blowing in the wind.

Nice, made me LOL : )

After about 30 hours of a big walking circuit we were descending beside a tumbling stream. I was glad to see a small group canyoning and watched their antics for a while to take my mind off the tiredness. It was only when I glanced at my watch that I saw it was 4am and realised it was much too early for the canyoners. They promptly disappeared. Ah well, obviously a tired mind playing tricks in the dark. Fortunately we soon came to our last support stop. In the distance I could see my old mate Pete and his friend Helen. I waved and they replied. When we arrived Pete served up the hot tea. "Where did Helen get to?" I asked. "Oh, she didn't fancy it. She's back at the cottage asleep."

I bumped into this figure in the middle of the night running through the Swiss Alps (ultra trail race): https://photos.google.com/u/0/album/AF1QipOC0qktHa6J4WsnA1awO40vcFVyJXDaRco...

Those running shorts never recovered.

In a weird inversion of this phenomenum we were walking through some pine woods a few weeks ago. Ahead, about 100-150m away was a couple with a Husky. I said to Mrs D, 'imagine if we were in Canada and saw that, minus the people, It'd would be a wolf and we'd be really scared'.

We caught up with them, and saw it wasn't a Husky. It was a Wolf-Saarloo cross, and it looked more like a wolf than a Husky ever could. The response of anxiety was definately primal, until it became almost immediately apparent that this dog was soft as grease. Even so our JR, (who thinks he's Scrappy Doo with bigger dogs) was mighty pleased to move on.

I was once at Longshaw Estate and came across a huge dog which i think the owner said was part Sarloo, but it was huge - the size of a small pony!

I was a bit anxious because if this thing kicked off then there is no way the owners would have been strong enough to control it. But i decided to reach out and stroke it. 

As i was stroking it i thought i heard the rumble of V8 engine in the distance and then i realised the sub-sonic rumble was coming from Mr ChewYourFaceOff. It was terrifying. I don't think he was threatening me, just letting me know who was boss. I promptly withdrew my hand and carried on my way.

It's amazing how background details on a familiar route become ingrained in some corner of the brain. If a tree is loped, or a building knocked down, or similar, on my commute I'm really aware of it as I pass, even if it's not something I've consciously payed attention to, or actually needed to. I suppose that helps trigger concerns about surprise beasties when conditions are favourable

Mate, you need to lay off the mushrooms.