So, I went to a State Park the other day to go for a walk. I'm not really too familiar with it, so I was basically kind of just wandering around and following the paths of packed down snow and footprints when I came to a cross-roads of trails. I crossed over a narrow bridge, and before me was an open area. I could turn left (which I now know would have taken me way out of the way), go straight but bear left (which I now know leads nowhere in the winter), or I could go straight and bear right (which I did). So being a righty I instinctively thought the one on the right looked cooler, and walked across the field thing to get to the bridge leading to the path.
I start walking the hill and not even half-way up I notice that the path is going from packed down snow to straight up ice, but I figured I could have some fun on my way back down, so I kept to the sides where the snow was still making traction and walked until a down tree prevented me from going and farther. I really didn't want to stop there, so I looked around for signs of another trail, and whaddaya know? There's a downhil side path that looks like it leads to a pretty cool spot, so I take it.
It lead to a nice little clearing (literally there was a circle of dried leaves that looked as if no snow had touched them yet) and it was right at the water's edge. I sat on some rocks, tried to go out on the water (ice wasn't that hard yet) and noticed some kid wrote his name in pee, very girly handwriting I might add (yea, I probably don't wanna know). And then I saw a large, pentagonal, seemingly fresh (I'm no expert) paw print and decided I should probably leave.
I started back up to the main trail, when I saw some feathers in the snow. They were pretty, some a dark grey with white spots and some were white with horizontal black stripes at the tips. I bent down to get a closer look, and maybe take some feathers home with me, when I realized this wasn't just some bird's fallen out feathers, but it was a death-zone. A tiny foot poked up out from under the snow, and a rotted little half of a bird skull lay next to my hand. I instantly felt sick. I was just playing with a dead thing, basically and it was really effing gross, and I felt like I was discrasing it. Mind you, this bird had been dead for quite some time, and there were no organs to be seen. All that was left of this little guy was a head, some feathers and a tiny frozen foot.
I immediately got up and started quickly to the main trail. I started walking down and was getting ready to try to slide all the way down, when, maybe 35-45 feet from the side trail, I noticed some blood. Definately fresh blood, as it definately wasn't there before. Ho-lee shit. I bent down to see if maybe, possibly it could just have been fruit punch or something, but, no. It was blood. So, I bent down to further inspect and there were chunks of coarse, and I mean COARSE, shortish white hair all over. I picked up a hair trying to see what kind of animal it was. Me being niave, I'm thinking "Oh, poor animal, must have gotten hurt on some ice or a frozen branch or something... maybe I can find it and help it!" I start trying to follow the bloody trail when, I guess I got too close or something... and I heard the creepies, spine-tinglyest growl I have ever heard in my life. Oh, and guess what was in the blood besieds the fur? Those really big paw prints I mentioned earlier.
My eyes widened, my heart pounded, my movements became spastic in fear, and a crow flew over my head cawing his ass for a few seconds. I started to run but, shit! This path is all ice!! I tried to run on the sides the same way I walked up, but there were lots of tree branches and tops in the way from a previous ice storm that sent most plant-life into suicide mode. I was easy prey. I knew it. I was scared.
Well, obviously I made it out alive. I emerged from the path unscathed and just a smidge shaken. As I walked out an elderly woman was walking in. I pulled my sunglasses to the top of my head and said "Hi, um, I think I just heard an animal in there, so be careful" She looked at me and my aparent two extra heads and said "..O...Ok.." and I replied with "No, really, I heard growling, just watch out." "OK, .. thanks.." and I left.
GOD, WHY DO I HAVE TO FIND THE TRAIL OF DEATH MY FIRST TIME EVER EXPLORING A NEW TRAIL BY MYSELF??? HUH??
I came back and told my dad who said It could have been a cougar or a mountain lion or something, and then said "I never see anything like that :("
*sigh*
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