Never underestimate your gut. It knows stuff before your brain’s cognitive processing is even awake.
See here- Gut Instincts: The secrets of your second brain.
For instance- Jake and I were hiking recently. On the backside of the wilderness park of course, where we are almost always alone aside from squirrels, bunnies, deer and that pesky mountain lion.
I had a funny feeling, or rather my gut had a funny feeling. Didn’t hear anything unusual, but still I stepped off the trail and took a look back from whence we’d come. Lo and behold there was a guy back there. Maybe a hundred yards behind me. He’d been quiet, a little too quiet. Creepy quiet.
When I stopped and looked back, he stopped. He sorta looked around, looked at his feet, looked everywhere but at me.
I sat Jake down and called out - “Go ahead. We don’t mind. Pass us.”
He sorta cleared his throat and said, “No, that’s okay.”
So I said, “No, go on. Go ahead of us.”
At which point he said, “Oh, I need a breather anyway. This is a good place to stop.”
And I thought, Bull shit. Like hell it’s a good place to stop. You’re on the edge of a cliff and you haven’t even hit the steepest section. You think I was born yesterday?
Either he was up to no good or he was terrified of Jake. But there was Jake, sitting at my feet, pretending he was Mr. Good Boy.
So I hiked on, and I hiked fast. Believe me, I had no choice but to climb my way out of the forest and reach the summit as quickly as possible and I had to follow the trail because it’s not like I was packing ropes and pitons. The great thing about Jake? Instead of hauling me up the trail he stayed behind me. He stayed between this man and me.
I kept glancing over my shoulder, and whenever I did the man stopped moving.
I once took a self-defense class. The instructor said, “If you think someone is following you, turn around and stare at them.” So I did that. I turned around and stared at him and I let Jake stare at him as well. Didn’t hurt that Jake is a big ol’ German shepherd.
I finally made it to the open pasture below the summit. The man was closer now and I decided to take a secondary trail to the top because it is visible from the summit whereas the trail I usually take is steep, slow-going and the lower section is not visible from the top. Not that there was anyone up there, but he couldn’t know that anymore than I could… Right?
Anyway, Jake and I hauled ass while the man behind us stopped as soon as he emerged from the woods. He stood next to the barbed wire fence and pretended to look out over the valley below. Yeah, right. He never did appear at the summit, therefore I assume he headed back into the woods to wait for an easier victim. Or maybe he just went home, I can’t be sure.
But I’ll say this- I’d never seen him before, and that’s significant because I know all the early morning regulars. After climbing up that trail, no way does a novice choose to hike back down. Too dangerous this time of year - slick like ice. The dry clay soil crumbles beneath your feet. It’s hard enough to make it up. In some places you’re practically on all fours. Any legit novice hiker huffs and puffs his way to the summit and is happy as a clam to take the main trail back to the parking lot.
When my gut speaks, I listen. I believe in my gut.
Just ask Leroy Jethro Gibbs.
Excellent, Julia. Scary but excellent. A good lesson for every parent, too. Teach your kids to “trust but verify.” No reason to live in fear, but one can be wary and confident and listen to that small voice saying, “watch out now.”
Yep. I was once in a ‘hold-up’ situation in a fast food place. When challenged, the men said it was just a joke and they took off. I felt silly, but my manager reported them. The cops that responded told us the same men went down the road a piece and hit a another burger joint. And killed two crew people. Always trust the gut.
Scary story, thank god for Jake.
Yes and no, Kat. I wasn’t as scared as I probably should have been. Because of Jake.
I’m so glad you weren’t hurt, Anny. I do think criminals tend to pick easier targets.
Totally Jaye - if your stomach says something is wrong, chances are something is wrong.
Jake might have been enough of a deterrent to that guy. That plus confronting him may have thrown him off his game. I hope he goes away.
I always take my tall can of pepper spray with me on remote hikes in hills, even if I have my dog with me.
I should carry pepper spray, Kat. I know it yet I don’t. I carry my car keys, my phone and my epipen. That’s all my pockets can hold. One hand holds a leash. I need the other hand free in case I fall. Speaking of carrying stuff — dropped my cell phone in a pile of cow manure the other day, then I tried to wash it off. I needed a new phone. Darn it!
I always listen to my gut too. I cannot think of a time when it was ever wrong.
You have good instincts and smarts. So glad you are safe.
I was once attacked by one of Columbus’s most notorious serial rapists. I fought him and his bandana was pulled off his face. He ran away. I was very lucky. He is now serving three consecutive life sentences.
Afterwards I thought about carrying pepper spray. Police told me it can sometimes be taken from you and used on you. Or if you spray at wrong time, the spray can be blown back on you. Police suggested a police whistle. Have carried one ever since. Not sure in the wilderness park it would have been heard.
That experience has changed the way II handle certain situations.
Oh my god, Roberta, how awful. I’m so glad he was caught. I know pepper spray can be used against the victim. This is one of the reasons I always have a German shepherd.
And yes, I always pay attention. Sometimes I see women hiking at this park and they’re wearing earbuds, listening to music or chatting on their cell phones. I always want to tell them to stop. Even if they don’t run into some bad dude there is a mountain lion out there.
Julia - I actually have my pepper spray attached to my dog leash so I never forget it. I started carrying it more because we were having trouble with loose dogs on our walks. Twice dogs rushed mine while we were walking. The pepper spray has a ring and it fits right on the top. I hope you reported what happened and I’m glad nothing bad came of it for you.
That’s a great idea, Malia. Might do that. Thanks.
Especially when we’re in the upper level of Red Rocks, hiking off the trail, we carry both pepper spray AND miniature fog horns. The horns are only about 3″ long but carry the blast of a horn at a crowded professional football game. The park police say the blasting sound will do more to turn away mountain lions and most bears than anything else. Plus, it can be heard by others for a very long distance.
Good boy, Jake! You’re the hero!
Wishing you the best with the family business, Julia.
Marylin - I would carry bear spray for sure in Colorado!
Good God! That was a hairy experience! I’m sitting here sweating just thinking about it. I’m so glad so glad you’re safe *big hugs to you and the brave boy Jake*
I know what you mean by gut instinct though. When I was about 15 or 16, I was walking down a quiet road in the middle of the day, on the way to the library to pick up some books. I saw this man heading down the opposite direction on the other side of the road. There was just something that didn’t feel right. Low and behold, he crossed the road and came up behind me.
Good thing it was raining slightly that day and I had the umbrella with me. I broke it on his head. His filthy paws never got near me. Once I recovered from the shock, I yelled some quite prolific abuse at him as I couldn’t quite bring myself to do the movie style ‘Help!’ I don’t who was more shocked by the language, him or me. Then some more people started coming down the road and he did a runner, shifty little git.
I got on with my day (still went to the library) and the rest of my life with that gut instinct always sitting on my shoulder. I’m the kinda of person who locks the doors the moment I get inside my car in a quiet car park at night (even in the hospital grounds) and locks the door the second I get inside the house. And I ask EVERYONE who comes to my front door for ID (glass door). Even the poor Jehovah witness dude got asked for ID last week!
In this day and age, it pays to be vigilant and suspicious. The last thing I want on my gravestone are the words ‘And here lies a naive dumbass…’
What AD? You don’t want to win a Darwin award??? Talk about scary stories! Glad you bopped him.