Stories involving animals along the Trail

Below are stories related to encounters with animals along the trail. If you would like to submit a story about the experiences you have witnessed as you, or someone else traveled the trail, send an email with the information to: trailtales@atmuseum.org

"Besieged By A Skunk" by Danie Martin "Mouse"

May 25, 2004 Saltlog Gap, Virginia

"I spent an interesting night with my legs tucked into my backpack for warmth and using my packcover as a blanket for the rest of me. I trust the fleas spent a hungry but comfortable night bundled up in my sleeping bag. Yesterday they had invited me to spend another night with them but I respectfully declined.
The next attraction was a thunderstorm at the unusual hour of 4:00 a.m. The wind was particularly strong and I found myself recalling first hand stories of near misses from falling limbs. I REALLY hoped nothing would fall from the trees above me.

Little did I know that the morning excitement was just beginning. As I lay contemplating a late start to let things dry out, I heard the scuffling of a small animal outside my tent. I had brought my food bag in when the rain started so I assumed it was a racoon and yelled "Get lost!" in a loud voice. To my horror, a black and white streak disappeared into the shadows. I had yelled at a skunk!

I was feeling relieved that it had left when back it came. It clamped it's teeth on the door zipper, grabbing hold of a hiking boot inside as well. I gently pulled the boot away and it let go of the fabric only to scratch away at the wall and try to burrow under the floor.

"Please go away" I pleaded, to no avail. Soon it was starting under the floor. I carefully used the boot to shove it gently out again but it tried again. Again and again the skunk tried to get in, from every side; getting underneath, chewing at the door, clambering up the wall and gazing at me through the mesh. Meanwhile I fended it off as best I could, but never too forcefully lest it decide to spray me.

It became clear that it was not after my food or my boots and did not care that I was there, it just wanted IN! It would keep it up as long as the tent was there, so during a lull in the action I started packing. At first I followed my usual neat orderly packing but when it returned to chew at the door zipper and would not let go for anything I just threw things in willy-nilly. When the skunk let go to run around and try its luck on the tent rear I snuck out the door and brought out my pack. I turned to pull the stake for the front awning and start taking the tent down when behind me I heard a scuffling of fabric.

"Oh no" I moaned, "Not inside!"

Not exactly. When I looked in I saw a skunk-sized mound in the floor. While it was exploring the basement I gingerly reached over the wriggling mound and plucked out the last few items. Then I cautiously removed my trekking poles holding the tent up. Taking no chances, I picked up everything I had so far and carried it a prudent distance away. Then I went back to pull the stakes and ever so cautiously pulled the tent off the skunk. At first it seemed about to grab a stake loop before it got out of reach and play tug-of-war. But it noticed the groundsheet and started worrying and burrowing at that while I took the tent to my pack and stuffed it into its sack. Finally I went back and got the groundsheet. Only then did the skunk give up and shuffle into the underbrush. Worried that it might return, I grabbed my pack and dashed, not even stopping to adjust the treking poles to the right length for walking until I was a quarter mile away.

How I escaped getting sprayed, I'll never know."

Danie Martin "Mouse" continued on and summited Katahdin September 27, 2004

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Copyright © 2004 Appalachian Trail Museum Society
Last Modified 01/19/05

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