I would love to hear if any other truckers have ever noticed a weird sort of spooky occurrence that has happened to me three times!
It was a curvy piece of US395 in west California around Walker/Devils Gate area. The first time it happened was about 25 years ago.
The first time it fascinated and confounded me. The second time I was stunned in disbelief. The third time it happened I was amazed and perplexed because nothing about it made since but, “I seen it with my own eyes!” I have not had that same scenario happen again since the third time but I wonder constantly what the story could be behind this mystery.
It was cold. It was blowing snow and visibility was not the best so I used it as a good excuse to pull over. I was southbound on US395 out of Reno. I had spent a lot of time getting loaded and getting out of traffic so it was late. I was determined to make it past the California line to avoid traffic the next morning. I did. However, there are not a lot of places to park on the California side that looked like I would be able to get out of easily if the snow was worse in the morning. So I was happy to see a wide spot on the west side that suited my purposes. There was a large pile of gravel in the middle of this spot and I was careful to get past it in a way I could not get blocked in by other trucks.
It was real cold! As I surveyed the scene in my rear view mirror I noticed a young lady with a small child bent into the wind walking towards the pile of gravel. I was alarmed that there was anybody out in this weather let alone with a tiny child. It looked like they were going to use the gravel pile for shelter! By the time they were out of sight behind the gravel pile I had my heavy coat on and was getting my hat on. I looked and could no longer see them. So I jumped out of the cab and made my way to the gravel pile to see if I could get them in my truck to warm up awhile.
There was no one there! No one at all. I even looked for tracks thinking they went on into the hills next to us. No tracks at all!
In the early morning light I was setting there in the same spot deciding if I should put chains on when out of the corner of my eye I saw them again. Same lady holding the hand of a small child bent against the wind. This time I was adamant about trying to help them if I could. I jumped out of the truck and ran back to the gravel pile but there was no trace of them. Just like the night before they did not even leave a footprint. I went on with my trip.
It was several years later I had mostly forgotten about this when I found myself in the same scenario in the same place. I had pulled into this pull-off spot that was unchanged over the years. It was late at night and I didn’t even recognize it until morning!
In the morning I had to get out to adjust my chains before I continued. As I set gazing at the blowing snow trying hard to come up with a reason not to get out and adjust my chains I saw that same lady with the child walking the same way towards the pile of gravel.
Yes! I jumped out again! (LOL) No she was not there again. No there were no tracks again. That has been approximately 10 years ago … Spooky?
And, if that isn’t spooky enough, check out some of the greatest scary movie scenes of all time …
