- Joined
- Jun 3, 2001
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Below is my account of an interesting hike I went on the other day. This occurred Thursday afternoon. I don't post a lot of personal info, but I am a medical student at UMKC and it was the last day of my Family Medicine rotation. I was scheduled to work the night shift on the mother/baby unit. As a result, I had the day free. The hospital I was based at is in Lee's Summit, MO. There are quite a few hiking trails and parks in the area that I hadn't been to, so I figured it'd be a great time to cross one off my list.
I ended up choosing a little trail in Unity Village. I had no idea what this place was. I thought it was some sort of retirement home. Turns out it's a small municipality between Raytown and Lee's Summit and is the home to some sort of religious group (cult?). They have a little campus that looks like a tiny university, and their trails and gardens are open for the public to enjoy.
I followed the little one lane road onto the campus and parked in a parking lot near the back, then followed the signs and found the trail head. The trail was pretty wide, made mostly of gravel, and functioned as a maintenance road as well. I headed back into the woods, past a small industrial looking building and some construction equipment, and into the nature preserve. It was about 30 degrees out and snowing lazily. A nice day for a hike.
The trail seemed pretty nice, but for some reason this place kind've gave me the creeps. I don't know what it was. I guess one reason had to have been the complete lack of sound. There were no other cars parked there and I appeared to be the only person on the trail. In addition, I did not hear a single bird or see any wildlife, including birds, squirrels, and all the regular forest denizens. So I began the hike with the hair on the back of my neck standing up.
The first interesting thing I saw was this brick wall set into a cliff. A little strange, considering how far into the woods I was.
A little farther down the trail, and I see a gate into the cave.
I tried to open the gate but it was stuck. I shined my L1 in and it was deep enough that I couldn't see the far side. Very creepy.
At this point, I had been thinking about the weird community where I parked, the absolute silence in the woods, and the fact that I was completely alone. I couldn't help but think that this is how a typical slasher film starts. The only difference of course is that I was quite a bit more well-prepared than your average movie victim.
I had my Mountainsmith lumbar pack with a few Clif bars, my Bushcraft knife, my Surefire L1, and a few other essentials. So that was a little bit of a comfort. Notice how well my Bushcraft knife matches my pack.
Farther on, I saw this.
It looked like the outside of a stadium from my vantage point, but I think it might have been a bridge for a train. I don't know for sure. As I approached it to investigate, I was startled by the sound of a door squeaking open. I usually don't spook easily, but in my highly alert state, it just made me want to keep moving.
This was one of my favorite sights. Most of the water was frozen but there was still a musical sound of just a trickle coming down. Very peaceful, and it helped me relax a bit.
I ended up choosing a little trail in Unity Village. I had no idea what this place was. I thought it was some sort of retirement home. Turns out it's a small municipality between Raytown and Lee's Summit and is the home to some sort of religious group (cult?). They have a little campus that looks like a tiny university, and their trails and gardens are open for the public to enjoy.
I followed the little one lane road onto the campus and parked in a parking lot near the back, then followed the signs and found the trail head. The trail was pretty wide, made mostly of gravel, and functioned as a maintenance road as well. I headed back into the woods, past a small industrial looking building and some construction equipment, and into the nature preserve. It was about 30 degrees out and snowing lazily. A nice day for a hike.
The trail seemed pretty nice, but for some reason this place kind've gave me the creeps. I don't know what it was. I guess one reason had to have been the complete lack of sound. There were no other cars parked there and I appeared to be the only person on the trail. In addition, I did not hear a single bird or see any wildlife, including birds, squirrels, and all the regular forest denizens. So I began the hike with the hair on the back of my neck standing up.
The first interesting thing I saw was this brick wall set into a cliff. A little strange, considering how far into the woods I was.
A little farther down the trail, and I see a gate into the cave.
I tried to open the gate but it was stuck. I shined my L1 in and it was deep enough that I couldn't see the far side. Very creepy.
At this point, I had been thinking about the weird community where I parked, the absolute silence in the woods, and the fact that I was completely alone. I couldn't help but think that this is how a typical slasher film starts. The only difference of course is that I was quite a bit more well-prepared than your average movie victim.
I had my Mountainsmith lumbar pack with a few Clif bars, my Bushcraft knife, my Surefire L1, and a few other essentials. So that was a little bit of a comfort. Notice how well my Bushcraft knife matches my pack.
Farther on, I saw this.
It looked like the outside of a stadium from my vantage point, but I think it might have been a bridge for a train. I don't know for sure. As I approached it to investigate, I was startled by the sound of a door squeaking open. I usually don't spook easily, but in my highly alert state, it just made me want to keep moving.
This was one of my favorite sights. Most of the water was frozen but there was still a musical sound of just a trickle coming down. Very peaceful, and it helped me relax a bit.
