Scream exchanges heard by camper on Appalachian Trail near Greenwood Lake witnessed in Orange County, New York

Open Map

I had parked my Volkswagen beetle at the junction of Rte. 17A and the Appalachian Trail, intending to camp out overnite along the trail. I then hiked south on the trail about 4 miles, along a ridge that overlooks Greenwood Lake until I was perhaps just above the New Jersey line. Since I had hiked this section of trail before I knew of an ideal camping site - a large outcropping of bedrock that rises about 10 feet above the surrounding terrain, and has a sheer drop off on the west side with a small swampy area on that side. I unrolled my sleeping bag and bedded down as soon as it got dark, enjoying the magnificent view of the sky before dozing off. About midnight I awoke for some unknown reason, and shortly after heard the most horrifying high pitched scream I had ever heard out in the woods, perhaps a 100 yards to my southeast. I scrambled out of my sleeping bag, and quickly put my boots on. Then the scream repeated itself, and I was positively terrified, as I knew it was miles in the ...