Hog Holler, a place of both beauty and mystery, is a box canyon with steep limestone walls on three sides. The only access is through a creek bed lined with a thick tangle of oak, cedar, thorns, and cactus, making getting there feel like a journey into a hidden world. Navigating this secluded canyon involves scrambling over massive boulders and cautiously skirting around caves carved into the cliffside by the relentless force of flood waters, adding an element of mystery and maybe even a hint of danger—a perfect sanctuary for elusive creatures like mountain lions or rattlesnakes.
Apparently, I’m not the only one who can sense the rather spooky nature of this place.
In his early teens, Dad brings some of his buddies for a summer getaway at the ranch. As they discuss activities for the week, Hog Holler’s eerieness comes up when his friend, Tommy, states that he disagrees with them. He is immediately challenged to spend the night alone in the box canyon. So, as dusk settles, Tommy’s journey to Hog Holler begins.
He parks the Jeep at the trailhead. The brave youth grabs his water, bedroll, and his arsenal of firearms. At this point, the trail is somewhat level, but in the dimness, it feels unfamiliar. The fading light casts long shadows over the thick brush, making every step through the creek bed feel more precarious. The sound of crunching leaves and snapping twigs underfoot is the only break in the otherwise eerie silence. Navigating the large, slippery boulders requires careful balance, each rock feeling like a potential trap in the dimming light. A cave in the cliffside looms ominously, its dark mouth hinting at unseen depths. Every rustle in the brush, every whisper of the wind, heightens the sense of isolation and the thrill of the unknown. Suddenly, a cacophony of shrieks and whooshes shatters the silence, sending a jolt of fear through Tommy. His heart races, teetering on the edge of a fight-or-flight frenzy. As cackling and yelps echo off the canyon walls, Tommy realizes he has scared some turkeys off the roost. The turkeys are also cackling and yelping as they flee.
Navigating through the gloom takes longer than normal, but Tommy finally makes it to the spot where he plans to bed down for the night. As he sits in the dark, he surveys his surroundings. The silhouette of the top of the canyon wall frames the night sky above, filtering light into the middle of the canyon. He could feel the cooling breeze evaporating the sweat accumulated partly from the hike and mostly from his pinging nerves. He can hear the gentle rustle as the breeze blows through the trees and vines clinging to the sides of the cliffs. Senses heightened from the hike, Tommy finally begins to relax as he adjusts to the sounds of the night. As he spreads out his bedroll, his ears prick as he hears something moving through the brush. Tommy freezes and listens carefully, trying to pinpoint where the noise is coming from. He hears the noise again, which is more of a crashing sound - definitely something sizable. A chill runs down his spine as the realization sets in that the only way out of here is the same daunting path back. Just then, Tommy hears a large branch crack, and before it smashes to the bottom of the canyon, Tommy finds himself halfway down the creekbed, headed towards the jeep in a panic. He dashes past the parked vehicle, only to realize he has gone too far and must turn around and retrace his steps in the utter darkness back towards the jeep.
When Tommy finally returned to the lodge, the only item he still possessed from his adventure was just the collar of his shirt, still buttoned around his neck, with cedar and dirt tangled in the frayed edges and scratches marking the skin where the rest of his shirt should have been.
The next day, the gang returns to see what they can retrieve from Tommy’s adventure. Sure enough, they find a large, freshly broken limb, just as Tommy had described. To this day, we can only speculate what broke that limb. But I am sure that whatever it was, it probably was heading to the cave.
Since then, we've often hiked to Hog Holler and even rappelled into it, but no one has dared to spend the night there. Now, it's your turn to experience the thrill. Come see it for yourself—maybe even spend the night if you dare!
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