Walking in the woods on a friendly hike is fun until a noise is heard. What creatures hide in the woods and watch you walk by?

Some people may think it is just the woods moving and the animals talking, but others say there is something more mysterious about it. A “skinwalker” could be in the unknown depths of the woods.

In Indian culture, a skinwalker is a type of harmful witch who has the ability to turn into, possess, or disguise themselves as an animal; it is said they mimic the sound of animals and even sometimes babies. They are often described as a tall, skinny humanoid with elongated limbs and smelling of decay or copper.

Clayton Quinn, a junior at LHS, has had his encounter with a skinwalker at Chilco Lake on a fishing trip. He was casually fishing off the dam with his older brother and his friend Gage when they heard something in the woods. When they looked over, there was some antlered, chupacabra creature running around.

“They are real. If I was hallucinating, it was a real good one,” Quinn said.

Even though this creature was first mentioned in Indian culture many years ago, adults do not know about it.
Christopher Ward, a government teacher at LHS, has never heard of a skinwalker before, so he feels that it is hard to believe. He has never seen anything in the woods that would make him feel like it was not a real animal.

“I’ve heard weird sounds at night when camping before but never thought it was something supernatural,” said Ward.
Whether or not a person believes in the skinwalker, the fact that some creatures may be undiscovered, hiding in the woods, is almost proven.

Thousands of people go missing in the woods with no trace and no reason for why. Skinwalker, plain and simple, is the reason.

I personally think that skinwalkers are as real as dogs; we just don’t ever see them. Walking in the woods alone without a safety buddy is terrifying. When I hear a sound and can’t see what it is, it makes me feel like I need to put my running shoes on and run for the hills.

Me and a group of friends went on a hike, and as we walked home, we heard odd sounds, and for no apparent reason, we veered off the trail. Next thing we know, we are lost. Some may say we were just dumb, but I’m not, so the only other option is a skinwalker lured our leader off track.

As long as you can run faster than the other guy, you are safe, so don’t forget a hiking buddy.