TRUE CAMPFIRE STORY #5

BAT MOUNTAIN

Our favorite camping spot on Cherry Lake is on the south side, at the far end, where Cherry Creek falls through the canyon; waterfall after waterfall, into smooth rounded pools, until the last drop-off into the lake.  Our spot is usually close to the water, depending upon the water level, and we keep our baited lines in the water most of the time.

Across the mouth of the lake, usually about 150-250 yards, is a granite mountain; sometimes we call it Cocktail Mountain, because as the sun sets over the mountain, we know it's time to get ready for the evening festivities. Still, a couple of hours of daylight left, but no more beer, it's time for smoked oysters, herring snacks, cheese, and cocktails. We might play a few more hands of Pedro, or board games with the kids, as we thaw the meat for the evening meal. Soon, we get the fire going; big, big, big, to make sure there are lots of coals for cooking.

As the sky turns to evening colors, we check our fishing lines for the last time. Suddenly, "Fish on!"  No, something just hit my line?  Again, another hit, what is it? Everyone's lines are being bombarded. Then, we see the culprits; bats, sometimes by the hundreds, are starting their nighttime feast of insects. There's still enough light to see them flying and to see them go home into the cracks and crevices of Cocktail Mountain. The cracks seem to be shallow crevices in the granite, but how can so many bats live in these shallow cracks? This had been a curiosity for many years.

Cocktail Mountain has another wonderful feature; a year-round spring of cold, fresh, sweet water. It comes out at the west end of the mountain and falls into the lake in a small lagoon, about 1 mile from camp. Sometimes, in the late Autumn, Cherry Creek can be down to just a trickle, but Cocktail Mountain Spring is always running, cold and strong. No matter where we camp on the lake, we re-supply our water cans here.

During one trip that I took by myself, I decided to explore Cocktail Mountain. I took the boat past the spring and found a spot to tie up. I had my canteen, sandwiches, and a few other snacks; ready for a long climb. This side of the mountain is covered with defoliating granite; the entire mountain is layered with loose pieces, almost like shale. The only way to get to the top is to skirt the loose rocks and climb through the adjacent forest; a steep hard climb, but not too dangerous.

Finally, I made it to the end of the forest and solid ground and with just a couple of hundred feet to the top, I had to make my way across the loose rocks. They were bigger than I had realized, so they didn't seem very dangerous, as there wasn't much slippage. As I neared the top, the loose fragments seemed to get a little smaller and a bit slipperier; I vowed to be careful. A few more steps and I would be on top.

Then, frighteningly, the rocks gave way! I started sliding; down, down, down! I was able to keep my balance and stayed upright during this ordeal. Then, I saw this crevice; I was approaching it with too much haste! As I slid into the crevice, I was surprised at the sudden darkness. Even more surprising, suddenly, I was wet. I was in some kind of underground spring; it was all smooth granite and I went down quickly, as if in a gigantic water slide.

Slowly, the angle of descent seemed to decrease, as did my speed. But, now the water was much deeper; I was no longer in a spring, but in an underground creek. The cold, cold water moved rapidly, I along with it. The darkness was horrifying; the cold was numbing. Then came the most amazing experience of my life!

I fell into a pool; the waters were fairly still and I was able to get control and wade to shore. All of a sudden, I noticed that I could see? I was still in the mountain, but there was a golden glow, like a sunset in Arizona. I was in an immense cavern; it looked to be at least a square mile with the cavern roof hundreds of feet above me. The roof seemed to be made of gold; not gold veins, but coated in gold. I was sure that this was the source of the golden glow of reflected light, but what could be the original light source in this cavern.

As I examined my surroundings further, I noticed what appeared to be a trail. Could this be an animal trail leading to a way out? I followed the trail, until I heard this funny sound; it was almost speech, but quite unintelligible. Not being sure of what this sound was, I stooped behind a large rock. To my amazement, there were two small people walking towards me. They were about 3 feet tall and appeared to be human, with dark hair and very white complexions. Both were dressed in fur; a fur hat, a short fur skirt, and a long fur cloak.

I wasn't sure if I should announce my presence or stay hidden. I decided to be cautious as I watched them approach the creek, fill up some water containers, and return past me, the way they had come. I followed them discreetly as they came to a small village. The buildings were made of mortared granite and now the path was paved in closely fitted granite stones. There were small fires, intermittently placed, on rock pedestals; almost like streetlights.

I found a secure viewing position and watched their activities as I checked to see if my sandwiches had survived the ordeal; I had wrapped them well and they satisfied my hunger. As I watched the village, I noticed that some of the figures were a little bit shorter and lighter of frame. As one of these smaller figures turned towards me, I could see her breasts at the opening of her cloak. She was cooking something on a small fire, but I couldn't quite see what it was. Then, as she started putting another piece in her cooking stone, I could see that it was a bat; It had been skinned. She then put a fish into another cooking stone. It wasn't a trout, but it was some sort of fish. Another female was grinding some vegetable matter; it appeared to be a type of root. As I watched this amazing scene, I realized that their soft fur clothing was all made of bat fur. Then I noticed that the walls of the cavern were covered with bats; literally hundreds of thousands of bats.

I pondered my situation, knowing that I could not just stay hidden; I had to try to find a way out. But, was there a way out? I don't know how long I had been in the mountain, as I had fallen asleep and had lost all concept of time. Finally, I decided that if they really were human, they would probably try to help another human being who is lost in their world.

I left my hide-away and approached the village. When the first male saw me, he let out a hideous scream. Suddenly, the entire village had been awakened. They were all screaming and then they began running towards me. They all had clubs of wood or stone and were fast approaching. I was terrified!

I ran in the only direction I knew, back to the creek. I dove in and started going downstream in the rapidly moving water. My chasers could not keep up with my speed as the creek turned to white water rapids. Once again, I was in the darkness as I went down, down, down; falling ever faster, while sliding over the smooth granite bottom.

Horrifically, I suddenly found myself under water; I could tell it was deep, because of the pressure on my ears. I was sure that this was it; I was going to drown in the mountain. I didn't know which way was up or down, but, lo and behold, I could see light! I held my breath and forced my way to the surface.

I was back at Cherry Lake, very near our camping spot!!!

I swam to shore and put on dry clothes. I think I had 10 brandies, as I tried to decipher what I had just been through, still not knowing how long I had been gone. I slept!

When I awoke, I flagged down some fishermen and asked to hitch a ride to where I had tied up my boat. As we traveled the mile or so, I pondered whether I could tell them my story. I'm sure that they wouldn't have believed me, so I was silent.

When I got home, I wondered whether I should tell my family and friends. Again, I was sure that they, too, wouldn't believe me. I knew the perfect time and place to relate my story.

On our next large family camping trip to Cherry Lake, around the campfire, I finally told everyone of this wondrous adventure. They all believed me!

Why? Because, all stories told around a campfire are true! And, now we all call Cocktail Mountain, Bat Mountain!!

Copyright 2004, Carport's True Stories
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