A Ghost Hunters Guide for City Slickers

Traipsing through Appalachian Mountains in the dark in search of ghosts can be a dangerous undertaking. There are unseen dangers lurking all around that some city folk like me may not be aware of. Here are some tips and advice you can use the next time you decide to go ghost hunting in Kentucky, or any other wilderness setting.

Lions, Tigers and Bears; Oh My!
During my stay in Pikeville Kentucky I went on a midnight ghost hunting adventure. A few of my relatives warned me that there has been three bear attacks this season and that many times they come right into people's yards. Being the city girl that I am, I assumed they were pulling my leg and trying to scare me.

There really are bears in those mountains as well as mountain lions and panthers, not to mention a wide assortment of other wild animals that call the tree filled forests their home. Black bears are particularly common in Pike, Letcher and Harlan counties.

If you should come across a bear do not try to feed it or lure it into the open with food for photographs. You could also take along a gun toting cousin like mine, but the general advice given to tourists is to make loud noises and wave your arms in the air to chase it away. One other important note is to stay calm and never attempt to run from a bear. Running from a bear will make it chase you and it can and will outrun you and catch you.

Let There Be Light!
This tip is so obvious that I shouldn't have to include it, however it's something that doesn't occur to some people. The mountains in Kentucky are so lush and populated with foliage and trees that there are areas the sun can not penetrate in the daytime much less the moon at night. A city girl like me expects to see streetlights of some sort along the roads but I'm warning you; when you get up into these hollers there are no lights.

The severity of darkness can cause your eyes to play tricks on you and you will see things that are not there. You also won't be able to see things (and animals) that are right in front of your face.

Avoid being like my cousin and take a flashlight and plenty of batteries with you on your next ghost hunting trip.

Map Your Route
There are literally hundreds of old cemeteries scattered throughout Kentucky. Some of these graveyards only have a handful of graves while others are large plots of land surrounded by fences.

During the height of the coal mining industry, coal companies gave locals parcels of land to bury their loved ones on. Many of these cemeteries have no records or mapped out burial plots.

Before you head into the hills, do some research and locate the cemeteries you wish to visit. Drive around during the daytime and make notes of the cemeteries you wish to visit if you can not find them on the internet or map. There are plenty to choose from so don't worry that you'll never find them.

Many of these cemeteries sit on someone's private property and obtaining permission before hand is a must to avoid being shot. One particular cemetery we visited sat on a man's property who if not asked will shoot at people with a machine gun without asking questions.

Respect the Land
The Appalachian Mountains are beautiful. It is a land of fresh running spring water, various wildlife, magnificent mountain peaks and full bodied trees. When you are out and about on these mountains have the common sense to clean up after yourself.

Don't throw trash on the ground or leave things littered along the side of the road. If you're a smoker field strip your cigarette and stick the butt in your pocket instead of tossing it on the ground. It takes 7 years for the filter of one cigarette to dissolve into the earth and while there are some stereotypical assumptions about Hillbilly's being dirty, they are indeed proud of their land and don't take kindly to city people trashing it.

If you pack it in, pack it out!

Don't Do it Alone
Aside from using plain old common sense when you are in a new place or a place that isn't like your home, there's one last thing you can and should do on your ghost hunting trip in the mountains. You should always take someone local with you who know the area.

Never try to run around the Appalachian Mountains by yourself. There are many places where one road leads to another with very little notice and few road side markers. It's best to take someone along with you who can get you from one place to the next without having to stop and get directions.

Typically, it's the locals that know which roads are the most dangerous, most curvy, has the least lighting and where they lead. The etiquette on the roads in these mountains are far different than any I've experienced and if I didn't have someone with me who knew it, I probably would have been shot or ran off the road.

In conclusion I have to say that ghost hunting in the Kentucky Mountains is an experience no one can easily forget, but it's also an experience that can easily get you killed. The trip might be fun and lighthearted but shouldn't be taken so lightly as to put you in danger. Keep your eyes open, your ears free of wax and your car close at hand and you should be alright, so long as you follow these tips. Happy ghost hunting and may your ghosts show up on film.