A map of the area near New Paltz, New York, known as the Shawangunks
I had a secret spot where I liked to sleep out under the stars. It was on top of a dramatic cliff system known as the Shawangunks. This was just a few miles outside of the town of New Paltz, (noted on the map with a RED marker) this is about 90 miles north of New York City. It was near the “hair-pin-turn” if you are at all familiar with the area. I would sneak into the woods and camp alone on the Mohonk Preserve, a protected private park. This is a perfectly lovely spot with a delightful wilderness feel.
The spot where I slept was out on a big expanse of lumpy white rock, this is the same rock formation that makes up the cliff system where all the climbing takes place. The rock itself is a hard, silica-cemented conglomerate of white quartz pebbles and sandstone. My sleeping spot was simply a shallow flat spot, exactly the size of my sleeping pad, and it was absolutely beautiful.
One night (I am quite certain it was a Friday) at about 11:30, I was in my little apartment in Greenwich Village. At that late hour, I was sort of “compelled” to get in my car and drive north to my little secret spot. It was an easy drive that late at night with minimal traffic. As I was on the FDR, I remember thinking to myself, “Wow, they're pushin’ pretty hard tonight.”
It was a 90 minute drive and I parked my car at around 1:AM. I took my sleeping bag and pad into the woods and went to sleep. I have no unusual memories at all. The next morning, I met with some of the local climbers and enjoyed a day of rock climbing.
Now, this “event” can easily be dismissed as just me wanting to get out of the crowded city and get an early start the next morning, I recognize that. Or, just me wanting to sleep outside under the stars in a pretty place; this is something I still do a lot in the summer.
All that said, I’m still confused about that little voice in my head that just kind of blurted out: “Wow, they're pushin’ pretty hard tonight.”
I had read Whitley Strieber’s COMMUNION a few years earlier, and he gave some details about his cabin, and I realized it was rather close to my secret spot, maybe just a few miles away. I only thought about this years later when UNKNOWN COUNTRY noted that Whitley’s cabin was quite close to those cliffs. When I read that, I had a sinking feeling. But why?
I have pin-pointed my secret sleeping spot exactly on a map (noted on the map with a YELLOW marker). I later learned that Whitley’s cabin was near the little town of Accord (noted on the map with a BLUE marker). The town is less than four miles from my sleeping spot. I don’t know the exact location of the cabin, but it could be as close as two miles from my sleeping spot.
I’ll add that some years later, I went up to that spot, but not to sleep. It was the middle of the day and I was visiting New Paltz. I was curious if I could even find it again on the big open expanse of white rock.
I walked straight to it, and on this one lone spot, someone had spray painted a pentagram in a circle. (it may have been an “A” in a circle, I can’t remember exactly). This bit of creepy graffiti was right exactly where I slept! Nothing else was noted anywhere on the huge area. Weird!
That’s it, overall it’s nothing all that eventful, but upon reflection some of the details sure feel strange to me.
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