Okay, I've been hit up with a # of requests about the details of this misadventure. I was hoping to get away with just a public warning but I should have known it wouldn't be that easy.
here is what happened:
I was driving to a session (music) near Hamilton. It was a little before dusk. Still light but fading. I had been on 295 for a while and really needed to "water the flowers" real bad. I stopped by the scenic overlook. I noticed a good deal of cars there but assumed the people were on the overlook (I should have looked up but didn't). I proceeded to descend a ramp near the parking area into the woods. I saw a middle aged man ascending the ramp who glanced at me and quickly, nervously, avoided eye contact. He did not respond to my "how ya doing?" but he did stop at the top of the ramp and then start to come back down again.
Shortly after entering the path into the woods I noticed two guys emerging from a trail to the left. They were dressed like they just got out of work. I nodded to them politely, and they looked at me "funny" but then I noticed the trail they came from was very narrow and not a walking path at all. I thought it was odd and thought "they are going to have chiggers. I looked behind me after i passed and saw others coming up from the trail also. Then i put 2 and 2 together. Kind of dawned on me fast and heavy and I felt very uncomfortable.
I continued walking a short ways while I figured out what to do (I really had to go) then i noticed three guys coming down the trail toward me. I kept going. They kept a safe distance but would walk when I walked and then stop when I stopped and just hang about (like Gabe's experience). The path was beginning to loop and I hoped it would form a circle so I could get back to my car. After a bout 1/2 mile, (yeah, a 1/2 mile) the last of the three men finally gave up the ghost and stopped following.
I realized that the path was not looping around so I had to walk back. As I passed the trail where I first noticed the guys coming out, there was alot of traffic and ummm...activity back in there. I kept looking straight and walking fast. I got in my car and got the hell out of there.
When I got to the session I told the drummer I was all creeped out. I told him I stopped at the scenic overlook and he interrupted me and said "Dude, it's all fa----s back in there". I said "yeah, I could have used that information about a 1/2 hour ago". Then the bass player comes into the studio and the drummer says, "Jeff wento into the woods by the overlook" and the bass player says, "what?, that is a gay hook up spot". So I guess I was the only guy in the world who didn't know about this. I started thinking that I couldn't be the only one which is why I brought it up here. To prevent you all from a weird situation.
the singer suggested we end the session early so I could hang out with my new friends
Okay, so there you go.
Jeff