It’s Halloween again, and I’m thinking about spooky and fun memories over the years. Let me tell you a ghost story that happened to me when I was 18. It was towards the end of summer while I was working at Philmont Scout Ranch in the mountains of northern New Mexico. Philmont is a huge ranch in the mountains that is owned by the Boy Scouts that I have mentioned before. It has dozens of camps set over a 50 mile or more stretch of mountains that is dedicated to all kinds of activities that the boys and girls with their leaders can participate in as they hike over what is usually a 10-day backpacking trek. The activities range from riding horses to building railroad tracks to climbing logging poles to climbing rocks to riding mountain bikes to tying flies and fishing and on and on. Some of the areas are very historic, based on mining or ranching or railroading and more. The camp I was working in at the end of my 18th summer was in a mining district that boomed and busted around the turn of the century. Thousands of people had lived and worked around Baldy Mountain and the ore it produced, and one of the mines on the north side of the mountain, the Aztec Mine, was being used for mine tours at a nearby camp that had been owned by a Frenchman named Henry. The camp was called French Henry, and it consisted of a few old cabins and concrete foundations of the old mining operations that took place there. The camp was unlike other camps on the ranch in that it didn’t have campsites for the scouts to stay in. We were only a place to stop and learn about gold panning and to take a tour of the mine and mining foundations after they climbed Baldy Mountain. The accepted tradition at that camp was that old French Henry still walked the hills of that area as a somewhat friendly ghost that many staff members over the years had seen or heard. I was a ranger that summer who guided the crews of scouts and their adult advisors for the first couple days of their trek until they had the necessary training to be turned out on their own. Many of the seasonal staff could be shifted around at the end of the summer as the season wound down and staffers went back home for school or jobs. I was offered at the end of the season to work at French Henry for a couple weeks as the crew-load slowed down and scout crews were on the trail and not needing rangers. One of the first nights I was there the other 2 staffers at the camp loaded the burros with their panniers to head over at the end of the day to pick up our food allotment for the week from the camp on the south side of the mountain where the commissary truck would drop it off for us. I stayed behind since I wasn’t needed for that. The other 2 guys had worked the whole summer at our camp, and as they left they told me that they had seen and heard French Henry that summer a few times, and that I shouldn’t be afraid as he was friendly and wouldn’t bother me if I didn’t bother him. So I was settled in at the table in the cooking cabin with my guitar as I was working on some new songs I was learning. The cooking cabin was a rectangular building with a porch across the front of it with steps coming up that sat on a hill a few yards from the stream. It was one room with a dividing wall with an opening across one end that housed a storage area for our dried food and cooking gear. The main part of the room had a table and sink and wood stove that we cooked on. There were 2 doors on the cabin - one on each end with a screen door attached. One door led to the storage area and one to the main part where I sat at the table. The other 2 guys had been gone a half hour or so when I heard the footsteps of someone coming up the steps and across the porch towards the other door into the storage area. Since we didn’t have any campsites for scouts to stay in I figured it might be someone who was lost, so I called out, “Who’s there?” There was no answer, and the next thing I knew the screen door was opening into the storage area which I could see clearly through the opening in the wall into that area, and then the door closed by itself and the footsteps continued deeper into the storage area. I saw no one! Well, you can bet the hair stood up on the back of my neck, and I said timidly, “Is that you, Henry?” There was no answer again, and so I pondered what to say or do next. I remembered that the guys said that he would probably not bother me, so I said, “I won’t bother you if you don’t bother me.” Again there was no sound, and so I went back to playing the guitar quietly to break the silence while I continued to listen intently for any sound. It was probably 10 minutes later when the footsteps again sounded across the storage area to the screen door which opened and closed, and then I heard the footsteps sound across the porch and down the steps and into the night. I sat there frozen as I thought about what had just happened. I didn’t see or hear him again while I was there for the remainder of my time that summer. Now it’s possible that the guys who went to pick up the food with the burro had rigged a string to the door and had doubled-back and were tapping under the porch and the storage area just to mess with me, but I choose to believe it was the ghost of French Henry since the guys did return later at the proper time it should have taken with the allotment of food on the burro. So that’s my ghost story. I haven’t been back to that camp since then although I’d love to someday. Pretty spooky, huh? I don’t doubt that there are spirits who have unresolved dealings in their lives who probably hang around this plane of existence although I sure hope I won’t feel a need to do so when I’m gone. All this is to prime you for a fun and spooky Halloween. I’m doing a Halloween show online on Wednesday which I’ll talk about below.
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What have I been up to?
I had 12 senior facilities last week, and I did Halloween songs for most of them if they were in the mood. It was loads of fun with a little spookiness thrown in for good measure.
My Wednesday online show was Halloween songs, and it was just a hoot. I had a good group of folks out, and we did some classic Halloween songs as well as some unexpected ones. I think everyone had a good time.
My Sunday online show had some wonderful requests and new tunes, and it was so gratifying to provide an evening of meaning and enjoyment for a great group of folks. I love this group.
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What am I up to this week?
I have 7 senior facilities this week including one in Colorado Springs where I haven’t played in many years. It should be a good week with many more Halloween songs and even a Halloween party on Friday that I’ll dress up for.
My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time this week will be Halloween songs once again. I have about 80 more songs on my Halloween list that we haven’t gotten to that are either creepy or kooky. It’ll be a blast. I’d love to have you if you’re in the mood for some Halloween fun.
Friday night 6-9 I’m back at the Garden of the Gods Club in the Grand View Restaurant playing instrumental guitar tunes. Since it’s Halloween I’ll be playing Halloween songs on the guitar mixed in with my regular instrumentals. It should be a great time, and I’d love to have you there as well if you’re up for a tasty meal in a beautiful location. Reservations are at 888-994-3156 or you can usually sit at the bar or at the small tables near me in the bar.
My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always, and I know it won’t disappoint for good music and good friendship. Come on out if you can.
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That’s it for this week. It’s getting cold in the mornings here and I’m looking forward to the time change on Sunday (don’t forget to fall back) when there will be a little more light at 5:00 for my morning walks and picture-taking with Beau.
Best to you,
Tom
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Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing and singing an online concert of Halloween songs
Where: facebook.com/tom.munch and tommunch.com/online-concerts
When: Wednesday, October 29, 7-8:45 pm mountain time
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing instrumental guitar tunes
Where: Garden of the Gods Resort and Club in the Grand View Restaurant. 888-994-3156
When: Friday, October 31, 6-9 pm
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing and singing an online concert of favorites and requests
Where: facebook.com/tom.munch and tommunch.com/online-concerts
When: Sunday, November 2, 7-8:45 pm mountain time
