[Transcript]
A Mysterious Tale at Grouse Lake
Visit any national park and you're bound to hear some spooky stories. And Yosemite is no exception. One such tale occurred about 8 miles east of here by a pond called Grouse Lake, in the middle of the woods.
Our source for this story? None other than our friend Galen Clark, the mountain man who lived a long life here in Yosemite. Now soon after Clark became the first guardian of Yosemite, he was hiking in the woods and came to a small lake that's now called Grouse Lake.
Standing along the banks, he heard a whimpering cry, almost like a dog. Well, naturally, Clark assumed that there must be a dog around somewhere. Meanwhile, a native hunting party came by the lake and set up their camp.
Clark ventured over to ask them about the sound, thinking perhaps they'd lost a dog. In his own words, this is what he learned from the hunters. It was not a dog.
The Eerie Revelation
A long time ago, an Indian boy had drowned in the lake, and every time anyone passed there, he would cry after them. And no one dared go in the lake, for the boy would catch them by the legs and pull them down, and they would be drowned. Wow, what would you think if you were Clark?
You're just out there hiking by the lake and you happen to hear some strange noises, and you ask around and the locals tell you that it's from a boy who had drowned. Unbelievable, maybe? Creepy, for sure.
Unsettling Realization
Well, at first Clark dismissed what he had been told. He reasoned with himself that the sound must have come from some water birds living by the lake. After all, as we can assume as a mountain man, Clark was not one so easily scared or intimidated.
And perhaps he thought the hunters were, you know, just yanking his chain. But as he waited and observed more, something just didn't feel quite right. Nope, the natives were not messing with him.
In fact, they seemed to be pretty sober and serious. Clark later wrote, at that time, I thought that the Indians were just trying to impose on my credulity. But I am now convinced they fully believed the story they told me.
The Road Less Traveled
Well, if you really want to know, there is a trail that goes by Grouse Lake not far from here. And maybe the best way to find out if the legend is real is, well, you know, to go and see it for yourself. Or we can just stay here on this road.
And, hey, well, personally, I vote for the road, you know, and my vote counts as too, right? Because, you know, I'm the tour guide. And I mean, what would you do without me?
Oh, boy.
Ready to take the tour? Check out Shaka Guide's Yosemite National Park Tours!
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