Charred Field Yields Secret Jet Pack and Sudden Exodus

. . . rode an area of Ft. Lewis this weekend. It can’t be properly referenced or may mean more trouble. Usually after coming out of a particular single-track section from the woods we enter more single track that cuts through a large field peppered with occasional trees. This time though, a small part of the field we ride through looked very discolored, like black. Following the trail took us to a sharp left turn around a few trees and then immediately saw it -- something bright red sitting in the middle of a scorched area.

It was a backpack device with two arms and hand sticks coming out from the sides with some switches. It was humming, no whining. Quickly I straddled my bike, got my camera un-holstered to take a picture of what we think was a military jet pack! But Just as I was raising the camera there were suddenly shouts and hands coming up from out of nowhere – right smack in front of my face. It scared the beegeebies out of me and in a panic I grabbed the handle bars – camera banging all about on the wrist strap and I just pedaled as fast as I could out of there with a bunch of loud shouting, chaos, and who knows what else all going on behind me. It was at least a half-mile of furious pedaling and jumping logs and stuff I previously never ever jumped, before I stopped.

Can’t say anything more at this point. Still too shook up.