One cool night in early summer, a geocacher left the pub in Maple Ridge
and started walking home to the nearby hollow. His path led him along the
old Silver Ghost Trail where a geocache was hidden but the geocacher was
nervous about walking this trail. He remembered rumors of a galloping
ghost that was the talk of the pub this night. He stumbled along, humming
to himself to keep up his courage. Suddenly, his eye was caught by a light
rising from the ground in the woods. He stopped, his heart pounding in fear.
Before his startled eyes, a white mist burst forth from the path and formed
into a large horse carrying a headless rider.
The geocacher let out a terrible scream as the horse leapt toward him at a
full gallop. He took to his heels, running as fast as he could, making for the
bridge since he knew that ghosts did not care to cross running water. He
stumbled suddenly and fell "HEAD OVER HEELS", rolling off the trail into a
mossy hole. The headless rider thundered past him.
The geocacher waited a good hour after the ghost disappeared before crawling
out of the bushes and making his way home. After fortifying himself with
spirits, the geocacher told his buddy about the ghost. By noon of the next day,
the story was all over Maple Ridge. The good geocaching folk were divided in
their opinions. Some thought that the ghost must be roaming the woods in
search of its head while others claimed that the headless rider rose from the
grave to discourage geocachers from entering these trails. Whatever the reason,
the Headless Rider continues to roam the trails near Maple Ridge from that day to this.
FV
