Traveling Ghosts

by Raymond F
(Oregon)

There is a particular strange ghost story that has been seen increasingly throughout Oregon, specifically along various highways.

Who these ghosts are that seem to be connected with one particular male ghost, who he is or what he is, or what he wants, no one knows, and there does not seem to be any rhyme or reason for when he appears. Sightings have increased since 2003. The basic description seems itself rather odd but many have seen him all the same; along with two women ghosts, a camouflage painted 1 ton Dodge Van and sometimes two black wolves.

His appearance is that he wears a black top hat that has two small horns that look like bull horn ends on it and has a skull in between them. From the hat it seems he also wears a pirate like bandanna that is also black. He wears a long black leather trench or duster coat that is always open, a burgundy colored dress shirt with a black T-shirt underneath, loose fitting blue jeans and what some have said looks like combat boots. He also wears a studded leather belt that has a skull and crossbones buckle. He also has been said to be wearing biker gloves and studded bracers on his four arms, and dark sunglasses. He is also said to be wearing what seems like a wallet chain on his left hip that reaches down midway to his knee and has three chains that has the middle chain composed of skull heads, and also wears a necklace of what looks like carved bone skulls. He is also said to have long and un-brushed red or auburn colored hair and a handle bar mustache. His skin is described as being pale and more of a grayish blue, and his build is stocky and heavy set but he is also said to be really tall, about 6foot 5inches and estimated if he were alive he would be about 280lbs and looks about his late 30’s early forties. Some women who have seen him describe him as being a rugged like handsome but has a stern look on his face and more than one witness have claimed when he has frowned and seemed angry he bears long saber like fangs and seems to roar like a bear.

Two female ghosts are sometimes seen with him who has been described as being dressed like biker chicks or early 90’s Goth. They are said to appear to be very attractive and seem to be about their mid to late 20’s. One is said to be a blonde and the other a brunette.

The two wolves are said to be huge and look feral and shaggy and sometimes before the ghosts are seen you hear them howling and barking. Many who have seen the large Van he is said to drive have claimed it comes out of nowhere, does not make a sound but they can hear what sounds like heavy metal music suddenly playing and then behind them the light pop on and has a greenish blue haze and seems to have a similar colored fog billowing from beneath and behind it as though it were on fire.

When pulling off the road to let it pass it disappears and sometimes it passes by and you can see him driving and these two women as passengers waving and giving the devil sign with their tongues stuck out at people before the vehicle fades right before your eyes. Other times the radio stations will change and the lights in your own vehicle will begin flickering and sometime the vehicle and battery will die and you can’t start the car and then the Van will suddenly appear a few moments when it becomes extra cold and pass right buy and then vanish and your vehicle will start.

Sometimes he is alone walking along the road and if your headlights hit him he will turn not wearing the sunglasses and all you see is blackness where eyes should be. Others claim to see one or both the women at times in the middle of the road. Sometimes one lying in the road, like she was hit by a car while the other is leaning over her as though trying to help and when hit by lights they turn into half rotting corpses and fade or look like skeletons dressed in tattered clothing before disappearing.

Sometimes the Van has been seen by Truck Drivers at night and sees two wolves that sometimes are called black dogs that will try and cause one to run off the road by suddenly leaping up right at the windshield. The first stories started with just the Male Ghost and his van and about 2003 near Portland he began to appear with the wolves, then in 2004 with the Van and then since 2006 with the two women.

Locations the reports have come from range as far as southern Oregon, the Oregon Coast and South Washington. Nothing has been seen in the more Eastern Oregon areas to date as far as anyone knows. In all cases those that see the apparitions become extremely tired, sick and break out in weird rashes for a couple of weeks and can’t get over feeling cold inside for at least a week and feel physically weaker for a couple of months.

It is also said that these ghosts mostly appear when it is raining both day and night with the most common sightings being between 4:AM and 7:AM and sometimes just before Midnight. There is no agreed upon time about the appearances being limited to only one part of the year, and unlike most ghosts they do not appear unaware of their surroundings, transparent in any way or a reason for when they appear. The Ghost Van has in the past been chased by Law enforcement on a couple of occasions in areas along Highway 213 and 99E on at least two occasions clocked at going near 100 miles an hour only to turn a corner and vanish.

A few who have run into this Van and its mysterious driver have said it's best to pull off the road and let it pass otherwise it will chase you at high speeds and will seem to try to run you off the road or even play chicken with you unless you make it across a bridge where there is running water.

One anonymous person claimed that it chased him for several miles and his radio was going crazy near Santiam and Molalla Oregon and vanished only moments before a police car showed up and pulled him over for speeding and when he told the cop it was a camouflage colored Van that was chasing him the officer looked concerned and told him to drive safe and let him go with a warning and jumped in his car and drove away fast.