Interesting blog. Add me to the ping list.
I must say the weirdest experience I had on a rail trail was when I was on vacation in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. We were out there visiting family and I found a rail trail that was 50+ miles long.
I took it for a good stretch one morning and was walking through endless corn fields. I had my iPod with me and was listening to a Pink Floyd playlist so when I heard sirens, I figured it was part of the music, it being Pink Floyd and all. However, I came to realize that I had heard this song before and never remembered sirens being part of it
So I took out my earphones and realized that the sirens going off all around me were actually tornado sirens. As well, the skies off to the west were extremely dark as a thunderstorm was approaching. I about jumped out of my skin because I was about three miles away from my car back at the trailhead. I figured I was in serious trouble.
As I walked/ran towards my car, the storm cloud passed by behind me and as far as I know, a funnel never dropped from it. But whenever I hear Pink Floyd, I am reminded of that day.