Halloween weather not right for Oconee’s most famous ghost

Moody Spring, on Highway 107 outside of Walhalla, is one spot where a ghost hitchhiker has been encountered over the years.

With clear skies predicted for Halloween night across the Golden Corner, weather conditions are not right for spotting the ghost at the center of Oconee County’s most famous legend.  It is said the famed “Hitchhiker of Route 107” is seen only on rainy nights, standing alone, along the mountain highway between Moody Spring and the Piedmont Overlook near Walhalla.  A full accounting of this Golden Corner ghost tale can be found in the book South Carolina Ghosts by Nancy Roberts.  Roberts profiles the few drivers who have been brave enough to offer a ride to the apparition.  Most witnesses describe a man standing near the Spring or Overlook, soaked with rain.  When asked if a ride is needed, the man will request to be taken to whichever location is opposite where he is encountered.  Witnesses claim a blank and expressionless face and few words.  When the man is dropped off at his destination, he vanishes, leaving a pool of water from his overcoat on your vehicle’s seat and floorboard.  Roberts, in her book, claims the ghost is that of one Larry Stevens, a small-engine pilot from the Upstate.  Sometime in the 1950’s Stevens flew out of Greenville’s downtown airport headed for the mountains when he encountered a violent storm and crashed.  Debris was found along the two-mile stretch between Moody Spring and the Piedmont Overlook, but Stevens’ body was never found.