BFRO #13441: Woman describes night time sighting during childhood in the Pike National Forest

📍 Location

📝 Description

We camped in the mountains a lot on the weekends as I was growing up. My dad liked to rough it compared to most. Sleep under the stars or in an old military tent and take only a few pots and a couple of fishing poles was pretty much all luxury we had except for two trips. I don't remember the circumstances of this particular trip but it was one of only two camping trips we took on the East Slope and one of the only two times I didn't sleep in a tent or under the stars. The first trip was over by Red Feathers Lakes where they were draining the ponds and bears were thicker than gnats so my dad had me and my sister sleep in his friend's popup camper. The second trip was the on west side of Pike's Peak where we went camping with some of my dad's friends. My sister and I were young definitely preteen or younger. My dad's friends had gotten there before us maybe even the night before and had camp all set up by the time we had arrived. I remember marveling at the camp set up because they had a "big" camper trailer that slept 6 or 8 and a table to cook on. I don�t know if this was in a structured camping area or some backcountry area. But I don�t recall any other campsite in close proximity.I don't remember much of the details except my sister and I were repeatedly told to stay real close to camp (this was somewhat unusual) and the adults were talking about something but would stop talking about it when they thought us girls could hear them (not unusual at all). Anyway, the evening ended pretty early for a camping trip (after 11:00 but before midnight) and everyone ended up sleeping in the camper trailer. My sister and I were in the bed in the front and on top of the full size bed where I think my dad's friends slept. My dad and his girlfriend slept in the dinning area where the table converted into a sleeping area. I slept by the front window so my sister could get to the bathroom easier. Beside me was a long window (at least 3' long and 6" tall) that had these little curtains hanging from them. Sometime during the night I woke up and I could hear very heavy breathing. It took me some time to figure out what I was hearing but to this day I do not believe it was coming from inside the trailer. I could easily distinguish my sister's heavy breathing, my dad's loud snoring, his friends� snoring, and my dad's girlfriend's deep breathing. While trying to figure out whose snoring was whose I remember hearing a "chatter" but I couldn't understand it. There wasn't much chatter but it was close, right down by my feet. Then the heavy breathing was next to the window. I don�t know if there were more than one of these things breathing heavily by the window but I could hear the breathing down by one end of the window by my feet, and then closer by my head. I do remember the tone and volume of the breathing sounding very much same at both ends, as if something was moving from one end of the window to the other. I remember listening very intently to this trying to figure out how many and thinking that whatever it was would have to hop over the trailer hitch to get from one end of the window to the other.By this time the heavy breathing and �chatter� had been going on for several minutes and I was frozen with fear, the hair on my arms standing on end and unable to utter a word. I remember trying to call my dad but no sound came out. I remember just praying that my dad would hear it too, wake up and the sounds would end. I tried pulling on my sister�s leg so she�d wake up and it would go away but she always could sleep through a hurricane much less her little sister bothering her sleep. After sometime of listening to the breathing move right outside the window I worked up enough courage to take a peek out the window. I took a corner of the curtain and pulled it back enough for me to see a few inches out the window. There was a light on somewhere outside, enough for me to see more than just darkness. I was expecting or hoping to see nothing outside, but I saw a pair of brown eyes just inches from my face staring right back at me. I quickly pushed the curtain closed and laid there completely paralyzed with fear. I don�t remember much more except the breathing stopped shortly after that and I must have somehow fallen back to sleep before first light. I do remember the next morning my sister complaining that I had wet the bed and the adults saying that �whatever it was took all of the apples and potatoes� out of the back of the truck. I do remember some details of what I saw staring at me. It was right next to, almost touching the window like it was peering in to see. I saw something from just above where one�s eyebrows would be to somewhere in the middle of its nose. I don�t recall seeing the end of its nose or even the nostrils or the sides of its face. Its skin was dark brown or black and was the same shade around the eyes, nose and lower forehead. I don�t recall seeing any hair or fur. Its nasal ridge was not pronounced like a huma

🔍 Circumstances

I think there were only six people in our camp. Everyone seem to be soundly sleeping when this occurred.

🌤️ Weather Conditions

Sometime after midnight but before daylight. Night was clear and temperature was typical for early fall.

ℹ️ Additional Details

Sometime after midnight but before daylight. Night was clear and temperature was typical for early fall.

🔗 Sources (1)

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