How a Strange Wilderness Experience Still Haunts Me
Hey folks—I’ve read a bunch of stories here and figured I’d share one of my own. I’ve had many odd experiences over the years, especially from my time camping as I worked toward becoming an Eagle Scout. While I still consider myself an avid outdoorsman, some of these experiences have made me much more cautious, particularly when venturing out alone.
This particular event happened in 2007, in the Gila Wilderness of New Mexico. I was with a group of about 10 people, two days into a longer trek. The Gila is a stunning place—winding rivers cut through steep canyons, and the area has a deep sense of history, with ancient Native American sites dating back thousands of years. It’s beautiful but isolated, and in some places, it gives off an unsettling vibe.
That evening, as the sun was setting, I wandered away from camp to relieve myself. I went into a ravine, further away than I should have gone, but I didn’t think much of it at the time. As I crouched down, I noticed a sudden, eerie silence—the kind of silence that feels unnatural. The light around me seemed to dim, and I could feel something watching me.
Then, I heard a loud crack and the rustling of leaves from about 30 feet away. It sounded like footsteps—human footsteps—coming from a spot where no one should have been. Fear washed over me, but I finished up and stood, trying to act confident. I called out, “Hello?” but there was no response.
Then, I saw them: two glowing eyes staring at me from above the bank, about 20 feet away. The eyes were iridescent and unnervingly high off the ground—too high for any animal I could think of. As I tried to back away, I heard another loud crack, much closer this time. That was it—my fight or flight kicked in, and I sprinted back to camp as fast as I could.
When I told my friends about it, I suggested it was probably a large predator. But to this day, I’m not sure. It might have been a mountain lion or a bear, but something about that night felt different. It still haunts me, and whenever I’m alone in the woods, the memory of those eyes and the eerie silence creeps into my mind.
Our Thoughts
This story taps into a primal fear—being alone in the wilderness, suddenly aware that something is watching you. What makes this encounter so unnerving is not just the eerie silence, but the glowing eyes staring down at the narrator. The fact that the eyes were so high off the ground suggests something large, and possibly unknown, was lurking in the darkness.
The crack of branches and the shifting light add to the suspense, creating an atmosphere where danger feels imminent. Whether this was a known predator or something more mysterious, the experience left a lasting impact, and the fear it generated is palpable.
Stories like this remind us of how vulnerable we can be in the vast wilderness, where the line between the natural and the supernatural seems to blur. The feelings of being watched, coupled with the strange environmental shifts, make us wonder: was this just a close encounter with a predator, or could it have been something beyond our understanding?
Disclaimer: This story has been rewritten for clarity and originality. While inspired by discussions from various internet platforms, it should be regarded as speculative and not factual. The analysis provided is based on available information and reflects the author’s interpretation.
