I am excited to share this next story, which includes experiences from a prior interview and meeting with the popular modern explorer Mateo Arguello.

It was evident from the beginning that he is passionate about investigating, researching, and exploring, whether it’s through his expeditions in the mountains or encounters with paranormal phenomena and cryptids.

In particular, I want to focus on a hike he and his friend Austin took on the south side of Pikes Peak, located outside Colorado Springs, Colorado.

So, I thought it would be fun to share their experiences with you…

~Diane Olsen

“My friend, Austin, and I had spent all day hiking and exploring the south side of Pikes Peak. He relied on me to navigate us safely back to the Jeep since it was getting dark. Normally, it was easy for me to remember reference points, even by moonlight.

However, this night was pitch dark and there was no moon. We were over 12,000 feet up the mountain, 500 feet above timberline. As darkness enfolded us the entire landscape became formless. I realized I couldn’t make out anything – even with my headlamp fully illumined.”

It was like looking into the void of space. Nothing reflected in the distance. At that moment; I was unable to tell where I was. For the first time, I understood how people could get lost and die on a cold night like this, high above the trees in what seemed like endless emptiness, a black abyss that absorbed all light.

I was chilled with fear not only for me but for Austin who came with me on these crazy escapades because he trusted my judgment and experience.

In the inky darkness, the valleys were gone, indiscernible. My headlamp only illuminated sixty feet before evaporating. I pushed fear to the side and brought my confidence back to the surface. There was no point in being scared. I needed to guess which valley to hike down. No easy feat.

Unfortunately, from our naked mountaintop vantage, we were looking for one specific dip a few inches or feet deep; the genesis of a swale that would later become a valley rushing downslope into streams that carved out a specific canyon.

Even worse, entirely separate valleys might begin only a few feet from one another, which was very confusing. With as much confidence as I could muster, I let Austin know that we would have to pick one, and hope it would lead us back to the vehicle. He seemed to take it well since I showed no fear or doubt.

It was hard to gauge distances in the dark. For what seemed like two endless black miles we pushed our way past the timberline, into the forest along the valley we thought we had used on the way up. When we ran into the road we traveled with more confidence and improved morale. Our headlamps focused on the flat surface, giving us the illusion that we could see.

The world didn’t seem so vacant – until we ran into a newly installed cattle guard then it became clear that even though we had a path to follow, we had chosen the wrong valley and were hours farther than ever from home. Our morale dropped to nothing. We were cold, hungry, and sleepy. It was edging close to midnight. There was no choice but to keep going.

A few hours passed when a strange sensation overcame me. The way I’d feel when I was in a kill zone in Afghanistan. You knew you were vulnerable; something was watching! This feeling lingered for about a mile until we finally pushed out of the trees near a reservoir. I shook off the dread, perhaps it had been my imagination.

All we could see were these massive outlines and large reflective eyes looking back at us from just outside the reach of our lights. Simultaneously, they started peeking their heads out from behind the giant bush. When we would shine the light to focus on one head, it would quickly hide behind the bush and the other two would jut their heads out like ‘Whack-a-Mole.’ If that wasn’t enough, the one directly behind the tree was peeking above a bush that had to be over eight feet tall.

I couldn’t comprehend how fast and fluid this bear must be to look over the bush, and then duck its head. I’d always seen bears struggling to balance while standing, slowly rising, then falling to get off two feet. This bear was faster and more agile than I was! As soon as the light was directed at it, it shot down – just to shoot up as soon as we shined the light at the new head popping out on the side.

Austin suggested we should take out our firearms for protection. Recognizing he was afraid, I agreed it was probably the best course of action. Yet, I did not get any threatening indication from them, so I wasn’t scared.

As soon as I drew out my 1911 WWII .45, the three giant bears galloped away from us on all fours so fast that they were out of sight within seconds. Unfortunately, that was of no benefit to us, since the “bears” went into the trees on the path we were planning to take, making it impossible for us to keep an eye on them. We stood there, unsure what to do because we felt uneasy moving in that direction.

I commented to Austin how unusual it was to see three adult bears together, and how strange their movements were. The behaviors we saw didn’t make sense. They were not the behaviors of bears. I couldn’t understand how they maneuvered with such agility, and how they instantly knew we had drawn our pistols and fled the scene in haste. I might have understood a fear of rifles but not pistols.

Austin didn’t have much to say since there was much to contemplate. As for me, I was highly suspicious of what we had seen and couldn’t get it out of my head. The way they moved, the interest they showed in us, the way they had been following us from up the timbered slope. If I hadn’t looked to my right, they would have just moved across the flat to that bush, and neither of us would have been the wiser.

We probably waited about twenty minutes before deciding to press forward. Still perplexed and unsure if we were safe, we continued with our lights on and our handguns drawn for about a mile and a half until we ran into a forest service road. We felt safe enough to put the weapons away, but our heads were still on swivels looking for any eye-shine that might indicate these things were still following us.

It took another couple of hours to reach the Jeep and another two hours to get home. By the time this adventure was over it was close to daybreak at 5 A.M . . .

Mateo Argüello

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If you enjoyed this short story, I invite you to read “the rest of the story” in my novel series, “Rising Wind,” Book 5 “Rock My Soul.” This book is filled with action, adventure, and mystery, celebrating Native American culture while exploring diverse cultures worldwide.

It would make a fantastic holiday gift for the avid readers on your Christmas list and may be purchased from Amazon.  https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B01LWDB4K7/allbooks