Distance to Object(s) & Altitude

1-2 miles

Shape of Object(s)

Glowing orbs

Color of Object(s):

Orange

Full Description & Details

In the summer of 1974, my parents and I were staying in a cabin at the Mesa Verde National Monument in southern Colorado. The cabin had a deck which looked out toward the edge of the mesa about a mile away and beyond to the desert. We were sitting on the deck after dark enjoying the desert night when we saw a group of bright orange orbs ascend from the desert floor. The point from which they ascended might have been 1-2 miles away, as they seemed to rise from a point that was hidden by the elevation drop of the edge of the mesa. In all, there were 5 or 6 of the orbs. They arose at irregular intervals over a period of several minutes. Once in the air, they moved in very erratic ways, sometimes hovering or floating, then suddenly shooting at incredible rates of speed and gaining altitude almost with the apeed of a projectile fired from a gun. Most amazingly, they would stop and start these movements instantly, without any acceleration or deceleration. I would guess that they went to altitudes of two miles or more, as they would be so distant as to look smaller than any of the thousands of stars which were visible that night, then suddenly would plunge back toward the earth and again stop suddenly and hover.

The orbs interacted with each other, that is to say they would sometimes join together in formations or follow each other, sometimes they were moving separately and apparently randomly. My father was a career military officer who was intimately familiar with aircraft, artillery, flares and so forth and he was completely amazed and baffled by what we saw. We had an excellent pair of large Leica binoculars which we used to watch the objects, and they really showed no detail, the things were apparently almost nothing but bright points of light.

There was absolutely no sound generated by these objects. Anyone familiar with the desert knows how quiet it is and how a sound can carry great distances. While we were watching this phenomenon, we commented on the fact that we heard a motorcycle engine from a distance of several miles, and it was the only sound in the environment.

We watched this display for well over two hours, finally quitting and going to bed. This was an experience none of us has ever forgotten, and we have discussed it many, many times over the last 30 years.

Witness Background

I am an architect, my father was a military officer, my mother a homemaker.

Reported Sighting? 

Reported To: 

Age: