In recent days, two ‘creepy encounters’ have been reported in the area of the same 14,007-foot peak in Colorado. While local law enforcement looked into the situation and didn’t find anything, it felt worth covering the topic in the event that a potential safety concern exists. At the least, the encounters can serve as a reminder for trailgoers to be aware of their surroundings and make a report if something feels amiss.

The peak in question is Mount of the Holy Cross, located in Eagle County. Both reports of ‘creepy encounters’ stemming from the area were published in a hiking-related Facebook group by members of the group.

Editor’s Note: For the sake of privacy, the names of those who made the reports have been omitted from this piece, as has the name of the Facebook group where the reports were published.

The first report was published in the Facebook group on June 22. This report is brief, but references an “old creepy dude” who was reportedly using a flashlight to look into vehicles at the Mount of the Holy Cross trailhead. According to the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office, their agency doesn’t have a record of an official report on this encounter coming in, nor did they mention any sort of escalatory acts, like a vehicle break-in, for example.

While that report may involve some odd trailhead behavior and an invasive of privacy, a second report related to events that reportedly took place on the afternoon of June 24 comes off as a bit more disturbing.

This report involves two female hikers who were reportedly followed by a man in his mid-20s to 30s while descending the Mount of the Holy Cross. Per that report, the man was hiding in nearby trees and bushes, “being intentional about staying close and wanting them to watch him,” reportedly while putting rocks in his shirt.

The hiking pair was able to create some distance from the man, though one of the women reportedly saw him continuing to follow. Thankfully, the two women made it back to their vehicle and safely left the area.

As far as this second incident goes, a call to the sheriff’s office about the situation was made and it prompted as deputy response. Per the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office, the deputy who headed out to the area didn’t find anything at the scene.

Descriptions provided by those making reports don’t seem to indicate that they involve the same party. It’s unlikely either scenario will offer much of a conclusion as it doesn’t seem like any sort of official investigation will be conducted.

That said, both scenarios serve as a good reminder for hikers around Colorado to be aware of situations that feel amiss. Don’t hesitate to report odd encounters in outdoor recreation spaces to local law enforcement, as this can help keep the outdoors safer for all.

In general, most data tends to point to crime being lower per capita in outdoor recreation spaces, though it proved difficult to pin down a definitive study that relates specifically to Colorado’s trails. With that said, encounters of this nature shouldn’t be viewed as a reason to skip the hike, but they should be viewed as a reason to take certain safety precautions while planning for an adventure.

Here are a few tips that can help make venturing into the backcountry safer:

1. Always tell somewhere where you’re going and when you’re expecting to be back.
2. Hiking with friends tends to mean a safer situation, whether you’re looking to avoid a creepy encounter, stay safe around animals, or otherwise.
3. It’s never a bad idea to pack pepper spray or bear spray.
4. Stay up-to-date on local crime reporting. When an issue like vehicular break-ins at a certain trailhead is ongoing, this will generally make the news cycle.
5. Stay alert while on the trail. This can mean avoiding headphones, but it will also help you better spot other trail traffic, wildlife, weather changes, and other risks.
6. If you’re leaving valuable items behind in your vehicle, make sure they’re out of sight.
7. Be familiar with your route ahead of time and have a reliable means of navigating the trail once you’re there.
8. Make sure you’ve got connection in the backcountry. A lot of the time, relying on cellular connection isn’t a great option. Consider utilizing a GPS-enabled communication device (note: some modern cell phones have this capability – find out if yours is one of those and know how to use it; but also note that dedicated GPS-communication devices tend to have better battery life than a phone).

It can’t be stressed enough – this article isn’t meant to instill fear. It’s mean to be a reminder to stay alert and keep safety at top of mind.

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