Taking a Chance for Peace
A white glittery powder covers menacing ice, hiding from unsuspecting hikers. Just above a treacherous climb up many icy steps lies a frozen waterfall and beneath that frozen landmark, running water. The sounds of the trickling water echo through the icy amphitheater. The pinnacle of the mountain is home to Helen Hunt Falls, named after the poet and Native American activist, Helen Maria Hunt Jackson.
The climb to the pinnacle is not nearly as treacherous as the drive up to the falls from Gold Camp Road. The road is not wide enough for two cars to pass one another, so one of the drivers must find a safe place to pull over since no guardrail or fences exist. Lower Gold Camp Road is a narrow dirt road surrounded by homes of the few elites in Colorado Springs, Colorado. But it is not just a road to some; the road has a history of death and misfortune that some believe are the hauntings of those who have died there.
“Recently, there have been a few murders as well as several dead bodies dumped on Lower Gold Camp road,” said Jennifer Nye, the hotel clerk of Days Inn nearby Manitou Springs. “A long time ago there were Native Americans who were slaughtered on the land where the middle and upper roads were built. Altogether, that road is eerie and I wouldn’t be caught out there at night.”
According to CoSpringsTrails.com, out of the five tunnels that exist on Gold Camp Road, tourists may only drive through the first two. The third tunnel collapsed in 1988 so you can only hike through the third, fourth and fifth tunnels. “There is a legend of a school bus that was crushed in the collapse of the third tunnel,” said Nye. “It says that the spirits of the children, as well as their laughter, can be experienced in all of the tunnels. Although, many say that it is just a story.”
The road after the first tunnel becomes more treacherous due to the winter conditions and the area is less traveled since no one lives along there anymore. The snow and ice have built up creating a resistance against the wheels of Parker’s rented Ford Escape. Suddenly, the back wheels lose traction and the car begins to slowly spin out. “I couldn’t do anything, but we were headed for the edge of the road,” Parker later recalled. “You could see where the road stopped and the straight drop has begun. I know you can’t press the brakes on ice or you’ll make the situation worse so I had no choice but to counter-steer and ride it out.”
The car stops. The windows of the car fog as all three passengers exhale heavily. Now the fear of the next tunnel sets in after their terrifying experience.
The second tunnel is even longer and curved. Strange sounds echo through the tunnel and more painted images of ghosts and graffiti cover the tunnel walls. “We stopped the car and turned it off,” said Parker. “We shut off the lights and kept the windows rolled down.”
“Suddenly, we heard someone shrieking inside the tunnel,” she said. “Everyone in the car looked around at each other. Some stuck their heads out the window looking for someone. I turned the headlights back on, but there was nothing. We decided to drive on, slowly, but the shrieking didn’t stop. It wasn’t until after we left the tunnel that I decided it was the shriek of a bat that we heard. I think Colorado has bats.”
The rest of the drive up the mountain to the base of Helen Hunt Falls Trail is more peaceful, but the dangers of ice and snow build-up are still present. Roughly nine thousand feet above sea-level, the view of snow-capped mountain tops carry on for miles. Amber lights illuminate the grid of the city below Colorado Springs. All that can be heard are the sounds of wind blowing in-between the mountain tops as onlookers’ faces are greeted with a cool mist of snow.
The trail begins with ice-covered stairs leading up to the falls. A vertical, uphill slant awaits hikers trying to reach the pinnacle. With no railings to grasp onto and no safe place to step, they must carefully choose the placement of their feet and be mindful of their balance. The entire hiking trail has a clear view of the waterfall, which is now frozen from the below-freezing temperatures. After crossing a snow-covered bridge, hikers reach the pinnacle of Helen Hunt Falls.
“Our hearts were pounding so hard from the thought of slipping and falling,” said Parker afterward. “But when we reached the top of the waterfall we were greeted with an overwhelming sense of Peace. Not even the climb down could take that feeling away from us.”
