Keep the Tradition of Storytelling Alive with Rural Haunts

There’s something timeless about gathering around and sharing stories—the kind of stories that make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, that leave you with more questions than answers, and that linger in your mind long after the tale is told. In rural places like the Gunnison Valley, these stories are part of the landscape, passed down from generation to generation or whispered among friends around a campfire. And yet, so many of them remain untold. I want to change that.

For the last 30 years, since making this valley my home, I’ve been hearing glimpses of the unexplained—cattle mutilations out on the range, hunting camps encountering a ghostly "woman in white," cabins haunted by echoes of the past, Bigfoot sightings deep in the backcountry, and time loops that defy logic. These are the stories that, for whatever reason, don’t always find a place in the mainstream, but they live on in the collective memory of this land.

And that’s where Rural Haunts comes in. I want to hear your stories, whether they are firsthand encounters with the supernatural or tales passed down through the grapevine. Maybe your family has been in the Gunnison Valley for generations and you’ve heard whispers of haunted roads or mysterious lights in the sky. Maybe you’ve experienced something strange yourself—something you’ve never quite been able to explain. Whether it's a cryptic occurrence on an isolated ranch or a fleeting brush with the unknown, your story deserves to be told.

Storytelling isn’t just about entertainment; it’s about preserving the mysteries and lore that connect us to our environment and our history. In a place as wild and untamed as the rural west, these stories help us make sense of the unknown, reminding us that there’s more to this world than meets the eye.

By sharing your encounters, you become part of that storytelling tradition, keeping it alive for future generations. I’m working on writing a book and launching a podcast series, both under the name Rural Haunts, to preserve these accounts. If you’ve got a story—whether it’s about an eerie encounter or a legend passed down—let me tell it for you. You can even remain anonymous if you’d like.

The rural west is full of stories that need to be heard. Together, we can keep those mysteries alive. Head over to Rural Haunts and submit your tale. Let’s make sure the unknown stays part of our world.

— Rural Haunts, where the strange and supernatural have a home.Keep the Tradition of Storytelling Alive with Rural Haunts