Since the days of the earliest pioneers and settlers, people in the area of Chinati Peak have seen a glowing orb, about the size of a basketball, suspended in mid-air. The light that emanates from the unexplained object ranges in apparent intensity, from a mere twinkle to a blinding glare. The peculiar orb has been known to materialize, move about, split into twin spheres, and re-form in front of confused and astounded witnesses. According to local folklore, the lights are believed to be many things: Alaste’s spirit, the reflections of Spanish gold, the hidden treasures of Pancho Villa, “brujas” (witches) who are learning to fly, and most recently, UFOs.”
The Chinati Mountains of Texas are a small range in the high desert of far West Texas near the city of Presidio. There is a pass through the mountains on Ranch to Market Road 2810, also known as Pinto Canyon Road, which connects to Farm to Market Road 170 at Ruidosa, Texas. Some believe the range derives its name from the Apache word ch'Ãná'itÃh, which means gate or mountain pass.
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| Chinati Mountains |
Local legend attributes the source of the spook light to the spirit of the Apache chief Alsate, who was tricked into offending a tribal manitou after he had been betrayed by some Mexican soliders. According to legend, Alsate’s eternal punishment is to wander the Big Bend region of Texas; it is the chief’s glowing spirit that people see when they witness a manifestation of the spook light of Chinati Peak.
In part because of this legend, the nearby Chinati Mountains are called the Ghost Mountains.
Some observers of the ghost light have attributed the source of the eerie illumination to the reflection of the moonlight on deposits of mica that are in the cliffs and crags of the mountain. However, this theory does not explain how the brightly glowing orb is visible on nights when the moon is hidden behind thick banks of cloud.
Some residents maintain that the ghostly light is seen under only two conditions: either just before or immediately following rain. Others argue that they have seen the light dozens of times when the land has been bone dry.
Skeptics believe that the lights are simply car headlights skimming across the mountains, but that would not explain sightings in the last century, or the fact that the lights often move in circles or zig zag formations. Others have argued that the lights are nothing more than ball lightening, reflections, mirages, swamp gas, or static electricity, but scientists have not been able to prove that any of those phenomena could happen in West Texas terrain with such regularity.
Sources:
Real Ghosts,Restless Spirits,And Haunted Places by Brad Steiger
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