(MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo.) — There’s an eerie feeling; it’s dark, and without the candle lit, and it’s unknown what’s ahead, or what follows behind.
Iron gates lead to the depths of the Cave of the Winds. The metal thought to keep what spirits may lurk in the dark inside.
In moments, gusts of wind flow through the tunnels of the cave, as it breathes, inhaling and exhaling, almost as if the cave itself is living.
“You never know what you’re going to see down here,” confesses Gayle Motter, Supervisor and Tour Guide at Cave of the Winds. “I have tours where people see figures. Apparitions that show up out of the dark and other times it’s very quiet. You never know what you’re going to get.”
The attraction opening its doors for the “My Bloody Valentine Tour,” which runs Feb. 10 – Feb. 14. Those searching to get closer to their sweetheart through perceived ghost activity should book soon, though tours are being added to accommodate.
The spirits said to haunt the halls of the cave include George Snyder, who first explored and opened the cave in the 1880s. “He was the man who discovered this cave. He loved this cave. He spent his life devoted to it, and now he haunts these walls…” Motter said. “I have had people see him… see him clearly enough to identify him out of a photo lineup.”
It’s rumored his wife, Nelly, is also a frequent guest of the cave. “She was known for wearing a rose-scented perfume, and when she likes people she says ‘hello’ to them by gifting them the smell of roses,” Motter commented, reflecting on her own experiences with the scent. “It is a lovely, lovely scent.”
Motter said portions of the cave leave even the tour guides with goosebumps.