Ken Arnold Recalls His Otherworldly Encounter

During his first visit to Uma Francine Oldman National Park back in 1968, Ken Arnold experienced something that has stayed with him for most of his life. Now approaching seventy, Ken Arnold recalls his encounter with what he calls an otherworldly visitor.

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I was nearly thirteen when my Ma and Pa took us on a road trip to Uma Francine Oldman National Park. We planned to camp there for a few days with extended family-- something we did every few years or so. When we arrived, my Pa had me help him set up the station wagon with a tent so that I and my younger brother Henry, age nine at the time, could sleep under the stars.

After supper, Henry and I went to explore with our cousin Alan. Naturally, we wanted to look for critters and bugs-- anything we could poke and prod at. Ma and aunt Irene told us not to wander off too far. Of course, we weren't going to mind our elders, and off we went. After an hour or so, we had ventured up the old Sunny Trail to Bane Cave. It was beginning to become dark out as the sun set beneath the opposite side of Oldman Crater. The stars began twinkling in the sky above us. I had heard stories about Bane Cave from kids at school but had never put any stock into the accuracy or truthfulness of them, chalking it all up to urban legend. What I hadn't planned on was seeing what spawned those legends with my own eyes.

Alan dared me to explore the cave. When I hesitated, he teased me that I wouldn't enter the entrance to the cave. I wanted to impress him and show that I was a big kid, not little like Henry. Wanting to protect my little brother, I told Henry to wait for me outside the cave. I knew that my Ma and Pa would kill me if anything happened to him. I told my cousin I'd take his dare and explore the cave.

Alan didn't think I had it in me to enter the cave, but when I stepped foot inside it, his jeers and jabs at me stopped, as did everything else around me. I could feel the blood pumping in my veins slow down. My breathing slowed as well. It was as if I had entered a different world. As I looked around the cave, I heard an unfamiliar sound from deeper within it.

As I inched my way through the cave towards the strange sound, I could feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up straight. The slowing sensations my body had experienced at the entrance of the cave left me as a wave of fear came over me. My pulse quickened and my breath became faster. I realized the sound I was hearing was a low hum like the engine of a large truck idling nearby. I knew caves were no places for loud trucks and so I wondered what could make such a sound.

I felt the silver watch on my wrist begin to act wildly as the clock hands began to speed up. What I hadn’t realized was that whatever it was that was creating the low hum had a strong magnetic pull and my watch was responding to it due to its own magnetism. I was getting closer to whatever was making the hum because its volume suddenly became much louder. It was so loud that it hurt to listen to it. I had to put my hands over my ears and shut my eyes.

The loud, low hum stopped and I was alone with the silence of the cave and the occasional drip of water from the rock above me. That's when I heard it-- footsteps coming closer and closer from further in the cave. Though it was dark, I could see a sign posted on the cave wall near me telling anyone who made it this far to turn back. The cave beyond the sign was very dangerous and prone to collapsing-- I remember reading in school about a businessman named Sunny Duckworth who mined the cave until it collapsed and killed him.

The sound of the footfalls were nearly on top of me. There couldn't be anyone else further in the cave. Perhaps it was the ghost of Sunny Duckworth making those footsteps? I waited to see who it was that was approaching because I was too scared to turn and run. Finally, the footsteps stopped. I peered out into the darkness. I'll never forget what I saw staring back at me. Two non-human eyes faintly glowing at me on top of large fleshy stalks protruding from its head. A large purple hand reached out towards me. Whatever it was, it tried to speak a language I didn't understand. Before it could touch me, I found the strength to turn and run as fast as I could out of the cave.

Henry and Alan were nowhere to be seen. I yelled their names, hoping they were nearby. Luckily, I found them heading back to the camping area. I could barely get the words out, but I managed to catch my breath and point back to the cave and tell them what I saw.

Of course Alan wanted to see for himself, but it was too dark and we needed to head back to camp. We went back to the cave the next day. Alan had me take him to where I had my encounter. There was nothing. No aliens and no low hum. As the week went on, there was no sign of anything unusual. Every time I came back to the park, I visited the cave hoping to see the alien, but I never did see it again.

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Nowadays, Ken Arnold can be seen at the yearly UFO Festival sharing his encounter hearing other festival-goers' otherworldly tales. The UFO Festival is hosted by the National Park Service and sponsored by Galaxy Aerospace. Special thanks to Ken Arnold and his family for sharing his story with us.