Voices near and far: The tunnel in the Stanley Hotel’s basement is the focus of many paranormal activities, including voices, children playing, and running feet. PHOTO BY OMAYRA ACEVEDO[/caption]

From the Historic Stanley Hotel in Estes Park to the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver, and the Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs to the Buffalo Billy’s Casino in Cripple Creek, there are numerous accounts of paranormal activity in the Centennial State.

There are also stories of doors slamming, sounds of footsteps in empty homes, apparitions of men and women dressed in period attire, voices crying out, and the feeling of being watched by residents living in the Peak to Peak region.

One town is known for its interactions between residents, visitors, and the supernatural. Ward, Colorado, is generally known for its rich mining history but also for the countless spirits who thrive among the living.

In 1871, the story of the Purple Bishop who rode in a large covered wagon pulled by a black horse, was associated with the many disappearances of men around town. Legend has it that he only showed his face, which was covered by the hood of his purple robe, to those who would disappear within a few hours or days.

Our second story begins in March of 2012. Spring snow covered the ground, and our Ward resident was settling into their new home. While sitting on a chair, home alone, playing the guitar, a young girl’s voice was heard asking, “Is she dead?”

The resident stood, trying to find the source of the voice, asking, “Is who dead?” With no one else in sight, the resident questioned if perhaps they had died. Suddenly, the energy in the room shifted, just as it does when a large group of people get up and move to one side.

Nothing else was heard or felt. That’s until a few months later when orbs traveled from the bathroom to the kitchen, and conversations with and between three girls began. Questioning if they had gone insane, the resident didn’t do much.

One evening, as the resident enjoyed an adult beverage and a few other delicacies, a sense of calm and peace filled the cabin. The next morning, a voice seemingly coming from the shower was heard saying, “The medium got me high.”

As said resident approached the bathroom, they felt as if someone had smacked them across the face. Not knowing what to do, they kept their experiences silent. Time passed, and they learned a group investigating paranormal activity was visiting the local Millsite Inn.

Minutes after the investigators left Ward, a thump was heard and felt on the roof. Upon looking into it, there was nothing there. Yet, unexplained things began to occur, convincing the resident and a few others that investigators had disturbed something.

One evening, as the resident listened to Johnny Cash, they noticed an entity swirling around the cabin. Later, the same entity was seen sitting in an Adirondack chair. Though having the same essence as Cash, it wasn’t him.

Later, through serendipitous events, the resident learned the entity they saw dancing in a swirl around the cabin and sitting on the chair was a relative. While living in the cabin, the resident never felt their life was in danger.

Though the resident has since moved out of Ward, the experiences continue.

Whether one believes paranormal experiences are physiological, psychological, hallucinations, or a product of some environmental phenomenon, we must admit that some things are unexplainable, leaving us to question whether or not there is a breakable veil between the living and the dead.

To read more about Colorado’s haunted places, visit the following websites: https://www.historycolorado.org/haunting-granthumphreys, https://royalgorgeregion.com/haunted-cripple-creek/, https:// medium.com/@jazon/the-purplebishop 750d106ab305, and https:// www.stanleyhotel.com/about.html.