1995-01-01 - Mount Charleston, NV - Oval

Large, dark, silent, graceful object with lights seen moving up canyon

We (friend and myself) were coming down the mountain after finishing up some work on a bed & breakfast project. We were at a point in the canyon that begins to open up (and eventually turns into flat desert about three or four miles further ahead of where we say the object.) The night was clear. There was enough natural light from the stars that you could see the cabins and ranches though not much detail. The other side of the canyon terrain was visible. It wasn't "pitch dark."

All of a sudden we noticed movement in the canyon just ahead of us. We could not make out WHAT we saw because the object was dark. There was an eery silence. We both saw it and slowed down to view it. It was in the center of the canyon heading in the direction (into the canyon) that we were leaving. The massive size of the thing was what struck us as odd, not to mention having no idea as to what we were looking at because it was too big to be going into that area.

We slowed the Suburban down to watch it. It was silent, we could see the outline of it due to the way it blocked out everything. In other words, we could see where it wasn't because the background of the canyon was illuminated enough to outline it. It was as if this thing absorbed light because there was no reflection from it.

We both asked one another "what is that?" It had lights at the front and back. Just small lights. It moved in a graceful manner with simialr motions to that of a helicopter (up, down, sideways, forward backward). There was no sound.

I remember thinking it reminded me of the Hindenburg photos I have seen though it did not look "balloon-like". This thing seemed solid. Just the shape reminded me of it though this was a bit more oval instead of "cigar-shaped" as I would refer to the Hindenburg.

We watched it for a mile or so and then when we looked back again it was gone. There was no way it could have gone into the canyon any further as the canyon narrows. It was too large.

We were probably a quarter of a mile from it when we passed it. Trying to give an idea of its size is difficult. Maybe the size of a DC-10 jet (if you drew an oval around the jet that is.)

I remember being strangely aware of the eerie feeling though not fearful. We both just looked at each other and agreed "that was weird."

I have been told by skeptics that "oh, it was a weather balloon." I disagree though I have no other answer than to explain what I saw.