Infinite, tiny mystery lights in the Okanagan Highlands of NE WA State

[OpposableThumbs]

Hello All! I’m new here and wanted to share an odd experience I had last summer. Any insights?

In mid-August of 2021, my girlfriend and I went camping with four friends in Okanagan country in North central / eastern Washington State. For those of you that are familiar with the area, we camped about 15 miles northeast of Tonasket on private land that sits around 1500 feet above sea level. The land there is commonly referred to as high desert, but we were definitely in a pine forest. 

 

We retired to the tent shortly after the night had gone completely dark. Given the time of year it must’ve been around 10:30 p.m.. Later, we were both roused from our sleep because our tent was filled with a faint, yet unmistakeable and all encompassing light - it’s brightness akin to a night in the country when there is a full moon.  I don’t know the stage of the moon on this particular night, but the sky was clear and definitely not a full moon. 

 

After rubbing my eyes a bit, I asked my girlfriend if she knew what it was. She thought it was one of our friends messing with us… I told her it wasn’t bright enough in there to be a flashlight or anything else they would use - and no one was making any noise. I got out of the tent to investigate (despite her protests). I stepped into what felt a bit like a dream but was definitely real. I know this because my girlfriend experienced it, too. It looked as if the stars had fallen from the sky and found a new home in the forest.

 

Around me, in every direction, was an infinite number of small, silvery lights. They were static in their illumination in that they did not brighten or dim. Some flashed while others remained as they were. Some of them moved slowly, others  zoomed away, their trail leavingt a small silvery streak in the air… while others didn’t move at all and remained in place. They differed in size but were all very small. There was so many of them that it was impossible to count. They seemed infinite. In every direction I turned or walked they were there. They went as far into the woods and up into the air as I could see. It should be noted that with every step I took those that were in my path would move out of the way, as if a consciousness or consciousnesses were talking care to make sure that I and the lights did not touch. 

 

I stopped walking about 10 feet from the tent and spent a couple minutes trying to take it all in. Fireflies? Lightning Bugs? I didn’t think so… we don’t have them in WA State and there was far too may of these lights to be that. I also know of a tree fungus that glows in the dark… maybe it’s spores do, too? But, as far as I know, that’s only found in the rain forests out on the Olympic Penninsula - several hundred miles from where I was. 

 

I spent a few more minutes standing amongst them - watching them move about and trying to figure out what I was surrounded by. I couldn’t do it… and was starting to have trouble thinking clearly at all. Nothing made sense and I was beginning to feel a little lost and confused. So lost that I turned around quickly in a bit of a panic to gather my bearings. I was only about 20 feet from the tent. My girlfriend’s head was poking out of the flap and I could see her mouth moving but couldn’t hear her. I moved closer and was finally able to make out what she was saying. She was simply stating that I needed to come back into the tent because this was scaring her. The only fear I personally felt was confusion and a sense of not knowing totally where I was. The lights themselves did not scare me. I don’t consider myself a tough guy of any kind… I just didn’t feel as if the lights themselves were menacing in any way.

 

I don’t remember much after that… I know I made it back to the tent because I woke up in it. I started to tell her about a dream I had and she stopped me to tell me it was real. She had seen all of the little lights, too and reminded me that she had asked me to come back into the tent.

 

While eating breakfast, I asked if anyone else had seen the lights last night. No one had. They all looked at us a little funny… and made jokes about maybe we drank too much that day. Neither of us had drank a drop (not that we don’t enjoy a drink every now and then)

 

I’d actually forgotten about this until something completely unrelated triggered the memory today. I haven’t been able to shake the memory for hours now.  I resumed internet searches on mystery lights that I had started upon my return from the camping trip. That search led me to this forum.

 

Thanks for reading and any insights offered! 

 

Just a little more about the land: My friend has 20 acres of almost 100% undeveloped, forested land. It sits in the shadow of Mt. Bonaparte. There’s a small creek that runs though it but it dries in the summer months. It’s in a fairly remote part of the state. The nearest town is several miles away and is small (pop. 1214). The nearest city of any size is Omak, WA… about an hours drive from where we camped. The land itself was a former homestead that had been parceled out. There’s an old well, and the remnants of a log cabin and pig sty. No one has lived on the land for at least 50 years. There are a few game trails. It’s not fenced - free range cattle wander through on occasion. I’ve seen deer, various birds (including wild turkeys), various rodents, raccoons and a badger. It sits on the ancestral lands of the Colville Federation of Tribes

[+Desertrat56]

Could it be a string of starlink satelites?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starlink

[OpposableThumbs]

Thanks... but not a string of satellites. These lights were at ground level.

[Hyperionxvii]

Interesting. The way you describe it, I suspect some sort of bioluminescent life form like a firefly. Have you researced the possibility of something like that existing in your area?

[papageorge1]

On 4/21/2022 at 2:15 PM, OpposableThumbs said:

It sits on the ancestral lands of the Colville Federation of Tribes

Just a hunch that something spiritual/paranormal is involved. Especially when they seemed to have intelligence to move in response to your movement. Spirits might be able to take this form.

Or some type of bug in mating season.

 

[quiXilver]

Fasinating story.  Thank you for sharing.

[LadyPhoenix]

If you've ever seen fireflies/lightning bugs, I'd bet you could state that these didn't look like those at all.  A large bunch of them can be pretty cool, but wouldn't look like stars.  Tree fungus could be there, but it wouldn't move.  So, whatever you saw, I don't think it was either of those.  All in all, this sounds a lot like what some previous generations would have called fairy lights.  Remarkably similar stories between old "fairy encounters" and modern "alien encounters".  The disorientation that you felt and the fear that your girlfriend felt both fit in with that idea. It's a shame that neither of you got a photo or video, though if you'd tried, you likely would have failed.  Some things seem impossible to photograph. 

Since then, if you don't mind my asking, have you had any other unusual experiences?  Odd people, strange sounds, anything? 

Quite interesting story.