The Hooper Report

Story by Bruce Stampley Photos by Bruce & Lori Stampley

The quiet sky of the San Luis Valley of Colorado glows faintly in the night. In the tiny community of Hooper, just three miles from the famous Colorado Gator Farm (that's right, Alligators in Colorado ), sits a tower. It is not tall as towers go, but it is special. It is the UFO Watchtower of Hooper. It could be that it is another Alien Area, like the famous one in Roswell .

There have been the stories for years. Like Roswell , most of the reports of sightings of Unidentified Flying Objects, abductions and cattle mutilation, have been dismissed as the rantings of overzealous believers or folks that had found the mother lode of whoopee weed.

But there are a few that remain enigmatic. The stories told by the old rancher jive with the reports by local teens. What gives? Are they really out there?

The folks at Judy Messoline's ranch in Hooper think so. Last year, about three hundred believers, gawkers and curiosity seekers spent the weekend at the UFO Watchtower on the Messoline Ranch. This all started as a gag. Five years ago, when the bottom fell out of the cattle market in Colorado , the Messolines were forced to sell off their herd. Faced with the question of what to do with the section of land they owned, Judy and her husband decided to take one of their friends up on a gag idea.

They would build a Tower in the middle of their six hundred forty acres and let the Folks who believed in the UFO phenomena to set up shop there on weekends. So, on what had been the site of an intended RV park, a tower was built. And they did come…in droves. It seems as though there are many people of reported sound mind who truly believe that we are not alone. As the word got out about the Tower in Hooper, UFO believers began to call asking directions and inquiring about sightings and accomadations.

Oddly enough, as people began to come, there were more reports of “sightings”, almost as if the Others were waiting for an opportunity to make contact.

Judy and her husband are hard working, no nonsense ranch people with a strong sense of dignity and right, but Judy recognized that something was indeed happening. She contacted MUFON and several of the non-government groups that research the Flying Saucer phenomena.

Five years later, those contacts have blossomed into a small, but unique experience for the adventurous and curious. Last year about three hundred people from all walks of life showed up for the annual UFO conference. UFO experts from all over the country come to give talks. “Abductees” are there to share their experiences. CNN sends a reporter, and journalists from as far away as Japan come to cover the event.

In the evenings there is a general air of expectation as the overnighters barbecue their dinners, wait for the appearance of an alien ship, and swap stories of UFO's and abductions.

Do the UFO's know there is an interest? Have any of the participants and onlookers seen a flying saucer? That, in this writer's opinion remains to be seen. Some folks say they have seen alien ships in the night sky….I couldn't stay awake long enough.

Lori (my wife) and I went back to Alamosa , Colorado and spent the night in the air-conditioned comfort of the Best Western Hotel.

While in Alamosa, visit the famous Colorado Alligator Farm. You can hand feed the gators and listen to the jaws snap shut. Then, to calm your nerves there are several bars and eateries in town. One of the fun ones is the Purple Pig, known by Bikers everywhere but friendly to us tourist types as well. A great steak can be had at Efrem's Hideaway Steakhouse on 8th street . The steaks are big, done like you like them and the place reminds one of a John Wayne movie set.

This year the Hooper UFO Watchtower gathering will be held on August the 13 th and 14 th . You can get all the information you need by visiting the website www.ufowatchtower.com

Hooper is smack in the middle of some of Colorado 's prettiest irrigated farmland and easily gotten to in about four hours leisurely drive from Denver or Albuquerque . For a listing of hotels, motels and campgrounds, the Alamosa Chamber of Commerce has a great website.

Go and see if you can spot a flying whatsis…and let me know if you see one.