When not everyone knows where Shadows in the Desert: High Strangeness in the Borrego Triangle lay, perhaps it’s best to check those road maps! Thankfully, cryptozoology podcasters Derek Hayes (Monsters Among Us) and David Flora (Hysteria 51) know where it is, and I have to commend them for daring to do what others will not–to go camping overnight! Although this region of Southern California is not as famous as others, there’s still plenty of folklore attached.
As for whether they involve aliens or ghosts, just what’s said to lurk here is just as haunting. One of the first places they hit was Solano. Here, the residents had a lot to say, and with no surprise the first topic was Bigfoot! I shouldn’t be surprised, even though I wouldn’t expect this creature to frequent the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park region. I had to do some additional research, and mention the area stretches from Hemet to the Salton Sea and down to the US-Mexico border near Jacumba Hot Springs. Also, I imagine the chupacabra is also lurking nearby.
In what makes this look into this region stand out are the animated sequences. The filmmakers put a lot of effort into developing these cut scenes, and for AI generated sequences, they look quite good. I assume that’s what they used, and could be wrong. The detail offered in these bits look quite good, and when it’s used to illustrate the mystery of the white ladies of the desert, even I felt a chill or two. But as for why they will manifest for some people and not for others makes sense. And when fellow podcaster Sapphire Sandalo nails why these shades like to linger, I can believe it!
No matter where they may roam, they are listless spirits. To determine if that theory applies to other female spirits found on that lonely road, I would need to conduct a study. After watching this segment, I was wondering about Resurrection Mary (Chicago) and if her plight rings true for others too.
As for other urban legends, namely an eight-foot walking skeleton with a burning lantern in its rib cage, I’m going to have to learn more about this tale and adapt it to my next Call of Cthulhu RPG session! I love tales of the Weird West and this documentary delivers! That also includes seeing this team explore a few of the local indigenous tales that have made it to the mainstream, and to hear them say those tales have to be preserved one up’s other shows that dismisses why they are important.
Although the team does not explain why this region is less well-known, this teaser has whetted my appetite. Ultimately, I should travel through one day and do research since I’m passionate about scary tales set in the desert. With national parks like Joshua Tree and Death Valley also nearby, the places to hide a base or covert military ops are vast, and I’m sure this filmmaking duo didn’t want to stir the hornet’s nest too much. What’s presented is only a beginning to exploring what haunts exist in Southern California. Although people widely believe the most well-known haunts are in San Diego, other regions also exist.
3½ Stars out of 5
Shadows in the Desert
High Strangeness in the Borrego Triangle Trailer
Other Mysterious Triangles include:
- Alaska Triangle
- Bass Strait Triangle (Australia)
- The Bay of Biscay (Europe)
- Bennington Triangle
- Bermuda Triangle
- Bridgewater Triangle
- Broad Haven Triangle
- Devil’s Sea
- Dragon’s Triangle
- Falkirk Triangle
- The Hoia Baciu Forest (Romania)
- Lake Michigan Triangle
- Nevada Triangle