Northwoods Supernatural

In October the SIM crew took to the road and investigated a property we believed to have supernatural activity.  The property is a large, 110+ acre affair with several abandoned buildings set back in the woods thick with birch and conifer.  The place is ripe with history, but to tell any of it here I would have to divulge the name and place, which I won't do.  We were allowed on this property for our investigation only if we agreed to keep the location, name, and nearby towns confidential.  What I will say is that my husband Jerry's father grew up nearby, and it was this connection that brought us there.

We had five members of the SIM including me on this wild and woolly investigation.  My daughter Kacie, one of our crew, opted to stay at home and care for our three cats and dog while we were away.  The property is enormous, and I remember wondering just how we would tackle an investigation of this magnitude while we walked around it in the day.

Well, we arrived on site around 9:00 that evening.  It was a chilly 38 degrees, the sky was clear and the moon was bright and almost full.  It was just a week until Halloween, that time of year when the veil between the living and the dead is at his thinnest.  With the full moon, and the big trees looming all around us it was a perfect night for a ghost hunt.  It was quiet back there in the woods, and I thought perfect EVP conditions.

We began by setting up our equipment.  The first event happened shortly after we arrived.   While Katie and I were setting up night vision video recorders in one of the buildings, Jerry came quickly in, exploding with excitement, and said that while he was setting up another infrared video recorder in another building he saw a shadow move past him.  Attributing this as a paranormal presence, he was quite worked up (as I would be), but by the time we got there with him it was gone, and wouldn't return to us that evening.  Too late. 

All of us had personal experiences during the investigation.  As a sensitive, I knew there were spirits watching us there.  In the building where we had set up two night vision video cameras I know there was someone in the corner. We heard knocking and I physically felt a presence there.

Several times as I moved about outside from building to building I felt that odd, heavy, electrically charged feeling of paranormal presence near me.  I felt that the site is definitely the home of otherworldly spirits, why are they there?  We always ask why, but we never will know the answer.  I do know that it is place of great history and thus they could be spirits of Native Americans, early settlers, even passed over people from a more modern time.   Spirits from any and all of these categories of peoples are certainly possible.  What were their stories?  I'd love to know, but in all probability we will never know.  You know as a history major, I've always been fascinated by old stories.  The world of paranormal investigating is really finding stories in the end isn't it?  Well, I'd like to think so anyhow. 

While we were investigating in one of the buildings, we felt sure that there was a paranormal presence with us. Jerry asked it to repeat a number he had softly spoken into his hand, inaudible for the rest of us. I distinctly heard a soft raspy voice clearly say "4", and afterward I asked if 4 was the number. Jerry was shocked and I stated I had heard it clearly. When we listened to our recording, it was there, without a doubt. Apparently it also wanted us out of there as we also hear "get out" on the recording as well.  It was in this same spot that Katie, Jerry and me all felt the presence of a spirit.  The two photos below tell the story clearly.  One minute there was nothing there; the next the space was filled with orbs, as if a ghost was trying to manifest. 

An Empty Room





The same room a few seconds later.  Orbs are clearly visible.

 THE STORY OF MURDER ROAD

When we interviewed the property owners, they told us about the "Murder Road".    They called it that because a man who was murdered at the edge of the property on a road there but didn't have any further information.  We asked Jerry's dad about this story, and he told us what he remembered, and the tale follows.  

Murder Road

Seventy plus years ago, a man who owned a farm near the site kept sheep and one race horse.  This man also had military background, and the locals say he was crazy in the head.  The man was good with a gun, you might call him a sharp shooter, and he would shoot animals in the distance just because he could.  A very mean and vulgar individual, he would leave the animals to suffer terrible deaths.  He would also take shots at the kids walking by, and they all knew not to go any closer than about a quarter of a mile.  One fateful day, this ex-military man lost his mind.  He shot his friend who was coming to visit between the eyes on that road and killed him.  After he killed him, he went back to his property, confessed to the sheriff what he had done and proceed to slit the throats of all his sheep, killing them in a bloodbath.

A crazy and most deadly happening to be sure, and we have been unable as of yet to find true documentation of this story.  I am hopeful that we will have some time to check out the local historical records next time we are up that way, so that we can hopefully substantiate the story. 

After hearing about this "Murder Road" two of our investigators, Mae and George, decided to walk out on that road at the start of our investigation.  With the light of the moon leading their way, they walked to the end of the road and were placing their night vision video camera when suddenly they heard horse noises, like heavy blowing and foot clomps.  They feared they would be trampled the sound was so near and so real.  Thankfully nothing happened to them and though they discovered a fence, they found no evidence of any horses or other hoofed animals.  Could this be the ghost of the race horse that belonged to the crazy military man?  It definitely falls in to the weird and unexplainable category, and we don't know with absolute positivity whether this horse they heard was real or phantom, but it's quite intriguing experience on this investigation.

EVIDENCE ANALYSIS, REVEAL AND MY CONCLUSIONS

It was a fabulous investigation, and we had a lot of experiences.  When we analyzed all the data we found several voices in various parts of the property.  Some in answer to our questions, some just stating something, and some that we feel is a voice saying the same thing over and over again voices indicating a second type of haunting as well, one that is termed residual haunting.

We had left a voice recorder in the first building we entered and did EVP work, that honestly, I had no inclination of a supernatural presence in.  Boy was I surprised at what we found on the recording!  Constant moving around when the space was empty, footsteps, closing of doors, and a voice that says "LISTEN".

All in all this investigation was definitely one for the books.  It was exciting and very interesting, especially the story we heard about the murder there early in the last century.  The two property representatives made me feel very welcome there, and I enjoyed the gals coming along with us on our hunt for the supernatural.

We revealed the evidence in late November to about a dozen people.  We have been invited back and are looking forward to another hunt there next year and I will definitely be spending a little more time in that one building where we caught all the activity on our recorder.  Who knows?  Perhaps that's the most haunted of the bunch!

The official field notes will be published on http://www.siminnesota.com/ soon, so check them out!





Spirits all around us.......

When I started this foray into ghost hunting, I really didn't know what to expect.  I mean yes, I am a "sensitive" and have always been able to sense a ghostly presence.  In addition, I have been an avid watcher of Ghost Hunters since they hit the airwaves.  I knew places were haunted, heck I had seen several ghosts during my life.  But, never did I really think that they were all around us all the time!

On most investigations we have been on we have found some sort of supernatural presence.  Of course actually seeing a ghost in front of you whether it be a dark shadow or an actual apparition is pretty rare, and snapping a photo of one is even rarer; but the EVP's we have acquired are phenomenal.  Listening to ghostly voices certainly make me believe that yes, Stephie, ghostly presences are in way more places than I would have ever imagined before becoming a paranormal investigator.

The SIM crew has been extraordinarily busy the past few months with investigations, reviews, and reveals.  We have had some pretty amazing experiences.  All of us on the team have had personal experiences, but the voices we have captured on EVP's are astounding.  Some of them have actually answered our questions, some are just making statements, and some we believe are repititious, what we call a residual haunting.

The ancient Celtics believed that the dead are in our world, living here with us but beyond the veil, in another dimension of some sort.  As I journey through paranormal investigations I am coming to the conclusion that the Celtics really did know what they were talking about. 

I believe that people with a great faith in God enter the paradise that Jesus promised us when they pass on.  So who are the spirits we are talking to?  Well, I believe that they are lost souls, who either didn't have God in their lives, or they are tethered to our world for some reason beyond our comprehension. 

It's interesting stuff, isn't it?

The SIM Crew on the Road in Northern Minnesota

A full moon on a chilly night in Northern Minnesota

A week ago, the SIM crew went on the road to beautiful northern Minnesota.  It had been years since I had been in Bemidji, the place I went to college and also the place I met my hubby.  Bemidji has changed - a lot, it isn't the same old place I remember that's for sure.  Some places are the same, but as you drive into town on the south side I barely recognized the place of my wild college days.

We drove on to Blackduck, about 30 miles to the north and checked into a cabin on Blackduck Lake.  Now, the photos on the website for the resort looked fabulous.  However, on the sidewalk leading to the office were three sunfish/crappies all laying in a net, dying as we saw them.  One of the kids came and grabbed them, I thought to end their misery so I held my tongue.  But, can you say animal cruelty?  They were laying there helpless, their gills moving up and down, dying a slow and tortuous death.  I believe it was a harbinger of what was to come.

When the owner showed us the cabin, we noticed a ton of flies in the front windows.  The woman laughed and said they were waking up with the warmth and didn't bother to take care of them.  Now, I am not fussy, but ick.  Jerry got the vacuum out and vacuumed them all up, while Katie and I put away all the food and equipment had brought with.  I eyed the bedroom wondering if there were little critters there, as I spied a couple mouse turds.  Ah well, it was a cabin and it is Fall, right? 

We didn't spend much time there as we had an appointment to meet with a Native American paranormal group.  The Native American Paranormal Society had six members in attendance to meet with us.  We got along fabulously well, and exchanged ghost stories and showed pictures and well, had a very fun meeting with them.  I can see our teams working together in the future as they have much to offer to us, especially so when working on cases on Native american lands, they speak fluent Ojibwa, and would understand any voices speaking this language, as we wouldn't.

That night, when we were about to turn in for the night, I pulled back the covers and viola!  Mouse/Rat poison was in the bed!  Unacceptable to say the least.   Mae and George in the other bedroom  pulled  back their covers to find, yes, more of the same, along with an acorn and mouse turds!  Needless to say, there was no way I was sleeping in that cabin, so I called the office.  Of course they were sleeping and to my surprise they didn't even offer to come on over and have a look. 

We packed up all our equipment, clothing, and food and headed to Bemidji.  Now what's so funny about this is that there was a big Hockey Tournament in town, and there was only one room to be had - at the Super 8.  So the FIVE of us crammed into this little room with two double beds, a cot, and all our equipment and luggage  There was no place to walk, but you know it was oddly funny.  We laughed and laughed about this predicament.  And so there it is.  The team all together in one little room.  Too funny.

The hotel staff were wonderful, and loved loved loved the idea that we were paranormal investigators.  They made us feel a bit like celebrities, and you know most of them had a supernatural experience to tell us about.  It was fabulous, even if it it was like a big pj party and you had to wait to use the biffy ;)

All day Saturday we talked and talked to the people of Bemidji about the supernatural, and almost everyone we spoke to had a story to tell.  As we shopped in an antique store, Jerry, Mae and I all felt something in the back part of the store by the books.  We asked the owner if she had ever experienced anything paranormal.  She told us she hadn't but an employee had.  Luck was with us and we found this employee and chatted with him a bit.  He told us that he had seen and felt a presence in the same place we did.  Interesting, is it not? 

We visited with so many Bemidjians who had paranormal stories to tell, that I believe we will definitely be going back there for some more investigations in the future.  But what was so fantastic was that people were EAGER to share their ghostly encounters with us and all of them took our cards and were impressed.  Now that, my friends is, an awesome feeling. 

Our investigation on Saturday night was back in the big woods.  A chilly 30 degree evening, a full moon, and a clear sky made a perfect setting for a late October ghost hunt.

The SIM Crew had some personal experiences, and encountered lots of activity during the investigation.  There were several times when I felt spirits throughout the 110+ acre property.  The dense tingly electric feeling that I get when there are ghosts near I felt many times during the night.  Several pictures I shot show orbs on every part of the property.  It is felt that true orbs are indicative of paranormal presences.   

Look to the right of the Birch Tree - an true orb.  Orbs made up of moisture and are not paranormal are located on the left hand side of this photo.  The difference is clear.

Stories told to us about the property included the story of a man murdered along the property edge,  and so we put one of our night vision cameras there for the length of our investigation.  Talk of electricians who were working there and upon taking their leave said they would never return.  The workers indicated that there was something in there, they didn't know what but they wouldn't set foot on the property again.  Well, we did feel and hear something in that spot.  Hopefully we will have evidence to back it up. 

Personally, I feel the that there is paranormal presence there, as I felt and heard something in several spots throughout the property.  Jerry saw a dark shadow move through a building at one point, and a balloon we had placed on a table, moved without the help of any breeze or human or animal help.

It was a long investigation, and we have hours and hours of video and voice to go through before we come to a conclusion.  The results to come, but I would like to thank Nancy and Anne for being such wonderful hosts who fed us homemade yummy frosted ginger cookies!  YUM!

Stay tuned my friends for the conclusion of our northern road trip.



Oh and, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!