- A Haunting in (Camp) Connecticut - Part 1

Earlier I mentioned that my curiosity of the paranormal had been heightened. This post will enlighten you as to why... or at least explain it to you. This is also the precipitous for my new blog.

Mid last week I did a Google search - I don't even remember what I was searching for, but it wasn't paranormal related... YET.. Scrolling through the search results for what-ever it was I was looking for I spied the words "Camp Connecticut", "Colchester" and in the same summary the word "haunted"... WHAT ????

For those who don't know, I happen to live in Colchester, CT, have lived here for 6 years and have never heard of Camp Connecticut, let alone HAUNTED Camp Connecticut. But, boy my mind was racing now !!! "I didn't know we have a haunted campground in town!!!"

Several searches later I was able to determine that indeed there is an "abandoned" (more later) camp (or campground) in town and at least a few people say it is haunted. Being late at night, I was too tired to read the threads on the message boards but I at least needed to find out the location of this place !!!

There was a bit of speculation (which would have been cleared up if I actually read the threads instead of scanning them for an address) as to which road this camp is on, leading me to think that it might not even exist, but finally I was able to determine it's supposed location.

Needless to say the next day one of the first things I did was to drive to this location to at least confirm the camp's existence.... apparently they were right... YES !!!!!!!!! .... as I saw this sign...

and a dirt road blocked by a gate. I also saw many No Trespassing signs.. hmmm

And I must note that as I drove past the entrance for the second time heading back home, a hawk appeared, seemingly from nowhere. And when I say APPEARED, I mean this thing was like 15 feet off the ground - big muthah too !!! AND this hawk flew above my car down the road for a couple of hundred feet !!!

Although it DID seem like unusual behavior for a hawk, I didn't read too much into it. I mean living in CT for 6 years I know how many hawks live here too, including the Red-tailed hawk that used to frequent my deck a few years ago. So no biggy right?

UM... WRONG !!!!!!!!! Apparently my paranormal radar needs to be adjusted. I relayed this story to my friend GG, the witch (KIDDING), who is very active in paranormal research. Of course she had questions and I had no answers. We had a brief discussion about Native American history in town as it is theorized that there is a correlation between Native American areas and paranormal activity.

We also questioned each other about the "Significance of The Hawk" in Native American folklore, assuming that hawks play an important role. GG said she would research this. WELL, the next day I received an email from her and posted it verbatim on this blog... click the link above if you haven't read it.

Ok, NOW the juices are really flowing... I MUST find out about this place !!! AND it's right here in town !!! (less than a 5 minute drive from my house). Better yet, I need to SEE what's in there as re-visiting the threads, I read that there are abandoned trailers, buildings, a pond etc.

I also read that someone thought there may be a back way into the camp (uh, to avoid getting busted???) All I needed was that tidbit and it was Google(map) time !!! So I found the location on Google Maps (I love how close you can zoom in) and sure enough there's a pond, fields and what appear to be "buildings". AND, in panning the map out (to try to determine access points) sure as hell, there's a brook, Judd Brook, that runs through the woods from the back of the camp to the Air Line Rail Trail, which is a well groomed walking/cycling trail that runs through town.

See where this is going - or where I am going !?!?!?! Armed with THAT, I knew what I had to do.. I had to walk the Air Line Trail, of course... which, by the way is state property... It was ans "Indian Summer" day out so I drove to the trail and walked the 2050 paces (I counted on the way back just "in case" I may be doing this at night) to Judd Brook..

Now my heart is racing as I knew this brook led to the camp - although on the map it seemed like over 1/2 mile through the woods. I grabbed my Blackberry to access the map from it. Much to my surprise, Google Maps has a mobile application - WOO HOO !!! Of course I downloaded the application and found out that it's a "follow me" map, SWEEEEEEEEEET!!! showing where I was on it and the brook and the pond on the campground... AND it "followed me" as I walked.

Ok, so now this is great, I've got the "testicular fortitude", I've the Google Guide and I've got a heart beating through my chest... PERFECT combination to enter the woods !!! SOOOOO... I did. Initially the path was groomed (or trodden) as it was still on state property, but that changed when I saw the last of the boundary markers.

I followed the brook, from what I can determine by Google, about a third of the distance to the back of the campground, stopping every once in awhile to look and listen (although dumb-ass me left the binoculars at home - ok, this was my first "journey"). I saw nothing and the only sound I could hear was the brook running until.... AHHHHHHHHHH...

{scroll down to find out}

Um, it frigging started raining. WTF !?!?! Obviously AGAIN unprepared - I was out there in sneakers, a t-shirt and running pants - trying to blend in with the others on the trail, ya know?

So, I decided that Camp Connecticut isn't going anywhere soon and it would be in my best interest to not get soaking wet over it, and called it a day... BUT I'LL BE BACK !!!

"Funny" though, when I returned to the Airline Trail, the sun was shining brightly... hmmmm, passing shower or a SIGN !?!?!?!.... maybe time will tell