- A Haunting in (Camp) Connecticut - Part 3

Well, well, well... despite my personal declaration that I was going to shut down my blogs, Camp CT has resurfaced.... as has my desire to post...

Further research has uncovered substantial RECENT evidence of paranormal activity at this camp in the beloved Colchester, CT.... previous evidence was speculative having been posted by thrill-seekers.

BUT..... CT Ghost Seekers apparently performed an investigation on the property as recently as September 19th, 2009 !!!!! Armed with some tools of the trade, I will share some of their actual UNEDITED pics...

According to their report it was a mild September evening with an average air temperature of 55 degrees. Unfortunately their investigation was cut short as they encountered a "caretaker", who informed them that would have to leave as it IS private property...

However, within the campground itself, the temperature was somewhat different....

... physically recording a maximum temperature reading of 40 degrees with cold spots registering up to 20 degrees colder !!!! Hmmmmm...

In my continuing effort to "leave no stone unturned", I found the weather data for that entire day at Weather Underground... their closest PWS (portable weather station) is located in Moodus, which is the next town over, so assume that Colchester was experiencing similar conditions. Here's a snapshot of the average weather stats for that day...

...if you click the link above to the weather underground, you can see hour by hour graphs and a chart that details the weather for the entire 24 hrs on that day in 5 minute intervals... GREAT resource.

Not knowing the exact time of CT Ghost Seekers' investigation, I quickly averaged the readings for the time period of 8 pm to midnight to determine what they were actually experiencing at the time they were in the camp...

Air Temp: 48 degrees

Dew Point: 42.5 degrees

Barometer: 29.9 inches, 1010 millibars

Wind: 0.0 mph

Humidity: 83%

Cloud statistics were NA - not sure if that means Not Applicable or Not Available in this case. Assuming the worst case and here it means Not Available, let's also assume it was a clear evening as weather conditions are critical in an investigation and no reputable team would investigate during adverse conditions.... and The Old Farmer's Almanac reports a mean visibility for that day of 10 miles.

I have to tip my hat to CT Ghost Seekers for recording some definitive evidence of the activity at Camp CT.... here are some more pics... I'm not totally sold on pictures of "orbs" I've seen to date, but....

.... that's a shitload of "orbs" to debunk and that one in the lower picture is the size of a basketball... looks a bit ectoplasmic too... many times orbs are debunked as camera flash and flashlight reflections off of anything from insects to air moisture to internal camera components.

Also photographed were some of the previously reported "floating mists"... these have been apparent to many of the visitors...

Ok, I'm no meteorologist or geologist and I don't know the physical characteristics of that particular piece of property. So understand that there ARE natural "phenomena" that occur beneath the surface of the ground that COULD debunk SOME of the evidence that has been posted, ie sub-surface ground temperature, groundwater levels and/or underground springs and bedrock composition... BUT !!!!

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I offer this one.... INCREDIBLE !!!!!!!

Now, I MAY be new at this but............. I absolutely see a black shadow figure in this pic !!!!!!!!!

If you're not sold on the fact that there is paranormal activity at Camp CT by now, I direct you to CT Ghost Seeker's website. The absolute pinnacle of the evidence they collected is this EVP recording of a child singing... which had been reported several times by others, but not previously recorded, that I know of. They didn't personally hear this out loud, but rather discovered it when reviewing their evidence.... You MUST listen to this !!!

Now, obviously I'm still learning about all of this, but come on !!!! This latest compelling evidence has absolutely made it a MUST for me to experience at least some of this first hand. I don't have the equipment and I wouldn't necessarily trespass (cough, cough), BUT.... I do have a plan which I will share in my next post !!!!!

You're absolutely invited to visit the Ghost Seeker's site to see additional photos of this and several other of their investigations... Oh and, one of their team members reports being touched.... I'll be looking further in the physical characteristics of this piece of land...

Resources requiring credit for the writing of this post...

CT Ghost Seekers - GREAT stuff guys !!!

Weather Underground

The Old Farmer's Almanac

Happy H(A)UNTING !!!

Come Inside...

- A Haunting in (Camp) Connecticut - Part 2

Main sign inside the campground

So..... I woke up this morning at 1:30 am... don't ask my why, but I've been up since... SOMETHING told me to get on the computer and find out what I could about Camp Connecticut. So that's what I did and that's what I did. I'm pretty happy that my super-sleuthing skills are up to par. Although many questions remain unanswered, I think I did pretty good for a "virgin"... DRUM ROLL !!!!!!!!!

As with everything in life, there are rumors, speculation and flat out made up stories with regard to the closing of Camp Connecticut - AND controversy... despite very little information being available.

When I first starting reading a message board, I got the impression that the camp was a day camp for kids. However, later in the thread it sounded more like a family campground - you'll SEE why - as a couple of the poster's on the board actually spent quite a bit of time there growing up in the 80's. Also, there were 2 posters that shed an ENORMOUS amount of light on the subject

Facts: This is what I know for sure... LOL

• There is a former camp in Colchester named Camp Connecticut
• Camp Connecticut dedicated (opened ?) in 1977
• Camp Connecticut is OWNED by.... the "IOOF".... um, the Odd Fellows - one of the participants in that thread belonged to the organization and offered to get permission to take people through the camp.. although that post was last year and he never posted after that.

Basically that's all I can be sure of at this point. Certainly there were people discrediting the claim that the camp is haunted but there also several people who claimed to have visited both during the day and at night and either their imaginations played tricks on them or something really is going on over there.

Rumors: Here's a few stories about what happened to probably close the camp

• A (the) camp counselor went crazy and killed up to 60 children
• A bus full of children caught fire and several of them died
• A girl drowned in the pond
• A girl was murdered in one of the fields
• The owner murdered his daughter
• Satanic rituals and activity

Happenings: These are the claims of some of the visitors

• As in every paranormal hot-spot, claims of light "orbs" - red, blue and white
• "Ghostly" mist floating above the ground
• Dark figures crossing paths in front of them
• Up to 40 apparitions at the gate
• Screams and voices - most often involving a little girl
• Cold drafts and cold hands touching them
• "Phantom" truck drivers of a seemingly silent truck
• Areas where flashlights flicker and/or new batteries die
• Several claims of cell phones and cameras malfunctioning
• Stories of ghosts following some of them home to haunt them

Pretty standard stuff for people to claim as many of them seemed to consider themselves ghost-hunters. Many of them described the camp and all descriptions seem to coincide with each other, although I have purposely omitted any detail, so apparently there's a camp there with a pond and some structures.

NOW for the good part... and you can thank me for having a MySpace account later. Although I never use it, I needed it to.... see pictures posted by visitors !!!!!!!!! SOOOOOOOOO... here ya go !!!!!!!!! keep in mind that these pictures were taken by 4 different people on 4 totally separate visits - not even in the same year...

Check me if I'm wrong but that's kinda spooky mist... Anyway, I'll also share some photos from the same people that show what the camp looks like.. THEN, I have a treat in store...

Apparently there's some sort of outdoor "church", complete with pews, altar and pulpit.

Now here's a treat... one of the visitors actually had her pictures on Photobucket... SO OF COURSE I GRABBED THE SLIDESHOW TO EMBED IT !!!!!!!!!

NOW, obviously this property does contain some structures, vehicles, STORAGE trailers - there are even outhouses as apparently there was never any electricity or running water to the camp.

AND, what there is NOW, is activity... but apparently human activity. A day sleuth reported that it looked liked it was being used as a logging camp. Others report it looks like a hunting camp - with MANY shell casings to be found - and being chased away by a man in a hunting vest... AND several report having visited day and night and there being active fires in one of the fire-pits. (and then NOT)...

Now, there was also someone that supposedly had an EVP recording taken while at the camp posted on his MySpace profile - although that was over 2 years ago and he must have removed it or I would have posted that too...

BUT, I'm not done yet !!! Along with obtaining the above during my few hours of pre-dawn research, I was reading a thread and one of the ladies from Ghost Chat New England posted that she had visited Camp Connecticut and had taken some video... WOO HOO !!!!!!

So I searched their archives and found the Google Video of a show they aired in early 2008. The narrative is basically a history of the Odd Fellows so you may want to turn the volume down... also these 2 ladies are a bit funny... but there's some good daytime footage of what the camp looks like if you want to check it out. (anyone know how to embed google vids?)

So, is my quest over ??? HELL NO !!!! I called this "part 2" NOT "the conclusion" - I'm a show me kinda guy and it'll take at least that and more to convince me that there isn't something unusual about this camp... Certainly there are accounts that seem to say there are things going on there and certainly ones that say there aren't. I think I'll just find out for myself, thank you very much.

Add'l Resources:

Ghostvillage.com - this is the site where I read the thread on the message board

Odd Fellows CT - offices - apparently these would be who to contact to gain legal access - "F" THAT !!!

The Hunt - MySpace profile that has an album with pics of the camp from his visit

And obviously Photobucket and Ghost Chat New England.

Come Inside...

- 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

Come Inside...