By Christi Baron

Is it the chill on the backs of our necks, or the acceleration of our hearts pounding in our chests that make us watch scary movies or listen intently to stories of the unexplained? Our fundamental human desire to explore the boundaries of fear and anxiety all the while knowing we are safe and secure in a movie theater, in our living room or with friends around a campfire. With Halloween a few days away, the time is right to explore the unexplained of the West End.

It has been reported that a sighting of a soldier from another era has been seen in Bogachiel State Park near the ranger station. It appears to be searching for something. I asked Chon Clayton, former Bogachiel Area Park Ranger, had he or any of his campers ever reported seeing any ghosts. He said no that neither he nor any campers had ever seen or reported any ghost sightings. When asked had he ever seen anything strange or unexplained? He said yes he had seen something strange. One time he had seen a dog dressed up like a clown.

In a Forks bank located in an old structure built many years ago, an employee witnessed a shadowy figure go into an office and then out again. Was it a former resident of the house or was it a customer looking to open a new account?

One evening a few years ago a local logger was heading home just as it was getting dark. Traveling down the Gunderson Road, he was startled by an image running across the road in front of his vehicle. Suddenly braking to a stop, he jumped out of his pick-up and called after the image but there was no one there, no one answered. Had he seen the ghost of the Gunderson or someone training for a marathon?

North of Rialto Beach, is the abandoned gold mining camp built and operated by a man named Starbuck. Between 1925 and 1940, many campers and travelers through that area reported contact with the Starbuck Ghost. Several men who spent a night in an abandoned cabin reported someone trying to enter in the middle of the night. Another man who slept in a sleeping bag on the beach woke up to someone standing over him. Was it really a ghost or someone trying to scare people away from the gold? …

More next week!