McClintock County Park

HISTORY

On the afternoon of July 9th 1976, Green Bay couple Ellen Matheys and David Schuldes, engaged to be married that coming September, were discovered murdered, and in the case of Miss Matheys raped, in McClintock Park, located near the town of Silver Cliff, Marinette County, Wisconsin.
According to the Milwaukee Sentinel dated November 7th 1977, a park attendant discovered the body of David Schuldes “lying on a path near a rest room” and that “he had been shot on the throat” with a .30 caliber rifle.  Miss Matheys’ body wasn’t found until the next day, “in a clump of pine trees 300 yards away.”  It was determined that she had been raped and shot twice, again with a .30 caliber rifle.
Going by witnesses, the couple left Green Bay at around 10am, and were seen in the vicinity of Goodman Park at about 11:30am.  Two people driving through the area of McClintock stated that at about 2:30pm they heard a gunshot.
The link to that article can be found here.

These murders are still unsolved.

Since these murders, or perhaps because of them, strange noises have been reported in the woods of the park, as well as sightings of orbs.  An orb, as it relates to the paranormal, is

Quote :

synonymous with sphere, when used in association with the paranormal, an orb is an anomalous globe-shaped spot, either white or colored, that shows up in photographs taken at allegedly haunted locations

(definition taken from http://www.paranormal-encyclopedia.com/o/orbs/).

Interestingly enough, in 1983, 1992 and again in 1999, there were reported Bigfoot sightings in the Crivitz and Athelstane, and at Wabikon Lake (near Leona, WI), all within a 30 mile radius of McClintock Park, and all within the Nicole National Forest area.  Whether or not the sounds are of a supernatural order, or fall under the guise of crypto-zoology who can say, but know that there are several accounts of Bigfoot sights within this national forest, and the neighboring Ottawa National Forest.

I am still trying to obtain a topological map of the McClintock area, but with today’s satellite technology I am certain Google Earth or Maps can help.  Additionally, I am trying to find the general location of where the bodies were found, hoping that that would make for a good starting point in the investigation.

Irregardless, what we have here is something of interest.  Could the ghosts of murdered lovers be roaming this area, or are the sounds that of Bigfoot?

I am planning a simple initial investigation: go in with EMF detectors, sound recorders and imaging equipment.  The EMF meters will help to determine if there are any unusual energy readings within the area, and from there we will be recording some potential EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) sessions and take some still images where we have EMF spikes.  I would love for this to be an extended investigation, a full 24 hours so that different readings could be collected at different times.  With this being a public area, it could very well be possible, but on the other hand, being a public area would mean we will have a lot of potential outside noise, not to mention having to deal with the public itself.

Marinette County provided information on the park can be found at this link.

NLPRS will be conducting an investigation of the McClintock Park area on either the 3rd or 10th of August. So far it only seems as if two members will be in attendance, but there will also be two or three unofficial members present to assist.

Two of us will arrive early in the day in an effort to secure a campsite and to set up operations, with the others to arrive at some point in the afternoon. Although there will be some investigative work, we will also be taking this time to get to know the possible recruits, to see how well we work with each other. So, along that vein, readings will be taken off and on throughout the day, including EMF and EVP.

There will be two of us spending the night on site, to conduct further readings and to see if we can witness the reported "odd sounds", along with some hiking. Remember, McClintock has had twelve documented Bigfoot sightings (within a 30 mile radius).

Though this investigation is not all-inclusive, it is a start (and what a start it will be!). We've taken some time to get to this point, what with the ordering of equipment and trying to set-up a time where some of our members were available, and it is great to see this finally coming to fruition.

On a more personal note, a couple of Ellen Matheys' family members have been in contact with us, offering whatever kind of assistance we may need, in an effort to help out as best they can. This has been truly appreciated, as it demonstrates that paranormal investigations isn't just about the hunt or the thrill of discovery, that there is a more personal level involved.

This past Friday (July 26 2013) I received a Facebook notification that someone had replied to one of my NLPRS posts.  Much to my dismay, this is the comment.  Nothing has been edited or changed, it has just been screen captured and pasted here.


Naturally I had to defend myself, right?  Below is how I responded.  Nothing has been edited or changed, with the exception of the link labeled "Nicolet Forest Map"; this was changed to a hyperlink because, as it originally was, it changed the viewable dimensions of this forum.

Quote :

Thank you for your response. Please feel free to check out the following websites for the information with which you so generously disagree with. It would seem I have done my homework after all... too bad the same can't be said about you, dear sir. Next time, if you want to disagree with something, that's fine... but support your case. With the links I've provided, you just make yourself look like an arse.

Reported bigfoot sightings in Wisconsin, map: http://www.bfro.net/GDB/state_map.asp?state=wi

You can also find other sightings, broken down by county, on this site: http://www.wisconsinosity.com/index.php

Then again, doing a simple google seacrh on "bigfoot reports wisconsin" will yield far more information than what I am willing to post here.

In regards to the Nicolet Forest comment, perhaps I should have said "area", as in "within the Nicolet Forest area". My mistake. It is rather difficult to seperate the forest from the woods from the trees, isn't it?

Nicolet Forest Map

Lastly, some links on the park itself as it relates to noises and such. Wouldn't want this to be incomplete.

Scroll down until you come across Marinette County
http://www.chippewavpi.com/haunted.html

http://www.examiner.com/article/high-strangeness-america-s-dairyland

http://www.strangeusa.com/Viewlocation.aspx?id=10889#sthash.SziQBEmt.dpbs

...

Of course all this is rather moot, and I apologize. Had I known before hand that all the information I've been collecting was false, had I known to simply have contacted you right away, all of this could have been nipped at an earlier stage. Surely the facts I've been able to obtain mean nothing when compared to your good wisdom. Amazing how all those people could be wrong. You should really advertise yourself as the only knowledgeable foundation within the area.
Friday at 11:15am

And then, after having gone to the site, and after some thinking, I decided to make an additional comment.  Again, nothing has been edited or changed.

Quote :

And if I may, a slight continuation. Normally I'd just edit my original comment, but I'm afraid it might get lost, seeing as how there has been some time in between comments.

1. McClintock sites roughly 4.5 miles east of the *official* boundary line for the Nicolet National Forest. However, there is no real distinction between these two forested areas. In fact, it is all one massive forested area. Even though I did mention one cannot distinguish between the forest from the woods from the trees, I thought it best that I clarify that yes, the park is only a few miles away from the government recognized border... now if only they would tell the forest that.

2. Where did you say you work? At the park, during the overnights? That's funny, because there is no station there. No office, no building, no service center. This leads me to believe that you either work at the sewage pump in Goodman or over at Gov Thompson's park. Is there even an on-staff presence at Goodman? Wait, I believe Marinette Count parks are not staffed, which then leads me to believe you work at the Thompson State Park, which is located over 18 miles away. I cannot believe people will drive 18 miles in the middle of the night to tell you one way or the other if they've heard anything!

So please, now it is your turn. I revealed the facts. I even showed that you don't work in this park. Who is the one spewing crap now?
about an hour ago

So what does everyone think?  Was it right of me to defend myself in such a manner?  And how many believe that people should have their facts straight before they criticize others?

It's official: on August 3rd 2013, NLPRS will be conducting its first investigation at McClintock Park or Marinette County, Wisconsin.

Scratch that.  NLPRS will be conducting part one (of three) investigations of McClintock Park on AUgust 3rd 2013.  Part three (schedule permitting) will occur on the 10th of August, and part three (again, schedule permitting) on the 17th.  This then is what will be happening:

August 3rd.  I, along with one of my sons, will be heading up to the site Saturday morning, with the full assortment of investigative equipment and camping supplies.  We will be there throughout the day on Saturday, spend the night, and a good portion of the day Sunday.  Experiments will include EVP sessions, various camera surveillance, and hiking with the parabolic microphone, as well as actual field testing of our equipment.  These experiments will be conducted at both the campgrounds and the park, with a nice mix of just sitting back and relaxing... this is the boy's first camping experience, and I don't want to be all work.

August 10th.  We will be having someone coming up from Milwaukee (whose relatives own a cabin near the area) to go over the site.  This person, a self professed sensitive, is doing this as a favor for us, and is greatly appreciated!

August 17th.  Members unite!  NLPRS will be at the park in semi-full force, to meet one another and to try some additional EVP sessions, as well as basically seeing what we can see.  There will be non-members in presence, so this will be a good opportunity for us to gain additional members or the support of others.

If you would like to join us either on a professional or personal level, you can leave me a message here on this forum (a private message, tab on top), a message or post on our Facebook page (facebook.com/NLPRS) or via email at NLPRS.WI@gmail.com

Oh look, a map for those who may wish to attend!


View My Saved Places in a larger map

Over the past 24 hours, I've received a couple messages (through Facebook) regarding McClintock Park, and I thought I'd share them with you.  Both messages are from the same person, to whom I will refer to her initials as KM.

The first message, received the early morning of August 1st, reads as follows...

KM wrote:

Hi, myself and my husband visited the McClintock Park yesterday evening. First time there as we have only lived in Oconto for about two years. I knew nothing of the history of this park til after we got home after 9 last night and I decided to look it up online just because of the strangeness I felt being there. My senses were correct.

If you want to know more detail of our hour we spent there you can let me know. I see that this weekend you are doing an investigation there, good luck!

My response...

NLPRS wrote:

Good morning! Let me start off by saying thank you for writing and telling me of your experience, I really appreciate it.

Before I ask you about your visit, do you mind if I ask if you've experienced sensitivity before, or rather that type of strange feeling before? If so, has there been anything associated with those similar experiences?

Regarding the park, was there any particular area where the feeling was more intense than the other? If you could describe the feeling, what would it be like?

If it helps, I've experienced things before. For me, the feelings would range anywhere from the back of my neck feeling electrified, a strong pressure behind my eyes, an overall sense of pressure, and a few others.

Then finally, the message I received today...

KM wrote:

When we pulled into parking lot there was only one other truck there and it looked like a man and his dog and he was already by the second cabin when we saw him, we never met up with him or crossed paths, but he was gone when we got back to our vehicle.

The first area in the park that I got an overwhelming feeling of dread was at the first cabin towards the right of the parking area. My husband wanted to continue on that trail heading past it, but I talked him into crossing the bridge first.(I did not say anything to him about what I felt during the entire time there)...We crossed the bridge...everything was fine there..........crossed second bridge, took lots of pictures, checked out the second cabin then went over the third bridge. checked out the "environmental area", and my husband said he saw someone across that area towards the river and wanted to go over there(he said they were wearing a red and black flannel, I didn't see anyone at this point as I was taking pictures)....we started following the trail that my husband assumed would go back to the river by this person. We made it past the log and continued on almost to the top of the hill, the trail was getting narrower and the grass and weeds were getting higher(you could tell it wasn't used very often) we both were feeling uncomfortable and I did not think the trail was going to wind back to where he saw this other person. We turned around to walk back...I kept having to turn around and look behind me because I could have sworn I could hear someone running at us....I heard it quite a few times...(crazy)...we got back down and recrossed the third bridge to go back...my husband at that point wanted to check out the point area past the second cabin....That area was pretty intense feeling for both of us....there was at one point a strange wind that blew across us that came from nowhere while we were standing there. Then we made our way back to the parking lot...I tried at that time to see if there was a historical marker or something explaining the history of the place. At that point I couldn't wait to get back in our vehicle....there were no other vehicles there when we left.

I finally asked him when we got back in the vehicle if he felt that too?? He knew exactly what I was talking about, he kind of laughed about it. He said the high key areas for him was the trail past the third bridge and the point area past the second cabin....I concur and would add the first cabin as that's where I first started with the feeling. I told him on the drive home that I had a tremendous feeling of dread while we were there. I couldn't get rid of the feeling and that's why I researched it.

So now it seems we have everything we need regarding an investigation: we have the history of the park, an event associated with the area, and personal accounts verifying reports of the strange going-ons. This may prove to be an interesting investigation indeed!

RESULTS




We arrived at the McClintock Campgrounds at roughly 9:20a on Saturday August 3rd 2013, having departed Crivitz at 8:35a; this was, of course, after a stop at McDonald’s to get our fix of sausage and egg muffin sandwiches.  After filing out the required park pass information and initial camp set-up, I began to test our equipment to ensure everything was in working order, to which it was.  It was decided that we would hold different sessions at the park itself so that we could get a variety of pictures at various times of day, and so that we wouldn’t get burned out trying to do everything at once.

Our first sessions began at 11:14a, when we first arrived at McClintock Park, which is located roughly a half mile from the campground.  There were four other vehicles present.  I turned on our GPS so I could begin marking exact locations of our visits; the GPS went from being fully charged the evening prior to reading a “low battery warning”.  The GPS had not been turned on that morning prior to our arrival.  Additionally, the GPS unit had been used for a couple days before our trip with no fault, so the drained battery was not because of unit failure.  We began our first visit by taking pictures of the parking area, which also included the area surrounding the outhouses.

From there we went to the larger or the two cabins, time being roughly 11:35a.  After taking several pictures of this site, I conducted a sweep with a multi meter set for EMF detection.  With a base reading of .008, there were no fluctuations detected outside the cabin, although there was a onetime jump to .010 within, located between the door and the room’s center.  We set up our equipment to hold an EVP session at 11:51a and, after some microphone tests, discovered that the microphone’s battery was dead.  I replaced the 9v battery, performed a successful microphone test.  During the EVP session, the meter fluctuated between .008 and .009; the meter was on a stand away from any other electronic device, and had not been touched or bumped by anyone present.  We left the large cabin at roughly 12:20p, after having taken pictures of the area.

There have been a few accounts found on the internet of people experiencing an odd feeling within the larger cabin, which is why we focused our EVPs there.

While sitting within the cabin, we could very easily hear people walking across the main bridge, and we could see the hill that the vehicles were parked on.

We returned to camp, where I proceeded to go through the pictures to see if there was anything odd or unusual:  seven pictures were found to contain something out of the ordinary, but with a return visit to see if the oddities were a natural feature or not, we were able to remove five of those pictures from our list.  Of the two remaining photographs, it was agreed that one was merely the result of pareidolia (of seeing faces or meaningful patterns that really aren’t there) while the second, although believed to be natural in origin, was unverified.  I also tested the strength of the dead 9v battery removed from the microphone, and found that it was fully charged.

We conducted a second session at the cabin at 2:42p.  Upon completing a quick sweep of the cabin’s interior with the multi meter, the time on our cell phone jumped from 2:42 to 3:10.  This was not a matter of doing something and losing track of time; with the cell phone open, the time went from 2:42 to 3:10.  Also, at that same moment, the multi meter went from a base of .008 to .009 and back to .008; this was explained away as the meter probably having been jostled.  In conjunction with the microphone and digital recorder, we utilized our computer tablet as a recorder so that we would not have a repeat of the first session.

After taking additional pictures of the area, we returned once again to camp, where we went over the new batch of photographs.

We found ourselves back at the cabin at 6:08 to conduct our third EVP session, to which nothing unusual occurred.  We left the cabin at roughly 6:20p

Once again at camp, we went through all the photographs taken.  All told, there are six pictures in total that we could not immediately explain away.  Of those six, two are probably good examples of pareidolia, three may be due to a trick in the light, one is undefined, while two of the pictures stand out as being something other than normal.  All of these pictures are included at the end of this report, and are marked and captioned.

We also listened to the recordings made during the EVP sessions.  The recordings were played back using the voice recorder.  Nothing unusual was found on the first session, and for the second we could hear faint voices in the background, but that was probably due to people walking through the area.  However, 27 seconds into the third recording, the microphone died once again.  Luckily, we had brought the tablet with us once again, and it was found that the third session recorded without incident.

We returned to the park the next morning at roughly 10:15a and took several pictures, none of which turned up anything unusual.  We departed for Crivitz at 10:30a.

…

A few of the electronic occurrences would probably be explained as equipment error; however, it should be noted that all equipment used had been extensively tested prior to this investigation and was found to be in perfect working order.  All batteries and devices were fully charged by 11:00p Friday August 2nd, and fresh non-rechargeable batteries were used where applicable.

Regarding the photographs, there were toughly one hundred pictures taken.  Of that, in being as objective as possible, there were roughly 15 or so pictures which contained something unusual.  With further visits to the site, we were able to locate about half of the anomalies and mark them as a natural formation.  With the remaining pictures, it is understood that there will be some which may turn out to be tricks of light or perhaps wishful thinking; certainly with further visits we may be able to duplicate some of these pictures.  However, that still leaves us with two pictures that we could not explain.

For extra information regarding the equipment, please go to our equipment page on this site, or simply click on this link.

Picture 1
In this picture the first thing I noticed was the outline of a face in the left window; I would explain this as "seeing something that is not there".  However, upon further review, you can see what appears to be an orb along the right-hand border, just above the cropped pick nick table.


Picture 2
This would be another example of seing something that isn't there.  Upper right hand corner, you can make out the image of a man's face, complete with beard and mustache.  This picture does not represent anything paranormal, it was just one of those "hey, look at that".


Picture 3
With the men's outhouse in the backdrop, just underneath and circling to the bottom, you might be able to see a faint milky cloud going from the bushes, through the gravel, onto the grass, and back up again.


Picture 4
In this phto we have a red truck, and to the right of that a water pump.  Keep on going right, right of center, you should be able to see a white light under a group of branches.  First impression would be that it is merely sunlight.  Then you notice that the sun would be to the right / the shadows on the left, and that this light patch would be in shadow, and that it doesn't match up with any of the other sunlit trees in the photo.


Picture 5
If you go up and left from the vehicle, you will come across a dirty brownish grey colored cloud.  I originally believed this to be a group of dead leaves or pine needles, but the tree directly behind it isn't a pine, and if you were to zoom in a little bit, you would be able to make out leaves behind it.


Picture 6
Picture's center, look down to the bent root.  Just atop the root, right at the bend, is an orb.

Received a rather nice email from the family member I've been corresponding with regarding this investigation.  I am posting it here out of respect for her, and for completion's sake, as she also comments on the pictures taken.  I am not going to post her name or any other personal reference, again out of respect for her.

And, as I commented on our Facebook page, "believe what you want regarding the paranormal (in all its facets) and those that dwell within this realm. Letters like this, the sincerity behind the words... sure, I'd love to catch some undeniable evidence on something, but knowing I helped someone? That is by far a more worthy endeavor."

Quote :

Hi Mike, sorry it took so long to get back to you.....life:) As far as the picture of Ellie goes, no, I have not gotten one.  I can't bring myself to ask grandma for one.  It is still pretty hard for her to talk about after all these years.  I thought my brother would be stronger than I, apparently not.

However, the cabin picture, the window to the left, I felt like she was staring at us.  Then I shook my head a few times and could not see it anymore.  However, my youngest daughter can still see her.  She was able to point out to me what I thought I saw the first look.  I don't know if this bit of info will help, but I know the Green Bay Press Gazette did an article on Ellie in 2001 with a picture of her in the paper.  I tried to find it on line, but was unsuccessful.  I am not sure what type of resources you may have in order to get your hands on one of these articles.  It was, I believe, anywhere from October to November in 2001.

As far as the picture with the man's face, I could not make it out, even with my daughter trying to show me.  However, I did see all the orbs and do believe that is exactly what they are.  My favorite is the broken root and the truck photo.  I do believe they were there with you that day.  I just tend to wonder if your reasons would have been stronger or later longer if one of their family members were there.

The batteries, the phone, amazing!  I believe wholeheartedly Ellie and David were there with you.  I am not sure if you guys actually try to talk to them, but you may get a better response from her if you call her Ellie.  Also, just let her know ******* (who is with her in Heaven), *****, ****, ******, and the rest of the family love her very much.  She was the baby of her family and was always treated as such.

Mike, I would like to thank you so much for the work you have been doing on this case.  I know you and your family started this case out of pure curiosity, but it makes me so happy to know that, no matter what the situation, Ellie and David are still being thought of.  One thing I do know is, they wont hurt you. They are not demonic and were known as two of the most likely and friendly people.

Thank you again Mike.  Next time you go there, just explain to them how important cell phones are and to please leave the batteries alone (in a sarcastic way, of course).  Many blessings to you and yours, *******

Picture Review

I don't know why, but I've been forgetting to post this, even though I've done so on our Facebook page: the opinion of a photographer concerning the above pictures.

I was hoping to go through all of the photos. Alas I have run out of time before I leave town for a week. The last two I would explain as lens flare. In the cabin caused by the flash and in the shot of the cabin and for the hot spots from the sun breaking through the canopy and hitting the chimney in the shot of the cabin. {soothsayer says: these would be pictures 1 and 6}

PICTURE 4
Image shows light area under tree canopy approximately 3 feet the ground. The sun is high and to the right of the camera. In my opinion this is a sun breaking through the leaf canopy and hitting the trunk of a tree that is otherwise shaded.

PICTURE 2
Image shows a face in the leaves in the upper right corner of the image. This image is simply a case of pareidolia

PICTURE 3
First thing I noticed to the large lighter circle below the outhouse. Given that the the sun in high to the right front of the camera I would say this classic lens flare from sun light directly hitting the front of the lens element. More interesting to me in this image is the light colored streak approximately half way up the birch to the left of the trail. There is also a second fainter streak higher and to the left of the first one. The photo was shot at 1/80 of a second. These could be two fast moving birds. Not being there in person I can't explain these two marks.

PICTURE 5
This image shows a brown cloud. My first though is sensor dust, but that can be ruled out by comparing this image to others taken at the same aperture setting. If I had to make a guess I would say this is a pieces of debris temporarily on the front element of the lens. I’m not confident of that guess I can say I cannot explain this image.

The photographer did run the pictures through a variety or filters / programs, checked the exif data, and compared the pictures with pictures taken in similar circumstances / camera setting. I do full-heartedly agree with most of the results, and have stated as much elsewhere. The one that I tend to disagree with is the image with the outline of a face in the window; I think it is more of an impression of the image than anything that makes me wish it to be true. And, the one image that I am absolutely loving is the one with the brownish colored cloud!

Return to McClintock

Saturday August 24 we returned to McClintock. This was rather last minute (wasn't finalized until late Friday afternoon / evening), and we really didn't even go into this with the intent of performing an investigation, even though we brought along a few items (digital and IR camera, voice recorder, multi-meter). We just wanted to take the day to relax and to see the park for what it is: a beautifully wooded area surrounded by running water.

We first set up our camp within the campgrounds, having arrived at about 9:30a. At roughly 12:30, we journeyed to the park to do some hiking and to do two quick EVP sessions (one in each cabin). Each EVP session conducted that day was to contain two parts: one with static paying in the background, the other without. Our first session was in the smaller cabin, the second in the larger. After holding these sessions, taking pictures of the scenery itself, and some hiking, we returned to camp.

At approximately 7:10p, we began to head back to the park, this time with the intention of solely doing an EVP. When we arrived, we noted that there were no other vehicles in the park, nor was there any indication that there were people present.

We first set up in the large cabin. For those not familiar with the area, the large cabin has a second set of doors which face the smaller cabin. There is some distance between the two, separated by wood and creek, by the cabin is plainly visible when the door is open. We had both sets of doors open to allow some radiant light in the structure, as it was rather dark inside.

We asked our questions, asking the same questions for both sets (static on / static off). With the final question we had essentially asked if there was anything that could be done so that we knew that something / someone was there. After about thirty seconds, we turned off the recorder. It was at that very moment when we turned off the recorder that we heard something: the sound of a door being slammed, in the direction of the small cabin. If the door was open (and we don't know if it was or not), it was not slammed shut by wind, as there was no breeze. Nor did we see anyone fleeing or entering the area. I performed a quick sweep of the large cabin with the IR camera while my partner packed away our items, and nothing appeared on the display.

Keep in mind that the only items we had with us was a multi-meter, the voice recorder, a digital camera, and the IR camera. It didn't take too long to pack up the carrying case.

We closed up the cabin and headed for the main bridge. Remember from our earlier reports that you can see portions of the parking lot from the cabin and bridge: there were still no other cars present, and there were still no indications of other visitors in the park.

We set-up in the small cabin and performed our last EVP session of the evening. When we were done and packing our items up, I went to do a sweep with the IR camera. Much to my surprise, the IR camera was dead. It was fully charged the evening prior, and had only been used just minutes ago in the large cabin. We left the park at roughly 7:35p

So, not only do we have a case of a dead battery (again), but now we can add a clearly audible sound, though there is no proof of this happening other than my own words.

Coincidence? Possibly... but I am starting to look forward to further visits.

I've been a little late in my posts, I know, and this one is late in coming: another response / follow-up to our initial McClintock investigation, from the family member which we have had contact with. This is in regards to one of the photos we took, which you can see by scrolling up a bit (it'll be the one labeled Picture 1)

"Hi Mike,
Just wanted to let you know, I took another look at those pictures on a better monitor with some friends. When the window picture came up, I definitely saw the face. I immediately pictured Ellie's face, it actually made me scream. Not 100 percent positive it was actually her, but I feel it was. Also, I was reading up on your recent visit to the park, and when we were reading the part about the door slamming, the t.v. set by us went hay wire as if someone turned it to a non working channel. Strange thing was, nobody did. We did become quite scared. It could be coincidental, but I am skeptical to that. Thanks again Mike. I wish you and your family well."

Within the next couple weeks, I am planning on making another trip to the park. I am hoping to conduct two EVP sessions simultaneously, one in each cabin. This may be a bit of naivety on my part, but with an unusual picture from one and an (as of yet) unexplained sound coming from another, it would be interesting to see what may happen.

The above video clip was taken from our latest EVP session, at roughly 7:24p on Saturday September 28.  To the left of the table you should be able to make out on of the doors (double door set-up). This would be the door the overlays the other when closed. When you play this, you'll hear two doors closing; the doors closed in proper fashion, at a speed consistant with someone closing a door normally.  I should clarify "doors closed in proper fashion". Again, these are double doors, one has to go over the other to close properly, and this is what had happened (they closed properly).

The video is much better when seen in full screen, so I suggest that you click on the Youtube link right under the video to access this feature.

More detail in regards to the above video clip.  Persons attending were myself and Steven; there were no other vehicles in the parking lot save ours, and to the best of my knowledge, there were no other people present: as it was dark, we did not notice any flashlights or beams of light, not did we hear anyone.  It was raining, but there was little to no wind.

There are two pick-nick tables located inside this cabin (as can be seen from Picture 1 above); both tables were on the same side of the cabin, on the side shown in that same picture.  There are two sets of double doors, both centrally located on each long wall, facing each other.  Both sets of doors were opened by me when we arrived.  The cabin smelled of smoke, which is not surprising as there are two fireplaces inside, one located on each of the smaller walls.  There were no hot coals (or even warm, for that matter).

I turned on our camcorder and began to record this session, including our initial set-up of equipment.  Roughly 1 minute and 50 seconds into this, I attached the camcorder to our tripod; the camcorder acted up.  This easily could be explained by my accidentally hitting the power button or something, although it should be noted that by "acted up", I mean that the display showed a series of white to blue vertical lines and of different shades.  This lines did not more / were not in motion.  This was witnessed by Steven.  The camcorder powered off and started back up just fine; once back on, I placed the camcorder in a far corner of the cabin and focused it on the area where we were going to be sitting.

After the camera had been placed, I went around the room with our multi-meter; we had our usual base reading of .008, but once I reached the corner nearest the camcorder (see illustration), the meter began to rapidly fluctuate between .008 and .010.  Once I left that corner, the meter settled back down to .008.  Once I was done checking the cabin for background energy, I proceeded to circle around with our IR camera; nothing was detected with this device.

Once the IR sweep was completed, I returned to our table and began to set up the digital voice recorder.  I did not utilize the microphone, as I was afraid of it picking up the background noise of rain.  The multi-meter was moved away form our lantern as it was picking up the energy being emitted from it.  Steven's back was to the wall in question, with the doors being to his right.  I was facing the doors, to the left, with the center of the room being at my back.  Once everything was set-up and situated, I began my questions.

Roughly 15 minutes into this session (or rather, from when the camcorder was first turned on the first time), this event occurred.

"Is there anyway that you can let us know that you are here?  Can you make a sound?"

*pause*

"You don't have to make a sound in this cabin, you can make it just outside the doors or in the woods itself, but just so we can hear it."

It is right at that point were I say "heat it" that you can begin to see the door close.  You will hear two doors closing in the video; these are double doors.  As with double doors, there will be one that overlaps the other, that is the only way they will shut all the way.  This is exactly how the doors closed; the doors closed correctly and in the right order.  In my opinion, the doors closed at a "normal" pace, as if they were being closed in a casual manner, not hurried and not slow.  I did open the doors again, and continued with my questions; this even did not repeat itself.  The doors are made of solid wood, and there was no breeze going through the cabin.  It should be noted that we have held EVP sessions in this cabin before, with both doors being open, and the doors never closed.

All told, we spent roughly 35 minutes in the larger cabin.

When we left this cabin and headed towards the smaller, I noted that the dome light for my car was on.  This puzzled me in that I didn't remember turning it on.  The light turns off automatically upon closing the last door, about a minute later.  I unlocked the car, saw the light was clicked on; turned it off and started the car to make sure the battery wasn't dead (it wasn't).  Locked the car back up, and we headed to the small cabin.

Once there, we did the same as in the larger cabin: turned on camcorder, set up the tripod, swept the cabin with the meter, set-up the voice recorder, and began our question.  Nothing unusual occurred, although Steven and I both agreed that the smaller cabin felt "calmer" than the larger; this could be explained by what had happened, but I honestly cannot say.  In total, the smaller cabin's session lasted about 20 minutes.  We backed up and left, heading back to the car.

When we left the park, on the stretch of road that was past the campgrounds, in what was a perfectly clear road when we first arrived, there now lay a fallen tree, going in length with the road on our side of the road.  As far as we knew while being in the park there was no wind, nor did we hear any thunder, nothing to explain the tree before us.  This was also on a flat area of land, the tree could not have rolled into this spot.  Jokingly, I had stated that if we had been at the park any longer, the log very easily could have been lying across the road, preventing us from leaving.

UPDATE
investigating the doors

Steven and I returned to the park on Sunday October 6 so I could measure out the cabin and check the doors for balance.  While we were there, we ran the digital voice recorder and camcorder.  I'll be posting a scale illustration of the cabin within the next couple days (I've just been catching up on other things).

This post is mainly to present our findings on the doors that closed themselves, as seen in the above video.  As always, everything is verifiable, that's what I try to do; I want you to be able to take my findings and check things for yourself, or to see if there can be an other explanation.

This picture shows the door that is visible in the video; this is the door that would have made the second slamming noise.  Note that the door is almost level, with the hinge side being slightly lower than its opposite.


This picture shows the other door, the one that closed first.  The bubble indicates that the hinge side is higher than its opposite.


To me, this picture is interesting.  The first door that closed?  From the second picture?  This is an image if its threshold.  Notice the rub marks on it: the door sticks.  The door will not close by itself because it catches on the threshold.  In order for the door to have closed, there would have had to have been a steady breeze going through the cabin to apply a constant pressure on the door, one strong enough to overcome the threshold.  We did conduct a small test of this, and we do have it on the camcorder (I'll post that this weekend).  We simulated a breeze by pushing against the door, to see if it would swing shut: in each occurance, the door got stuck on the threshold.

In reference to the previously mentioned "Kurt Maedke", I would like to point out a fact that is generally known and accepted to those of us who live in the Athelstane/SliverCliff area.

11 of the 12 Bigfoot sightings around McClintock park have been positively confirmed to be Kurt 'sasquatch' Maedke, out gathering firewood.

Oh, I certainly wouldn't doubt that many reported sightings have common elements; as I haven't had the opportunity to research this aspect of things, I could only go by the reports posted on other sites. Hopefully someday we'll be able to actually head out into the woods at this location, or the (relatively) nearby Nicolet Forest to do more than just ghost hunting!