If You Go Down To The Woods Today….
Mark Andre, the environmental services director for Arcata, California, would stumble across an intriguing discovery while on a walk in the local surrounds. As he stepped closer to investigate, his jaw dropped…
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The Woods Have Many Secrets
Mark Andre is a nature-lover who often explores the beautiful woods in northern California. As the town’s environmental services director, it was his job to spend time out in the wilderness. He believed there was little in the surrounds that he had not discovered… or so he thought.
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Something Doesn’t Feel Right
While he was out marking trees to be harvested in the Arcata Community Forest, he stumbled upon an unexpected and starling discovery. He had never seen anything quite like it and the sight would leave him astounded.
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A Tiny Bit Suspicious
Mark was usually concerned with the local trees on his many walks but that fateful day would be different. Once he discovered the startling sight something in his gut told him to investigate it further. He followed his instincts and a mystery would soon unfold.
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Who Goes There?
Through the trees, though camouflaged, he spotted an unusual sight. Mark moved closer soon discovering it was some sort of elaborate makeshift cabin. Clearly illegally constructed, he wasn’t quite sure what he’d find when he went inside. Who inhabited the mysterious residence?
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Eerie Presence
The cabin was situated in one of the most remote areas on the outskirts of the Arcata Forest. Most locals would not typically venture to the location. Mark hadn’t explored this area for 20 long years. It was clear, whoever had built the structure, did not expect it to be discovered.
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Strange Observation
The hand-made cabin was set up on concrete blocks. It had a small porch, small windows, and walls of plywood that were covered with brown tarps, black plastic sheeting, and lots of concealing forest materials. From a distance, it was nearly invisible.
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Careful Examination
The first thing Mark noted about the cabin was that it seemed to be quite well-constructed for such a structure. This did not look like some pieces of debris thrown together, this looked like well-thought out piece of work.
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Clearly The Work Of Someone Who Knew The Woods, But Who?
Mark soon noticed the surrounding area was immaculate. Without the normal environmental abuse associated with many forest campsites, there wasn’t even a sign that showed how they brought in the materials to craft the structure. How was this possible? Who was behind this? Were they lurking nearby?
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What Would He Discover?
The cabin measured roughly eight by 12 feet and was estimated to be about 15 feet high. It featured a little peaked roof, a front porch and awning, and plywood walls covered in tarps. It was even built on a solid concrete foundation!
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Out Of Eyesight
Mark could only assume its isolation was what made constructing the cabin possible in the first place. “I didn’t see it until I was 12 feet from it,” he explained. “It’s in the perfect out-of-the-way spot where it wouldn’t be detected.”
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Mysterious Vibes
What made the cabin even more mysterious was that no footprints led to it. Whoever lived there clearly respected nature, but who was it that had built the small and bizarre home?
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Trespassing
Since it is illegal to camp or build on the public property, Mark soon decided to call in a little help and to enter the premises. What he would find would only add to the mystery of the discovery…
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A Waiting Game
As he waited for his team to come, he couldn’t help but feel different about the woods now, he didn’t feel as safe as he usually did. He felt the murmur between the trees, as though there was a presence surrounding him, or watching him, and he couldn’t shake it off. Was someone watching him?
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Recruited Help To Uncover The Mystery
Mark called his fellow forest technicians Javier Nogueira and Nick Manfredonia for assistance. Along with park ranger Heidi Groszmann, they trekked back to the site to explore the inside of the cabin. They weren’t sure what—or who—they would find inside…
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Game Plan
Mark peered in through a dislodged side window of the cabin, which offered a partial view of the interior. The ranger had to make a decision. If the cabin was in use as a residence, then even though it is located on public land, a search warrant would be required for entry.
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Who Was Inside?
But if anyone was inside, possibly incapacitated or worse, leaving them without help would be totally irresponsible. After multiple calls to any occupant went unanswered, Groszmann gave the go-ahead for Manfredonia to cut the padlock on the plywood front door and enter the strange residence.
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Dun Dun Dunnnnn
It took them a long time to break the lock. When they finally cut the padlock and flung open the doors they would be shocked by the interior of the cabin…
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Staying Close To One Another
As Heidi entered the residence, gun at the ready, she shouted “Arcata Police!” But there was no answer. They were alone. Soon, the group began to search the contents of the place to see if they could find out more about the bizarre discovery of the cabin.
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Astonishing Sight
The cabin was definitely lived in. It had a small living room and kitchen area. Shelves were filled with housekeeping supplies and a variety of old non-perishable cans of food sat on shelves built into the wall. Everything seemed ordinary but the space had an eerie quality. They ventured further.
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Creepy Furniture
Beside a creepy looking rocking chair, there was also a small dirty old coffee table with a tea kettle on it. Directly across from the chair was a makeshift stove. Whoever had been living here had everything they needed, but who would choose to live in such isolation?
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What Would The Clues Tell Them?
In another corner of the cabin was a small bookshelf constructed on a wall. It was lined with various novels and non-fiction titles, including Catch Me If You Can and Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West. Soon, the rangers seemed to piece together the kind of person who inhabited the space.
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Suspicions Confirmed
Other items, like a stack of tapes, lent themselves to the search party’s existing suspicions. It seemed whoever lived there was much older. They continued to search for other clues that might help them determine just who it was that called this mysterious cabin home.
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A Handwritten Note
The nervous group also found a handwritten list of “Things To Do And Get,” which told them a little more about the cabin’s resident. The list, which included dates, was comprised of tasks such as “build bench,” “extend brush wall,” “season cast irons,” “get six-inch stove pipe flashing,” and “Get tongs 1/22/11.” But where were they now?
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What Else Could They Discover?
Near the stove, they also found a copy of nearby Humboldt State University’s The Lumberjack newspaper, dated March 25, 2015. So between the list and the other items, they began to piece the story together…
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Identity Revealed
They suddenly spotted two driver’s licenses on a nearby table, but each read the names of different people. What could this mean? Was there two people living there or was this a troubling case of stolen identity?
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Did The Clues Point To Concrete Evidence?
Mark speculated that the cabin was perhaps being used as a seasonal retreat for whoever had built it. The major mystery remained unsolved, how so many weighty objects such as lumber and the wood stove were physically transported to the site, leaving no mark on the land and undetected by forest workers who travel the trails daily. “Someone took a long time to walk in heavy items,” he said.
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Testing For DNA
They considered getting forensics down to the site, to try and get real concrete evidence of who it was that had mysteriously and so cleverly created this home for themselves without giving away who they were or leaving a trace. It felt ominous and perhaps this individual was not just an innocent squatter but someone more sinister.
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It Was Getting Dark Now
The sun was beginning to set and night would soon fall. They didn’t like the idea of being there in the dark of night, with the thought that whoever it was could return at any moment. The group soon decided to make a hasty exit.
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Illegal Moves
As camping on public property is illegal for any persons—even if the inhabitant was respectful of the land, the intrigued crew left an eviction notice for the inhabitant. But soon, things really got strange… They decided to return the following morning to investigate further.
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Investigation Continues
That night, Mark frantically searched old archives to see if he could find anything about a similar situation, or certain individual who had been caught in the act before, but his search proved fruitless. He was desperate to know more but he was concerned the discoveries could get dark – perhaps this person was in hiding or on the run…
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Returning The Next Day
When authorities returned to the cabin site the next day, they could not believe their eyes. The cabin had been been totally deconstructed! The only trace of it was a charcoal “squatters symbol” where the cabin once sat. “That’s the cleanest camp cleanup I’ve ever seen,” said Michael McDowall, the natural resources technician for the Environmental Services Department. “There wasn’t a nail, not even a gum wrapper left behind.”
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Ghostly Presence
Once again, there was absolutely no sign that anyone had ventured into the territory. There was a trace left in the surrounds – it had all disappeared. But would the mystery be solved?
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What Now?
It’s unlikely that the cabin’s owner would come forward given the illegal nature of his activities. After all, the cabin was built on public land where the construction of personal property was strictly forbidden. Still, it’s pretty impressive they were ever able to construct – and remove it – in the first place!
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Sign Of Owner
They must have caught wind of the rangers being there, and been startled by the evacuation notice. It seemed to have all unfolded in the dead of night. The rangers were dumbfounded at how quickly they did it and how they left no trace. Where would the unknown resident end up?
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Mystery Still Unsolved
Talk about a mystery! Though the search for more about the property and its owner continued, the whereabouts of this accomplished camper remain undiscovered.
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Still Scratching Their Heads
To this day, Mark and his crew have not been able to identify the person responsible for the cabin or where they went. “The thoughtfully composed, uncluttered tiny house appears to be the work of someone who knows who they are and what they need.”
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Come Out Come Out Wherever You Are
It’s incredible that someone was able to erect a structure without anyone knowing and completely disassemble it in the same mysterious and unseen manner. Whoever this person was clearly had the knowledge to build a shelter and live in it undetected for years with minimal supplies. The mystery of the cabin in the woods remains unsolved.