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In the previous episode the miners lost power, got stuck in the dark tunnels and Kristen heard the Native American stories about the Dredge and how it may have brought a curse to the entire town. The Native Americans think there is a source of danger that is associated with the mining and that it won’t go away until they stop. But the gold is starting to reveal itself and the miners are digging in deeper in the hopes of some real profits.

It may not have been a curse, but it’s certainly back luck that Sumpter burnt to the ground in August of 1917. A fire broke out and in three hours the entire city and all it’s records were gone. This area isn’t new to tragedy and Patrick heads out the cemetery to see if he can find groupings of headstones that might reveal other disasters that took place in Sumpter. As he looks around he finds Joseph Young, a mason and one of the original Founding Fathers of Sumpter. Is this the Joe they’re communicating with?

Back at the mining camp the guys are sitting around playing cards when there is a massive bang or explosion right outside. It almost sounds like someone lit off some dynamite in the mine. They rush outside to investigate but see nothing. Kristen calls for help, but after checking around her cabin they don’t see anything. Even the thermal imager shows all is quiet. As Kristen does an EVP session asking questions if someone is trying to warn them, there is another loud and distinct bang.

It’s pretty clear these have nothing to do with wood creaking and settling or mistaking a small animal wandering around. It would seem logical that rocks smashed into the cabin, but there are no signs of damage or of loose rocks. Two massive bangs in a row? That’s a new one.

While the miners aren’t going to stop digging for gold they do feel like someone is watching them from time to time. Are they now giving in to the idea of the paranormal or is something actually out there? They’re superstitious to begin with so let’s hope they aren’t letting their imaginations get the better of them.

After the raucous night, Dick and Jamal head back into the tunnel, but make a hasty retreat when they feel cold blasts of air. They’re in a closed tunnel so there shouldn’t be any air flow. Patrick and Kristen discover air blowing in from another tunnel, one that appears to have been sealed off. Are they right next to another mine shaft? It certainly sounds hollow and the air is coming in through small vent holes. You have to wonder, why was it sealed up?

Patrick asks that same question during an EVP session and gets an answer of "Danger". Is this the voice of a miner giving them a warning? Are they simply hearing something in the very faint static of the recording? Either way the miners are actually excited to break that wall down and see what’s on the other side. Stan, the foreman, has to keep them focused on the job at hand of digging for gold.

So there were two massive, unexplained bangs and now a tunnel that looks like it might have been closed off for reasons unknown. The plot is certainly getting thicker isn’t it? Are they on the trail of some deeper mystery or does the potentially sealed off tunnel have a simple explanation? Now that they’re raking in gold and perhaps a profit is something out to spoil their plans? As they remove tons and tons of earth and cast it aside like the previous miners, is the curse being stirred and they’ll be stopped?

Other Articles of Interest:

• Ghost Mine – Shadows in the Drift – S02E11
• Ghost Mine – Secret Passage – S01E05
• Ghost Mine – Vengeful Spirit – S01E03
• Ghost Mine – Wandering Spirit – S02E04
• Ghost Mine – Supercharging the Supernatural – S02E08
• Ghost Mine – Return to Darkness – S02E01
• Ghost Mine – S01E01
• Ghost Mine – Ghosts of the Geiser Grand – S02E05
• Ghost Mine – Town Wide Terror – S02E09
• Ghost Mine – The Final Barrier – S02E12 Season Finale

When we last left the gang there were problems at the town Inn. The families were experiencing activity by seeing shadows and feeling uneasy as they spent the night. Patrick and Kristen went to investigate and had some odd experiences of their own. They didn’t feel there was any danger at the Inn, but they did feel that there was some activity. Meanwhile at the mine, it looks like they might have struck gold. The guys pull out some rocks that look very promising. A vein of gold could be right in front of them.

As they dig deeper into the mine there is trouble with lights and the air compressor. One minute everything is working fine, the next everything shuts off and the miners are plunged into darkness. The miners manage to get themselves out of the darkness and Kirsten and Patrick head in to investigate. They notice the K2 meter is spiking as they ask questions and the temperature has dropped to 39 degrees. Patrick swears he hears the name Joe come through, but when he reviews the tape the name isn’t there.

As a side note there appear to be some camaraderie forming between the miners and the investigators. After jumping in to make the families feel at ease there is a bit more respect between the two groups. I’m sure they’ll share a campfire, but don’t expect any sharing of the gold.

Patrick and Kristen review the video footage of the power outage and notice a large black shadow figure standing behind Eddie. Interestingly, Eddie keeps looking back as though someone is there. For the moment they keep that information to themselves and Kristen goes to speak with a Native American Historian about the land and the mining. He doesn’t have too many kind words to say. In fact, the says there is a curse on Sumpter because of the mining. The land used to be beautiful and full of wildlife. Now it has massive scars from having holes dug and the use of a machine called the Dredge. In his words the Dredge is the source of the problem around here. Without delay Kristen and Patrick go to investigate.

It’s a nasty looking piece of machinery and of course there are stories of workers being killed by it. Miranda the Park Ranger tells the story of a man being pulled into the machine while oiling it. There is another story about two workers who heard footsteps, but when they investigated the source they couldn’t find anyone. She also talks about "Joe" who is responsible for moving tools inside the Dredge. This is the same name Patrick says he heard in the mine. They get permission and set up a full blown investigation in the Dredge. The night is filled with bangs and footsteps. Now, this is an old building that is sitting on water. Let’s not forget that animals of all sorts would be happy to make this place home.

But there is some evidence that may contradict that. They ask lots of questions and get a great deal of activity on the K2 meter. Patrick keeps asking if it’s Joe. While climbing the stairs he runs into what he claims is a full bodied apparition. They don’t capture it on tape and there is a large window right in front of where Patrick is standing. Is it simply his reflection?

On the thermal imager they get a large white figure that appears for an instant and then is gone. Unfortunately Kristen loses her cool here and lets out quite the girlish scream. She was coming across as sturdier stuff than this. But at least she didn’t go running, or fall down the stairs or let out a slew of vulgarities.

So now that they’ve had some experiences they take the footage and show it to the crew. Is it me or does Eddie seem slightly defensive about the shadow figure behind him? Did he sense something was there and he just doesn’t want to say anything? They also show off the thermal image which gets quite a reaction. They even have audio of Patrick asking if it was Joe and a long drawn out "yes" as a response. It seems like they might have caught some interesting evidence. Did Patrick capture his own shadow or is that the real deal?

The miners aren’t quite scared of what they’ve seen, but they aren’t discounting it either. There is a consensus that something could be going on up there. It won’t stop them digging for gold, but they aren’t dismissing or scoffing at the idea of paranormal activity in the mine like they did when the team first arrived.

Other Articles of Interest:

• Ghost Mine – Return to Darkness – S02E01
• Ghost Mine – Secret Passage – S01E05
• Ghost Mine – Shadows in the Drift – S02E11
• Ghost Mine – Supercharging the Supernatural – S02E08
• Ghost Mine – The Final Barrier – S02E12 Season Finale
• Ghost Mine – S01E01
• Ghost Mine – Phantom Wind – S01E04
• Ghost Mine – The Lost Chamber – S02E02
• Ghost Mine – Wandering Spirit – S02E04
• Ghost Mine – Town Wide Terror – S02E09