The Ghost Train of Wellington:

The 1998 Western Ghost Conference concluded yesterday at Skykomish, WA amid tears and hugs as members of the Conference bid farewell to us as they departed for their return journey home. Why would anyone be shedding tears and hugs at a ghost conference? The emotional bond felt by all who attended our conference can be attested by the responses we received from members before departing. We invited people to attend the Western Ghost Conference for an experience of a lifetime. What was this experience? I believe it was the awakening and an understanding that there is life after death. Each person was able to experience this spiritual event in their own way by applying the principles taught in the classes for successful ghost photography so they could gather their own photographic evidence of life after life as represented by the spirits of the dead. We were touched by the sensitivity of those who attended our Conference. We developed friendships that will last a lifetime. Sharon and I cried when we departed because we did not want this special weekend to end. We felt sad that the weekend was over because we shared so much and learned so much from those who attended this Conference. We had spiritual experiences with the members that we will treasure for a lifetime. Friday night meeting evolved into walking the deserted streets of Skykomish and filming the spirits of the dead that dwell within this historic railroad town. Imagine the responses when David and Marla James of Huntington Beach recorded floating orbs with their Sony video camera. Imagine watching a video of an orb flying a figure-eight' pattern in front of the camcorder at the haunted Warehouse/Old Theater. Hundred's of individual orbs were captured on video by those with video cameras. At the old Jail, Christie Verhoef began recording floating orbs with her camcorder. It was unbelievable as we watched the recorded images displayed on the camcorder screen prove the digital and film recordings of orbs were accurate. Those who had doubts of the existence of these floating orbs suddenly experienced miraculous metamorphic conversions and now believed in the existence of these floating orbs or balls of light. When we arrived at the site of the Lost City of Wellington, our first visitor that greeted us was a black bear! Remember, we are in the Cascade Wilderness where bears and other wild animals are free to roam and feed off the land, but not off the IGHS members! We cautioned members to avoid solo operations in the woods because of the black bear that we had observed. The presence of the bear added suspense to an ever growing desire to explore the haunted tunnel, home of yellow eyes. The day before, six members of the conference observed strange happenings within this tunnel that appeared to confirm the "Yellow Eyes" experience I had previously reported. Again, many recorded video images of the spirits who dwell in this lost city, such as at the old Boiler Shack site. We explored the old Snow Sheds that protected the doomed passenger train for a day and half before the train ventured beyond the protective barriers. Voices were heard by many people. Voices that could have only come from passengers who died at this very remote spot in 1910! Many balls of light were recorded by both digital and video camcorders within this Snow Shed. One of the members who was skeptic when he arrived had his conversion in the Snow Shed when he began capturing floating orbs after asking permission from the spirits so he could photograph them. When we finally departed this Lost City, members in the last truck driving back up the dirt road to where the cars were parked clearly heard a train whistle . . . the train whistle of a lone steam engine derailed March 1, 1910! The Ghost Train apparently still makes the journey along nonexistence rails until it encounters the snow slide that derails the train and kills all the passengers and the peaceful railroad town of Wellington. Passengers who died in the Snow Shed may still warn visitors to leave before the tragic avalanche happens. Spirits stuck in a time loop, still reliving that terrible avalanche that took their lives. Many members heard their voices while exploring this Snow Shed. Did anyone else see "Yellow Eyes?" Maybe six of the members did, but then again, perhaps it was just the excitement of the weekend, but maybe it wasn't! We even had some members of the Skykomish Hotel staff show up to see for themselves the mysteries of this Lost City of Wellington. One of the highlights was when Adam and Jane Dopps, owners of the hotel, allowed the Conference members to investigate the top floor of the hotel, their private dwellings. Guess what, dozens of floating orbs were recorded by the members. This was where the card games and ladies of the evenings carried on their trade, when this hotel was the hot spot' in this old railroad town. Does the Dead still walk the streets of Wellington? Yes, my friends, the spirits of the dead are alive and well and very active in Wellington and the members of the International Ghost Hunters Society Western Ghost Conference had the experience of a lifetime!