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 Post subject: Our Explorations Of Apple Hill, Nine Mile House & Old City..
PostPosted: Sat Oct 26, 2013 6:07 pm 
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Our Explorations Of Apple Hill, Nine Mile House & Old City Cemetery - Oct. 7th 2013

Every year I try to put together a series of investigations and explorations that fit the Fall theme. I wanted to bring our viewers a treat places that are historic but also hold the possibilities of paranormal happenings. Its an area I have worked with before such as in May when we visited the vineyards and hiked at Sly Valley.
 
Its also a region known for its Bigfoot sightings and activity. Although these locations reside in the sierra foothills the cemeteries including Apple Hill are surrounded by a vast wilderness. So you have to take all of this into consideration.
 
I have always theorized the reason why Bigfoot sightings and activity are so high surrounding Apple Hill was due to the accessibility of a constant food supply. You have many orchards and other crops being grown. Not all Bigfoot like creatures depend on meat alone in their diets. They also depend on apples and other fruits which could sustain it for many years.
 
So what my hope was is to bring a mix of Bigfoot lore and Ghosts all wrapped into one big exploration. I wanted to make it as fun as I did intriguing. Give those a look into a theory I have had for quite sometime. Not only that but open up a case in the Apple Hill area for future explorations since you cannot see everything in one day.
 
You see the Apple Hill area dates back to the mid 1800's some of the ranches in that region date back to that time era. So its quite possible some of the sites are as haunted as they are historically significant. Throughout the Apple Hill area are ponds, trails, orchards, pumpkin patches, vineyards, ranches, streams and woods. Its a relatively large area that you could never possibly see during one visit.
 
With all the leaves changing colors and the thought of eating some of the best Apple Pie in the country this was just to good of a place just to pass on up. So we would pack ourselves a lunch for the day and leave early in the morning so we could spend the day hiking around finding new locations to check on out. So off I went in my top hat and my cape ready to enjoy all that October has to offer.
 
Apple Hill California
 
The view of the high sierras in the distance is quite picturesque that you get from some of the ranches. Last time I was out this way I was wine tasting and buying me a bottle of some of the finest wine you can drink on the west coast. This time around however would require hands on work as I would be touring multiple ranches and locations. A portion of Apple Hill is on the old Emigrant Trail and Pony Express!
 
The first location would be Grandpa's Cellar which has apple cider, wine and even pie. I was more interested in the hiking trail which would take us over a stream and through the woods. I did not expect to find any tracks back here considering the area has allot of foot traffic. However we would hike in portions of the Eldorado National Forest which a wooded area we been working with allot here in 2013.
 
We would hike out to Appleridge Farms where they had a pond and even an area you could feed the animals. They also had a pumpkin patch and a few other notable sites. We would just be passing through the area. You would not believe how many local farms sell so many different types of apples. You feel like your in an outdoor fruit market and ever location has picnic benches to relax at.
 
I did notice that flowers and meadows here were all green as well as flourishing. This was a much different scene then at Round Top Peak where everything had died. In the foothills the weather is much warmer so even in the Fall allot of flowers were still in full bloom. I stopped to take all sorts of photos of flowers for our website.
 
As we left the farms we would begin a hike up to Bolster Farms. The hike through the woods then the orchard was very nice. I seen an old trailer in the woods consumed by nature. I also found what appeared to be mangled and twisted metal fencing that was pulled up surrounding the farms most prized apples. You could tell that something very strong wanted to get to the apples that had fallen to the ground. Whatever pulled up parts of the sharp metal fencing probably was not human nor animal. I concluded that Sasquatch may have done this just based on studying the fencing.
 
We would reach Bolster Farms where I had the best cider of my life. The lady told me that they mix every type of apple together to make it and well it was so naturally sweet. If I was not hiking I probably would have bought me a gallon of it. Surrounding the farm were things like tractors, wood crates and old farm equipment. They also had a souvenir shop with allot of Native American artifacts. Just outside of the shop was two old cannons. Touring these ranches in some way, shape or form is similar to touring a museum.
 
Our next stop was O' Halloran's Ranch which had allot of pretty flowers and gardens growing. I went hike on the Apple Trail even smoked under an apple tree a bowl. That was on my bucket list to get stoned in the orchard and it was well deserved because I was getting a bit tired in the warm sun. We did visit the apple store I could not believe all the apples they had for sale it was pretty amazing.
 
After this ranch we would stop at the Jack Russell Brewery/Winery and Farms. They had all sorts of places you could eat a picnic lunch outdoors at. Some of the picnic benches were right under its apple trees. I went inside the brewery and ordered me a pumpkin spice ale. It was so good I was all tipsy afterwards which was okay because afterwards I would hike around the brewery just trying to capture some awesome photography. I highly recommend anybody going to Apple Hill to stop at the brewery get yourself a beer and relax for awhile.
 
We then stopped at Mill View and Larsen Ranch. The Larsen's have been around since the 1800's they even own the cemetery in Apple Hill which very few people know about. Between the ranches was another pond and we found this chocolate fudge shop. I ordered the kids two chocolate marshmallow suckers and then some dark chocolate covered Oreos. Their was so much to choose from I wanted to order everything but its a bit spendy here.
 
Time was passing by quite quickly when you start to tour the ranches, hike on the trails and sample everything its not to long before the sun starts going down. I would take the boys to a place called Kids Inc. where I sat down an ate one of the best pieces of French crumb apple pie freshly made. We would hike down to the Vineyard, Gardens and eventually the corn maze which was closed. Who closes a corn maze in October? That is one of the issues with Apple Hill is that some places are only open on weekends and it was a week day we went. The weekends are far to busy to visit here that is why I went to this location on a Monday instead.
 
As I was driving around Apple Hill I also drove past an old church and even historic downtown Camino. Their is just a very peaceful pleasant feeling that surrounds the entire community. I mean its not just the great outdoors but its also allot of history that surrounds this place. You have old bed and breakfast homes, saloons, shops from the 1800's all amidst this bustling downtown.
 
Our last stops would be High Hill and Rainbow Orchards both places were mobbed I did not stay long. As a matter in fact it was very difficult to find parking. These places offered hay mazes and allot of other children's events. However they are bustling places the one ranch had about 15 to 20 different stores on site. While other sites were canvas tents that sold art and other items. Its kind of hard to look for the paranormal when you are surrounded by a hundred people.
 
Before we would investigate the cemeteries we would finally find a place where we could pick our own pumpkins. We took this dirt road it was pretty rugged through this ranch. Tammy found this gourd, boys picked white pumpkins and then we found this big old tall orange pumpkin. It was pretty cool to pick our own pumpkins and load them right up. I think its allot funner then buying them at the store and this patch had some pretty cool pumpkins. So next year they will get our business also since its a less visited farm and has a better selection. Allot of the other places that had patches were either closed or they already picked the pumpkins for you.
 
Our day in Apple Hill was a day spent exploring and having fun. I did not find much Bigfoot evidence but out in the woods along some fencing I seen metal spikes bent outwards which means something had to be responsible for this. Something that had hands and wanted to get to the apples on the ground bad enough. The really good apples however even the good ones are not so great once they fall onto the ground. They get bruised or full of worms. However to a Bigfoot like creature this could mean the difference between life and death.
 
Our day in Apple Hill was memorable I look forward to returning to visit more ranches and do more hiking trails. I have only seen eight or nine places out of eighty. So much more remains to be seen and experienced here. I have even heard of a trail that takes you to some hidden waterfalls. Being so close to Pollock Pines it is one of the top areas for Bigfoot in the Eldorado National Forest and you can understand why. So many wild berries grow here that is in addition to all the orchards and other sources of food grown here this really is a great region for Bigfoot creatures to be found. Not to mention that Apple Hill is very overgrown with vegetation allot of woods allot of places for something to hide.
 
Prior to leaving Apple Hill our last stop would be at the old Nine Mile House Cemetery but its also known as Camino Cemetery, Hartwick Cemetery, Hamilton Cemetery and Crystal Springs Cemetery.
 
Nine Mile House Cemetery
 
This cemetery is really easy to miss its just a little single lane road that takes you up to the graveyard and a couple of homes. The cemetery sits in this patch of woods surrounded completely surrounded by houses. The cemetery is very shady almost weeded out by the sun itself.
 
When you first enter the burial ground your greeted by the entire Hartwick Family plot which has at least a dozen of graves. Some of the gravesites reach peoples back doorsteps. Other ones are covered in brush and vines. Its not very well maintained but it does contain some of the early emigrants who once made their way onto the nearby Emigrant Trail.
 
Next to the cemetery is an old barn I did not find the Nine Mile House which was an old inn and saloon. I am sure by now its long gone since the mid 1800's. No less the history of the cemetery is rather interesting in how it came to be and the fact that at one time the Inns cemetery was in its back yard.
 
We did take EMF readings the entire time we were here did not get much of anything. At one point the EMF went off briefly could have been anything though since the homes are so close nearby.
 
I did take EVP the entire time I was here whether that turns up anything its hard to say. I did not want to visit here at night because literally my flash would be turned onto peoples houses which is just being rude.
 
Most of the graves were in fairly decent shape then again there are many unmarked burials as well. Their was a few graves surrounded by wrought iron while I seen newer gravemarkers from 2010. People who probably lived their lives as ranchers at Apple Hill. While others were early emigrants who came to this area to build lives for themselves.
 
One of the sections of the cemetery appeared to be older then the rest maybe its historic section. While a majority of burials seemed to have taken place in the mid 1900's. I seen a grave with the last name Russell probably one of the owners of the Russell's brewery I drank at and even seen some Larsen's from the orchard.
 
Some of the graves had trinkets, mineral stones and fake flowers. But it had appeared that many of them were forgotten as plant life grew all around the stones. There was also nearby a kids swing set not even 10' away from some of the gravestones.
 
It was a really cool cemetery just deplorable as many of the family plots had broken fencing while one grave site you could tell the coffin had caved in. The ground and concrete was all sunken downwards. While at another site a concrete cross on the ground was broken into pieces.
 
Every gravesite tells a story most of the people buried here owned some of the very ranches I toured. So in a way the cemetery is very much connected to Apple Hill. This is one of the reasons why I wanted to go here was not just to investigate but to pay my respects.
 
Our last stop of the night would be miles down the road in the town of Placerville to a very historical cemetery called "Old City Cemetery" which is rumored to be haunted but also one of the most intriguing cemeteries in the county.
 
Placerville Old City Cemetery
 
Placerville has always been a place time and time again I return to. Even in 2008 when I was homeless I went up here a few times just to enjoy this old historic town. Its a magical place residing in the sierra foothills full of mining history. We would stop at some old ruins that had a tunnel that we explored before we would take this road that led us above the entire town.
 
The cemetery itself consist of many of the regions first pioneers. Further below it you can see all of downtown Placerville particularly the older part of town. When you pull up on the cemetery there is a sign with a little bit of history and these giant wood gates. Their is also an old wrought iron sign above that says Old City Cemetery.
 
The graves are quite spread out most of the trees here are a couple hundred years old. I read somewhere that many of the burials are not marked here. Even though the cemetery underwent restoration nearly ever single gravestone is cracked, broken, tilted or has suffered some sort of damage.
 
Just as with the cemetery in Apple Hill I would take EMF and EVP readings here. My sons were to busy running through the grass so not even sure if they were taking readings for me. But I do know that Tammy and I split up to cover more of the cemetery. The cemetery itself starts off at the top of this hill eventually it descends down the hill overlooking the town.
 
Many of the wrought iron plots were toppled while in one section a family plot was in piles of just bricks. Some of the stones had moss growing on them while other ones were illegible. Some gravesites were surrounded by stone frames which were either broken, cracked or just part of it missing. The amount of shade in the cemetery is very nice but at the same time some of the tree roots and fallen limbs have caused damage to the graveyards older tombstones.
 
Some of the monuments and pillars were crumbling that includes some steps leading up to one of the gravesites. Their was a vault it was cracked and crumbling as well in the hillside. While this massive tree apparently was broken in half possibly from a lightening strike. There really is no words to describe the cemetery other then its a sad situation. Granted it dates back to 1850 you can tell its suffered allot of vandalism over the years.
 
Some of the graves were surrounded by tree stumps while on those tree stumps it looked as if some people places pieces of gravestones on them. It was not a pretty site more like a nightmare or the kind of cemetery you would see in a horror movie.
 
Behind the cemetery were a couple homes as well I bet these people have some strange stories to tell. Since it was Fall allot of the leaves had fallen so many of the gravesites were covered in them. There were a few stones that were in really good shape that were almost 150 years old but very far and a few between.
 
I would rather really just show all of you then talk about it. Its definitely a historic site and it should be preserved. It was very peaceful here but you could tell something about the cemetery was just off.
 
When we were done with the cemetery I decided to take us to the Gold Bug Mine Park. Unfortunately they were closed already and accidentally my GPS took me on the backside of the park. It actually took me to some old wagon road. Jarrod and I took the road for quite a ways where it went past some remnants from the mine and to a cliff that overlooked the park itself.
 
By then the sun was going down and I had the truck on some dirt road in the woods. I decided to take the next hour or so after my hike in the Placerville woods to eat some dinner then smoke some reefer. I watched the sunset then decided to head for home. Many of the burials in the cemetery had connections to this mine its really to bad I did not make it there in time for a tour. I will say the woods were a bit creepy here being on some back path where the gate was torn down.
 
I was not the only one offroading back here either there were a few other vehicles that is what is so great about Placerville. Within minutes you are within the reach of the high sierras, wilderness and woods which envelop the entire town.
 
After a long day of exploring when we made it home I put in After Earth for the kids and crashed during the entire movie. I was pretty tired after driving 200 miles nearly. I will be very excited to get these places onto our site they really fit the whole Halloween theme. Not to mention the fact that they are all historic relevant locations.
 
Whether we get anything on the EVP for the cemeteries is another story. I did not spend allot of time at the cemeteries only long enough to take a few readings and EVP sessions. I really look forward to returning to Placerville to check out some of its other historic pioneer sites! All together the pictures of Apple Hill, Nine Mile House Cemetery and Old City Cemetery speak better volumes then what I could ever put into this report. I would like to return to Old City Cemetery late at night sometime to do some entity work. I believe this place could produce some great results.
Lord Rick
PGS Founder
 
PS Apple Hill is going to be LIVE on our site later tonight I have the updates done just have not uploaded them yet :) busy busy!

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