Something There
After the photos went viral, she looked again, baffled. There were photos of her friend, and her friend’s cousin — taken at different times. Nothing unusual. But then, she saw it.
In the background of one of the photos was something she would never be able to unsee. Her heart began to race and her blood turned to ice. She couldn’t explain what she and her friend had found up there, but now everything made sense.
The Mystery Of The Peak
Dundas Peak in Canada is a popular spot among hikers. It boasts a scenic viewpoint that overlooks the city of Hamilton, in Ontario, and is also home to the tallest waterfall in Hamilton, Tew’s Falls. Due to the Peak’s terrifying beauty, this spot has become popular among social media users looking to capture a share-worthy photo.
But within the wilds surrounding the peak, something lurked. And now, she had proof.
Perilous Landscape
Indeed, authorities reported that there was a sharp rise in people going missing on the peak. Most were never found.
Despite the dangers, Dundas Peak has had more than 140,000 visitors since 2016. And one of these visitors was about to spark one of the most bizarre chapters in the area’s history. But he wouldn’t know it until much later.
The Photo
The man’s photograph of himself in the popular pose on the edge of the peak didn’t look like anything out of the ordinary, at first. In fact, his souvenir snap resembled the thousands of other photos taken in the very same spot.
The man is wearing a dark jacket and jeans. He is sitting on the edge of a rocky outcrop, with one leg dangling into the abyss below. Nobody had noticed what was in the background… yet.
Recreation
The man’s cousin, Kim, subsequently saw the daring photo. Just a few days later, she’d booked a babysitter for the weekend and made her way to the peak with one of her closest friends, hoping to recreate the picture in the same spot.
After hiking the 2.4-mile circular trail, the women found the spot easily and took turns posing for their own photos, unaware that they were about to uncover something sinister.
A Glint From Below
Taking in the panoramic views from the peak, the women perched precariously close to the edge. Suddenly, the light caught a glimmer of something below. But it wasn’t the water rushing through the gorge beneath them, it was something much closer.
Dangling on a branch 3 feet below them hung a set of keys.
Who Did They Belong To?
Kim leaned over the edge as far as she dared — whoever had lost the keys surely needed them. She lay down flat on the rock and reached to retrieve them, unaware that she had just made a crucial discovery.
She inspected the bunch of keys and noted that one of the keys was for a car — a Hyundai Elantra.
Alone
As dusk began to creep along the peak, the friends decided that it was time to start making their way back. The park would close soon, and they didn’t want to be in these mountains after dark. They were all-too-aware of the reports.
They hurried back down the trail, suddenly worried that they couldn’t see any other hikers. Then, all the hairs on their arms rose.
Getting Out Of There
The women made their way back to the parking lot with a growing feeling of unease. Then, they spotted the car. But parked beside it was the only other car in the lot — a Hyundai Elektra. It was eerily quiet, and the driver was nowhere in sight. The car was dirty — as if it had been parked there for a long time.
Not wanting to wait around while it grew dark, they left the keys they had found on the car’s roof, on the driver’s side. It was only a week later that they saw the car on the news.
A Mystery
According to the police report, a female tourist had gone missing in the area. Her car had been recovered from the park’s parking lot, but the woman’s whereabouts remained a mystery.
Kim and her friend were shaken by the incident. A month passed, and they had all but forgotten their souvenir snaps. Until a Reddit user made a bizarre observation. And the incident was about to put Dundas Peak firmly in the spotlight once more
A Clue
Kim couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Suddenly, the respective pictures of her friend, her friend’s cousin, and herself on Dundas Peak, posted side-by-side on social media, had racked up thousands of views, shares, and comments.
Everyone had noticed a crucial detail in the background. And when she saw it, it made her blood turn to ice. She turned to Reddit with her unsettling story, hoping for some answers. And they weren’t the ones she had been hoping for.
A Viral Post
“So a little backstory. Around a month ago, my friend and I went hiking at Dundas Peak in Hamilton, Ontario…” She wrote.
“She suggested this location because her cousin went there a few days before us and posted an Instagram of him sitting on the edge of a cliff looking over Hamilton and the Niagara Escarpment. When we got there, we took turns recreating the photo.”
Something Else There
“Today, she messaged me when she noticed something obscure in the background in her cousin’s photograph…” She continued.
“Way below the edge of the trail, where the slope is too steep to stand on, there appears to be a thin person standing unnaturally straight with no visible face.” That there was another person in the photo wasn’t unusual on its own, but the most unsettling detail was still to come.
The Missing Woman?
“I know you’re probably thinking that is probably just a brave hiker,” she continued, “…but trust me, that spot is completely inaccessible. Maybe it isn’t a person? But I’m not sure what else it can be. I was hoping those who have also been to Dundas Peak and have taken a similar picture could share it. Hopefully we can figure out what… we’re looking at.”
The police report on the missing woman described her as being tall — and she was wearing jeans and a light grey sweater.
An Anomaly?
The most intriguing detail is that the figure does not appear on any of the other photographs taken at Dundas Peak. If the ghostly figure was an anomaly of some kind or a trick of the light, why didn’t it appear in the other 10,000 photographs taken in the same spot?
Soon, the comments were flooding in.
Was It Supernatural?
Many people were quick to suggest that there were numerous people who had gone missing in and around Dundas Peak. They argued that it was entirely possible that the ghostly figure was a hapless hiker who had met a grisly end in the hills.
Although the minority of people found the photograph disturbing, there were many others who argued that there must be a logical explanation. But what could have caused such an anomaly?
A Trick Of The Light?
One user insisted that the “figure” was an illusion caused by the shadows playing on the rockface. Another suggested that melting ice was to blame.
Then, someone came up with the most likely explanation: “Sorry to burst all your bubbles, but there’s a trail that leads up to that area and goes around the escarpment just under the rocks. That is, most likely, a person hiking around.”
A Simple Explanation?
In fact, a Reddit user by the name “tharchitect42” went as far as to claim that they themselves had caused the confusion. The poster claimed that they often went hiking at Dundas Peak. And, furthermore, they had been hiking on the same day that the creepy photograph had been taken. But that wasn’t all…
They also recalled wearing dark jeans and a gray top – an outfit whose appearance would match that of the mystery figure.
A Tragedy
Of course, none of these explanations satisfied everyone. And as the story was shared thousands of times, it was soon picked up by international media outlets. But it was only when the story was published on MailOnline’s website that someone shared another theory.
The commenter pointed out that there had been a fatal train crash below Dundas Peak one Christmas Eve.
Lost Souls
A total of 15 people lost their lives that day in 1934. Many people believe that their souls still haunt the peak. Although the locals have taken the story with a pinch of salt, the photograph continues to circulate and send chills up people’s spines all over the world.
While SlicedUpBeef often goes back to the cliff, she can never forget the strange photo her friend’s cousin took at that same spot. It reminds us that even in the most everyday moments there might be something strange happening. And she’s not the only one to have caught something creepy on camera…
Unidentified Animal
This is too terrifying.
When one man set up a camera in his backyard to see who was leaving deer carcasses on his lawn, the last thing he expected was to capture this heart-pounding image of some kind of winged beast chasing down a poor little deer!
Baa-Ram-Ewe
You’re home alone at night when you hear a noise outside. You go to have a look and you come across this. Outside your door, a bunch of sheep is staring at you.
Maybe it’s just the light of the flash causing their eyes to glow but it looks like these sheep are here for something more than a midnight snack.
A Close Encounter
Geese are frightening animals — that much is obvious.
They are bigger, louder, more aggressive versions of ducks and they like to screech and attack anyone who dares to lock eyes with them. But have you ever looked at their mouths? Well… Don’t.
Don’t Look Down
Have you ever seen people get really nervous when stepping on or off the escalator, and thought “what’s all the fuss about?”
Tell that to the person who might have just lost their toes! Don’t forget to wear your titanium boots next time you hit the mall.
In The Balance
Let’s hope this handyman’s balance is as solid as his engineering skills.
This is some serious dedication for a light bulb change though — maybe his work ethic will help him climb up the corporate ladder, too.
Air-Obics
Dancing is a great way to burn calories and to stay fit while still having loads of fun.
Dancing in the sky while plummeting towards the Earth… that’s something else entirely!
Frog Salad
Lettuce. It’s a green, leafy vegetable used in sandwiches and salads. Perfectly suitable for vegans, vegetarians, and everyone else, right? Well, this bag certainly wasn’t.
When this shopper picked up a bag of lettuce they certainly didn’t expect it to start moving or croaking at them
Wave Goodbye
When you think of the dangers of surfing you probably think about being crushed by huge waves or maybe being dashed upon the rocks, or worse yet, drowning.
However, if you look at this photo you might realize that there are other dangers that might be much closer than you think.
Hanging Out
While most people have no problem standing on a tall building staring at the view, however, this photo looks like a scene from a Hitchcock film.
Even people without any kind of acrophobia might think twice about trying what this man is doing. He’s either a daredevil or simply insane.
Dusting
Most of us hate having to do the dusting at home but at least we don’t have to do this guy’s job! Not only is he clearly far above the ground but there is clearly a safety violation in that he is wearing no harness of any kind.
I’ll stick to dusting my furniture at home, thanks.
Toilet Terror
It might sound like something from a horror movie but some people are scared of something crawling out of the toilet. Well, it might sound like a ridiculous idea but as this photo proves, maybe it isn’t as farfetched as we think.
You’ll definitely need the toilet after this sight. Too bad it’s already occupied.
The Birds
Another image that seems to have been taken straight from a Hitchcock film.
Whoever the photographer was might have been feeling a bit nervous as they came across this murder (yes, that’s really what it’s called) of crows.
Straight And Narrow
Anyone who has gone hiking or mountain climbing knows that the path can be quite narrow and treacherous.
However, even those accustomed to such difficult paths might think twice about taking a walk along this mountainside path in China.