Many people visit Dundas Peak in Hamilton, Canada because it is a spectacular spot. The views are simply breathtaking and many tourists who reach the top commemorate the occasion with a photo from the peak.
One woman who visited the peak did just that, not thinking much of the photo. That is until it suddenly became a viral hit, which forced her to take a second look. What she found was equally disturbing and exciting and forced her to call the cops.
A Mystical Peak
Dundas Peak in Canada attracts many hikers throughout all season of the year because of its beautiful terrain and scenic views. When you reach the peak, you can see the entire city of Hamilton and you get a spectacular view of Tew’s Falls, which is well worth the visit.
People love to take photos of the amazing views when they reach the top and they post it on social media to share that beauty with the world. That day, one hiker snapped a picture of something that no one had ever seen before.
A Safe Trail?
Dundas Peak is a popular hiking spot, but was it a safe route for hikers? Local authorities had reported that hikers had gone missing whilst hiking the treacherous trail and some were never found. But this doesn’t stop people from visiting the peak.
While Dundas Peak had its fair share of safety concerns, it didn’t seem to jump out on paper as being particularly unsafe. People even took young children up to the peek to snap a cute picture of two.
Something Lurking In The Background
It all started, when a man had a photo taken of himself sitting on the edge of the peak overlooking the spectacular views. At first, the photo seemed to look like every other photo of other people with the same landscape.
The man’s cousin, Kim, saw his photo and thought the views were spectacular. So she decided to visit the peak that weekend with a friend to see it for herself. The pair hiked the 2.4-mile trail and found the same spot where Kim’s cousin had taken the photo.
An Unusual Discovery
The women sat in the exact spot where Kim’s cousin had sat to have their photo taken atop the peak. Whilst taking in the spectacular views, the two women spotted something unusual in the wilderness. They didn’t know what to think of what they’d seen.
As they sat on the edge of the peak, they noticed something glistening. At first, they thought it came from the gorge below, but then they noticed that something was hanging in a tree only 3 feet away. It was a set of keys.
Getting The Keys
Kim decided that she’d try to grab the keys so she inched closer, careful not to fall over the edge. Whoever had lost their keys was probably frantically looking for them. As she grabbed them she saw that they were keys to a Hyundai Elantra.
It was getting late and the sun was starting to set so they decided to head back before the park closed. They were aware of the people that had gone missing in the park so they didn’t want to be stranded there.
An Eerie Feeling
As Kim and her friend reached the parking lot, their hair stood on end at what they saw. The only cars left were theirs and a Hyundai Elantra. The Hyundai was dirty and looked like it had been there for some time.
They had to make a decision because they didn’t want to wait around in the dark. So they decided to leave the car keys that they’d found on the roof of the car. If the owner came looking for the keys, then they’d find it easily.
Reported Missing
They didn’t think too much of the incident, thinking their civic duty was done as they had placed the car keys near the car and had not seen anything out of place but soon after, things got complicated.
The women were shocked to read reports about a missing female tourist at Dundas Peak. Reports stated that she had been reported missing but that her car had been found in the parking lot. Police had searched for her but couldn’t find her.
The Photo Resurfaced
Some time had passed and they had forgotten about the missing woman and the photo that was taken that day on the peak. Then a Reddit user made a disturbing comment that brought everything back. That’s when the questions started flooding in.
Kim was surprised to see the photo she’d taken with her friend was on the internet. But that wasn’t all. The photo her friend’s cousin had taken was posted right beside hers. Thousands of people viewed both photos and then made some startling comments.
Hidden Detail
As Kim looked closely, she noticed a distinct difference between their photos. Her friend’s cousin’s photo included a hidden detail that could turn out to be very important. She wanted to get some answers and asked others what they made of it.
As you can see, it looks like the picture might have captured the missing hiker. Could the poor girl have been so close to help yet unable to get it? Kim’s mind was racing and she had a million questions and one.
Recreating
To get those answers, she used the internet! Kim created a post and explained how she’d gone to Dundas Peak with a friend because her cousin had gone days prior and it looked beautiful.
And when they got there they posed trying to recreate the photo he’d taken and that she noticed this eerie detail days later in the picture. She wanted to know if this was something she should take to the police or was just her imagination running wild.
The Post Went Viral Overnight
Immediately, everyone was talking about the picture but rather than getting answers, Kim was getting more and more confused. Some agreed with her that there was in fact a person in the background, while others had different opinions.
It seemed that putting the pictured on the internet was making it harder to find the right answer since she was flooded with details about Dundes Park some of which gave her goosebumps.
Could It Be Her?
One thing was clear, most people did think it was another hiker, but there’s no access to that part of the mountain on foot. Could it be the missing woman whose car keys they’d found? She was last seen in a grey sweater and jeans which matched the figure in the photo.
This figure didn’t appear on any other photo ever taken at Dundas Peak. if this was a ghost then why didn’t it show up in any other of the tens of thousands of photos taken on the peak? Could it be a trick of the light?
A Supernatural Sighting
It was the internet after all, and that meant that thousands of people were also convinced that Kim had actually captured a ghost in her picture. While Kim herself didn’t believe in it, it seemed like many thought that the image showed something supernatural.
Most people thought that the photo was disturbing and that it seemed like a supernatural sighting of some kind. Others believed it was the ghost of a hiker who’d met his end in that exact location. But there had to be a logical explanation for this.
Light Trickery
Others insisted that it was just a trick of the light or an illusion caused by shadows possibly because of the melting ice. Someone else commented that there was a hidden trail that leads to that spot, which means it was probably a hiker.
Another Reddit user claimed that they’d caused all the confusion. They claimed that they frequented Dundas Peak often and that they had been there the day the photograph was taken. Furthermore, they were wearing jeans and a grey sweater that day.
A Fatal Crash
That person’s confession seemed like a logical explanation and it seemed to have solved the mystery until someone pointed something out. There had been a train crash one Christmas Eve below Dundas Peak, which proved to be fatal. That’s when more theories came to light.
While it seemed like the two were not connected at first but the lore around Dundas Peak all seemed to be connected to some gruesome event or another. Well, this one give you the heeby-jeebies!
The Theory
The train crash had occurred in 1934 and 15 people had lost their lives. It is believed that their souls haunt the peak until this day. Locals don’t seem to take it too seriously but choose to take it with a grain of salt.
The town of Dundes was also infamous for being the hometown of a serial killer, Wayne Boden who terrorized his victims from 1969 to 1971. People also believed that his poor victims might have appeared in the picture.
The Missing Woman
Though these were all internet theories and the police and officials did not believe that either of these two events was connected or could be to the missing hiker. While the search for the hiker continues, not much is known as to what happened to her.
Apart from her car keys which the girls found. The authorities can not even confirm that the “shadow” of the person in the back of Kim’s image can be the missing hiker, as there is not enough information regarding her clothing to make a match.
Lost Souls
While the official statement is factually based yet unsatisfying, that still has not stopped people from theorising that Kim definitely caught a ghost from the fateful train crash in her photograph.
Ghost or not, it looks like whoever or whatever that person looks like a lost soul who needs help. We hope it really was a lone hiker on this trail and not something far more sinister at play.
Remains A Mystery
Even with all of that, Kim and her friend still regularly visit Dundas Peak though they never fail to mention how they managed to find those car keys and that figure in the background of the picture.
Who or what that figure was will probably always remain a mystery and they’ll just have to live with that unless of course the missing hiker is found. The case is still open yet no new leads are found.
Not The Only One
The more we learn about Dundas Peak, the scarier this photo becomes. What happened to the hiker and how did her car keys end up in a random tree at the looking point? Did she have something or someone after her? Did she drop the keys?
These questions are numerous and their answers nowhere to be found, both by internet conspiracy theorists as well as officials. We wonder how many hidden details, people have captured in the back of their pictures without ever finding out!