PULSE Goes Ghost Hunting
story by Austin Hardebeck & Larissa Boldovinos, photos by Javier Angulo & Keaton Weyers & Tyler Diltz
Our knowledge of the world only goes so far. Day by day our perceptions of reality are challenged, and new discoveries are made. But there is one that has yet to be proven: the existence of the paranormal. Have you ever experienced shadows moving in the darkness? Objects defying physics? Felt or heard a presence even when you knew you were alone? PULSE decided to look into these scenarios and discover what the truth is. Are ghosts real or not?
What do we know?
Austin and Larissa met with the Ellensburg Paranormal Society in order to organize an investigation to find their answer. The Ellensburg Paranormal Society is a dedicated group of ghost investigators and hunters who specialize in finding those who wander in the life after death. Laura White, member of the group and Reiki yoga specialist, is especially receptive to paranormal experiences. “I’m claircognizant. I basically can see things from the spirit world, so sometimes I have to close my eyes to see what’s not in the physical plane and what’s actually just pictures coming up in my head. I am also a clairaudience. I can hear voices. I hear them talking very well,” White says. She can often sense the presence of these spirits before they even make themselves known. She also specializes in energy healing and often takes the role of cleansing a spirit from someone who it has latched onto.
This group seeks to help educate on the existence of the paranormal, and tries to de-stigmatize much of what people believe when they think of the traditional ghost through investigation with both skeptics and believers. “Being little and scared, seeing shadows in your room, having things come at you—it’s very unnerving. It causes a lot of anxiety and even PTSD later in life. Also, it can make people feel crazy,” says White. “My favorite part is when skeptics get their first experience. The look on their face is priceless!”
But what defines a ghost, how do they come to be? How similar or different are they from “Casper” or “Ghostbusters,” “Sometimes, what people are experiencing is like a recording—like a moment from the 1950s playing in the background…I also believe that sometimes when people pass away, they might not know that they’ve died, or they have something unfinished. So they don’t leave—they're kind of stuck…Some even have the ability to come back and forth,” White says.
Our beliefs
Austin and Larissa are both skeptical of the existence of the paranormal. Austin states, “I, personally, I don't believe, but I am open to the idea that they exist.” The presence of spirits is plausible in his eyes, but there can always be another explanation.
Larissa on the other hand is more of a believer. “There is a big witch culture in Mexico. A good chunk of my family are very open to paranormal activity. Of course, I’m still skeptical, but have a baseline of a believer,” she says.
They got the opportunity to prove or disprove their claims when the society invited them to do an overnight investigation in a local Cle Elum cabin. The current owners Becky and Earl Calvert were very eager for the investigation to be done.
Journal Logs
PULSE team present during investigation: Austin, Larissa, Keaton, Tyler, Javi, Caleb
5:00 PM – Hitting the Road
We piled into Tyler's jeep and started our journey to Cle Elum — full of snacks, caffeine, and ready for an adventure. Spirits were high (pun fully intended). This wasn’t just another weekend trip; we were about to conduct a full-on ghost hunting investigation. Our pre-interviews gave us lots of anticipation before we even made it to the cabin.
6:15 PM – Arrival at the Cabin
Upon arriving at the cabin, we were greeted by the homeowners, Becky and Earl Calvert, who gave us a warm welcome and a brief tour of the property. They shared the fascinating history of the land: originally developed as a dude ranch in 1957, the property operated until 1964 before it was transformed into a recreational community. Becky explained that her parents eventually acquired the cabin, and after their passing, she and her siblings used their inheritance to purchase the property— which included access to the original lodge and the bunkhouse.
6:30 PM – Tour of the Loft
The tour continued upstairs into what the Calverts call “the loft”—an area reportedly full of spiritual activity. Becky told us about a little girl spirit believed to reside there, often heard running up and down the stairs. To encourage her presence, they had laid out children’s books and toys across the floor.
As we ascended the narrow staircase, Becky recounted hearing the unmistakable sound of small footsteps rushing through the house. Just as we entered the loft, Tyler’s audio equipment suddenly blew out, flooding his headphones.
6:39 PM – Physical Effects Begin
Javi suddenly clutched the back of his head, sharing that his head is throbbing. The pain started without warning — and just as suddenly stopped 18 minutes later at 6:57. Coincidence? We weren’t so sure.
7:15 PM – The Lodge
Our first sweep began. EMF detectors came out. The K2 meter started to flicker in the dining area. We moved deeper.
7:30 PM – A Conversation with the spirits
This was when things escalated. Using the REM pod and K2 meters, the paranormal group began asking direct questions:
“Is this your home?”
“Did you have a happy life?”
“Do you have a message?”
Suddenly, the REM pod went off — rapidly. We weren’t just speculating anymore. It felt like a real-time Q&A with someone unseen. The answers came in flashes and Morse code-style signals.
The spirits told us:
There were 12 spirits there.
Children were involved.
Some were not friendly.
They wanted to get a message to the only living daughter of the original owners.
They were excited we’d return later tonight.
7:45 PM – The Bunkhouse
Before we arrived, White shared that earlier in the day that she had taken a solo walk through the bunkhouse and immediately experienced intense chest tightness—what she described as heart attack-like symptoms—in Room Three. As a group we cautiously made our way inside the cramped structure with a small common area and five separate rooms.
Shane Bews, White’s partner, shared something unsettling: the entire time we had been exploring the lodge and walking to the bunkhouse (a short distance away), he kept hearing White's voice coming through their walkie-talkies. But White insisted she hadn't intentionally hit the button. When she checked the device in hopes of turning it off completely, she realized it had already been switched off.
Then Tyler’s equipment captured something that none of us could explain: a deep, raspy breathing sound—like a long-time smoker exhaling. The room had been silent to our ears, but Tyler swore the sound had been caught clearly on his recording. The bunkhouse was already making itself known.
8:00 PM – Reviewing the Evidence
We returned to the cabin for a much needed break and gathered around to review Tyler’s audio recording. The goal: to catch the long, drawn-out breath he swore had been captured earlier. But as we played it back, nothing came through. The eerie sound Tyler remembered was absent. White offered an explanation—sometimes spirits find strange, selective ways to communicate, often using modern tech like audio or video equipment, but not always in ways we can replay or predict.
9:00 PM – Reiki and a Psychic Reading
Austin decided to get a Reiki yoga cleanse from White, under the guise of trying to test the reality of this practice. White had him sit down and began the process of trying to locate his energy.
We were surprised that she was able to learn things about his personal life that he hadn’t told White or any other member of the investigators. He remained skeptical.
9:30 PM – Shadow Games
Bews, keeping a close eye on the security camera footage, saw a shadow figure in the garage — possibly a child. Becky confirmed: three children were known to run through the cabin and out into the property.
10:30 PM – Return to the Bunkhouse
The single lamp light was on until we walked into Room Five — then it wasn’t.
White picked up the names “Paul” and “Michael.” At 10:45, Tyler felt something grab his jacket in Room Three.
11:00 PM – PULSE goes solo in the bunkhouse
We gathered in Room Five, this time in complete darkness, armed with all our ghost hunting equipment and high hopes. We decide since Tyler has been experiencing all the action that he should take the lead. He asks questions into the silence, hoping to stir a response. But the room remained still—eerily still. Undeterred, Tyler and Austin decided to try it alone, giving the spirits another chance to engage without a crowd. Still, nothing. It was as if whatever presence had once stirred there had suddenly gone quiet.
11:50 PM – In the Shop
Lights off. We are back in the shop. Some of the PULSE crew is inside watching the security cameras while the rest of us prepare for another session. We sit in silence, White using the Necrophonic application on her phone in hopes that voices will speak through it. We observe the conversation trying to understand what's going on but it’s difficult for us to decipher the words that come out of White’s phone. We absorb it second hand as the group repeats what they hear the spirits say:
“Billy,” “Bill,” “Bruce” — Becky’s dad who passed.
“I’m here,” it said.
“Listen.”
“Phil” - White’s dad who passed
Tylers camera suddenly turns off.
“I’m sorry.” - White says her father was hard on her and she has been waiting a long time to hear an apology from him.
White became emotional and left the shop.
Becky’s dad returns to the conversation, and she says she heard “Donald”. Don was the name of her great uncle who inspired her to go to pharmacy school and the Necrophonic picks up a remark about “pharmacy.” Becky shares that she is beginning a new job on Monday at KVH in her new desired field. We end the session there.
12:40 AM – Orbs in the Loft and the Shop
We come back inside the cabin and gather up to debrief. Earl shares what he has been witnessing through the security cameras in real time. The cat toy that is set up in the shop is going off which only lights up if it’s moved. Javi shares that strange orbs were picked up happening up in the loft.
1:20 AM – Sensory Deprivation Session
Grace Holiday, a member of the paranormal group, began the Estes method. Holiday is blindfolded and hooked up to the s-box which rapidly goes through radio channels. She can’t hear us at all. The group asks questions and if Holiday hears anything she repeats to the group. Only a few remarks seemed to be communicated:
“11.”
“Here.”
“You.”
“Grateful.”
After quite a few minutes Holiday says that she hasn’t gotten any more words, but she feels like she is looking through a chain linked fence and sees a woman with a cloak.
After continuous silence, we begin to pack up and head out for the evening.
2:30am – Our night is complete
The experience was nothing short of eventful, filled with moments of suspense, surprise and awe. Our experience was only a toe dip into the world of the paranormal, yet skepticism remains. Austin says, “There were a lot of things that could be explained, however there were some things that I had a harder time explaining. I still do not believe, however.” Larissa shares her perspective, “Maybe it was just the wind, or maybe it was something else. Either way, I’m not forgetting it anytime soon.”
The world of ghosts and lingering voices is far from ordinary, nor is it still. There are many things in this life that can only be seen by few, and explained by fewer. Perhaps these things are meant to remain unknown, unless they want us to find them…