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Ten years ago, a 60-foot hole appeared on the side of Mount Shasta. A local began a quest to solve the mystery, and says each of the three main theories tells a different story about the region’s history.

upper waypointThere are three main theories that explain the origin of the mysterious hole dug into Mount Shasta, and each theory tells a different story about the region’s history. (Cat Schuknecht/KQED)The California ReportHome/The California ReportA Mysterious Hole Appeared on Mt. Shasta. Each Theory Behind It Tells a Different StoryAug 31, 2018Updated Jul 16, 2024Cat SchuknechtListen10:52Ten years ago, a 60-foot hole appeared on the side of Mount Shasta. A local began a quest to solve the mystery, and says each of the three main theories tells a different story about the region’s history.Elijah Sullivan has spent the last six years trying to solve a mystery. About 10 years ago, a hole — about 60 feet deep — appeared on the side of Mount Shasta, California’s highest volcano. It seemed to have been dug by hand at night, using a makeshift pulley system to remove the dirt. The only clues the diggers left behind were a ladder, some buckets and a plastic water bottle. Sullivan grew up in Mount Shasta, a former logging town that lies at the base of the mountain. “Most people know me as the guy from the video store,” says Sullivan, who works at an independent movie store in the city. But he’s even better known for his quest to solve the mystery of the giant hole for a documentary film he’s making called “The Hole Story.” Elijah Sullivan stands on the spot where, about 10 years ago, Forest Service agents discovered a mysterious 60-foot-deep hole that seemed to have been dug completely by hand. The hole has since been filled in, but traces of the dig remain, including a plastic 5-gallon bucket and scratch marks on the trees that held a pulley system the diggers used to remove the dirt. (Cat Schuknecht/KQED) Sullivan says he’s been tracking three main theories about what someone was looking for at the bottom of the hole, and each theory tells a different story about the region’s history. “All the different competing theories mirrored everybody’s different beliefs around here,” Sullivan says. For example, belief in the legend of Lemuria. The Lost Continent of Lemuria Some people in Mount Shasta believe that a lost continent called Lemuria is hidden beneath the mountain, along with its capital crystalline city, Telos. The name Lemuria originated with a 19th century English zoologist who believed that lemurs had used the lost continent as a land bridge to migrate from India to Madagascar. While some people think Lemuria exists only in the mind, others say they’ve seen tall robed Lemurians shopping in town, or traveling in and out of the mountain in cloud-shaped UFOs. At Mount Shasta’s visitor center, books on the mountain’s myths and legends seem to outnumber guides to the mountain’s other attractions, like hiking and backpacking. (Cat Schuknecht/KQED) So, when Sullivan heard about the giant hole, his first thought was that the diggers were trying to get to the underground world. “You’ll hear a lot of people talking about Lemuria, maybe even asking for directions,” says Sullivan. “People make pilgrimages here — it’s like a New Age mecca.” A shop window on Mount Shasta’s main boulevard displays a book on Lemurian portals. Some people believe that the lost continent of Lemuria is hidden beneath Mount Shasta, along with its capital city, Telos. (Cat Schuknecht/KQED) In 1987, an event called the Harmonic Convergence marked Mount Shasta as a destination for New Age spirituality. It was a huge production — one news report from the time called the gathering a “spiritual Woodstock.” But Mount Shasta has a spiritual reputation that long predates the New Age movement. A Sacred Mountain for Native Americans The mountain is sacred to the Winnemem Wintu tribe, which is indigenous to the McCloud River area of Northern California. “We heard about the hole,” says the tribe’s leader, Caleen Sisk, who worries that spiritual and recreational visitors are harming Mount Shasta. “We came out of that mountain, so we’re obligated to be the watchers of the mountain.” That’s why Sullivan’s second theory — about why someone dug a giant hole on Mount Shasta — is that they were looking for Native American artifacts. “There’s a pretty long history of Native American artifact-looting here,” says Sullivan. “It makes sense because so many tribes have been here over so many centuries.” Mount Shasta is California’s highest volcano, and it towers above the surrounding landscape. (Cat Schuknecht/KQED) Digging for artifacts like arrowheads or human remains without a permit is a serious crime. First-time offenders can be fined up to $20,000, and imprisoned for up to a year. The penalty is five times worse for second-time offenders. A few years ago, there was a big looting investigation just across the border in Oregon’s Klamath County. “I called two Oregon state police officers who have worked on looting cases,” says Sullivan. “They said, ‘Oh yeah, that looks like looters.’ ” Sullivan said the officers told him that looters often work at night and remove t...

A Mysterious Hole Appeared on Mt. Shasta. Each Theory Behind It Tells a Different Story | KQED