The Unsolved Mystery of Gravity Hill

Is it an optical illusion, a geomagnetic influence erupting from Earth, or a haunted site still in recovery?

Our formidable trio of wannabe detectives knew we would have to examine it ourselves before jumping to rash conclusions

A week before we left for our family reunion my brother sent me a text with this little goodie he knew I would be unable to resist. Cars driving uphill without gas?

I saddled up my faithful steed, Silver Girl. Took her through the car wash, filled her tank and gave her a lecture after husband in passenger seat glanced at the speedometer as we sailed over the mountain pass.

“Is that an optical illusion or are we going 85 mph?”

I patted Silver’s dashboard gently. “Calm down girl. We’re coming up to your favorite watering hole soon.” I exited the freeway shortly and glided into Pioneer Roasters for a triple shot, iced latte. A soothing homeopathic remedy for excitation.

Down into the farming valley, high over the desert ridge summit and a steep plunge into the Yakima Valley we galloped. Until the turnoff for Gravity Hill.

Son, navigating in the back seat and thoroughly enjoying his coffee warned me. “It was the next exit but that’s okay. Google Maps is reconfiguring and we’re heading in the right direction.”

“What does Google Maps know? Do they mention we’ve entered the Twilight Zone? Rod Serling just appeared in my third eye. Look at this place!”

Confirming my other-wordly impressions, skeptic hubby admitted to feeling weird. “It’s so vast. All these flat fields of waving purple grass and endless vineyards.”

Our road with a center line had disappeared long ago. I’d been driving 20 minutes in a detour I thought would be 10 and I was sure we were lost in space. Son informed me we would be at the start line in 2.2 minutes, according to Google God.

Please watch this short video of a newspaper journalist reporting his impression of the phenomena. Silver Girl is identical to his car.

This unknown to me and therefore suspect, reporter from Seattle brought a level to place on the road. What does he know? He’s not a native to the area as I am.

And he’s not using the most powerful tool created for sensitive situations such as this. More on that in a hot minute.

I overshot the start line as it had faded from a harsh winter. Instead, I drove to the finish line at the end of the slight slope. I put Silver in neutral and took my foot off the gas.

Girl immediately began moving backwards. I was so enthralled I forgot about steering as I watched our progress in the rearview mirror.

I’m normally a very responsible driver. Influences were at work.

The speedometer was reading 12 mph at the height of our backward ascent. We came to a dead stop right next to the major creepy building marking the site.

There was mayhem onboard. Whoa! Can you believe this! OMG! WTH!

Our skin was crawling with jeebies and our hair looked electrified. Silver Girl asked for more proof and I complied. I backed up a bit, then moved forward to the exact start line and put Girl back in neutral.

A tiny cough of hesitation and there she drifted once again. With a dead stop exactly where the finish line was painted. Was this enough? Hell no. I was on a roll and the world of Woo was my specialty.

I turned Silver Girl around for a last uphill gasp. Narrowly missing those conveniently located ditches on both sides. This third and final time we faced forward on the slight uphill slant.

Oh the joy as Silver sailed into the field of absolute Weird at 12 mph once again and came to a halt at the exact same spot as before.

I jumped out of the car in an altered state and started walking toward the haunted building. This is where my aforementioned secret power came in handy.

My body’s a divining rod and has trained me well. So is yours if you listen. I don’t hold the patent.

Bodies always knows our truth and I have assiduously listened to mine over many years. It’s verdict wasn’t favorable.

“Stop right there girlfriend. These feet aren’t going one step further. Are you cray cray?!”

Well yes, but that’s beside the point. The place had history, no doubt about it now, as both son and husband retreated hastily to the car.

The lone survivor, I scanned the flatness of the world before me. I mentally sifted through all I had learned about the site and concluded it was the geo magnetic minerals. A Mother Lode of Earth Magic. No doubt.

But this land also held disturbing memories and I could feel them strongly without knowing what they were. No children’s handprints on Silver, but the legends and myths describe a fatal accident involving a group of children on this exact site

Just in case you’re doubting my state of mind, I want to assure you I am a balanced soul. I had a reading with a famous psychic in my 30’s. She told me I was among the five percent of the thousands of people she had seen who had perfectly balanced right and left hemispheres in their brain.

Now that you’re reassured, I must also add I did my homework when we returned. There are many roads similar to the almost non existing slant on Gravity Hill.

Silver Girl and I went on a mission and tested every one of those roads. I put her in neutral, took my foot off the gas and encouraged her onward. Nothing gained, not even an inch.

I tested so long I needed to pee and jigged around in the seat at the top of a higher slope than Gravity Hill. If that didn’t get Silver Girl moving, what would?

Body knew we were in a non ordinary realm on Gravity Hill. But I’m curious what conclusions you, most intelligent and completely unbiased dear reader, have come to.

What do you believe in this strange but true tale?

My version — right?