A Texas entrepreneur has been forced to quarantine in an abandoned California mining town with a sinister past after getting trapped there...
A Texas entrepreneur has been forced to quarantine in an abandoned California mining town with a sinister past after getting trapped there by a snowstorm.
Brent Underwood purchased Cerro Gordo for $1.4million in 2018, fascinated by its seclusion and harrowing history, which once saw one murder every week.
The 32-year-old went to visit the 300-acre property last month in the early days of America's coronavirus lockdowns, with plans to stay for a week while its usual caretaker traveled to check on family.
But soon after Underwood arrived, a snowstorm struck, dumping five feet of powder which has made it impossible for him to leave.
He is now entering his second month stranded in the dilapidated town located about 300 miles outside Los Angeles and nearly 30 miles from the nearest supermarket.
In the absence of running water, Underwood is relying on melted snow to stay hydrated. He already ran out of bread and vegetables but hopes he has enough rice and canned tuna to sustain him until the snow thaws - though it is unclear when that will happen.
Adding to his incredible experience are the town's locals - the rumored spirits of people who died there and a pair of crows Underwood has come to see as friends.
Underwood was fascinated by Cerro Gordo's seclusion and its murderous history when he purchased it for $1.4million in 2018
Underwood went to visit Cerro Gordo last month in the early days of America's coronavirus lockdowns, with plans to stay for a week while its usual caretaker traveled to check on family. The snowstorm struck soon after he arrived, making it impossible for him to get out. In the weeks since he's been documenting his isolation experience in Instagram photos like the one above
Cerro Gordo sits 300 miles outside of Los Angeles and nearly 30 miles from the nearest town with a grocery store. At its peak in the 19th century, the community of 5,000 people was a haven for violent crime because the nearest law enforcement agencies couldn't be bothered to police it given the remote location
Adding to Underwood's extraordinary experience in the town are its local residents - rumored spirits of people who died there and a pair of crows Underwood has come to see as friends. Underwood snapped this photo one night during his isolation
For most of the two years he's owned Cerro Gordo, Underwood has visited every month but left upkeep in the hands of its caretaker of 21 years, Robert Desmarais.
As the coronavirus pandemic took hold in the US last month, Underwood agreed to look after the town for a week while Desmarais went to Arizona to check on his wife.
His stay was unexpectedly extended when the snowstorm hit.
'When I first got out here, I was in a T-shirt and enjoying myself,' Underwood told the New York Post.
'And then it snowed for four days straight and now there's no way to get out.'
While there is a pair of snowshoes at his disposal, Underwood said they're not of much use in the deep snow lining the steep seven-mile road leading to the nearest community, noting that he gets tired after a few hundred yards.
And even if he did make it that far, it wouldn't be of much help as that community of 35 people doesn't have a single grocery store.
The closest town with a grocery story, Lone Pine, is another 20 miles away - essentially unreachable by Underwood in snowshoes.
Underwood and his investor friend Jon Bier, owner of boutique public relations agency Jack Taylor PR, bought Cerro Gordo from family owners in July 2018 with plans to turn it into a tourist attraction. Underwood and Bier are pictured with actor Jeff Goldblum on the property last year
When he first visited Underwood was instantly struck by the town's deep history as well as the stunning landscapes that surround it, which have been featured in major motion pictures such as Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr (above in the film)
At one point, Cerro Gordo averaged a murder a week as miners put sandbags in their bunks to block stray bullets at night
One of the 22 19th century buildings inside Cerro Gordo is seen above in an Instagram photo
The photo above shows the inside of a refurbished saloon in Cerro Gordo
Underwood and his investor friend Jon Bier, owner of boutique public relations agency Jack Taylor PR, bought Cerro Gordo from family owners in July 2018 with plans to turn it into a tourist attraction.
When he first visited Underwood was instantly struck by the town's deep history as well as the stunning landscapes that surround it, which have been featured in major motion pictures such as Iron Man.
He was also drawn to Cerro Gordo's long and bloody history. At its peak in the 19th century, the community of 5,000 people was a haven for violent crime because the nearest law enforcement agencies couldn't be bothered to police it given the remote location.
At one point, the town averaged around a murder a week as miners put sandbags in their bunks to block stray bullets in the night.
The Discovery Channel TV series 'Ghost Adventures' investigated the 22-building town last year and determined that it was haunted by the ghosts of two children who died after getting trapped in a closet. Underwood is now staying in the very same room where the child ghosts were detected, but claims he has yet to see them
Underwood believes the spirits which inhabit the town are peaceful, and he's trying to 'respect their space'. 'For the most part, I leave the ghosts alone and they leave me alone,' he said
Underwood hopes to return to Austin as soon as the snow clears, but recognizes that his current digs offer a more effective environment to shelter-in-place
While he knew the stories hidden inside the town - Underwood never imagined experiencing its supposed hauntings first-hand the way he has in the past few weeks.
'Things are moving around, I'm seeing curtains move, I'm hearing things in the night,' he said. 'There's no draft, but things drop inside of houses.'
The Discovery Channel TV series 'Ghost Adventures' investigated the 22-building town last year and determined that it was haunted by the ghosts of two children who died after getting trapped in a closet.
Underwood is now staying in the very same room where the child ghosts were detected, but claims he has yet to see them.
He said his wallet recently disappeared for two days before turning up at the town hotel, admitting that it was 'a bit freaky'.
But Underwood believes the spirits which inhabit the town are peaceful, and he's trying to 'respect their space'.
'For the most part, I leave the ghosts alone and they leave me alone,' he said.
'Anytime you're in a town and expect to see nothing and hear nothing, when you do, your mind is on heightened alert.'
While he knew the stories hidden inside the town - Underwood never imagined experiencing its supposed hauntings first-hand the way he has in the past few weeks. 'Things are moving around, I'm seeing curtains move, I'm hearing things in the night,' he said. 'There's no draft, but things drop inside of houses'
Underwood erected this snowman outside his bunkhouse to help keep him company in quarantine
Underwood says he appreciates being cut off from the coronavirus crisis gripping the nation. 'When I do look at the news and I see how chaotic and terrible things are, there's a part of me that isn't in a huge rush to reenter the world,' he said
Despite his own recent struggles in Cerro Gordo, Underwood says he appreciates being cut off from the coronavirus crisis gripping the nation.
'If I don't look at my phone or my computer, it's like nothing happened,' he said.
'When I do look at the news and I see how chaotic and terrible things are, there's a part of me that isn't in a huge rush to reenter the world.'
He said he also takes comfort in the fact that the town has survived several similar crises over the years, including the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic.
'It's been through many pandemics and it's still standing,' he said.
Underwood is spending his alone time hiking and doing maintenance in the town while taking inventory on artifacts he finds
He's also enjoyed exploring Cerro Gordo's abandoned silver mines, which he frequently features on his Instagram
Underwood is spending his alone time hiking and doing maintenance in the town while taking inventory on the various artifacts he finds in the process.
He also manages five employees at his marketing firm, Brass Check, in Austin, Texas, remotely via satellite internet.
Occasionally he's found himself consulting with two new employees - a pair of crows Desmarais named Heckle and Jeckyll.
'If I'm working through something at work, I'll tell Jekyll about it,' he says. 'I think I talk to myself through talking to the animals.'
He hopes to return to Austin as soon as the snow clears, but recognizes that his current digs offer a more effective environment to shelter-in-place.
In the meantime, he's sharing his experience on Instagram in hopes of attracting visitors to Cerro Gordo in the future.
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