Welcome to our hometown!  
Cavanal Mountain has been a fixture in the lives of  every member of the OTF crew.

We wanted to do a series of investigations that focused on OUR local 'haunts', so to speak.  Cavanal was the first choice.  There was one main focal point that we wanted to...well, focus on, and there were a small handful of other factors that made this a great choice for us.  

Allow me to elaborate.

We'll start with some history.

Early French trappers and traders stumbled through our area many, many moons ago.  They left behind a great many place names, which stand today as proof of there long ago presence in this area.  The name 'Cavanal' itself translates to "cavernous".  It is said the first French in the area were told stories by the local Native Americans of great beasts deep in the caves of the mountain, and how they produced the great rumbling and roaring noises from their dens. 

They also left behind names such as:

'Poteau'              (town)              translates "Post"
'Fourche Maline'   (local river)         translates "Wicked Fork"
'San Bois'            (mountains)        translates "Hills without trees"

The list goes on and on.

This mountain, said to stand at 1,999 feet is touted by the local Chamber of Commerce as the "worlds tallest hill"(2,000 feet is the mark to become a mountain), stands all  alone in a river valley.  Rising above the more or less flat valley, it stands as a beacon.  Im sure even more so in the days of the early natives and explorers.

Landmarks like these draw people to them.  Its our fascination with the unknown...whats in those dark, dank caves?  What are all the strange noises?

Natives had a certain reverence for mountains anyway.  So first and foremost, this mountain has the hallmark of some ancient mystical/spiritual properties.   Possibly Native American Spirits, and old French dudes are always creepy anyway.  Correct?  

Correct.

Now, moving forward into the 19th and the 20th centuries. 

This mountain also stands in what we SOMEWHAT affectionately refer to as The Void . Click on the colored text to learn more about "the void".

In a nutshell, the "void" is the area we all live in.  Its boundaries are actually pretty well defined to our county line.  There is a long history of devil worship. A long history of meth production. A very poor, very oppressed people...People whom disappear without a trace from time to time(this is verifiable)...Its just a strange place.  You see strange things, and strange things happen to people.

Its hard to explain.

However, this just adds to the intrigue. 

There was a man who vanished without a trace a few years agoon Cavanal Mountian.  They found his car, his phone, and even his wallet...but not him.

That was another aspect of the investigation.  What actually goes on up here?  Drug deals?  Black market arms deals? 

Hmmmm....

Now, back to the satanic-cult-ritual-business. 

This is well documented locally.  Apparently this was a HUGE problem back in the 40's, 50's and 60's...and possibly still is today.  They suppposedly did some business on this mountain, rituals and what-not, because it is "sacred".

I smell a theme brewing.  The Native Americans also felt it was sacred.

Oh, and how could I forget?

Runestones!

Heavener, 14 miles to the South(where I graduated), is home to the world famous Heavener Runestone!

Some believe Viking explorers made it here, others that it was made by early French explorers.  Either way, its something else.  Guess what?  Another Runestone was found on...(drumroll)...

Cavanal Mountain!

So all that made the decision to investigate pretty easy.  But our main focus, the most tangible thing we could investigate was a little more normal.

It was foundation of a hotel that stood at the top of the mounain, that had burned at the turn of the century.  In 1901 I believe.

Our research was unable to turn up whether or not anyone was hurt or killed in the fire, but dear goodness.

A 19th century hotel burns on top of a sacred, ancient, cult worshipped, Indian revered, cave-monster infested, drug lord hideout mountain?

It was to good to pass up.

Oh, and one last thing.

The United States Geological Survey(USGS) states that Cavanal MOUNTAIN tops out at 2,367 feet high.

Add to it all a Chamber of Commerce conspiracy to get tourist by lying about how big its "hill" is!!!

Priceless!

Get 'Cavanal Mountain' in OTF's E-Store!

How to Get There

Start in Poteau Oklahoma, and Get on Witteville Drive.  Follow it until it deadends, and you're on top of the Worlds Highest *cough* Hill!!!

Justin
OTF