# Porcupine Gulch Ghost Town 2014.



## Regions Beyond

Being year 6 or so of setting up partial walk-through display in backyard of Bay Area home of my parents - Western theme elements there year round due to a backyard railroad, so built up from there/expanded upon for Halloween.

At this point, basically, not much done yet besides some minor things, lighting being set up and a few figures - new elements purchased this year have to be integrated, and in the range of 8 - 10 full body figures or electronic characters with 'gags'/animation have to be set up plus small props, beginning Saturday at some point, meaning the bulk of the display goes up in just six days, whatever can get done. For the circumstances behind that happening this year, when most we'd have spread it out over doing a few things each day beginning mid-September, see this thread: http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=39715

This Friday will be last day of radiation treatment for the family member mentioned and they are determined invite over guests for Friday and Saturday night with display up and going - my enthusiasm still admittedly little low and concerned about their wellness level, but seemingly we're locked into doing it and opening the doors, so onwards it will go barring any major setbacks currently unseen....

Here is the current state of things, in essence.











Thank you for looking, and more photos will come as there are things to document/more gets put in place - a few more from this set in next post due to image limits.


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## Regions Beyond




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## RoxyBlue

You have one of the most beautiful and beautifully detailed haunts I've seen here.

Radiation treatments can definitely be tiring, but if your family member feels ready to take on Halloween, I say go for it. It will be a good mental boost and that's what someone who's been through treatment needs.


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## Hairazor

I always love looking at your haunt. I say if the family member says go for it, you should. The distraction will be good, just make sure they don't overdo it. Maybe designate the person as Supreme Director


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## IMU

Always a joy to see.


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## Headless

I agree. As I said in the other thread - I love looking at the photos of your haunt every year - it is so unique. I hope everything goes well with both the decorating and the health of your loved one.


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## Regions Beyond

RoxyBlue said:


> You have one of the most beautiful and beautifully detailed haunts I've seen here.
> 
> Radiation treatments can definitely be tiring, but if your family member feels ready to take on Halloween, I say go for it. It will be a good mental boost and that's what someone whose been through treatment needs.





Hairazor said:


> I always love looking at your haunt. I say if the family member says go for it, you should. The distraction will be good, just make sure they don't overdo it. Maybe designate the person as Supreme Director





IMU said:


> Always a joy to see.





Headless said:


> I agree. As I said in the other thread - I love looking at the photos of your haunt every year - it is so unique. I hope everything goes well with both the decorating and the health of your loved one.


Thank you all very much, truly, for your kind words - just trying to get through it best as can, and glad folks enjoy seeing the photos/the display overall. Hope you all are doing well!


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## Regions Beyond

Got most of the full figures up and placed today (two left that go in areas won't be placed till the day of yard being open), put batteries in strobe lights, fixed some lights that got blown out of position during recent wind/rain bouts. So here are some photos!


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## Regions Beyond




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## GrimFinger

Hi,

Sorry to learn about the family illness issue, but I did want to thank you for going forward with your haunt, just the same.

Porcupine Gulch Ghost Town is a great theme, one centered around the concept of a railroad. I'm not sure where you're from, but I hail from South Carolina, and if yourself and others in this forum didn't share your haunts online, then people like me would otherwise never encounter - and enjoy - them.

Surely, the online encounter pales next to an actual in-person visit at such haunts, but nonetheless, experiencing a portion of such haunts online is invariably better than nothing.

Small touches yield big visual dividends. The population sign with the population shrinking repeatedly is the coup de grâce for me, for the Porcupine Gulch Ghost Town haunt. It conveys the right message, and it does so in an effective way.

Laytum and Hyde Blasting Supply. Assay office. Mercantile store. All very nice individual elements working in tandem to create a greater whole, a haunt of substance.

The signpost with the signs pointing in the direction of all of the other various towns - that's the kind of prop that sets the moon better than any number of skeletons or witches or ghosts that I see in so many haunts that I look at online (and to a much lesser degree, in person).

The lanterns are great touches, as is the wooden walkway, as is the wanted poster.

The skeletons sitting up, rather than just hanging or standing. The skeleton inside the cobwebs. The wooden barrel with jack-o-lantern atop it. The guy ready to blast the dynamite in that mine shaft. These are all nice touches, nice visual flourishes that help to set this yard haunt apart and distinguish it.


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## Regions Beyond

GrimFinger said:


> Hi,
> 
> Sorry to learn about the family illness issue, but I did want to thank you for going forward with your haunt, just the same.


Thank you so much for your extensive comments and taking the time to view these photos! The 'bare bones' (the walkway, building structures) are up year round and indeed designed to have lots of detail and texture, appear 'lived in', similar to something like a Knott's Berry Farm - a faux ghost town attraction. Gives us a lot to work with for embellishing the theme for Halloween. Truly glad you enjoyed these.


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## Regions Beyond

Had the full open house for invited guests Saturday night - weather was good, clear after raining hard on Friday and into Saturday morning. Maybe 35-40 people attended. Sadly the ToT crowds are miniscule in this area and due to it taking place in backyard, no matter how 'professional' entrance might look, not a good thing likely to try and convince adults we don't know to take kids around the back of the house plus the private property/liability issues if someone decides to take advantage.

Some photos from the big day -


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## Regions Beyond

This shows two of our electronic props - the 'electrocution victim' works well in the mine shaft with blasting box, thrashes around nicely and smacks into the wooden sides, makes a lot of noise, and the sitting up zombie (same mechanism as the popular jumping spider).





More photos to come!


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## RoxyBlue

Just gorgeous!


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## Rahnefan

[email protected] Lytum & Hyde


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## Regions Beyond

Continuing on with photos:


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## Gweede

You've got a fantastic setup! I wish I could see it in person. Thanks for taking the time to post all of your photos, it was a real treat.


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## Regions Beyond

Gweede said:


> You've got a fantastic setup! I wish I could see it in person. Thanks for taking the time to post all of your photos, it was a real treat.


My pleasure and thank you very much for your comments - really glad you enjoyed! :jol:


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## Regions Beyond

And just like that, as of yesterday, all the restless ghouls and ghosts vanished back away for another year:



Or at least, consigned and packed off into the storage shed (the end of the mercantile building towards the fence, visible in some photos):


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## Regions Beyond

And finally, the few clips managed to shoot through the night (not at all comprehensive, sadly):


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## Hairazor

Your set up is over the top, first class. The unbelievable attention to the smallest detail, I bow to you. (Hope other issues are going well)


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## Headless

This yard would be such a hoot all year round! I can never quite get over how much detail you manage to create. I see something new every time I look at the photos! Love it.


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## punkineater

Beautifully detailed haunt! I agree with Headless~how much fun to have the majority of the setup year round. LOVE!


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