Baldpate Mountain, NJ and the Ted Stiles Preserve are pivotal locations in the EMH Universe. It is the location in several videos, and seems to be the site of some kind of entry/exit to the Candleverse.
At least four videos have been filmed at Baldpate so far, beginning with A Day in the Life. 78of76.avi, 77of76.avi and Last week / taking it back were also filmed, in whole or in part, at Baldpate. All of the "hidden" videos also contain footage from Baldpate, either previously seen in or taken during the filming of A Day in the Life. Some of the other hiking videos may also have been filmed there, but that is unconfirmed.
The two primary locations at Baldpate to date are the tree seen in A Day in the Life and featured in 77of76.avi, and the house seen in several videos, and featured in 78of76.avi and Last week / taking it back.
Baldpate seems to be a locus of a space and time distortion that affects the EMH crew in various ways. This first became apparent in the "hidden" videos that contain footage filmed there that they cannot remember. In 77of76.avi we see Jeff, Alex and Evan wandering in the area around the tree discussing a sort of time loop that they seem to be reliving. Dialogue from that video:
- Jeff: Now what?
- Evan: [laughs] I don’t know man, but this is unbelievably infuriating. I’m tired of it, this shit is ridiculous. It’s like you’re just going around in circle, you don’t get anywhere. No progress is made. [Alex stands.] You go in, balls to the wall, but it doesn’t fucking matter, you just wind up in the same fucking spot.
- Jeff: I’ve been saying that from the beginning.
- Evan: It’s the same fucking thing.
At the time that 77of76.avi was released none of them could remember the events shown, and had no explanation for how it was filmed.
In Last week / taking it back they began to get clues as to when it might have been filmed, if not how. After launching an assault on Alex's room, intended to remove the Rake from residence in Alex's closet, Jeff, Evan and Alex crawl into the crawlspace at the back of the closet, but find themselves in the basement of one of the houses at Baldpate, completely mystified as to how they got there.
This basement and house are the same one featured in 78of76.avi which shows Evan and Jeff kicking in the door to gain access. After entering they are transported instantly to an unknown beach location, some distance away, confused. This area of Balpate is known as the Ted Stiles Preserve, and consists of houses left from the historic Kuser family estate.
The Corenthals and Baldpate[]
In the Microfilm retrieved from the library during the video One step forward, two steps back, it was revealed that Dr. James Corenthal had hidden out there while on the run from the police following a melee in a diner where over a dozen people were killed. Corenthal was considered a suspect in the killings and his car was found abandoned on the road leading into the park.
In Dead end with a Pulse Jeff and Vince attempt to contact Maryann Corenthal via phone, but discover that she has left the gated community in which she was living and had given them a false forwarding address. The person Jeff spoke to, however, told him that Maryann 's retirement plans involved moving to New Jersey and restoring historic homes. Jeff and Vince make the connection that she may be the owner of historic buildings on the property at Baldpate and plan to visit. Interestingly, though they have been there several times, Vince has to consult Google Maps in order to plan the trip.
The property details the events of Vince's eventual visit to Baldpate, which seems to be a dimensional nexus that allows access to all of the boys' homes, as well as to locations that seem to be the Candleverse. When Vince sees Slenderman, Corenthal opens a door and pulls him through to his "Eden" in the Candleverse.
Speculation[]
- The house was the residence of Dr. Corenthal and his adopted children.
- The tree is Yggdrasil, the World Tree of Norse mythology.