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From the High Desert book cover

From the High Desert

A Cultural History of Art Bell

Essential Art Bell Episodes About Mel's Hole

Mel's Hole was not a constant Art Bell topic, but a small handful of episodes became part of the show's mythology. A caller named Mel Waters described an alleged bottomless pit in Washington State, and the story grew stranger through updates, follow-ups, and replayed segments that turned it into one of the archive's better-known pieces of radio folklore. These are the key Mel's Hole episodes and updates for anyone trying to follow the story from first call to later elaboration, with related paths into open lines, government suspicion, remote viewing, and other caller-driven mysteries.

5 Episodes

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Episode thumbnail for April 24, 2000: Mel's Hole Update
3

April 24, 2000: Mel's Hole Update

Apr 24, 2000
1h 10m
Art Bell reconnects with Mel Waters, the man behind one of the show's most legendary stories, for a long-awaited update on the mysterious bottomless hole on his former property near Ellensburg, Washington. Mel confirms the story is no hoax and recaps how he lowered 80,000 feet of monofilament fishing line into the n...
Episode thumbnail for January 29, 2002: Mel's New Hole - Mel Waters
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January 29, 2002: Mel's New Hole - Mel Waters

Jan 29, 2002
2h 55m
Art Bell welcomes Mel Waters back after a rebroadcast reignited fascination with his original bottomless hole in Washington state. Mel recounts how the government seized his property under the pretense of a plane crash, then paid him a quarter million dollars monthly to relocate to Australia. He describes being abdu...
Episode thumbnail for December 25, 2002: Mel's Hole Replay Compilation
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December 25, 2002: Mel's Hole Replay Compilation

Dec 25, 2002
2h 42m
Art Bell presents a special holiday rebroadcast compiling Mel Waters segments from January 29 and December 20, 2002. The program traces the full saga of Mel's Hole from its origins on Mel's property near Ellensburg, Washington, where he lowered over 80,000 feet of fishing line without hitting bottom, through the gov...