(Continued from Susan Farnsworth’s story…)
In 15 May 2008, an expedition of four (Mitch Waite, Preston Smith, and Alex Hearn) returned to the tent site to investigate the event. While searching the area, they found many impressions that seemed to be made by extremely heavy and large feet. They reported small branches scattered over the forest floor. These small branches and the leaves still attached. It was very peculiar, not what you would expect from a wind storm, but more someone purposely stripping the small branches from the trees and dumping them on the forest floor.
One particular area between two large Spruce trees, a large hole was located. It appeared as if someone had dug out a four foot diameter hole between the two trees. The hole was approximately two feet deep. There was no shovel marks, and the dirt from the hole was missing. The group thought it might be a bear wallow and went about scouting the area further.
Working their way east, the group found the remnants of an old rain gage. This gage stood about 8 feet tall and had steel veins running down to where a collection bucket once sat. The bucket was gone, and the veins were twisted and mangled as if some giant tried to wad it up like a piece of paper. Again, something was strange here.
As the group made their way back to the road, they ran into a Forest Ranger, and they stopped to talk for a while. The Forest Ranger (Dave) stated there had been no bears in the area for two years, but he had been finding scat that he could not identify. He had not thought much about it until he ran into the research group. He told us to be careful as he departed.
While we were talking to the Ranger, Kyle located the first major find. As the Ranger drove away, Kyle called the rest of the group over to the side of the road. We were dumb stuck with what he had found. It was a footprint--19 inches long, 9 inches through the ball and 4 inches wide in the heel. Alex provided the plaster to cast the print.
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