Albert Ostman

[Guest Transformer]

I think the best bet is not to try to determine where he said he went from the beginning, but to backtrack from where we know he came out.

I appreciate your openmindness about the points that I am making.

i agree bfs, backtrack and look for the terrain features he mentioned.

if anything looks close to the description go from there.

the aerial pics & google earth shots do look like a rugged and difficult place to travel,imo.

I think it would be better if a person looked at the glaring errors that Mr. Ostman made that no person who knew or travelled in the area would make. I think that his story is filled with errors about terrain and location and speed of travel and adding that to his huge mistakes in the geographical distances between Toba and Sechelt Inlets shows that this was a tale that he just made up. He wasn't in the area at all and that negates any reason to believe the rest of his incredible tale. That is my opinion.

[Guest ajciani]

I have matched up Ostman's descriptions of the terrain to the maps rather well.

One thing is certain. He had no clue about distance and speed of travel. His three mile run was probably more like a two mile run, and his 10 miles from the head of Toba was more like 5 or 6.

[Guest Transformer]

Can you post what you have because that would be very interesting. Thank you.

[BobbyO]

Mt. Baker is in the USA, just south of the boarder below Vancouver. "Ostman's Escapade" (copyright filed.... ) was well north of Vancouver, about 60-80 miles from Mt. Baker.

I think the reason that Mt. Baker has entered discussion in this thread and the prior Ostman thread is simply that some folks have discounted his story based on his saying that he saw Mt. Baker from the top of the last ridge he crossed before descending to the place he was eventually rescued. My posts regarding that have simply noted that discounting his story based on this issue is incorrect, because Mt. Baker is readily seen from many locations over a widespread geographic area.

& to make things even more confusing, the GE image that Ontario posted was the Mount Baker in BC, not the one we're talking about in WA, which is what Ostman referred to too.

The Mount Baker in BC is way out East, Kootenay.

Ostman would have definitely been referring to the Mount Baker in WA State

He wasn't in the area at all and that negates any reason to believe the rest of his incredible tale. That is my opinion.

That's a pretty bold statement.

If that's the case though, how do you explain his passing of the lie detector tests and the subsequent interrogation that was reported ,by the Magistrate, and why did he make the story up in the first place ?

That makes less sense to me than his story being true.

[Guest BFSleuth]

BobbyO, you make a point that is very important to Ostman's account. I'm not sure what the Canadian equivalent is, but he basically swore an oath and made his claim on a document that would put him in jeopardy if he was lying. It would be like swearing an Affidavit in the USA or giving testimony in open court. Jail time would be the result if he is committing perjury.

I wonder how many sighting reports might be deleted from current databases if witnesses had to swear an oath, knowing that there would be follow up investigation?

Regarding Mt. Baker, yes I'm sure he was referencing the Mt. Baker over the border in the USA.

ajciani, if you could post a Google map showing where you think he was that would be helpful. If I have time later today I'll post a map of where I figured he was. But I'll tell you that where I think he was when he came up and over the ridge to see Mt. Baker before descending to the inlet doesn't really seem to go back to any hanging valleys that match the description of where he was held, unless it is so small that it isn't apparent in Google Earth....

[Guest]

. . . he basically swore an oath and made his claim on a document that would put him in jeopardy if he was lying. It would be like swearing an Affidavit in the USA or giving testimony in open court. Jail time would be the result if he is committing perjury.

Maybe, but Ostman's lie could've been proven exactly how?

[Guest]

Why couldn't it be that he was 100% sure that the story he told was true, but it really wasn't?

[Guest BFSleuth]

Maybe, but Ostman's lie could've been proven exactly how?

That's a valid question. I'm not sure that anyone has tried to physically go back to check for the location(s) of his journey as stated in his sworn statement. If they have I haven't come across any written accounts. I would think that would be the best way to start, to go back and physically go through the route he described, backtracking from the point of exit to the inlet and back over the mountain ridge where Mt. Baker would be visible then drop back into the valley and try to find the hanging valley with a narrow rocky gap entry.

The other method, long since lost, would be to interview people that took him in when he got to the inlet. If they could have verified that indeed a bedraggled Ostman came out of the wilderness and was transported back to civilization, and confirming that he was inserted into the other inlet, then that lends credence to the story.

[Guest parnassus]

is Ostman's tale more, or less, believable than Sasfooty's?

[Cotter]

Not to derail, but can anyone point me in the direction of Sasfooty's account(s)?

Thx all.

[Guest BFSleuth]

I think bringing Sasfooty's observations into the Ostman thread is a derail.

[Guest OntarioSquatch]

I've never heard of the Sasfooty story. Is it another abduction?

[Cotter]

BFSleuth, is there an account of Sasfooty's experience on the BFF?

[Guest BFSleuth]

I think there are several reports spread about various threads, all of which have come under question, sometimes vociferously. Anyone that is interested can search the forums with the search tool to find her posts, or can PM Sasfooty herself.

I would like to remind everyone that this is the Ostman thread, so further discussion about Sasfooty's reports or claims will be subject to deletion. Her observations or reports aren't the topic of this thread.

[Cotter]

Sounds good BF. I apologize for the repost of a potential derail.

As far as retracing Ostman's steps, I think the largest hurdle would be the environmental changes (forest, erosion, human impact) that could throw a wrench into any such trek.

Is this an area of potentially high and torrential rainfall? Valleys can change shape over night (small inlet into a valley could now be very open). Any lumber activities, roadways in the area.

I'm not saying the peaks and valleys are going to change a ton, but I would caution on honing in on small details as they can indeed change face over short periods of time.