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Sw Wa Field Work


SWWASAS

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Hard to say the length from memory. I held it up to my leg and it was longer than what mine was. Not by much but longer for sure maybe a couple inches at most. We ruled out human for that reason and figured the authorities would have thought us nuts mentioning Bigfoot. We decided it had to be an elk femur. I wish now I would have brought it out with us. 

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Dave, I've heard the question over and over, "where are the bones?". I wonder how many bones have been passed by without taking the time to ID them. I have been guilty of that in the past, but I pay a little more attention now. If the skull is around ID is easy. But not so much if it isn't. Anyway your find made me wonder how hard it is to tell the difference between elk and human (or possible BF) bones. I found these two pics of the comparison between deer, sheep, elk, cow, and human. (The cow and the elk are swapped in the 1st pic.)

Humerus (upper arm)

post-24465-0-15742300-1426554683.jpg

Femur (thigh)

post-24465-0-91084000-1426554762.jpg

http://resource.rockyview.ab.ca/t4t/forensicscience35-5cr/Module04/L1/M4L1P02-HumanAnimal.html

As SWWSP mentioned if you find something 17" or longer your probably looking at hominid rather than ungulate.

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Thanks tree walker:   Also look at the ball on the head of the femur.     It is free to articulate in a wide circle on the human but  all of the 4 legged animal femurs have a protrusion opposite the ball.      I would say femur longer than 19 with only a ball at the hip end has to be BF or a very tall human.    That must be why Meldrum says that you can tell if something is bipedal from the femur.     Good stuff to know. 

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those pictures kinda creep me out because my memory has it looking more looking like the human humerus than any others. It was not a bulky looking as the animal bones shown and I don't recall the ball or protrusion on one end. It looked just like the humerus picture only longer than my femur. It may have had the ball I just don't recall it being there. I know our memories of things and places can change over time. Now I really wish I would have brought it in. I need to find my friend and see how he remembers it. I have not seen him in quite a few years and not sure where he is but I will try to connect with him. We had several incidents together where our conclusions were Bigfoot. Would be nice to chat and see how well our memories mesh.

Edited by daveedoe
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Dave, if only... Huh! Let us know if you get in touch. It would be interesting to hear his take on it.

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Just if someone finds a human looking femur longer than 19 inches, do some testing prior to notifying the local authorities.     You might have the holy grail of BFing.     Gigantopithecus was defined by a jawbone with a few teeth.

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I hope that those spending time in the field store this information away as something to keep an eye out for. The bones are probably there, we're just not noticing.

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  • 2 months later...
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Did some aerial survey work today.    Primarily to check out some funny vegetation pattern on a mountain I saw on Google Earth.     Anyone seen terraces like this high on a mountain?  Well above the normal tree line.   Did not know the USFS does terraces like this.   This is on a normally treeless side of the mountain and looks like it was terraced. 

 

  post-23549-0-61417300-1432936741_thumb.j

 

 

Anyway flying around noticed some trails that do not appear on the USGS maps of the area.    Some are every bit as well used as well known and frequently used human trails.     Suspected game but here is one that defies explanation.    This apparently well used trail just below a mountain ridge line runs right into this cliff face and stops.     There is at least a deep crevice or cave where the trail terminates.      The location is Silver Star Mountain on the East side.   Just below where that fairly famous BF picture on the snow field was taken a few years ago.    Anyone know this trail and been down there?   The trail runs to the cliff face then up and into the rift into the rocks on the right side of the picture.   A deer would not go into there.    If not humans then what?      Notice the pits on the right side on the plateau.   They might be what the USFS calls the Indian Pits that are in the area. 

 

post-23549-0-26935900-1432937262_thumb.j

 

This is from the side and shows how the trail just runs right into the steep cliff.   

 

post-23549-0-32185700-1432938847_thumb.j

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by SWWASASQUATCHPROJECT
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Need boots on the ground to check out that trail.  It is interesting.  It might turn uphill at the cliff face, can't be sure.

 

Terracing ... for some reason the back / "head wall" (not really steep enough to be a wall) of the Silver Fork Basin is artificially terraced, reportedly to manage erosion.  

 

MIB

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SWWSP

Interesting pictures. Seems like a lot of work to terrace a hillside if it was out in the middle of nowhere. I found this on Google Earth one day. I was on the road that lead up to it at one time but it looked like it was petering out so I didn't keep going. Sure like to go check it out sometime. It's north of French Butte and Pinto Rock, NE of Mt St Helens.

post-24465-0-67424400-1432962965_thumb.p

That trail in your 2nd photo is interesting. Like MIB said, need boots on the ground for that one.

Not saying that's what that trail is, but I have seen motorcycle trails connecting mapped trails in other areas. If that one is going into that cut it would be interesting to check out. I do see a trail leading out of that area in the very top center of your 2nd picture. It looks like it's on the left side of the 3rd picture.

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That whole area just south of Silver Star looks odd. If you zoom in just right on Google Earth the trees in that whole area look like the whorls and ridges of a giant fingerprint.

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 there are quite a few terraces around Silver Star Mountain and Lookout Mountain. I was told when I was young the terraces were made during the Yacolt burn. Not sure why the would have terraced the hills, maybe for erosion? 

 

It appears the trail might go into the trees comes out at the top part of the picture on the first shot and on the left on the second shot. Just appear like there is another trail coming out of the trees. 


I found this tells about the terraced hills

 

http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fsbdev3_004902.pdf

Edited by daveedoe
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Daveedoe, I wondered about the burn as I know it burned over that area.    Perhaps because the area is just above the tree line they decided to terrace for erosion prevention and plant in the terraces.    I have other pictures that show terrace without anything growing.    What got me up there was the Indian Pit discussion on a USFS description of the area.     The Forest Service says they are believe to have been used by the Indians but do not know the purpose.      The Thompson pits in Clackamas County have been associated with BF rodent hunting.    When I located the pits on Google Earth I noticed the terracing which looks similar to terraces in South America.    I cannot tell from the air if the terraces are made by heavy equipment or hand.   They appear to be rocky in nature.   

 

  There is a faint trail, not well used, that goes around the outcropping and comes around on and you can see it on the South side of the outcropping.   In the second picture you can see a faint y to the left.     It could work its way around the East side of the rock out cropping and joint up with the faint trail portion you see on the top left of the outcropping.      But the trail that leads right into the cliff is more used.    I think it is probably curiosity at looking into the rift, or cave, whatever it is, so anyone on that trail segment just goes and takes a look to see what is in there, and why the trail leads in there.   Sometimes you see the same thing near overlooks.     People go off trail because they notice other people have to take in the view, and that forms a side trail going nowhere.       Another possibility is that the rock climbers could use the cliffs as a practice climb area and that explains why that portion of the trail leading into the cliff face is so well used.     

 

I would climb up there but am reluctant because I have been having left knee problems and a climb like that might not be a good idea right now.    I did publish the location so anyone capable and interested can take a look.    If so let me know and I will give you as much information about finding the side trail that I know from seeing it from the air.    The terraces are just North of Pyramid Rock on the East side of the ridge.     Access to that would be from the trailhead off of FR1200.    The shortest way into the cliff face would be the trail head for Silver Star Mountain.      For those that do not know both are basically the same ridge.  Silver Star to the North and Pyramid Rock to the South on the same ridge.   It was pretty interesting taking pictures and flying along the ridge without running into something.           

Edited by SWWASASQUATCHPROJECT
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thanks Randy, my knees are shot too. Its sad I'm not able to do / go where I did when I was younger. Here is a google earth capture just a bit north and east of Silver Star. 

post-3060-0-52824200-1433000775_thumb.jp

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Shot knees or not I went up there today.    Took a companion and she got most of way there and started feeling like she was going to pass out.   Overdressed, got hot, and had nearly nothing for breakfast so I got within 3/4 mile of the cliff face, within sight, but it was about  500 above me.   So decided I better bring her out before she passed out on me.    Mountain rescue was already there for someone that crashed their mountain bike someplace.    I guess they were hurt pretty bad with a head injury.    An ambulance was waiting down at the bottom of the mountain. 

 

   Doubt that the trail could have anything to do with BF.      Was named, Daves trail, and pretty popular today with humans.   It is a off loop of the crest trail.    It winds around that outcropping somehow and ends up on top of the ridge.      So other than the Native American Stuff up there I don't think there is anything beyond that with all the humans around.   Thought I saw something humanoid standing on the next ridge to the East.    Could not make out what it was but put the camera in max telephoto to take pictures and blew it up when I got home.   It was a human standing there watching us.   Thought I saw movement so pretty sure it was not  a stump.   I am just as interested in Native American signs as I am BF so will probably do it again only solo this time around. 

Edited by SWWASASQUATCHPROJECT
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