Incident #1000170
Whistler, Callahan Valley, British Columbia
Apr 1969
Account
Teddy Osborne, one of the promoters of a ski development in the Callahan Valley, encountered tracks in the snow on Powder Mountain. His partner, Jack Wilson, hired a helicopter and a photographer, John Helcermanas, and went to investigate. Tracks were apparently bipedal, fairly shapeless, in deep snow, but Helcermanas noted that there were toes. Size of prints estimated 12 to 14 inches, stride about 30 inches. Followed for several miles across valley from steep rock faces to ice caves at the foot of a glacier. Tracks went from one stand of balsams to another, and were full of husks from balsam buds, suggesting that the creature was picking and eating the buds, discarding the husks. Helcermans' photos leave no doubt that the tracks were as described, but they were not clear enough or large enough to give them full marks for authenticity.
When
- Month
- Apr
- Year
- 1969
- Season
- spring
Where
- State / province
- British Columbia
- County
- Callahan Valley
- Nearest Town
- Whistler
- Direction from Town
- West
- Distance from Town
- 8
- Population of Town
- 2000
- Elevation/Altitude
- 50
- Latitude
- 508---
- Longitude
- 12310--
What was seen
- Individuals
- one large, sex unknown
- Total Individuals
- 1
- Population Status
- wild
- First Seen
- in
- Terrain Object
- open
- Near or/at
- trees
- Shot Hit
- No
- Track Photo Y/N
- Yes
Witnesses
- Report type
- 1st person
Setting
- Terrain
- alpine
- Exact Terrain
- hillside
- Slope
- steep
- Substratum
- alpine meadow
- Ground condition
- frozen
- Snow Condition
- new over old
- Cover
- sparse
- Tree size
- small
- Tree condition
- mostly mature
- Tree type
- coniferous
- General
- none
- Undergrowth
- none
- General undergrowth
- none
- Species
- spruce
Weather and light
- Lighting
- daylight
Source
- Source
- Jack Wilson, intv. by John Green
- Source Type
- interview
- Source Date
- APR 69
- Source reliability
- 7
- Incident reliablility
- 8
- Jwg file date
- APR 69
- Incident type
- 2
Footprints
- Footprint Length
- 13.0
- Number of Tracks
- many
- Trail Followed Y/N
- Yes
- Trail Ended Naturally Y/N
- Yes
- Track Condition
- fair
- Footprint Photo Y/N
- Yes
- Material Tracks Made in
- snow
- Foot Shape
- wide
- Trackmaker attracted by
- natural food plants
Witness
- Wildlife Familiarity
- considerable
- Interviewer
- John Green
- Interview date
- APRIL, 1969
- Track witnesses
- 4
- Age
- 41 to 50