Incident #1000812
Ellensburg, Kititas Cty, Washington
Nov 1970
Account
Oscar Hickerson and Jess Helton preparing camp on Coleman Ridge for elk season. Man told them of big tracks through his camp nearby. They went to see, followed tracks 17" by 9" (measured) for about three miles until they dropped out of snow in Coleman Creek canyon. Snow much more compressed than in human tracks. Creature stepped over 3-foot-high log without disturbing snow on the top. Sometimes striding up to 6 feet, sometimes meandering 30 inches. Apparently inspected other hunter's camp at close range. Good color slides of tracks.
When
- Observation Date
- NOV 06 1970
- Month
- Nov
- Year
- 1970
- Season
- fall
- Time of Day
- 3 a.m. to dawn
Where
- State / province
- Washington
- County
- Kititas Cty
- Nearest Town
- Ellensburg
- Direction from Town
- Northeast
- Distance from Town
- 15
- Population of Town
- 11000
- Elevation/Altitude
- 50
- Latitude
- 4709--
- Longitude
- 12024--
What was seen
- Individuals
- one large, sex unknown
- Total Individuals
- 1
- Population Status
- wild
- Near or/at
- camp
- Super Human Action
- Stepped over 3-foot log without disturbing snow on top
- Shot Hit
- No
- Track Photo Y/N
- Yes
Witnesses
- Report type
- 1st person
Setting
- Terrain
- alpine
- Exact Terrain
- forest
- Snow Condition
- shallow new
- Cover
- heavy
- Tree size
- mostly large
- Tree condition
- mostly mature
Weather and light
- Snow
- early snow
Source
- Source
- Oscar D. Hickerson Jr. to John Green
- Source Type
- letter
- Source Date
- MAR 10 1970
- Source reliability
- 10
- Incident reliablility
- 8
- Jwg file date
- 1970
- Incident type
- 2
Footprints
- Set of Tracks
- 1
- Footprint Length
- 17.0
- Greates Width
- 9.0
- Longest
- 72
- Shortest
- 30
- Estimated Age
- 4
- Age Unit
- hours
- Number of Tracks
- 4000
- Trail Followed Y/N
- Yes
- Trail Ended Naturally Y/N
- Yes
- Track Condition
- very good
- Track Drag or Slide
- toe drag and heel slip
- Arc Y/N
- No
- Ridge Behind Toes Y/N
- Yes
- Number of Toes
- 5
- Foot Deformity Y/N
- No
- Bumps Y/N
- No
- Claw Marks Y/N
- No
- Size of Toes
- big toe far largest
- Longest Toe
- first
- Footprint Photo Y/N
- Yes
- Pattern of walk
- toe out
- Feet in Line?
- spread apart
- Obsticles Offering Choice
- over
- Direction of Travel
- forth and back
- Material Tracks Made in
- soft shallow snow
- Tracks Came From
- hillside
- Tracks Went to
- canyon
- Trackmaker attracted by
- human activity
- Remarks
- Creature wandering about, including inspection of hunter's camp. Flatness of tracks, and compression of snow into ice, very impressive.
Witness
- Wildlife Familiarity
- considerable
- Witness Saw with
- naked eye
- Observer Was
- camping, hunting
- Track witnesses
- several
- Age
- 51 to 60