New photos from Olympic Peninsula trip, Dosewallips State park print trail Options

[vlandrum]

Hi all,
Just got back from escorting 7 college students on an ecology field trip to the Olympics & Cascades. On 5/16, we visited the Dosewallips State Park on the eastern side of the peninsula, arriving about 8:45am. Several people were out oystering in the tidal flats at the park, and we were trying to stay out of their way, so we were exploring several of the side channels that are off to the north of the main area.

We found a trail of prints leading from a pile of oyster shells. The photos were taken from a height of 3-4 feet above the prints, as the channel was very muddy and I was afraid to disturb the prints. I was standing on the bank of the channel, but squatted down to take the photos.

As you can see, the photos were made earlier in the day, probably just as the tide receded from that area nearest the higher points of the park. The prints were larger than my own show size (12) held close to one of the prints. The stride wasn't excessive, about 2 1/2 to 3 feet, but understandable if the tide had just receded and the mud was very deep.

The most interesting thing to me was the pile of oystershells and clam shells where the trail started. There were at least several dozen there, all appearing opened recently.

Just wanted to get these out into the public; I've also posted these at the North American Bigfoot forum.




thanks!
vlandrum

[RavenMadd]

[billgreen2005big...]

hey vlandrum wow those are wonderful photos of new possible sasquatch footprints you posted here, they are very interesting indeedy. did you find any other sasquatch related evidence please keep us posted ok. thanks bill

[tugboatwa]

Two things pop out - the prints are too close together and not in a straight line.

[xpert4u]

Two things pop out - the prints are too close together and not in a straight line.

Ya .... not BF.... way too close and are staggered like a human walking.

[poignant]

Could be the tracks of two bigfoots (bigfeet?). The lack of toe prints raises another red flag. Any pics of the oyster/clam shell pile?

[vlandrum]

Hi all,
The lack of toe prints, for me, was not an issue--the tracks were filling up with water, and some were already mostly submerged, so I wouldn't expect toe prints under those conditions. I thought the angled prints were more liikely due to the deep mud (I'd estimate about 2-4 inches deep) in that side channel, so walking for anybody would be problematic.

If I had seen any indication of human-made prints, I wouldn't have even bothered to take these pics, but all the humans in that area were out in the tidal flat area; these were the only tracks in any of the dozen or so side channels we examined. I didn't take a pic of the oyster shell pile because I couldn't get to a position over it to take a close up pic, at least close enough to show details. I stopped counting the shells when I reached 30.

Hope this helps,
vlandrum

[wvbig]

It looks like somebody was playing a joke on local residents to me.

[cryptidon]

Was the oyster pile directly in the channel, or on a bank?

Possible that the prints were made prior to the tide being completely out?

[Redwolf]

Do you have a photo with your boot next to one of the prints? A ruler? Something for scale.


Did you snap a photo of the oyster pile?

Redwolf

[JayleeD]

Were there any prints leading up to the pile of shells? I take it from your post that these were leading away from the shells?

Thanks

[DevouredbyVermn]

Perhaps I'm just seeing to much into this, but why this pile of sand on the right of the track, which would indicate that the subject pushed off to the left?

Only have the next step be right next to it?

Attached image(s)

 

[DevouredbyVermn]

Its a little hard to see from the original pic, but are the tracks coming down that slight incline to the right-bottom of the pic? If they are, the piles of sand Im seeing ringing the track may just be that as the subject came down the little hill, they gained speed, and the tracks are a little deeper until they get onto the flat. Dispersing more sand, causing the rings.

[BigTex]

Small steps might also indicate that the subject matter was looking down for something, i.e. clam breathing holes. I have dug for clams before, and small deliberate steps are the way to do it.....and I am not in any kind of hurry. As humans, we all take different strides, depending on what we are doing.

[DevouredbyVermn]

Could be Tex. I know that I tend to take shorter steps when I'm out hunting than when I'm just walking down the street. Aspecially if I'm looking for any sign.

[BigTex]

IMO...the stride is short, even for a human, and implies that the subject was looking at the ground for something. This would also effect the print itself, and the track left behind.

[utahdude]

I was wondering if you followed the tracks to any point where they left the muddier areas and could possibly show a more definitive print?

- Jon

[FanofSquatch]

It looks like they head off up the bank or is that where they came from? So was this a BF expedition disgused as an ecology field trip? Always cool to see pics from the field. The fact that the prints have filled with water takes away any definition making them inconclusive for me. I wonder having never dug for clams is it something that a BF could open without destroying and I would think that the method used by a human vs. BF for digging would very greatly maybe huge random disturbances in the mud as opposed to tool like surgical holes for people. It also makes sense that if the big guy were clamming that he would stick to the side channels rather than risk being caught out on the open mud flats,nice pics thanks for posting them.

[vlandrum]

Hi all, thanks for all the interesting points; here's what I remember viewing:
--the pile of shells had disturbed mud around them, like someone had been squatting, walking many times around them. I don't know how a BF would open an oyster or clam, other than with another shell or brute strength?
--the end of the trail is visible in the first photo--the footprints basically were either wipe out by the receding tide or the maker jumped up on the bank to continue walking.
--I couldn't get close enough to make a good photo with my shoe and take the photo--I saw these prints as we were leaving the area for the next stop, and I didn't take the time to make a great comparison, I apologize for that--one of those "What was I thinking" moments for not making more time.
--the prints, as i balanced on the sharp bank dropoff, compared to my shoe (New Balance size 12 and width EE), were as large or larger.

One point I'd like to make is that all the oyster-collectors we saw were out on the very flat tidal area, and not in the channels/ditches that wind their way around the edges of the flat. That's what got me interested in the tracks in the first place.

Take care all, look forward to seeing more ideas.
vlandrum

[adamsclimber]

My guess, and it is purely that, a guess. My most likely suspect would be someone in either hip boots or neoprene waders with wading boots on with felt soles for primary use in the rivers in the area and being used to gather shell fish instead.

Its a tough call from the pic provided, but I have used the same set-up I'm describing a few times, and as the felts are really designed for traction on slick rock not mud, you do have a tendency to have a little slippage as you go through mud and they load up with it.

Also, before I forget, the short stride is not surprising, one the most common device I've seen and used for clams/oysters on the Peninsula is a 5 gallon bucket, so trying to lug that and not fall on your behind can make for some great entertainment. Also, not knowing exactly the area in discussion here, but from clamming on the Peninsula, its different than razor clams on the coast.

For the horse clams, butter clams and others there you usually look for necks sticking up to gather food from the water. Razor clams you walk heavy, literally stomping waiting for them to jet and start digging leaving a little hole in the sand that you then dig after. A little hint, razors dig at a slight angle and ALWAYS towards the water.

This post has been edited by adamsclimber: Jun 11 2007, 04:51 AM

[bipto]

Why would a person open the clams on the shore? I've never been clamming, but is it normal for people to open them right there on the beach?

[adamsclimber]

Bip, its not very uncommon in areas that also have oysters to leave shells behind for future growing areas, clams depending on type, which I didn't see discussed earlier. A lot of locals that have access to oyster beds will sit down and suck them down before they even get off the beach with them. If the clams proved to be something like a horse clam it makes perfect sense to shuck them there......they are pretty much only good ground for chowder. And as much as I find it repugnant personally there are folks that will eat "clams on the half-shell" so to speak.

Also, you have to take into account the "poaching" side of things, what would you rather try to sneak up to your vehicle, a bucket full of evidence, or a few well placed ziplock baggies carefully stuffed in your boots or waders? There's a lotta folks that'll try to double dip on a given trip....example for myself at least, was I used to have a great steel head spot, grab a fish in the early morning, drive 20 minutes and shoot a limit of grouse as well. I always had the proper paperwork but there were a heck of a lot more who did the same thing but didn't.

I guess the question that I should ask of the OP is...were the shells broken or did they appear to be shucked? Also, were they around any rocks?

[bipto]

...were the shells broken or did they appear to be shucked? Also, were they around any rocks?

Good questions.

[vlandrum]

Hi all, good questions and thoughts--regarding the shells, I remember that the clam shells were still attached at the hinges and open--again, about 25-35 in a big pile. Now that I think about it, I don't remember seeing that many oyster shells if at all. I don't come from a maritime background, so I couldn't tell you one clam from another, but I do know the difference between a clam and an oyster in appearance (taste-wise, yuck!).
vlandrum

[xpert4u]

quote name='vlandrum' date='Jun 11 2007, 07:05 AM' post='391452']
Hi all, good questions and thoughts--regarding the shells, I remember that the clam shells were still attached at the hinges and open--again, about 25-35 in a big pile. Now that I think about it, I don't remember seeing that many oyster shells if at all. I don't come from a maritime background, so I couldn't tell you one clam from another, but I do know the difference between a clam and an oyster in appearance (taste-wise, yuck!).
vlandrum
[/quote]

To clear up what they look like, here is the pics of the locale clams in that area....


Long Neck

Butter

Geoduck

Razor

This post has been edited by xpert4u: Jun 17 2007, 10:23 PM

[eldonkey]

Hello,

Well done on the pics. Whether they are Squatch or not is not as important to me as the fact that you made the effort to bring potential evidence to the table. With more folks out there with this same mindset, maybe we can finally get to the bottom of this mystery. Can you give us any insight into the surrounding countryside, vegetation, major populated areas?

Thanks.