YEAR: 1980-82

SEASON: Summer

STATE: New York

COUNTY: Warren County

LOCATION DETAILS: Edited out at the request of the witness.

NEAREST TOWN: Lake George

NEAREST ROAD: rt. 9

OBSERVED: This happened in summer sometime between 1980-82 approximate. My then husband and I liked to hike. We lived in Lake George,N.Y. and were aware of the rangers road up the back of Prospect Mtn. We foolishly figured it wuld be an hour up and and hour back and we'd be home by supper and didn't take a flashlight. It took 2 hours up and the sun was beginning to wane. Now my husband had a habit of walking very fast sometimes out of my sight and I kept yelling, almost crying," Wait ,wait for me!"As it got near dusk, the road was darker and darker and I finally grabbed and held on to his arm so I wouldn't be left alone and behind. Then we heard something big crunching up the ground just off the road in the woods beside us and following along with us.If we stopped, it stopped. I couldn't tell if it was one or more but I think just one. aAll down the Mtn until we got to where the road kind of levels out for at least an hour or more that thing was in the woods following.He figured it was deer or a bear but would those animals do that? Then recently when I read that teens on the bike trail near French Mtn thought they saw something in 81 or 82 or 83 I began to wonder. The bike trail goes a long ways following route 9 right into Lake George and Prospect Mtn is on the other side of rt 9 not many miles away.

ALSO NOTICED: It started after I was yelling and crying for my husband to wait and stay with me not walk ahead.

OTHER WITNESSES: 2-myself and my husband at the time

OTHER STORIES: Yes. Teenagers on the bike trail only a few miles South saw something in the woods give or take a year or two apart.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: dusk, a clear warm summer night approx 2 hours after sunset,a dark thickly treed old road up the back of the mtn

ENVIRONMENT: Mostly pine woods but there are other trees. There are no buildings just straight up mtn road

Follow-up investigation report:

I spoke with the witness over the phone on 11/24/2006. I can add the following comments.

The animal approached after the witness yelled for her husband. It followed them all the way down the mountain even though they were aware of its presence and talking very loud to try and scare it away. The witness said she was sure the animal was very large and not a deer. She could tell this by the sound of the forest floor crunching every time the animal would take a step. This would seem rare behavior for a large predator such as a bear or cougar and even more rare behavior for a deer. If this was a bear or a cougar it would have most likely fled or attacked during the duration of the stalking.

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