YEAR: 2001

SEASON: Winter

MONTH: March

DATE: 11

STATE: New Hampshire

COUNTY: Grafton County

NEAREST TOWN: Waterville Valley

OBSERVED: While camping in the White Mountains of NH in March 2001, I came across bi-pedal prints in heavy snow. Each foot print was about 18 inches long by 8 inches wide, and the stride was 24 to 30 inches between each print. They were located in 100-150 yards off a snowmodible trail, and went even deeper. This was were I was camping for 3 days, so I did not want to pay attention. However, after considerable thought about the circumstances, my observations of the environment make the tracks interesting. In march of 2001, there was fairly heavy snows, ranging from 3 to 4 feet deep. The week before the camping trip was very warm, so the snow began to melt. There was stil snow, so when it got cold again the next week, there was an inch or so of ice on top of the snow. When wearing snowshoes, the weight dispersal would break the ice in a large cricle, simply caving in some of the ice. When wearing snow boots, the ice could not support your weight on such a small area, and your foot would go straight through the ice. Applying this to the prints, there was no evidence that the prints were made before the snow melt, as they then would have exihibted the melted ice over the print. There was no way these could have been made by snowshoes then (they wouldnn't even be the same shape) and it was way to big to be anybodies boot that would make this kind of straight through the ice print. There were no distinctivly human markings ( i.e. ice breakers or tread marks). My only regreat was not following them

ALSO NOTICED: The ice was notewothy because I don't think anything human could have made prints like that through the ice that big. The prints were bi-pedal

OTHER WITNESSES: None

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Tracks spotted in day, unknown when they were laid. Deep snow with layering of ice crust.

ENVIRONMENT: Mountainous forest, snowmobile trail up hill, creek downhill.

Follow-up investigation report:

After speaking with the submitter I found him to be consistent in the retelling of the event.

The estimated 18 inches could have possibly been in the 17-20 inch range and the estimated width 5-7 inches. The submitter did not note if the tracks were deeper than his own at the time.

The submitter has recontacted the BFRO via the website in regards to his observation and estimate of the depth. the pertinent part of the reply is as follows.

"Since there was a melt, and thus a layer ice on top of the snow, when walking with your boots, you would make astraight, exact print through the ice, but only the first layer. There were other ice layers with snow in between, and the tracks that I found definetly went through the second ice sheet, and possibly the third. So as I don't know the exact depth, I would estimate 10 to 14 inches (i know thats a big gap) but the pertinent point is that they broke through lower sheets of ice that would support me on my boots. I know this is not the most important sighting or anything, but i just wanted my only info I can give to be more complete."

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