NOT A YETI -- THE DYATLOV PASS INCIDENT PHOTO

Due to the continued misinterpretation of this photograph, I am re-posting the "Yeti Theory" section of my multi-part post on the Dyatlov Pass Incident. [with some added comments and data].

Original photo from the Dyatlov camera

This explanation [for the deaths] was not the first one presented by the authorities. The first blame was attached to the Mansi with the proof being the famous [or infamous] photo of the figure in the trees. It was said that Mansi hunters were stalking the hikers in order to ambush them and murder them. That theory was soon discarded.

The photo was then replaced with the rest of the photos from that camera as not having a bearing on the events that led to the hikers deaths.

Enlarged and blurry photo used in the

documentary

It is not until the June, 2014 airing of the [alleged] documentary by the Discover Channel that the photograph gains a new life. "Russian Yeti : The Killer Lives" was introduced to the world as the explanation for what caused the deaths of the 9 hikers. The story, as presented by the producers, director and writers of the show, shocked and amazed and titillated the audience. And suddenly we all knew that one or more Yeti stalked and murdered the hikers.

Knowing just a few elements of the story, I watched this program. And became amazed and "knew" what had happened. But, being the researcher I am, I started looking for more information. And saw how slanted the explanation was. And how it had been done entirely for sensationalism. Monsters sell. Monsters make a good program. Monsters draw viewers. Monsters grow ratings. Monsters make sponsors happy.

You see, there really isn't any evidence to support the Yeti Theory.

Massive jaw drops. Sorry, readers. I say again,

there really isn't any evidence to support the Yeti Theory.

Take the "diary" entry that allegedly talks of the existence of the Yeti. Doesn't exist. There is no mention of a belief in Yeti, of seeing a Yeti, of seeing giant footprints of a Yeti in any of the diaries. The only mention of Yeti among the hikers' writings was in a satirical pamphlet/newsletter that the hikers made up during their night time hours.

Typed copy of the pamphlet that the group 

was in process of writing.

[original handwritten in Russian]

The missing tongue allegedly yanked out and eaten by a Yeti : The program failed to mention that the rest of the woman's face was also decomposing and the loss of soft tissue is common due to other factors. The melting snow and ice were flowing over her head and hastening the disintegration of the flesh. In fact, her body and the bodies of the others found by the stream were hastily excavated from the snow to prevent further loss of tissue.

The claim was made that the files remain classified. But yet they never provided any evidence to prove that the files ever were classified. In fact, if one goes to the official website for the Dyatlov Pass Incident, there are photos and reports all available for anyone to read. [Of course, as the originals are in Russian, those who do not speak or read it must rely on the English translations.]

One searcher allegedly stated that he saw a military style boot lying near the tent. Conclusion : the Russian military was involved in the deaths of the hikers. Well, one of the hikers had served in the military. It is entirely possible that he kept the boots provided him. They may have been sturdy and good for hiking. Clothes and footwear were not always readily available for everyone. The boot, if it existed, may have belonged to him. I find it difficult to believe that the military came, attacked and murdered the hikers and then one of them removed his boot, left it behind as a clue, and marched off with the others with one bare foot. In deep snow. Flirting with frostbite. And the eventual loss of his toes.

The claim that no military were involved. That is false. The military joined in the search and rescue attempt. The remaining four bodies were recovered using  military personnel.

Dr. Igor Burtsev, scientist and researcher, talked about the production crew. He explained that they came to him with a preconceived agenda.

"I was interviewed by [Russian Yeti: the Killer Lives director] Neil Rawles too. I understood that he was making a program to fit the solution of the puzzle under the ready answer. And he tried to get from me the same answer about fault of the Yeti in group's death. For this he was shooting me many times asking only one question : Could be Yeti a reason of the death? But I couldn't agree and rejected that . . . "

And again we come to the key "evidence" in the Yeti Theory : The figure in the woods. The photo [see above] was flashed onto the screen with the statement :
"The following image is one of the last photos taken by the hikers. It is being shown on television for the first time." It was presented as evidence of a Yeti stalking the hikers.

Well, they were correct that it was the first time the photo was shown on tv. BUT : There is no evidence that this is one of the last photos taken. There were multiple cameras among the members of the group. In fact, this photo was taken in the middle of a roll of film. Most who look more closely at the photo state the photo is of a man. Probably one of the hikers. Nikolay Thibeaux-Brignolle [one of the hikers] was known for his good natured horseplay. There are several photos among the camera that show him and the others in the group having a good time playing around in the snow.

The surrounding photos of this figure do show the hikers playing in the snow and shows them setting up a camp [not the last destroyed camp]. Some say that the photo could even be one of Dyatlov himself. He was not fond of having his photo taken and was a private person. It is theorized that he retreated from the playful group to relieve himself and was caught on film as he emerged from the trees to rejoin the rest of the hikers.

I believe the figure in  the photo is most likely one of the group. There is a difference in the colors of the top part of the torso and the lower part  and the legs. The arms look a little slim.

Photo from hiveminer.com

Photo credit :Flickr.com

Now, I do believe that there is some sort of Yeti, Almasty, Menk, or whichever name you wish to use, living in the Urals and surrounding areas. I just have a hard time believing that this is a photograph of one stalking them or that they killed these hikers.

So, what is my theory? What do I think happened to the 9 hikers?

I don't know. Each theory [of the 75 or so currently being tossed around] has some good points [of the ones I chose to discuss in the other portions of my posts]. And each fail to account for one or more of the known facts or evidence.

All I do know is that something or someone or some event caused these 9 people to leave their tent in the dead of the night, partially clothed and with minimal footwear. They did not run screaming into the night but walked down the slope to the tree line. They appear to have tried to set up some sort of camp. At least, someone made a fire and at least some of the hikers appear to have climbed the cedar tree to set up a watch on their tent. I think that they were there waiting for the "Den" to be finished by the other 4 hikers. Something happened to severely injure those 4 and prevent them from taking refuge inside, or to summon the others waiting under the trees.

Eventually those by the tree either saw the coast clear or decided it was betterto face whatever had happened at their tent rather than freeze to death. They waited too long and did not make it.

The cuts in the tent? We have no evidence to support who made the cuts. Or why. We have testimony that the cuts were made from the inside, not the outside. There is no discernable reason for them to have another way out of the tent.

As for the missing knife used to cut the branches used for the Den and at the cedar tree. There was many feet of snow. The bodies were covered by snow. For all we know, the knife could still be lying there under the snow. Or was found by another hiker or one of the Mansi and became the useful property of a new owner.

This will most likely remain one of the biggest mysteries in history. And it will continue to be discussed in the Cryptid Community. [Despite the lack of real evidence that it is cryptid related]. Perhaps the reopening of the case will disclose new evidence or old evidence that fresher eyes can find some other interpretation.

Nancy

"I'll spark the thought; what you do with it is up to you."

My research has extended over a few years and it is difficult to find all of the sources for my notes. I will attempt to cite as many as possible and my apologies to any that I may omit. It is not intentional. There just  have been so many sources researched. I am sure to forget to name some of them.

Most thanks to the official website. Dyatlov Pass. 

The pages and pages of information here with links to other sources; the photos; the organization of the information were all invaluable. I highly recommend this page to those who would like to know even more than the overview I presented here.

There were also numerous blogs and YouTube videos that I looked at that. It is difficult to remember or list them -- some of them no longer in existence, even.

There have been TV documentaries and specials that have mentioned the event. The most notable being "Russian Yeti : The Killer Lives" on the Discovery Channel. June 1, 2014.

snopes.com

Wikipedia

"The Dyatlov Pass Mystery …….. Solved" by Robert V. Reich. November 21, 2011. An American Nations List.  amnationalistcouncil.wordpress.com

"The Harrowing Mystery of the Dyatlov Pass Incident" by Gabe Paoletti. October 15, 2017. Updated February 8, 2019.  All that is Interesting.   allthatisinteresting.com

Don't Go There: True Mystery of the Dyatlov Pass by Svetlana Oss.

Mountain of the Dead : The Dyatlov Pass Incident  by Keith McCloskey

"The Dyatlov Pass Incident (Devil's Pass) www.rottentomatoes.com

"Mystery at Dyatlov Pass" by David Bressan. February 1, 2019. www.forbes.com

"Dyatlov Pass Incident -- Unexplained Mountain Mystery" by Ian McKay. September 30, 2018.   exemplore.com

"Revisiting The Dyatlov Pass Incident : the Killer Yeti".  Mysterious Universe. November 3, 2015.  mysteriousuniverse.org

A Compelling Unknown Force -- the Dyatlov Pass Incident by Clark Wilkins.

"The Dyatov Pass Incident" by Meg Van Huygen. October 23, 2014.  Atlas Obscura. atlasobscura.com

"Secret Soviet Death Rays. Yetis. Aliens. Just what did slaughter nine hikers on Siberia's Death Mountain in 1959" by Tony Rennell. August 23, 2013.   dailymail.com

"Nine Russian students, experienced hikers -- seven men, two women -- massacred by an unknown force in the early morning hours of February 2nd, 1959 on the high slopes of Kholat Syakhl, a mountain peak in the Northern Ural range. No one alive knows what happened." -- Mysterious Universe

MOURNING DOVES - SOUNDS OF NATURE

So you have been hearing a whoo-whoo sound in the woods or near your home. You've listened to all the owl calls for the types that reside in your area and have eliminated them as the culprit.

Have you considered the Mourning Dove? 

This member of the dove family is found across the U.S. and parts of Canada. Their cooOOoo-woo-woo-wooo call is often mistaken for the call of an owl, especially when heard from a distance. When you are closer to the bird, the softer beginning "coo" can be heard. You may also hear a "grating" or a "throat-rattle" before the first coo.

The mating ritual includes loud calls by the male to the female of the species.

Here is a link to get you started in learning how the Mourning Dove sounds. There are a few other links and some videos available on You.Tube that you can access.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mourning_Dove/sounds


Nancy

"I'll spark the thought; what you do with it is up to you."

www.allaboutbirds.org
wikipedia
YouTube

BEARS - SOUNDS OF NATURE

Bears are found all over the world -- and hopefully most of us know how to recognize bear prints and other signs of bears. 

We may not all be as familiar with the sounds that a bear makes. They growl, they grunt, they huff, they squeal.  There are several places to go looking for recordings of bears. Here are a couple to get you started. [Or to refresh your memory].

First is the site About Bears. On their sound effects page they cover several types of bear : Brown, black, grizzly, koala and polar; including the sounds of cubs. 


http://about-bears.com/bear-sound-effects.php

grizzly bear

Another interesting site is from the government done by the National Park Services. These are interesting as they include the sounds of a bear moving through the area where the recording equipment was located and also one running past the equipment.

The last recording on the page is labeled as a "mystery sample", supposed to be a bear. Take a listen and tell me what you think.

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/bears/sounds.htm

Anyhow, hope you enjoy the mini "lesson". 

Nancy

"I'll spark the thought; what you do with it is up to you."


about-bears.com

www.nps.gov

photos from : [roaring bear] ferrebeekeeper.wordpress.com  /  [grizzly] pearlsofprofundity.wordpress.com

SASQ'ETS MASKS AND A DISPUTED PHOTO OF A BIGFOOT

This is not attempt to either  endorse or  disprove  a photograph of an alleged bigfoot. It is an attempt to provide more facts to the discussion. Let us start with the mask and a brief look at it's history.

Pictured above is a photograph of a mask that disappeared from the Sts'ailes First Nation possession in 1939. The mask was with the people who lived near Harrison Hot Springs in British Columbia's Fraser Valley. It had been carved by Ambrose Point based on stories  "from the beginning of time" he had been told by the Native people.

On this reservation, the children attended the Chehalis Indian Day school where J.W. Burns  was a teacher. They say he became obsessed with the sasquatch stories and he began to write newspaper articles and papers about them. He spent a lot of time talking to the Native people and writing down their experiences. Burns is often credited with bringing the term "Sasquatch" into common use. [Despite the misspelling and mispronunciation].

At some point in 1939, Burns came into possession of the mask and left with it. The community elders felt he had stolen it.

Mask at 1938 gathering, event written

about by Burns for the 

newspaper.

Decades later, James Leon began his 16 year search for the missing and possibly stolen mask.  His search took him around the U.S. and even to England. He always returned empty handed.

While at a 2014 repatriation event for a different First Nations artifact at the Vancouver Museum, he struck up a conversation with the lady seated next to him. Leon asked her if she might know of the ape-like mask partially covered in bear fur that had gone missing so many years before.

"Her eyes lit up and she said, 'We were just looking at that mask the other day.' And they were gracious enough to go get it for me," said Leon.

He discovered that Burns had donated the mask to the Vancouver Museum. For some of the time, it had been on a travelling display. The museum decided to return the mask to the Sts'ailes First Nation.

Museum of Vancouver CEO Nancy Noble said the museums have a social and a cultural obligation to consider repatriating certain objects from their collections to the First Nations.

"For Aboriginal peoples, the return of an object with significant cultural or spiritual value can help to rebuild awareness, educate youth and strengthen ties to a culture that was often suppressed or taken away," Noble further stated.

Although the elders Leon had first talked to were now gone, he knew they would be pleased that the mask had been returned. His people consider a sasquatch good luck.

"There are certain things that happened to us when we see one. They call it gifts that come with seeing one, like I'd be a good speaker or a good hunter." If a sasquatch sees you, then there is a golden gift, which was not elaborated on.

Said Leon : "We do burning for the sasquatch. It's our belief that his primary role is to ensure that the land is being taken care of. Because every one of us, as Sts'ailes people, we carry an ancestral name, a rich name from the land."

And now the alleged bigfoot/sasquatch photo. It is highly controversial with some saying it's fake, some saying it is real, and others who remain on the fence.

Note the similarities. The hair or fur around the face, the mouth, the eyes. Even the nose is somewhat similar.

One of the criticisms of this photo is that it doesn't look like any sasquatch ever seen or described. The mask carved and made by Ambrose Point puts the lie to that statement. He based his mask on descriptions given to him by the Native Peoples. 

So, does the photo show a sasquatch that resembles the ones portrayed by the mask? Possible.

Is the photo a fake based on the mask? Possible.

However, if it is a fake based on this mask, when was the mask viewed by the alleged faker? 

Even if the alleged faker had viewed this mask, why would they choose this particular description of a sasquatch to base their fakery on? It is not a common description or reproduction of a sasquatch.

Is it just coincidence? I don't believe in coincidence. I am in agreement with Jethro Gibbs on that account. 

Anyhow, here is just another piece of puzzle thrown onto the table. Perhaps it might fit in to help solve at least one small section. Or not.

Nancy

"I'll spark the thought; what you do with it is up to you."

OWLS -- SOUNDS OF NATURE

One of the things that should be on every researcher's list is becoming familiar with the wildlife in their research area. This not only includes what they are, but knowing their tracks and other signs. And knowing their sounds.

In this post I'm going to talk about owls. When February came along, several researchers started asking about owls. Not only what sounds they make, but are they active during the day. Answer : Yes. Owls are mostly active at night, but can be out and about during the day. February and March is the most active time as this is the mating season for owls. They will call out not only to attract a mate, but to warn other owls that the area belongs to them.  A "keep out" sign, warning other males that they need to keep going.

The other thing that hopefully most of us are aware of is that owls don't just "Hoot" or "Who-o-o-oo". Different breeds of owls will make different sounds. And yes, some of them really do resemble those that sasquatch may make. 

It is easy to go on the internet and search for sound tracks of owls.  It can be surprising just what sounds come out of some of these beautiful birds. Below are a few links to get you started. 


Eight Owls and their calls / Kees Vanger / 4-7-2018
https://youtu.be/5UFNa-dD2Po


Barred Owl amazing vocals / Andrew Manske / 4-24-2007
https://youtu.be/fppKGJD3Y6


Distinctive calls of Owls -- a sampler /  Cornell Lab of Ornithology / 11-26-2013
https://youtu.be/ezaBqCf0hv0


Enjoy your "lesson". [LOL]

Nancy

"I'll spark the thought; what you do with it is up to you."

illustration : "Intellectual Owl" by Mary Barrows, The Aspiring Illustrator.