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Last weekend on Goblin Mountain, Redwic and I saw some very peculiar tracks. Looking like tracks left by two dragging sticks, it never left any hint of a footprint or body. There were no other tracks around in the fresh snow. We followed it downhill into a basin and it went uphill on the other side. The two channels always maintained an equal distance of about 6 inches apart. I'm flabbergasted.

Looks like tracks from one of those remote-controlled toy cars. Or maybe something like a porcupine dragging it's tail, and the footprints later got obliterated by the wind. Or maybe some creative April Fool's Day photo-shopping

That's way too funny!

I remember finding the remains of a weather balloon on a saddle beneath a remote peak
within Mount Rainier National Park (northwest corner) in 1987.

I had noticed similar tracks in the snow along the ridge, and figured it was made when the
weather balloon descended (probable storm) and "dragged" its payload across the snow.

Of course, I thought about "Little Green Men" at first, but the "weather balloon theory" always
seems to be the final answer to whatever lies undisturbed in the 'Twilight Zone.'

Happy April Fools Day, everyone!

"Gimpilator" did not even realize it was April Fool's Day when he posted/started this thread on SummitPost.
In fact, the same thread was started yesterday, on nwhikers.net. It is not a joke.
http://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7982296

I was there with him. We could see at least a 1/4-mile stretch of the tracks, going uphill, downhill, side-slope, etc. The two lines were always the same distance apart (~6"), and always the same depth (~1/8" deep in the snow). There were no other tracks or marks in the snow anywhere around those tracks.

On nwhikers.net, the most plausible possibility someone has thus far proposed was an owl flying close to the ground/snow surface. But always the same depth?

The tracks were seen crossing basically west-east in the open gully located SE of Goblin Mountain.

Can you draw on a map (and maybe an accompanying satellite) just where you saw these tracks?

Redwic wrote:
The tracks were seen crossing basically west-east in the open gully located SE of Goblin Mountain.

They are contour lines. If you follow them long enough, you will find a number indicating the elevation.

To "Gimpilator": Apparently, everyone here is a comedian or thinks this is a joke. Perhaps it would be best to re-post this tomorrow (i.e. not on April 1).

First thought was a skiing squirrel, but considering I have seen tracks like this, I have to say it's more than likely a piece of vegetation that rolled downhill.

We turned around at 4900 feet, once we made it to the southeast ridge top. The summit was right in front of us, completely attainable. Dangerous snow? No. An incoming storm? No. Loss of daylight? No. The reason we turned around was because I couldn't be late for a date with my girlfriend. Damn!!! No more dinner engagements on hiking days from now on. Sorry Craig.

Redwic wrote:To "Gimpilator": Apparently, everyone here is a comedian or thinks this is a joke. Perhaps it would be best to re-post this tomorrow (i.e. not on April 1).

Actually I sort of like the foolery. We know what we saw, right Craig? "I want to believe!"

kakakiw wrote:First thought was a skiing squirrel, but considering I have seen tracks like this, I have to say it's more than likely a piece of vegetation that rolled downhill.

And also up steep slopes, down steep slopes, up gentle slopes, down gentle slopes, and side-traversing slopes? I don't think so!

Snipe. (As in: Snipe Hunt)

It's the only logical explanation.

Redwic wrote:To "Gimpilator": Apparently, everyone here is a comedian or thinks this is a joke. Perhaps it would be best to re-post this tomorrow (i.e. not on April 1).

I was NOT kidding about finding the remains of a "weather balloon" beneath a remote peak in the northwest corner (Carbon River area) of Mount Rainier NP in the spring of 1987 !!!

Five years later, I was "abducted" by aliens at a place called Snowflake, Arizona ! !!




Seriously, it could have very well been a balloon of some sort, with the payload "dragging"
in the snow, don't ya think ?????