Footprints Beside the Frozen River
The footprints appeared overnight.
They began at the edge of a frozen river.
Then they continued across the ice.
Halfway across, they stopped.
There were no tracks leading back.
The Discovery
A local fisherman discovered the tracks shortly after sunrise.
The prints were larger than a man's boot.
Much larger.
Each one was approximately fourteen inches long.
There were five visible toes.
The spacing between the prints suggested whatever made them had been walking upright.
Across the Ice
The fisherman followed the trail.
The tracks crossed nearly half the river.
Then they stopped.
There was no break in the ice.
No hole.
No indication that anything had fallen through.
The final footprint was clearly visible in the frost.
Then nothing.
The Second Trail
Two days later, more tracks appeared.
This time they were on the opposite side of the river.
They began near the water.
They continued into the forest.
Several people followed them.
After approximately half a mile, the tracks disappeared.
Again.
The Stories
Older residents knew stories about something living near the river.
They described a tall figure seen between the trees during winter.
Nobody agreed on what it looked like.
Some called it an animal.
Others called it a man.
One person claimed it had no face.
Another said it had eyes that reflected light like a deer.
The Photograph
A photograph of the tracks was taken in 1987.
The original photograph was kept by a local newspaper.
The image showed a series of large impressions crossing the snow.
The newspaper never published it.
According to the photographer, the editor considered the story too embarrassing.
The photograph was eventually lost.
The Final Tracks
The last reported tracks appeared after a heavy snowfall.
They began behind an abandoned hunting cabin.
They passed around the building.
Then they stopped beside the river.
No tracks led away.
The cabin had been empty for years.
But investigators later found something unusual inside.
A set of fresh scratches covered the inside of the front door.
What Made Them?
There are explanations for unusual tracks.
Animals can create misleading impressions.
Snow can distort footprints.
Human beings can manufacture tracks.
But none of those explanations account for every report.
The river continues to freeze each winter.
And locals still check the snow after the first major storm.
Just in case.
The forest doesn't have to show you what lives there.
Sometimes it only leaves footprints.