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brooke_raser
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 13
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 Posted: July 14th, 2008 10:30 PM |
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Hey All!
Wyoming Participants please post your expedition Reports under this topic.
Thanks,
Brooke Raser
BFRO-WY
We found the Wyoming Wookie!<br />
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TP Outfit
Approved
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 52
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| Posted: August 13th, 2008 10:36 AM |
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| Can you tell us if you had any activity on the Wyoming expedition? |
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brooke_raser
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 13
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| Posted: August 22nd, 2008 03:07 PM |
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Yes, we had alot of action on the second night including class a sighting and whoops and other vocalizations
We found the Wyoming Wookie!<br />
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SpringDaisy
Approved
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 3
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| Posted: August 24th, 2008 07:36 PM |
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| Will details be shared? |
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brooke_raser
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 13
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| Posted: September 3rd, 2008 01:25 PM |
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Yes, We are finishing up the report as we speak. It was a great success in my opinion.
We found the Wyoming Wookie!<br />
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R. Von Quest
Approved
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 5
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| Posted: September 4th, 2008 09:47 AM |
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Brooke! My main man. Here ya go brother.
Stellar expedition! Thank you.
I'm off on another expedition today and can answer any
questions when I get back in a week or so. Enjoy!
- Field Journal -
========== Wednesday / July 9 =========
Base Camp / Area of Operation
N **° **’ **.*” W***° **’ **.*” - WEATHER: Sunny near 100* base of Mt.
2000: After a grueling 20 hour drive – no rest, I arrive at the AO. I venture up into the Rocky Mountains to camp in the field rather than procure a motel. After a long winding drive up into the thin air, the radio comes to life. It’s *****! I meet with area expedition organizer, ***** & *****. Thinking I was lost for a minute – he states we have to venture even further into this amazing region. The area is absolutely beautiful! We scout the area as much as we can but the sun is setting. (lost contact and find out the next day ***** & ***** setup Base Camp at the nearby campground ************)
N **° **’ **.*” W***° **’ **.*”
2100: I venture down a side road to find a huge clearing with creek that seems to sit in a bowl surrounded by ridgelines. ********** on the topo map. This would be the perfect spot for the Base Camp. The sun is now below the horizon. I call out several times but I’m out of radio range. I find a great spot for a campsite next to some stick structures. (appear to be man-made upon examination the next day) I scramble to setup camp before the mountain darkness consumes me. I notice all kinds of wildlife around me! The place seems to come alive as everything creeps down to drink from the nearby creek which runs right through the middle of this huge clearing.
A huge Elk walks down just a stones throw from me! Nightcatchers, Mule Deer, Turkey, etc. all within feet of the tent. I grab my air-mattress and portable electric air-pump and continue to pump up the mattress. The pump makes that very high pitched electric whine. After a few minutes when the mattress is inflated, I shut off the pump and in the tree-line behind me (sort of where you drive in at - NE), there is a bunch of high-pitched chatter! Sounded like if there would be 3 or so children arguing/screaming/chattering. I whip around to expect to see these kids running down this horrible very rocky access road. …And nothing!!! You have to imagine – it’s pretty dark by now. Huge Elk slops through the creek about 100’ away. Several Deer crunch in the woods about 50’ in the other direction. I’m in the middle of friggin nowhere struggling to breath at an altitude of 10,000 feet and my air pump just possibly pissed off something. This sounded just like your classic reported sasquatch chatter.
I was completely alone back in this valley. No one around for miles. It’s getting very dark – about 2140hrs now. The odds of children walking down the main road (and I use ‘main’ loosely) after dark, miles from the next group of campers would be extremely slim. Also the volume of this ‘chatter’ was loud enough to make think these kids were right on the vehicle path behind me… Odd. Thoughts?
2200: With trembling hands, I hastily slap up 2 Camera Traps at my site. 1 facing my tent of course, and the other facing out into the section of clearing where the Elk was walking. I flip the switches and dive into my small tent. Here’s what’s going through my head: I’m way up in these mountains. 20 hour drive from home. No cell signal. No radio contact. Nobody knows where I’m at. I am utterly, completely alone. There is a huge stick structure a few feet in the treeline. I’m trespassing in this big game playground. And I just pissed off an 8’ monster with my ear piercing air-pump. Zoiks! It goes without saying but before falling asleep I was on edge and could hear all kinds creatures walking around near the tent and down to the water. Sleep by 2230…
========== Thursday / July 10 ==========
Base Camp
N **° **’ **.*” W***° **’ **.*” - WEATHER: perfect all weekend / 70s
0700: Was so exhausted I slept pretty well. Up and checked Camera Traps. Nothing caught. I set out and explore the area better in the morning light. I end up in radio range of ****** and locate them and the Base Camp at a nearby campground. I make contact with ***** & ***** and a few others from the expedition. I advise ***** of the valley I’m camped back in which is free of course, and isolated from other campers. Not only is this a great spot for a “Base Camp”, but if squatch finds you – not you find them – then this is a great spot to be seen from all the neighboring ridgelines.
1130: Before relocating the group and Base Camp to this clearing, Matt arrives and informs us the road from ***** up the mountain is closed during the day due to some kind of construction/upgrade. This will make logistics a bit restricted during the expedition.
1200-1330: Exploring S of camp (up behind camp). Another very large clearing with view of entire ridgeline all around of Base Camp.
Find tree break 7’ off ground – approx 6” diameter: N **° **’ **.*” W***° **’ **.*”
Not implying anything, just making note.
Find fresh spring N **° **’ **.*” W***° **’ **.*” bubbling out from side of hill and flowing into (not source) of the creek that flows through our clearing. (******** Creek)
1800: Running a little late due to closed road. Matt initiates general/educational meeting with the group. We discuss all things squatch and weekend gameplan. Matt, myself and ***** set out and explore a wider grid on the mountain back roads. Numerous roads turn out to be too rough for even the most stout SUVs. We destroy one vehicle (not our fault) and have to abandon ship.
0100-0230: Matt places numerous Camera Traps all around camp. We move up behind camp where I was earlier to attempt several ‘calls’… no response. Bed by 0300.
========== Friday / July 11 ==========
AO
N **° **’ **.*” W***° **’ **.*” – WEATHER: perfect / 70s / night is freezing! 20s
1015: ***** reports find of possible juvenile track at a nearby sand-type pit at 0830hrs. The track measures 7.5” x 4”. I sprayed the track with Nindydrin (forensics dirt/dust hardener) to delay the degradation from the wind & elements. Planted ‘Evidence Flag’ for others to find and prevent area being disturbed. This is no doubt a clear print with 5 toes. The photos do not show much detail under the high sun. You can see very clearly in person though. Child or juvenile squatch?
1230-1515: Exploring N of base camp (near Wed. night ‘chatter’) and, hoping to find tracks, over to 3 bodies of water indicated on topo map. I set off with *****. We find another possible print in a dried-up pond. I have to lean toward a double Elk print. Any hunters want to chime in? The print is about 7”. After exploring deep into the wilderness, we find all 3 bodies of water. No other ‘odd’ tracks found. At the last and largest body – a reservoir – we stumble upon a large Elk carcass.
1700: After the road opens up down into civilization again, I head in to grab some supplies for myself and the group. Matt procures a new Wookie Wagon!
1930: One member of the group who’s working a case an hour or two away – invites the family involved to spend some time with us and share their stories. Wow! Some great stories.
I place 9 apples on stump near my tent with Camera Trap poised for the snap.
2130-2300: Split into 3 main groups. One behind Base Camp at large clearing, all the way across hidden into the treeline. Matt, myself and a few others in this group. Another group NW ******** & a few others. And the third group E *****, *****, ***** and *****. We coordinate between the groups, spaced out now by quite some distance on different ridgelines– a series of ‘calls’ and ‘knocking’ simulating communication between a group or family of sasquatch. *****’s group E reports odd activity in their area (not clear on the specifics). N **° **’ **.*” W***° **’ **.*” A single loud bark (Elk?) is also heard. Although faint from my position, was loud enough I actually heard this as well.
DSAS (mic & recorder) set to record for the night – nothing caught on recorder.
2300: Back at Base Camp, going over the topo map of the region and discussing moving into another valley --- *****’s group arrives and reports while heading down off their ridgeline, a Class A Sighting! Sounds promising as there were 4 witnesses. They state something was following them and was crouched on the trail behind them which was noticed when one turned around. The experience was so profound that one member was noticeably shaken for quite some time. (I cannot expand further as I was not involved – I can only hope that they report their experience here at some point)
-----Here is the eyewitness group version of the encounter-----
Friday evening at about 8:30 PM, we formed three groups and started to our assigned areas to do some calls and knocks. At 8:45 PM our group of BR, GH, DO and MS reached the top of their assigned hill. We observed a large bull elk at the tree line approximately 250 yards to the South. The high meadow we were in was about 300 yards by 200 yards.
After watching the elk for awhile, we proceeded to the other side of the meadow for some response knocking and calling with the other groups. One group was on the other side of the valley from us about a mile or so and the second group was at a nearby lake, however that group was not audible from the first two positions. Over the radio we communicated with MM and the third group.
We whooped back and forth to each other for an hour or so well after the moon was up. We finally did a knock and heard a bark or short whoop sound to the south east of our location back in the trees. We all pretty much dismissed it as an elk which we had seen earlier, but it seemed a bit loud for an elk. After another round of whoops MM called on the radio that their party heard a howl to the West. MS, without his radio headset in his ear, confirmed that he also had heard what sounded like the Ohio Howl from the BFRO website. The howl was not made by any of our groups. We tried to whoop back but got no other response. One of the other parties thought they heard a bear growl at them and were headed back to camp.
About this time, GH got this weird feeling of anticipation-excitement-heebie-jeebies…what ever you want to call it. BR asked him “What is with you” and GH replied “I do not know, I think something is going to happen." Shortly after that, MM told us to head back to camp. At 9,000 feet altitude, the half moon was bright enough for us to walk without our headlamps, so we walked back to the east towards our logging road to head down the mountain and back to our vehicle.
When we were about 100 yards from the road we heard twigs snapping and other noises ahead in the tree line. BR asked GH if he had access to his bear spray. We all stopped for about 2 minutes while GH retrieved his bear spray from his fanny pack. GH was in the front of the group at that time. We started to move again and at about 30 yards from the road GH stopped in his tracks and stated that he saw something cross in front of two trees ahead of us in the tree line. It was up right and about 7 feet tall and disappeared into the darkness. Only GH was witness to it. We again started to walk back to the road and made it only about ten steps farther when MS saw something tall moving in a clearing 30 yards to the right of where GH saw his movement and pointed it out to everyone. We began moving again towards the road and headed down at a quick pace with the bright moon at our backs.
While we were going down the road, GH and BR were hearing twigs and pine needles crunching to the right. About 50 yards down the road, MS felt that he needed to turn around and look behind him. Behind him, about 15 feet, was why. The moon was so bright that he had to walk backwards several steps before he realized that he needed to use his hand to block the bright moon light to see it clearly. He then started to snap his fingers and called to BR several times before we all stopped to turn around and look. As GH turned around with his Stetson on, he stepped down into the shallow rut causing him to move to the side as he looked back. MS told BR, who just had a baseball hat on, to cover the moon with his hand to shade his eyes from the bright moon. DO was having some difficulty in getting his head lamp out of the way, and then exclaimed “What is that?” In the road, now about 10 to 15 yards behind us, was a coal-black silhouette. It seemed to absorb the moon light. (see attached sketch) MS had walked backwards the whole time between seeing it and catching the others attention. As a hunter, he was looking for something familiar in the object; a tail, hind quarters, back legs, ears or a snout. This object had none. It was simply a huge, black, motionless tombstone. The object was casting a shadow between us and itself. The estimated height varied between 5 to 6 feet and a little less than a yard stick wide. It was motionless. We had just been in that spot no more than a few seconds earlier. BR then had us stay calm, turn around, and proceed back down the road to the Toyota 4-runner to drive back to camp.
That was the quickest trip down that old logging road we made all weekend.
The event was a lot more intense than this, but this will give the reader an idea of what transpired.
-----End-Brooke R,Mitch S,Glen H,David O-----
We stayed around the campfire discussing the sighting and other topics, gameplan, etc for the remainder of the night. Temperatures plummet below freezing! Night low falls into the upper 20’s. Bed by 0200. (several from the group might have stayed up)
========== Saturday / July 12 ==========
Base Camp / AO
N **° **’ **.*” W***° **’ **.*” – WEATHER: perfect / sunny / 70s
0800: Up for the day – checked Camera Traps and bait. A zillion photos of the group and all 9 apples still accounted for.
1000: A few of us head back up to the previous night’s sighting. We explore the area thoroughly both off and on trail and everywhere in between. Ground was too hard for prints. No other signs discovered.
Back at Base Camp for another meeting. I volunteer to be used as bait up on that ridge. Myself and ***** pack up all our gear and move up to the previous night’s sighting. The road is way too rough for vehicles part way up and we have to lug everything the rest of the way by hand. Tough climb in the thin air! It’s just going be the two of us up there.
Matt selects the location for both tents, about 100’ apart in the treeline. Matt and a few others setup numerous Camera Traps all around our tents and the surrounding area. Every possible angle is covered. I leave my 2 Camera Traps around Base Camp with 4 apples, and take 5 apples up with me. By far the most exciting night ahead for me…
1600: One group exploring further up from tents reports find of possible series of tracks. Photo taken with cell phone and is too low quality to say one-way or other. (no GPS cords recorded so unable to find spot the next day)
2130: Set DSAS up to record half-way between tents facing into the woods E, opposite direction of Base Camp which is approx a mile away I’m guessing.
2145-2300: We move away from the tents a few hundred feet toward a large rock outcropping and attempt to do some ‘calls’ in hopes of a repeat of last night. (unclear what the remaining group is doing back at Base Camp) We make several ‘calls’. No response or odd activity noticed to report. The entire area is eerily quiet. By far the most quiet night camping I’ve ever experienced. Curious. Asleep before Midnight.
========== Sunday / July 13 ==========
Remote Satellite Camp
N **° **’ **.*” W***° **’ **.*” – WEATHER: another perfect day
0800: up for the day. All apples accounted for and no other signs of activity. Explore the area all around us and nothing significant to report. ***** reports quiet night at his tent as well.
0900: Matt asks us to scour the area to try and find the series of tracks. We find a superhighway of big game trails! Find another Elk carcass. No ‘bigfoot’ tracks could be found. I explore in huge sweeping arcs and up and down that mountain several times. Find what looks like a hundred-year old campsite from a prospector long gone. Very cool! You never know what your going to find squatchin' off trail.
1000: The rest of the group joins us up here. Several more continue to search the entire area. ***** finds another prospector’s claim. We pack up everything and head back to Base Camp.
1200: Only Matt, myself and ***** left at Base Camp. We go through hundreds of photos taken on the Camera Traps. No huge hairy monsters caught this time. And I stress this time… This was no doubt another great adventure with the BFRO.
[names, locations, etc have been omitted due to the sensitive nature of this research]
- End of Journal - 
------------------------------------------------------
Richard Von Quest
BFRO - WI/MN/IA/IL/Canada
paranormal.us.com
(Edited by brooke_raser)
(Edited by R. Von Quest) |
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Hall82321
Approved
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 547
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| Posted: September 9th, 2008 05:26 PM |
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Thanks for all the details and photos. Any chance the chatter while setting up camp was coyote? Can you tell us waht mountain range you are in? Not a specific location, but a general area?
~Bigfoot takes pictures of Chuck Norris~ |
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Navigator
Administrator
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 289
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| Posted: September 10th, 2008 01:10 AM |
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Great photos and excellent report Mr. Quest!
I wish ... nay, I demand, that a report like this is generated from every expedition, even if they get no action on the expedition (... I should say especially if they get no action on an expedition ...).
Experience has taught us that the organizer of an expedition cannot be expected to build the report for the trip. It simply won't get done. The report must be assembled and written by someone else who attends the trip.
The writer should either be a BFRO investigator, or at least someone who has attended previous expeditions.
The writer must be prepared to gather any photos and/or statements from other attendees who might get action during the trip.
The writer must also be someone who is very willing to hang out on the front lines, as you did, instead of back at the base camp the whole time.
Dozens of expeditions have come and gone where that information was not documented and published. It resides in the memories of the attendees, but memories fade. The most important data from expeditions are the functional lessons learned that can be applied to future expeditions, especially the knowledge about BF interactive behavior and habitat strategies.
That knowledge is communicated to the membership through various channels, and to expedition attendees during the expeditions. Nevertheless, the information and time-line laid out by a report like yours does indeed provide important background info about the effort which others may find useful.
Again, don't count on the organizer to write it up during or after the trip. The organizer can provide the roster to enable the writer to contact all the attendees after the fact, but that's about it.
We need to give this exped report format a name, so we can more easily explain to future writers what we need to see.
The format of your expedition report derives from LeRoy Fish's report on the 2000 Skookum Expedition. But I don't want to call it the "Fish Format" so we'll call it the "Quest Format" ... That's got a nicer ring to it anyway ...
Organizers will be instructed to refer to the Quest Format as the model for minimum documentation of an expedition.
It was clever how you included the GPS and placenames, but then censored them from the public version. The censored bits indicate that there is an unabridged version with that important information included, both for group members and for future scientific reference.
The unabridged version of an expedition report can contain even more specifics -- certain things we don't won't show publicly, either because they are cluttering minutiae that non-scientists won't care about, or because they are too sensitive, for one reason or another.
Again, great job on this report. I would send you on all the expeditions to write up these reports if I could afford it.
(Edited by Navigator) |
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Smokebender
Unregistered
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 264
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| Posted: September 10th, 2008 08:04 AM |
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Great effort and fantastic report !! Thank you for sharing it.
MBG Member |
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Scott Smith
Approved
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 224
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| Posted: September 10th, 2008 08:56 AM |
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Great job Mr. Quest, I really like the way this was presented and wish all the expedition reports were done this way. Were you constantly taking notes or have a small voice recorder, there is alot of detail and I know I would have forgotten/missplaced some of it. Again great job.
Arkansas Investigator
2008 NM, CO, OK, 2009 OK, CO Expeditions
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BethinFL
Approved
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 776
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| Posted: September 10th, 2008 09:34 AM |
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| Wonderful report and thank you so much for those pictures! |
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herbmaven
Approved
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 714
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| Posted: September 10th, 2008 09:58 AM |
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Writing is a skill just like making foot casts or operating equipment like a camera. Not many people are good at concise, interesting writing. Lots of people hate to write like my husband. But he's darn good at 3-dimensional thinking (building) and techy stuff. That writing is so appreciated by this forum is encouraging because communicating information about science and natural history to the public is crucial if there is to be support from the public for nature and the creatures that share our planet.
So maybe writing skills will be (or are) included in the assessment of potential participants on expeditions. I'm not good with equipment but I can write. So. When I finally get it together and talk my husband (almost accomplished) into joining me on an expedition, I'll be happy to be the recorder for the exped.
You all just have to make sure I don't get stomped on. LOL |
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BethinFL
Approved
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 776
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| Posted: September 10th, 2008 10:59 AM |
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| Navigator, I think this is a wonderful idea to have a report written and submitted for each and every expedition. There was some discussion about this on the AZ Mogollon Rim 2008 thread that is now closed. I realize you can't, and shouldn't, release ALL the details, but you never know when somebody that wasn't on the expedition may read something, or see something in a picture, that could trigger something. I think sharing information is a really good idea and will help us all learn. |
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kaimiloa
Approved
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 298
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| Posted: September 11th, 2008 04:32 AM |
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Navigator, I'll add my thanks for your astute thinking and observations.
Aloha, Ka'imiloa
Yep, they're out there. (P.S. I'm in central Arizona) |
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bbhinc
Approved
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 3
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| Posted: September 13th, 2008 06:27 PM |
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no offense but the stick structers look like eeyore built them.
unsure |
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WyoScott
Approved
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3
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| Posted: November 5th, 2008 02:24 PM |
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| Have you guy considered doing an expedition in the Bridger Wilderness of the Wind River Mountains? |
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Bossburg
Administrator
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1962
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| Posted: November 5th, 2008 03:07 PM |
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WyoScott: Please visit the *READ THIS FIRST* section of the forum, read the posting guidelines and post your introduction.
The expedition schedule will be released hopefully in a couple months when the dates and locations are finalized. There are so many areas to consider, in every state, it takes time to cover them. I would venture to guess the Bridger Wilderness has been mentioned.
Bossburg |
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SuperGeek
Approved
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 25
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| Posted: June 2nd, 2009 06:01 PM |
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All, here is a photo of one of the tracks that was discovered near the sighting mentioned above.
Mitch S. NE-BFRO |
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