1960 Byrne
Year |
1960 |
|---|---|
Month |
Unknown |
Date |
Unknown |
State |
CA |
County |
Humboldt? |
Location |
Bluff Creek |
Found by |
Unknown |
Cast by |
Peter Byrne |
Length |
14 |
Width (ball) |
6.5 inches |
Width (heel) |
5 inches |
Stride |
Unknown |
Depth |
Unknown |
This cast was made in 1960 by Peter Byrne. He told me at his home that he had only found two nice prints over the years, and cast one of them (one was in several inches of water). He then then showed me a photograph of the footprint and informed me that the latex mold of the cast had been given to Larry Lund of Vancouver, WA as a gift. I later obtained a copy of the cast from Lund.
It is clear from the photographs that the latex mold given to Lund is not from the print that Byrne photographed in 1960. I inquired to Lund about the discrepancy, and he was kind enough to ask Byrne about the issue. He seemed as puzzled as we were.
Despite being one of the more widely circulated casts, very little is known about it. It is not known if Peter has more notes on the finding, but a request for more information has been sent.
click to see a close up of
Larry Lund's plaque
The cast has what appears to be forest duff squeezing out from between the toes. In poor copies of the cast, these appear as webbing or stretch marks, but in first generation copies (as shown above), these markings are clearly pine needles and such.
Along the inside of the foot, there is a hint of the "double ball" which is a feature found in some, but not all, bigfoot casts. This feature seems to be a flexion crease corresponding to the metatarsalphalangeal joint which lies underneath. This feature can be observed in infant humans, though most lose this feature as they mature and the foot develops. In sasquatches, this feature indicates the presence of a thick fat pad which folds and bunches up as the foot flexes.
This cast (or at least the footprint photograph) is thought to be from the same individual that is shown in the Patterson/Gimlin film of 1967. Interestingly, her footprints were found on several occasions over the years leading up to the film, but never afterwards.
Cliff and Peter at his home
Chris Murphy's book, Bigfoot Encounters in Ohio, shows a photograph of this footprint cast next to one found in Ohio. The shape corresponds very well.
Click for larger view of Bluff Creek, CA
Bibliography
Murphy, Chris. Bigfoot Encounters in Ohio Blaine, WA. Hancock House Publishers, 2006.
Meldrum, Jeff. Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science New York, NY. Tom Doherty Associates, 2006.
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