Chasing The Wind

Intriguing Story!

Move over, Nessie: Underwater 'monster' filmed in Ireland May 11, 2013, 9:05 am

NBCNews.com

YouTube video Is there a "monster" living in Lough Foyle, Ireland? Some college students would have you believe there is.

By Marc Lallanilla
LiveScience

For lovers of the paranormal who've grown weary of waiting for the Loch Ness monster to reappear, here's a new "monster" to feast your eyes upon.

Three college students were filming a short movie as a class project at Lough Foyle, a large tidal estuary in County Donegal, Ireland, when something very odd moved through the water in front of them, UPI reports.

"Looks like we have our own Loch Ness monster!" Conall Melarkey, a student at North West Regional College in Derry, Ireland, wrote in his posting of the video clip to YouTube. [Loch Ness, Chupacabra & More: Our 10 Favorite Monsters]

"I have absolutely no idea what it is, but it looked amazing!" Melarkey wrote.

The shaky, 59-second video shows a dark object of indeterminate size moving slowly along the surface of Lough Foyle before diving or sinking slowly beneath the waves.

Some observers have speculated that the object could be a large fish, a whale, a dolphin or some other marine animal (Lough Foyle is open to the North Atlantic).

Besides the infamous Loch Ness monster of Scotland, reports of large, lake-dwelling creatures have come from other parts of the world, including the mysterious "Devil of Lake Labynkyr" in Siberia.

Nessie achieved international fame when, in 1934, a now-famous photograph was published showing a large animal with a serpentine head and neck. The photo, taken by a London surgeon named Kenneth Wilson, was exposed decades later as a hoax.

And despite countless searches for the Loch Ness monster using everything from submarines to sonar, no evidence has ever appeared of the mythical beast except a handful of dubious photos and videos. Nonetheless, the legend of Loch Ness — now one of Scotland's biggest tourist draws — refuses to die.

Not everyone, however, believes in lake monsters, and critics wonder if this latest sighting is just a college stunt.

"There are several inconsistencies with the video that point to it being a set-up," the Belfast Telegraphreports.

"The uploader claims the video was taken in Lough Foyle, but the landmass in the background is clearly that of Howth … about 130 miles (209 kilometers) away from Lough Foyle," according to the Telegraph.

"When viewed at higher definitions, there are several tethering cables seen off the second boat, which raises further questions," the Telegraph reports.

And several observers have cast doubt on the video simply due to the college student's name: "Conall Melarkey."

Related articles

Loch Ness Monster in Ireland? Students spot huge dark creature swimming in Lough Foyle

Students Film Loch Ness-Like Monster

Washington Road Trip

Planning a road trip to Seattle, plan to include this adventure. Then looking forward to heading back to Montana. Snow is melting and the claims are calling. Looking forward to an interesting and adventurous summer. 

Road Trip Adventures: Seattle to Leavenworth

The Adventure…
Open winding roads, towering waterfalls, rushing rivers, a pristine lake, 200-foot desert spires and a Bavarian themed town to top it all off? Sign me up for this adventure!

Leaving from Seattle, Highway 2 serves as the perfect passageway to escape the city for a weekend and discover some outdoor fun in central Washington. This recommended two day adventure takes you from forested hikes across a mountain pass and over into central Washington’s unique arid environment. Along the way, you’ll visit three great state parks — Wallace Falls, Lake Wenatchee and Peshastin Pinnacles. Each park offers its own unique activities ranging from waterfall exploration to desert rock climbing.

 

Don’t Miss…
Approximately nine miles east of Gold Bar, you’ll begin a small ascent as you climb into the Cascade mountains. Keep an eye out on your right for a 10-foot statue of Sasquatch and a small espresso chalet. The landmark was a shoot location for the 1987 movie “Harry and the Hendersons” and features a number of Sasquatch-related wood carvings. As you take a pit stop, be sure to head behind the chalet near the picnic tables for what is certain to be a jaw-dropping view of 5,979 ft. Mt. Index off in the distance.

Trip Planner…

Stop One:  Wallace Falls State Park

As you begin you’re journey on Highway 2, you’ll run into the quaint town of Gold Bar about 14 miles east of Monroe. Keep an eye out for the sign directing you to Wallace Falls State Park. On a clear day, you’ll be able to catch a glimpse of the falls from the highway. Park the car and spend a few hours hiking the trail and soaking in views of the upper and lower Falls.

 

 

Stop Two:  Lunch

Continue down the Highway for 21 miles for a lunch stop in the small town of Skykomish.

Stop Three:  Deception Falls Picnic Area

Travel another eight miles down the highway and you’ll find a great roadside treasure at Deception Falls. Deceptive indeed as the casual traveler will mistake the parking lot for a normal rest stop area. A quick stop here is well worth 20 minutes of your time as you roam around the quick half-mile loop trail that brings you alongside a raging river. Cap your stop off with a climb up the stairs to view the roaring whitewater rushing from Deception Creek. 

 

 

Stop Four:  Lake Wenatchee State Park

Continue your adventure as you coast along another 28 miles through Steven’s Pass. Eventually you’ll end up in Coles Corner, WA where Highway 207 intersects with Highway 2. Grab some supplies from the local market and head onto Highway 207 for four miles to reach Lake Wenatchee State Park. Set up camp for the night and enjoy some great hiking, biking and swimming at the Lake.

 

 

Stop Five:  Leavenworth

Ease into the morning before heading back to Highway 2. Take your time to pullover and enjoy the picture-perfect views of the river below as you head another 15 miles down the road to the amazing town of Leavenworth. First time visitors will think that they have stepped into the town of Fauxvaian (“fake Bavarian”) while return visitors will relish in the German-themed goodness that embodies the spirit of the town. Grab lunch and head down to the Waterfront Park to hop in the chilly water. Those looking for a touch of adventure can find plenty of options for fun whitewater rafting, kayaking and paddleboarding trips.

 

 

Stop Six:  Peshastin Pinnacles State Park

Before you head back home, travel 11 more miles east down Highway 2 to Peshastin Pinnacles State Park. Hiking, birdwatching and rock climbing await at this 34-acre desert park that features a group of sandstone slabs and spires called “the pinnacles.” You also find climbable spires that reach 200 feet into the air. Rocks and trails provide views of surrounding orchards, the Enchantment Mountain Range and the Wenatchee River valley.

 

 

Ready to head out? Check out our interactive map below to plan out your trip!

View Adventure Awaits – Highway 2 Road trip in a larger map

Have you trekked out along Highway 2? Be sure to share your story and photos with us!

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Images courtesy of Peter Prehn (Mt. Index), Scott Butner (Deception Falls), J. Brew (Skykomish),Steve Lodefink (Lake Wenatchee), Keary O. (Leavenworth) and Peter Prehn (Peshastin Pinnacles).

Sources: Seattle Times

Earthquakes Create Gold Deposits

Earthquakes make gold veins in an instant Pressure changes cause precious metal to deposit each time the crust moves. 

Expand Veins of gold, such as this one trapped in quartz and granite, may deposit when the high-pressure water in which they were dissolved suddenly vaporises during an earthquake. Scientists have long known that veins of gold are formed by mineral deposition from hot fluids flowing through cracks deep in Earth’s crust. But a study published today in Nature Geoscience1 has found that the process can occur almost instantaneously — possibly within a few tenths of a second. The process takes place along 'fault jogs' — sideways zigzag cracks that connect the main fault lines in rock, says first author Dion Weatherley, a seismologist at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia.

When an earthquake hits, the sides of the main fault lines slip along the direction of the fault, rubbing against each other. But the fault jogs simply open up. Weatherley and his co-author, geochemist Richard Henley at the Australian National University in Canberra, wondered what happens to fluids circulating through these fault jogs at the time of the earthquake. What their calculations revealed was stunning: a rapid depressurization that sees the normal high-pressure conditions deep within Earth drop to pressures close to those we experience at the surface.

For example, a magnitude-4 earthquake at a depth of 11 kilometres would cause the pressure in a suddenly opening fault jog to drop from 290 megapascals (MPa) to 0.2 MPa. (By comparison, air pressure at sea level is 0.1 MPa.) “So you’re looking at a 1,000-fold reduction in pressure,” Weatherley says. Flash in the pan Related stories Gold-digging bacterium makes precious particles Subterranean worms from hell Fault maps could aid earthquake forecasts When mineral-laden water at around 390 °C is subjected to that kind of pressure drop, Weatherley says, the liquid rapidly vaporizes and the minerals in the now-supersaturated water crystallize almost instantly — a process that engineers call flash vaporization or flash deposition.

The effect, he says, “is sufficiently large that quartz and any of its associated minerals and metals will fall out of solution”. Eventually, more fluid percolates out of the surrounding rocks into the gap, restoring the initial pressure. But that doesn’t occur immediately, and so in the interim a single earthquake can produce an instant (albeit tiny) gold vein. Big earthquakes will produce bigger pressure drops, but for gold-vein formation, that seems to be overkill. More interesting, Weatherley and Henley found, is that even small earthquakes produce surprisingly big pressure drops along fault jogs. “We went all the way to magnitude –2,” Weatherley says — an earthquake so small, he adds, that it involves a slip of only about 130 micrometres along a mere 90 centimetres of the fault zone. “You still get a pressure drop of 50%,” he notes. That, Weatherley adds, might be one of the reasons that the rocks in gold-bearing quartz deposits are often marbled with a spider web of tiny gold veins. “You [can] have thousands to hundreds of thousands of small earthquakes per year in a single fault system,” he says. “Over the course of hundreds of thousands of years, you have the potential to precipitate very large quantities of gold.

Small bits add up.” Weatherley says that prospectors might be able to use remote sensing techniques to find new gold deposits in deeply buried rocks in which fault jogs are common. “Fault systems with lots of jogs can be places where gold can be distributed,” he explains. But Taka’aki Taira, a seismologist at the University of California, Berkeley, thinks that the finding might have even more scientific value. That’s because, in addition to showing how quartz deposits might form in fault jogs, the study reveals how fluid pressure in the jogs rebounds to its original level — something that could affect how much the ground moves after the initial earthquake. “As far as I know, we do not yet incorporate fluid-pressure variations into estimates of aftershock probabilities,” Taira says. “Integrating this could improve earthquake forecasting.”

Richard A. Lovett ~ 17 March 2013

Nature doi:10.1038/nature.2013.12615

Encounter With The Moose!

In the rugged Bitterroot mountains of northwestern Montana, wood’s wisdom, shared by locals, advises hikers to be more afraid of a moose than a bear. Moose are volatile, unpredictable and aggressive when challenged or protecting a newborn calf. This sound advice rang true when I encountered a “mean momma” moose as I forded the creek in Oregon Gulch, on a blustery day late last spring.

Outfitted with a day-pack, sturdy hiking boots, winter clothing, camera and rain gear, I was ready to brave the elements. My destination, the Oregon Lake trailhead, was a gentle three-mile hike. The first half-mile of the climb was sublime; the towering cedar trees wrapped in shrouds of silver mist. I savored the high mountain air, pungent with the scents of cedar, fir and balsam.

As I started to cross the stream, my attention focused on my feet. I attempted to find firm footing on the slippery, moss covered boulders. I had a solid grip on my walking stick and the hood of my slicker pulled tightly around my face to break the bite of the wind. I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings.

Suddenly a piercing bellow, followed by several loud and aggressive snorts shattered the tranquility. Startled, I looked up and found myself face-to-face with a very large and very angry cow moose. Less than 10 feet away from where I stood, the cow moose had been feeding on the opposite bank of the stream. I interrupted her browsing. The moose was mad.

Violently thrashing her head, the disturbed moose flung long ropes of saliva from her flared nostrils. Petrified, I stood perfectly still, too frightened to attempt a retreat. I kept my head down, avoiding eye contact while the moose sorted out her options. A plaintive bleating, diverted the mother moose’s attention. Her calf was calling. With a final angry glare over her shoulder, the cow bolted up the hillside to protect her baby. I made a hasty exit in the opposite direction. I guess I scared the cow as much as she scared me. 

My encounter with the moose could have had a very unhappy ending. Always remember to make plenty of noise when walking in the forests. A startled animal can be a dangerous animal.

 

Earth, Teach Me

Earth teach me quiet ~ as the grasses are still with new light.
Earth teach me suffering ~ as old stones suffer with memory.
Earth teach me humility ~ as blossoms are humble with beginning.
Earth teach me caring ~ as mothers nurture their young.
Earth teach me courage ~ as the tree that stands alone.
Earth teach me limitation ~ as the ant that crawls on the ground.
Earth teach me freedom ~ as the eagle that soars in the sky.
Earth teach me acceptance ~ as the leaves that die each fall.
Earth teach me renewal ~ as the seed that rises in the spring.
Earth teach me to forget myself ~ as melted snow forgets its life.
Earth teach me to remember kindness ~ as dry fields weep with rain.

- An Ute Prayer

Be Bear Aware

A friend across the border in British Columbia sent these photos. They are just too good not too share. Be sure to read the entire copy in the sign posted by the Canadian government. It sure made me smile - - - only in Canada.

 

I wonder what that line is made of to support the weight of this bear?

Last spring a good-sized bear tried to break into my cabin and tore down all my bird feeders I will not put them up again. 

Going Home To Eastport

July 12, 2011

I enjoyed an awesome roadtrip over the weekend. Started out in Saint Regis, Montna and then headed to Plains, Montana. Bought supplies at the local Ace hardware and proceeded towards Thompson Falls, Montana to explore the Thompson River route to Happy Inn. 

Somewhere along the way we made a wrong turn. Ended up on a secondary road with spectacular scenery. Saw a dozen or more spots that I would love to dredge. Some times the best adventures are those when the best plan is "no plan". 

The unplanned detour took almost four hours. We finally found a black top road that looked familiar. Sure enough, it brought us back to Wildhorse Plains. Filled up on gas and back up the road to Thompson Falls connecting to Highway 56 North, then Highway 95 North; headed for my childhood home in Eastport, Idaho. Our journey took us up the Yaak River, an area where my father worked as a logger years ago.

The high mountain wild flowers offered waves of brilliant color against the verdent forest backdrop. 

We encountered daisies, mountain mallow, buttercups, Indian Paint brush and the Idaho State Flower, the Syringa bush. 

The Cabinet Mountains of Northern Idaho provide plenty of wildlife viewing opportunities. Home to black bear, grizzley bear, mountain sheep, elk, deer, cougar and wolves, eagles and osprey, the dense forest invites the adventerous explorer. 

We hiked in to Copper Falls. The trail head is less than a mile from Eastport and the United States/Canadian border. The trail was rather steep and agressive, but more than worth the effort. The falls are several hundred feet high, crashing down the face of the mountain to fall into a moss draped glen. The pool at the base of the falls flows down the mountain and connects to the Moyie River. Hidden by a dense wall of giant cedar trees, Cooper Falls is jaw-dropping beautiful. 

Rare tiger lilies danced in patches of dappled sunlight. 

We returned to Saint Regis via Bonners Ferry, Sandpoint and Coeur d Alene, Idaho. A rather long trip but I enjoyed every minute of the trip.

Happy 4th Of July

July 3, 2011

Wishing everyone a safe and happy 4th. A beautiful day on the mountain. Great news! We were able to get all the way into the claims today. First time this year. 2010-11 snow accumulation set records. Prospecting buddy Todd J. and a couple of the guys were able to get up Friday on ATVs. They cleared the road of rocks and deadfall. A lot of work. Thank guys. 

Today went up the road with my old jeep and had no problems. 

Spring flowers are spectacular. Trilliums, trout lilies, buttercups, Indian paint brush, daisies, ferry slippers and wild strawberry blosoms abound. 

Glad to see that the old cabin is still standing at the Barber Gulch claim. 

We found lots of bear sign, scat and tracks, around the old mining camp. The tree that held the claim marker came down during the winter. It looks like a bear clawed the sign - lots of claw marks on the tree as well. 

Guess the bear didn't bother to read the sign posted on the cabin.

Waiting For The Snow To Melt

June 28, 2011 

Although it is officially summer, the snow remains on the mountain ridges. 

There is no way to encourage "Mother Nature".  Although we have been having warm, sunny days, the snow is not yet melted in the high country. The rivers and creeks are roiling, running fast and hard. 

Yesterday, my mining partner Starr and I, again tried to access the upper claims. The Hard Times, Barber Gulch, Bonanza Gulch and Southern Cross claims are at high elevation, adjoining the Idaho border. It is likely that the claims themselves are free from snow, but to get there one has to go over Charlie Miller Saddle on the Cedar Creek Road. We made it up several miles farther than we did a few days ago, but again ran into snow. We stopped before we made it to the saddle, knowing that the saddle always has a lot more snow than at the point we stopped. In previous years, we have been able to work the claims beginning the middle of June. This year requires patience, but the rewards will be worth the wait. 

With the continuing rise in the price of gold, we are understandably impatient. However, the heavy snow pack is causing a fast melt that is moving a lot of material. The winter of 2010-11 has set all time records. It is evident that the high water is under-cutting the sides of the creek bank, freeing trapped minerals and clearing new pathways for exploration. 

I will make another attempt to go up Cedar Creek on Friday. I plan to spend the 4th of July weekend with a gold pan in my hand.

Dog House Saloon Duck Race

June 25th, 2011

The river is still running high. The Dog House Saloon 13th Annual Duck Race, twice rescheduled, was held today. Both the Clark Fork and Saint Regis are still to high to conduct the race.

The 500 or more little yellow ducks would have been entangled in the weeds or quickly swept past the finish line, with no hope of retrival. The winning duck was pulled from a child's wading pond in the bar parking lot. 

A fine time was had by everyone that attended.

A fun, family time to see old friends and make new acquaintances. Seemed like everyone there won a raffle prize or placed in the duck competition. 

The food was delicious, especially Doris P's. famous macaroni salad. 

Enjoyed visiting with several fellow prospectors. Everyone is excited about the strong runoff and looking forward to a productive mining season ahead.

The snow is melting on Charlie Miller Saddle and I expect to be playing in the creek at the Hard Times Mine by the end of next week. Wishing everyone color in their pan and a safe and happy Fourth Of July. See you on the mountain.