Click for video - Cave Bear, Cryptid Canines & More or cut/paste http://youtu.be/Rkg5MX43stY
JC Johnson mentions a sighting he had in 2003, not far from the Four Corners Monument, that he described as a very large bear (900-1000 lbs). This specimen had a long neck, short ears, short face and a long bushy tail. The legs on the animal were longer than those bears native to the region. Could this be a remnant of the Pleistocene era? Arctodus simus or Short-Faced Bear first appeared during the middle Pleistocene in North America, about 800,000 years ago, supposedly ranging from Alaska to Mississippi...becoming extinct about 11,600 years ago. Its fossils were first found in the Potter Creek Cave, Shasta County, California. Arctodus pristinus is another species of the genus that roamed from Mexico into the American southwest, then east as far as the Atlantic coast.
A local rancher, who JC interviewed, stated that he and his wife witnessed a bear 'as big as a horse' moving through the valley adjacent to their range.
Petroglyph expert Ron Regher stated that the native people depicted these giant bears in their drawings...telling the story of the existence of these large carnivores. These representations where not just art, but accounts of real-life encounters.
These expeditions into the region were also investigations of other cryptids. JC mentioned that whenever you setup camp in this area, you're the 'main attraction' for the 'Furry Ones.' If you have watched previous Crypto Four Corners videos or read my narratives, then you know that the 'Furry Ones' are a constant accessory...and they let you know that their watching. Occasionally a stone or small branch will be launched into the campsite at night, just as a remainder that you are their guest in their home.
There are segments in the video where the eventual 'campfire stories' ensue. Tom Sirchia talked about a 'black-eye' woman he noticed in a sidewalk cafe in New York City. The description of this woman's demeanor and unknown language made for a very strange account.
David Weatherly details a 'skinwalker' encounter he had while driving a truck along the old 'Devil's Highway' - U.S. Route 666 (now U.S. Route 491) which runs through the Navajo Nation and Ute Mountain reservations. The highway passes by two mountains considered sacred by native Americans, Ute Mountain and an extinct volcanic core named Shiprock. David stated that a wolf darted out onto the highway from his left side. As he looked down from the truck's door window, the wolf was pacing the vehicle at about a 50 MPH clip. Has he sped up and the wolf continued to keep pace...then it suddenly went bi-pedal. This continued for a few miles until he came to a curve, slowed the truck and the beast took off into the rocks. David said it was one of the most bizarre things he has ever seen...and I tend to agree.
JC Johnson and his team will extend their expeditions into this area and continue to investigate the weird and extraordinary phenomena of the Four Corners and beyond.
The Book of the Navajo
Skinwalkers
Encyclopedia of Cryptozoology: A Global Guide to Hidden Animals and Their Pursuers
