TRUE GIANT of western North America.
Etymology: After the lake where one of the
sightings took place.
Physical description: Height, 10–15 feet. Covered
in hair that is longer on the head, thinner
on the arms. Square-set shoulders. Arms hang
below the knees. Hands are the size and shape of
canoe paddles.
Tracks: Flat impression. Four-toed. Size, 24
inches long by 12 inches wide. Leaves a pink
tint in the snow.
Distribution: Pitt Lake in southwestern
British Columbia; Big Horn Dam area and
Cold Lake, Alberta; Snoqualmie, Washington;
Astoria, Oregon; Great Falls, Montana.
Significant sightings: In late June 1965, Ron
and Loren Welch found a set of tracks of gigantic
proportions in the snow northwest of Pitt
Lake. They followed them to a small, ice-bound
lake, where they saw a large creature watching
them. One of the men drew a sketch of the animal
and the tracks. The creature remained immobile,
so they moved on. Later in the day, they
returned, but it was gone.