The Yeti.docx

TheYetiGeorgeLaycockTallestoftheworld,smountainsaretheHimalayas.TheyextendforfifteenhundredmilesacrosssouthernAsia.Insomeplacestherangeistwohundredmileswide.Withinthissprawlingdesolateregionliewildernessvalleysandtoweringpeaksseldomvisitedbyhumans.Therearealsosomefertilevalleys,chokedwithdensejungleanddottedwithlittlefarmclearings.Butfartherup,theclimategrowscold,untilfinallytheworldisfilledwithsnow-cappedpeaks,sharpridges,andprecipitouscliffs.InthishighcountryoftheHimalayas,beyond13,000-footelevations,theelementsareharshandthewindblowsbittercold,stirringwhiteIaceworksofsnowaroundtheboulders.Onemightthinkthatinthisinhospitableworldnolargecreaturescouldexistatall.Butwhataboutthosegiantfootprints?Onnumerousoccasionsmountaineershavediscoveredthem.Somethingseemstogowalkingupthere.ColonelL.A.WaddelwasexploringtheslopesofMountEverest,theworld,shighestpeak,in1887.whenhecamedownhereportedunidentifiedfootprints.Threeyearslateranotherclimberreportedhavingseentheprintsagain.Thistimetheywereatanelevationof18,500feet.Thetracksleduphillandvanishedamongtheboulders.Russiansoldiersreportedshootingandkillingacreatureintheirmountaincountryin1925.Again,in1942,SlavomirRawicz,aPolishsoldierescapingfromaRussianconcentrationcamp,wasmakinghiswaybackoutovertheHimalayas.AshecrossedoverfromTibet,heencountered,atadistanceofonlyonehundredyards,twohuman-likecreatures.Heestimatedthemtobeeightfeethighandsaidtheyhadmassivearms,squareheads,andthickcoatsofbrownfur.ToTibetantribesthesereportswerenotunexpectedatall.Theyseemtoknowthesearecreaturesthathavelonglivedthere.Theyhavevariouslocalnames.Usuallytheyarecalled“Yeti.”Whatcouldtheybe?Maybegiantbears.SomeinsisttheybelongtothespeciesUrsusarctosisabellinus.ButtheYeti,asprovedbytheirfootprints,walkontwofeet.Bearscanwalkontwofeetbutdonotdosoformmorethanafewsteps.Theyaredefinitelynotknowntogoleapingaboutthesnowfieldsontheirhindfeet.Othersclaimthatthemysterioustracksinthesnowwereleftbyalangurmonkey.Butthesecreaturesaretoosmall,andbesides,they,too,walkonallfourfeet.Meanwhile,doubtersspeculatethathighaltitudedoesstrangethingstopeople,andmaybesome,frightenedbythelonelyplace,lettheirimaginationsrunwild.ThetroublewiththishasbeenthatovertheyearsevidencecontinuestopileupindicatingthattheYeti-orsomething一isuptherejustasthelocaltribeshavealwaysinsisted.OnereporttellsofanEverestexpeditionof1923,farabovethemtheclimberssightedfiguresinthesnowfields.Thecreaturesweremoving.Whenclimbersreachedthearea,therewerefootprintsshowingplainlyinthesnow.WhenItalianexplorerA.N.Tombaziclimbeduptotheglacierareain1925,onethinghedefinitelydidnotexpecttoencounterwastheYeti.Atfirst,Tombazihadatendencytomakelightofthewholestory.WhenthesubjectcameupinconversationshewouldflashhischarmingsmileonthoseassembledandrefertothelegendaryYetiasthatdeliciousfancy."ButthatwasbeforeMr.Tombaziwentupthemountain.Somewhatlater,backinBombay,India,hisstorywasquitedifferent.HehadseenhisfirstYeti.Oneofhisexcitedportersdrewhisattentiontoit.“Unquestionably,“Tombaziwrotelater,thefigureinoutlinewasexactlyupright,andstoppingoccasionallytouprootsomedwarfrhododendrons.Itshoweddarkagainstthesnowandworenoclothing.Later,hefoundfootprintsanddescribedthemindetail.AmongotherswhosawtrackswasexplorerandsurveyorEricShipton.Hefoundtracksat16,000feetin1936,later,in1951,hefoundothertracksandphotographedthem.ThesepictureshavehelpedconvincemanythatthereissubstancetothestoryoftheYeti.Thephotographshowedafootwithfourtoes.Obviouslyitwasnothefootofabear.Neitherwasitanythingelsescientistscouldidentify,.theseanimals,whatevertheywere,“saidtheNewYorkTimes,udidexist.”At19,000feet,SirJohnHuntfoundYetiprintsin1937,anotherstorytellsoftwoNorwegianswhohappenedontwosetsoftracksinthatsameareaelevenyearslater.TheNorwegiansfollowedthetrackshopingforalookatthestrangecreaturesaboutwhichtheyhadheardandread.SoontheycameupontheYetiresponsiblefortheracks.IfyoucomebackdownthemountainandreporthavingseentheYeti,somemaybelieve.ButifyoubringalongtheYeti,nobodycandoubtyourword.WhattheNorwegiansaresaidtohavedonenextwasnotexactlytheapprovedwayofcapturingaYeti;theytriedtolassoit.Thiseffortfailedandwearespareddetailsofwhyorhow.TheNorwegianscamebackdownthemountainandreportedthattheYetilooksalotlikealargeape.Thisdescription,however,isageneralization.WhatwouldtheYetilooklike?Naturallytherearevariationsinthereportsbyeyewitnesses.Notwopeople,surprisedbyamonsterhighintheHimalayas,arelikelytoseequitethesamething.Butthefollowingcompositeportraitisassembledfromvarioussources.Understandable,considerableattentionhasbeenpaidtothefeet.Therehavebeenreportsoftracksuptoeighteenincheslong.ButpeopleofsoundjudgmentnowbelievethefeetoftheYetitobesomewhatsmaller.Mostagreethattheyareatleasttwelvetofourteenincheslongandquitebroadinproportiontotheirlength.ThosephotographedbyEricShiptonweretwelveincheslong.Theyweresowidethatinsometrackswherethesunhadmeltedtheedgesofthetrackstheyappearedalmostroundorsquare.However,smallertrackshavebeenfound,too,andthisleadssomepeopletospeculatethatth