Day 119: We saw the Mothman

Spring

time of year

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Mothman Statue and Marker, Point Pleasant, WV. On November 15, 1966, two young couples from Point Pleasant told police they had seen a large white creature whose eyes “glowed red”, standing at the side of the road. Linda Scarberry described it as a “slender, muscular man” about seven feet tall with white wings, and said that she was unable to discern its face due to the hypnotic effect of its eyes. Distressed, the witnesses drove away at speed, and said that the creature flew after their car, making a screeching sound. It pursued them as far as Point Pleasant city limits.

During the next few days, other people reported similar sightings, after local newspapers reported it. Two volunteer firemen who saw it said it was a “large bird with red eyes”. Contractor Newell Partridge told Johnson that when he aimed a flashlight at a creature in a nearby field, its eyes glowed “like bicycle reflectors”. Additionally, he blamed buzzing noises from his television set and the disappearance of his German Shepherd dog on the creature.Wildlife biologist Robert L. Smith at West Virginia University told reporters that descriptions and sightings all fit the sandhill crane, a large American crane almost as tall as a man with a seven-foot wingspan featuring circles of reddish coloring around the eyes. The bird may have wandered out of its migration route, and therefore was unrecognized at first because it was not native to this region. Whatever is behind the sightings, Mothman has become a global figure. In mid-September Point Pleasant holds a big Mothman festival.

The town has a nice vibe and friendly people. We enjoyed walking along the river, seeing their very long mural of the history of the town, around the downtown area and all the Mothman paraphernalia.

https://www.mothmanmuseum.com/

7.5

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Paint Creek Falls, Powelton, WV. A pretty spot to enjoy the river, just off the side of the road.

difficulty: 1

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Campbell Falls, Camp Creek State Forest and State Park, Camp Creek, WV. Very pretty falls along a good river, popular swimming hole. Mash Fork Falls in the same park was about 1/2 the size, and far less crowded.