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Bizarre Snow Tracks

 

We live next to my father-in-law on 7 acres of mostly wooded land. One day in January 2014, it was very cold and had snowed, just about 2 inches. Right after dark, I looked out my back door and saw tracks/lines in the snow, thought they looked odd so I stepped out to investigate. The tracks were NOT animal or human made - more like very tiny ski tracks. Being dark, it spooked me so went back in.

Next day, my daughter and I went to look. The tracks were lines about 2 inches apart, running right together, the snow/ground between the tracks was not pushed up, as if a fairy had been skiing (as my daughter said!). They traveled from my father-in-law's front yard (on to the field he doesn't own, next to his house), between our houses, behind ours, our back yard and onto the woods. These tracks curved around objects such as trees, the shed, leaf piles, flowerbeds, etc. They went under our swing, which is only about 6 inches off the ground. In the woods, they again curved around trees, logs... They went beyond the woods off our land. There were NO animal or human footprints anywhere. Just these tracks. For over 7 acres, just these tracks.

Also, spooky things happen around this whole area but that's another story. That whole winter though, we would occasionally hear "someone" on our front porch - the heavy, loud footsteps coming up the steps then walking across the porch. Nobody was ever there. Any ideas? I can't find anyone with this experience.

No, I don't have photos. I took some but have since lost the iPod they were on.

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Comments about this paranormal experience

The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, DMK65, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

SparklinBurgndy (6 stories) (18 posts)
 
8 years ago (2016-08-03)
I'm only half-joking when I ask: Are you *sure* it wasn't fairies skiing? 😜
Calamity (2 stories) (53 posts)
 
9 years ago (2016-03-04)
Hi DMK65,

The first thing that came to mind was that whatever made the tracks seemed to be almost investigating. Or, maybe "checking out" your property and your father-in-law's is more what I'm trying to say. Almost as if to get a feel for who lived there.

Clearly if the track maker went under your swing he/she/it would have to be quite small. Did you see any variation in the tracks? When cross country skiing there will always be changes depending on which edge of the ski you are putting more pressure on at any given time. I was wondering if you could see something along those lines? (No pun intended!)

If the tracks would have been left by an animal there would have been other signs as well. By that I mean you should have seen hoof prints, paw prints, scuff marks or even tail drag marks. At least in my experience that's always been the case.

Sorry I'm no help, but I would love to hear more about the things that happen in the area! It sounds fascinating!

Jane
DMK65 (guest)
 
9 years ago (2016-03-03)
Mack - I don't know what to think of the footsteps! We have had so many odd, bizarre happenings in our home over a period of about 20 years. Plus, many neighbors around me have their own stories... My father-in-laws house next door has had its share of things, which I didn't believe when I first married my husband 31 years ago but oh boy! That changed the day I was out there alone and heard heavy footsteps in their kitchen! My mother-in-law later told me her sister used to hear the same when there cleaning for her. Maybe it's the same "man" who is walking on my porch now?

Miracles51031, I will write my stories out and post them.
DMK65 (guest)
+1
9 years ago (2016-03-03)
I had considered a remote controlled car! It was one of the first things I thought of that first day. I didn't know the control radius could be 6 miles, Manafon1. Now that's a theory... But the car has to be within sight? If so, I don't believe that's it now, because the 7 acre area it covered was through woods (back off the road a good ways), through our backyard (Which is hidden from the road). There were no footprints at all - human or animal.

Maybe there are some remote controlled cars that can be out of sight? The operator can be long distances away?

It was just weird. So yes, a skiing gnome is a great theory!
Manafon1 (7 stories) (722 posts)
+1
9 years ago (2016-03-02)
Mack--Your idea that the mysterious tracks could have been made by a remote controlled car is a really good one. Checking some RC sites out, many of those things can have a control radius of up to six miles as long as the vehicle is in sight!

DMK65--Do you live in an area where the site lines are such that a remote controlled car could be cruising all over your property?
Macknorton (5 stories) (646 posts)
+2
9 years ago (2016-03-02)
Hi DMK65 - that's very interesting, however I may have a boringly-non-paranormal solution (although I do like the skiing gnome theory.😆)

Does anyone around there have a small remote controlled car? If not then someone else may have used one around your property's from the woods?

Or a gnome was operating one...I'm really not sure if they actually know how to operate those things with any great dexterity... What with their little hands and low field of vision.

The footsteps are definitely odd. Not uncommon for that to occur, possibly residual haunting?

Cheers

Mack
Manafon1 (7 stories) (722 posts)
+1
9 years ago (2016-03-01)
DMK--I was only tossing around a possibility. After reading about the other incidents around the property and in the house it seems clear you have a haunting. Maybe the tracks were caused by some form of nature spirit. Having witnessed a nature spirit personally, I think it's a real possibility.

I brought up the theory that the lines could have been caused by a young deer because on a website on different types of animal tracks, it lined up to your description in many respects.

The fine definition of snow tracks can be obliterated by warming. There are cases on record of the tracks of snow leopards and even hikers being mistaken for Yeti tracks. Slowly melting snow, in the cases of mistaken Yeti tracks, make the originally smaller prints appear to have come from a massive creature.

With all the other odd incidents around the area, I would think the lines could have been caused by some kind of nature spirit. There are others on this site who know more about nature spirits who might have valuable ideas on the tracks.
Miracles51031 (39 stories) (5000 posts) mod
 
9 years ago (2016-03-01)
DMK - I was having a discussion in a Facebook group about something I believed to be paranormal and didn't have a picture of what I was talking about. Made me wish I was as good at getting/keeping pictures as I am keeping my Journal LOL

Sometimes it drives me crazy when there is no one who can collaborate my experiences, be they paranormal or not. And I understand about the crazy and spooky part. Got those in my family too 😆

Meant to mention in an earlier post, but forgot. I would love it if you put your other experiences in story format and share them with us.
DMK65 (guest)
 
9 years ago (2016-03-01)
No, I didn't share the pictures with anyone. I asked a couple neighbors later on, neither having seen these. I've wanted to ask around more but fear they'll think I'm crazy - plus it seemed to spook my sister-in-law terribly, so I let the subject go.

The strangeness of it didn't sink in for awhile. Do others have this happen? I've wished I had printed the pictures off and brought family and friends to see it.
Miracles51031 (39 stories) (5000 posts) mod
 
9 years ago (2016-03-01)
DMK - did you share the pictures with anyone, like on Facebook or anything? Or check with any neighbors to see if anyone else has seen anything like the tracks you saw? I love mysteries LOL
DMK65 (guest)
 
9 years ago (2016-03-01)
I took pictures but lost the iPod they were on. I regret not having them printed out.
DMK65 (guest)
 
9 years ago (2016-03-01)
I've tried to think of every possible logical explanation for these tracks. I thought of an animal, but surely over all the acres these went on, something would have shown other than 2 perfect unblemished tracks! As for going under the swing, if an animal pushed it out of the way, I would think there'd be some other marks where it had to stoop down. Maybe?

As for other strange occurrences around this area - there have been mysterious lights (headlight type that move up and down) seen in a wooded area on a ridge that no vehicle can get to.
Many around here have unexplained events in their homes, such as hearing doors slam shut, objects disappearing or falling, seeing "people", noises...

As for our home, my husband and I have seen a woman and boy (years ago), objects disappear but usually return, footsteps inside and out, odd noises, etc.

I've searched and searched online, never having found another seeing tracks such as these. I'd love to find an explanation though!
Miracles51031 (39 stories) (5000 posts) mod
 
9 years ago (2016-03-01)
DMK65 - did you by any chance take pictures? A few years ago, during a decent snowfall, we had strange tracks (animal) in our yard, as well as my parents (live on same property). I took pictures and sent them to our DNR. I'm still not satisfied with their conclusion but it might be a thought for you if you have pictures.

Very intriguing, thanks for sharing 😊
lady-glow (16 stories) (3194 posts)
 
9 years ago (2016-03-01)
Welcome to YGS.

The only thing I can think about would be some bird dragging something with its feet and flying low?

I find the stories "written" on the fresh snow during the night both fascinating and magical.
I lived in the north part of British Columbia (Canada) for few years... An area of extreme winters with lots of snow. One night some person stoled a snowmobile from someone's back yard but forgot about the tracks the machine would leave on the snow... The same tracks that later would lead the police to the thief's place! 😆 😆

I like Manafon's theory about a skiing gnome, though I'd have to ask -did you see the tracks of his little ski poles?

Looking forward to your next story!
Manafon1 (7 stories) (722 posts)
+2
9 years ago (2016-03-01)
Hi DMK65--Your account is very mysterious and intriguing. It is common in snow for both deer and moose to drag their hooves between steps, leaving the impression of two evenly spaced lines. However it would also be common to notice two toed hoof marks at regular intervals. It could be possible that some melting may have obliterated the hoof marks while leaving the evenly spaced lines.

From what I have discovered online, the average straddle of these lines is 6 inches. That is for a full sized deer. The straddle of say, a fawn, would me much less. It is also conceivable that a deer could have merely pushed the swing, which was six inches off the ground, out of the way.

What makes your story seem that these lines might be something paranormal is that you mention that other "spooky" things happen on the property. You also mention hearing "heavy unseen footsteps" on the front porch when nobody is there. Maybe further details of these other happenings could provide further pieces of the puzzle, and more directly, to what left the tracks. Who knows though, maybe it was a gnome cross country skiing 😁!

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