When we first started caching, this was one of the first areas we cleared out. InspectorCacheIt227 is a bit of an expert on cryptids. In fact, he wears a hat that says "Bigfoot Expert" on it. The fact that he won it in a raffle at a Sasq-cache event is irrelevent. What is relevent is that we felt that this area, formerly teaming with cryptids, needed a refresh. Some of these cryptids may be familiar while some may be brand new to you. Good luck tracking them all.
As always, be aware of all hazards of the parkway. There was no poison oak at any of the hide location at the time of placement, but it is around the area. This is the only place I have ever had a tick try to inbed itself (I felt it and pulled him out before he was fully in) and I spotted a friendly snake while hiding these, but rattlesnakes are in the area as well.
ALASKAN LAKE MONSTER
The Iliamna Lake Monster, also known as Illie to many locals, Gonakadet in Tlingit, or Jig-ik-nak in Aleutian, is an aquatic cryptid reported to dwell in the small Alaskan fishing village of Iliamna. The native’s tales describe a large beast that roams the waters. The monster has many reported sightings along with a few reported to have caused deaths. Over the years, it has gained enough attention to lure the Animal Planet show “River Monsters” in an attempt to find out what may be hiding beneath the lake's waters. The monster is a reported 10–30 feet in length with a square-like head that is used to place blunt force onto things such as small boats. Although there is no physical evidence to prove the monster's existence, many reports beg to differ.
Background
Iliamna Lake is a large natural lake but described by Ivan T. Sanderson as not a lake at all but really an inland sea, located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Alaska. At approximately 1,012.5 sq mi (2,622 km) or 640,000 acres (260,000 ha) in total surface area, it is the largest lake in Alaska, and one of the largest lakes in the country. The lake is 77 miles (124 km) at its longest, and has a maximum width of approximately 22 miles (35 km). Its deepest point is 988 feet (301 m), with an average depth of 144 feet (44 m). Iliamna is located about 50 feet (15 m) above sea level.
Like most of Alaska, due to its remote location, access to Iliamna Lake is restricted almost exclusively to the use of airplanes. Travel by floatplanes is the most common, as they can land directly onto the lake. No roads currently connect communities on the lake to the surrounding areas. However, during summer months, it is possible to travel up the Kvichak River using small boats. The region surrounding the lake is very sparsely populated, with subsistence fishing and hunting being the main economy of the area. However, the lake and surrounding rivers have been inhabited for centuries, with the earliest reports of settlement in the region coming from Russian fur traders in the 1790s. The lake itself was claimed by the Dena'ina people as their own territory until contact with the Russians.
Sightings
The earliest reports of a monster living in the lake came from the native Tlingit people, who tell stories of a creature referred to as the Gonakadet. It was described as a large, water-dwelling animal with a head and tail similar to that of a wolf, and a body like an orca, very similar to the Akhlut. The Gonakadet was depicted as a "fish god", and was recorded in pictographs along the Alaskan and British Columbian coasts. Other early reports of the monster came from the native Aleut people, who tell stories of creatures they call the Jig-ik-nak. The fish-like monsters were reported to travel in groups and attack canoes and kill warriors. The creatures were feared and not hunted by the Aleut.
This sparked interest in others as pilots and fishermen began to wonder what the creatures were. Many more sightings were reported as people began to fly low over the lake for the purpose of seeing these monster fish. Consistent reports of large, dull, aluminum-colored fish were coming in by the late 50’s. Soon, enough attention was brought to the subject that in 1979 the Anchorage Daily News, the state's primary newspaper, offered a sum of $100,000 to anyone who could provide conclusive evidence proving the fish’s existence. The evidence is yet to be provided, as sightings have slowed in recent years.