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Leonard Dan                          
   
Big Foot Hunter
Experienced Tracker
Paranormal Investigator
Life long Four Corners resident
Crypto Investigator
 

          
                                                                               Leonard Dan

Who is Leonard Dan?

Leonard Dan is a man of many talents and much experience.  He has lived on the Navajo Nation his entire life, and currently works with a group of investigators known as Crypto Four Corners, which also includes J.C. Johnson.


What is the Four Corners Region?
The Four Corners Region refers to the only place in the United States where the corners of four states (Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico) meet.  This area is primarily occupied by the Navajo Nation.  The largest towns that would be included in this area include: NM-Farmington, Gallup, Shiprock.  CO: Cortez, Durango.  AZ: Window Rock, Teec Nos Pos.


Image from www.yorkblog.com

Four Corners Monument
The Navajo Nation has a monument & park at Four Corners itself.  This is located in a region that is particularly remote, and lacks amenities such as stores, telephones, etc.  When traveling here, please make sure you have adequate water, food, fuel and other necessities with you.  Also be aware that in many locations in this area, there is no cell phone service, an important consideration for those who depend on their cell phones for its gps service for navigation. 


Place names of the Four Corners

Some of the names you will hear used to reference the various locations in the Four Corners region may not appear on the average road map.  These may be local names but most, if not all, should appear on more detailed maps of the region.


Summer storms, locally referred to as "the monsoons" can move into an area very quickly, sometimes dumping incredible amounts of rain in a small area.  These storms have a great deal of lightening, and are the frequent source for very dangerous flash floods.  Never enter a road that is flooded, even a relatively shallow area with swift moving water can quickly sweep away a motor vehicle, trapping the occupants in a potentially fatal situation.  This photograph was taken in northern Navajo County, Arizona.


The monsoon storms bring cooler moister air to the area, and are eagerly anticipated by area residents for the relief from the hot, dry weather, even if it is relatively brief.  Much of the Four Corners area only receives 6-9 inches of rain per year.  This photograph was taken looking towards an area just north of the San Francisco Peaks, which are actually located near Flagstaff, Arizona--far to the west of the Four Corners area proper.
Travel in the Four Corners region
Tourism is an important industry in this area.  However, venturing into remote areas alone is not wise.  Much of this area is crossed by unmaintained dirt roads with little traffic, cell phone signals are unreliable at best, and there are very real dangers in the natural world.  Do not get "off the beaten path" and go in pursuit of Big Foot on your own! 

There is much to see and do in this area, and there are excellent highways crossing it, providing access to the major points.  If you feel a need to explore more remote areas in depth, I highly recommend employing a local guide to ensure your safety and well being.  These guides will tell you much about the area, the Navajo culture & traditions, and ensure your safe return to your life.  Hunting Big Foot alone and unprepared is not a wise idea, and perhaps an unknown species of hominid is your least worry.  Humans are more than capable of doing dastardly deeds, and there are many people who frequent remote areas for reasons that don't stand examination well in the daylight. 

What is cryptozoology?


Cryptozoology is the study of unknown creatures.  It frequently refers to creatures such as Big Foot, Honey Island Swamp Monster, Loch Ness Monster, Mothman, and other creatures of legend and myth.   It also refers to creatures that were unknown prior to their discovery and believed to be non-existent or extinct. 


What are Skin Walkers?
Skin walkers are the Engish name given to a traditional Navajo creature of magic.  They are shape-shifted humans.  According to Crypto Four Corners, there is a cult of these practitioners who live in the Four Corners Region and regularly use this form of magic to terrorize residents for motives such as greed, envy, and revenge.

Typical encounters include stories of kangaroo-like creatures, glowing red eyes, and people wearing the skins of animals.  These creatures primarily operate by terror, frequently appearing near homes at night, peering through windows, and flee at the first sign of aggression from any pursuit.  There is a fear of being "hypnotized" or put into a trance-like state by looking at these creatures, and then inviting them into the home while under the creature's power.

What is Big Foot or Sasquatch?
Big Foot or Sasquatch is a large hairy hominid believed by many to exist in remote areas.  Frequent sightings are often made, however, conclusive evidence to prove their existence to mainstream science has not been collected.

Descriptions of these creatures give varying heights and weights, but they are substantially larger and bulkier than humans.  They have long hair covering their entire bodies, and apparently live in small family groups or solitarily.  They also apparently do not build any kind of structure or use fire.

Certain areas have more sightings than others.  These areas include Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, California, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Minnesota, and Alaska.  Sightings also are frequently reported in Canada. 

What is the Navajo Nation?

The Navajo Nation refers to the Native Americans called Navajo or Dineh.  Their reservation covers over 27,000 square miles of land in four states, and is larger than 10 of the 50 states in the United States.  The capitol for their government is in Window Rock, Arizona.

The Navajo language is an Athabascan language, a shared common root between the Navajo and the Apache, both of which lived in the American Southwest in Pre-Columbian times.  This root language indicates that the Navajo do not share a common history with the Pueblo tribes that also occupy the American Southwest. 

The Navajo have a distinct culture, language, and traditional way of life.  Today, the vast majority of their tribal members speak English, often exclusively, and live much more modern lives.  Even so, there are portions of the Navajo Nation that lack modern amenities, due to the remote location and relatively low permanent population.  In these areas, cell phones often do not have a signal, and residents lack amenities such as television and electricity as well.



These falls are located on the Navajo Nation.  While this is an impressive sight, this river only has a flow of this quantity intermittently.  This particular photograph was taken after a monsoon storm.  The roar of these falls is amazing as the water pours over the canyon and continues into the swirl as it makes the bend.  Carrying much silt in the rapid running water as it rushes towards the river and joins it, it looks like melted milk chocolate flowing over the "graham crackers" formed by the layers of reddish sandstone. 
This is a closer view of the falls themselves.  Look at the layers of stone, as well as the massive blocks that have broken away.

This is viewing the falls from the opposite side.  In the first photograph, the photographer was standing on what is now the ridge on the right hand side.  See the tiny dot at the top of the ridge?  That is the shelter that appeared in the first photograph.  These falls are very impressive from many angles.