Rural Mysteries of the North Fork Polygon

Strange and Shattered Geology

Polygonian Rock Formations Resist Examination

Were these rocks altered by the original Polygonians? Or is this the natural result of unnatural forces?

Please continue to send us pictures and descriptions of weird topography. Include the location and your theory explaining how the geography might have been tortured into almost revealing its' shattered secrets.

Hawver Cave

The Legend of the Clipper Gap Dinosaur Fossil

Like a nightmare from the past, the fossil outline of this legendary beast is still visible in a Clipper Gap railroad track road-cut.

• See the photograph and report from field investigator, Richardo.
• Read the original 1902 newspaper article (129 KB).

Depending on the lighting, this unidentified fossil-like object (UFO) looks like either a pterodactyl or a duck-billed hadrosaur.

Richard P. Hilton, Professor of Geology at Sierra College in Rocklin, in his excellent book Dinosaurs and Other Mesozoic Reptiles of California, states that "The Sierra Nevada is in fact one of the most unlikely places to find Mesozoic reptilian remains in California" (page 145). This makes the Clipper Gap monster fossil even more remarkable.

This historic site is located 1/4 mile from Lake Theodore, which might help to explain why no one has ever reported seeing the Lake Theodore Lake Creature.

Top of Page

Lime Rock, also known as Robber's Roost, has acquired what could almost be called a "cult following" in the C.A.F.I.W.A.M. area. The giant rock is located between Clipper Gap and Lake Clementine. The last time our investigators visited the limestone tower,they explored it's convoluted cave and climbed it's craggy face. Because the roost is almost completely surrounded by private property, the only safe approach to the marble pillar is via borrowed canoe.

Notice the similarity between the infamous "Face on Mars" and an aerial photograph of Lime Rock/Robbers Roost. Could this mean that Mars was once visited by Polygonians?

Face on Mars as compared to the face on Lime Rock.

You should also take time to study pictures of the "Happy Face on Mars" Here's more infomation about Lime Rock:

• Best Trail for Viewing Lime Rock
• Lime Rock Port-o-Pottie Armada on Lake Clementine
• Close-up Modern Color Photo
• Lake-view Photo from Borrowed Canoe
• History of Robber's Roost
• Rock Climbing and Access Report
• Clipper Gap/Lake Theodore Vortex

Top of Page

This geologic formation is also known as the Glory Hole, the Cool Cave Quarry, the Old Limestone Quarry, Coswell-Cave Valley, Hawver's Cave, and the Cool-Cave Valley Mine. This historic limestone outcrop, located near the confluence of the north and middle forks of the American River, has been in the news lately, raising its cult status to 'level yellow':

Local Legend: When the caves were first discovered by miners in 1850's, they were full of giant bones and gold that had been washed into the lower caverns by the Middle Fork of the American River. The caves were very popular with spelunkers until they were sealed by the limestone quarry operations in the 1970's. More...

Note: Please be reminded that, even though this is a historic quarry, page 10 of the Auburn State Recreation Area park pamphlet states that "No commercial mining is permitted".

Top of Page

The Secret of the Myth of the Legend of Cape Horn

One of the first lessons we are taught as school children is that immigrant Chinese laborers were lowered by ropes in wicker baskets thousands of feet above the North Fork of the American River in order to chisel and blast away at the sheer cliffs to create the famous Cape Horn railroad vista near Colfax, CA.

For example, Gene Markley's 1979 book "Sugar Pine Journals" states in one chapter:

"...the perpendicular cliff rose 1,400 feet above the North Fork of the American River... The Chinese requested that reeds be brought up from the delta so they might weave baskets to dangle down the face of Capehorn... Thus a lone Chinese was dangled over the side of the cliff, drilling and hacking away... All summer, fall, and winter of 1865 dangling Chinese chipped away at the face..."

In summary: they did a lot of dangling. The Colfax Area Historical Society even dedicated an informational plaque/marker at the Cape Horn Overlook stating "...They were lowered over the face of Cape Horn Promontory in Wicker Bosun's Chairs..."

However, the Sierra Nevada Virtual Museum concludes that "...Recent studies indicate that these stories were journalistic exaggerations. While the work was difficult and dangerous, the slopes in the region seem to indicate that the dangling aspect was not possible..."

Could there be a conspiracy to prevent the exposure of the cover-up of the suppression of the truth?

One researcher claims, after conducting years of historical research and field studies of the area, that the mountain wasn't high, the cliff wasn't steep, and the baskets weren't baskets. In other words: No Dangling...

" The story of the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad around Cape Horn, a rocky prominence, located aprox three railroad miles east of Colfax, California and 57 miles east of Sacramento, is the subject of this paper. The stories written about this event are the basis of much legend and it is becoming more and more difficult to separate fact from fancy due to the many exaggerations, misinterpretations and made up stories that have been written over the years and made a part of the history of the first transcontinental railroad. This is an attempt to make known all the documentation this writer could find, put it all into perspective, so the reader can determine for himself what he believes to be the most acceptable truth...." Central Pacific Railroad Online Museum

If you're now as confused and/or curious as we are, then visit Cape Horn for yourself and make up your own damn mind. While there, we recommend exploring these nearby mysterious landmarks (and landmark mysteries):

• The long-lost and recently-found Stevens Trail
• Stevens Creek Falls
• Site of the dismantled Iowa Hill Covered Bridge
• The Legend of the 500 Buddha Heads discovered upriver of the Iowa Hill Bridge
• Site of the The Cape Horn Fur-Creature Fur Finding
• Giant Gorilla of Colfax
• The Cape Horn rock climbing wall
• The Legend of the Stevens Trail Circus Elephants

Top of Page

Indian Grinding Stones in Downtown Meadow Vista

The ancient native american acorn grinding rocks are located in plain view, yet almost no one ever sees them ... and no one has ever taken a picture of them!

According to the Meadow Vista Community Plan:

"Several Nisenan Maidu grinding stones are located in the Meadow Vista area and Richard Simpson, a Meadow Vista native from a pioneer family, has written a book called Ooti, A Maidu Legacy, which chronicles the process of turning acorns into a food staple."

Update: On November 19, 2005, we were able to photograph an Indian grinding stone-like object in Christian Valley.

Top of Page

Actual Acorns Knocked from Actual Oak Tree During Actual Earthquake

On June 26, 2005 at 11:45 am, CAFIWAM residents once again felt the ground move. The 4.8 magnitude earthquake was located only 50 miles east of Colfax, causing leaves and acorns to fall from oak trees in Meadow Vista.

Thirty-two people from Colfax reported "weak ground movement" and "light shaking" to the USGS Web site, as did 4 people in Applegate, and 6 in Meadow Vista. A tour group visiting the North Fork Polygon returned to Pennsylvania just hours before the quake struck, seemingly aware of what was about to occur.

The temblor also produced a flurry of front page news stories: (More... and More...). The Auburn Journal even issued a tsunami warning for Lake Tahoe.

In January 2002, an earthquake epicentered in Colfax awakened Polygon residents with what sounded like a "sonic boom" ... and in December 2000, another earthquake caused a small bridge to collapse near Colfax.

The Placer County Earthquake Emergency Plan states "It is reported that in 1908 an estimated 4.0 earthquake occurred between Auburn and Folsom..." and "there is a high potential that the area will be subject to at least moderate earthquake shaking one or more times over the next century." Here's a map of the known earthquake faults located in the North Fork Polygon area.

Top of Page

Polygon Waterfalls

One thing all waterfalls have in common is that they flow over and fall upon bare rocks. WaterFallsWest.com has posted pictures and maps to all-10 CAFIWAM waterfalls, including Codfish Falls, Devils Falls, Clementine Falls, and Hidden Falls.

Of special mysterious interest is Codfish Creek Falls. Codfish Creek originates in the "Hermit Hut" area of Applegate then flows through the Old Vore placer/hard-rock mining area before suddenly leaping the last 50 feet to the North Fork American River.

Also, Clementine Falls drops from a strange u-shaped rock that has caused a large body of water to pool up-stream of the cascade.

Top of Page

Giant Naked Statues of Auburn

As featured on RoadsideAmerica.com.

In the 1980's someone played a great April Fools Day prank by dressing the most naked and most anatomically correct statue in a giant pair of polka-dot boxer shorts.

Top of Page

The Meadow Vista Labyrinth

A spiraling circular pattern of stones has been discovered in a CAFIWAM back yard. More...

Top of Page

Polygon Geology

Let Theo, the Lake Theodore Lake Creature, tell you about early Polygon geology!

Top of Page