Wild Immersion.

12/05/2020 Dr. Milo Meeker report# 210

Location: Mt. Baker-soqualmie National Forest.

Weather: Overcast with intermittent showers. Temperature 42F. 

Environment: Thick montane pine forest and dense undergrowth.

Overview: The weather continues to limit research activities and it’s a challenge to keep my instruments from succumbing to the constant dampness. I have set up a base camp on the slope of the mountain and plan to reconnoiter a five-mile radius from this location in hopes of picking up a fresh trail or better yet obtaining photographic evidence of the subject. Based on the data points I’ve collected and marked on my geographic survey maps of the area, my camp is strategically placed in a high-traffic corridor for any species desiring to traverse the mountain. 

To increase my chances of successfully capturing irrefutable evidence of the continuing existence of G. blacki I have determined to adopt all the characteristics and habits of the species that are so far known to me after more than twenty years of research. This includes constructing rudimentary shelters, adopting their theoretical diet, methods of food collection as wells habits of activity (Diurnal vs nocturnal). I’m keenly aware that my physical attributes are in no way comparable to the subject of study but I have the advantage of possessing a keen intellect and advanced technical training that when combined with years of experience in the bush should make this an achievable goal.

Note: I never carry weapons of any type on these expeditions, preferring to rely solely on the overabundance of synaptic prowess I have been endowed with. 

Having left camp at dusk without any supplies or clothing aside from my boxers (which I retained purely for the sake of modesty) I made steady progress surveying this sector of high activity. Once the sun had disappeared behind the mountain, I found myself in the pitch black of a thick forest and couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. I resorted to crawling over the uneven and often rocky floor until I found an acceptable spot to camp. I spent the long night huddling under a tree, shivering and sleepless.

I have been unable to make much headway or maintain proper notes over the past twelve hours. An error in the identification of some wild berries as evidenced by the copious quantities of watery stool that began to emanate from my posterior a short time later has rendered me Hors de Combat. As fortune would have it the rain continues so at least I can stave off the dehydration associated with such an affliction. ( Full disclosure. I may have skipped more than a few of my botany classes during my college days as the study of non-sentient organisms struck me as a dull affair at the time. This is an attitude I have come to regret).

Despite this setback, I am still determined to pursue this immersive approach. To that end, I will conduct all reconnaissance/foraging activities at night and without the aid of an artificial light source or other technological crutches to test my hypothesis that this species is largely nocturnal. “To understand the beast, one must become the beast” (note: Title for my biography?). Montezuma’s revenge made an unwelcome return that night and I was forced to remove my only article of clothing so I could attempt to sleep through the periodic bouts of cramping and defecating.

At sunrise, I found that I didn’t recognize any nearby landmarks. I staggered around in my weakened condition desperately searching for my own spoor. The humidity became extreme by midday, so I toweled myself off with my soiled underwear and choked down some wild onions. The elation I felt at discovering my own tracks from the previous night was only slightly dampened by the raw condition of my backside. 

12/09/2020

Finally! I made it back to camp after spending almost 48 hours lost in the bush. The following entries cover my activities for the duration. I fear that exhaustion precluded timely updates to this journal. This whole affair demonstrates the constant danger one must accept in pursuit of knowledge and the rigors of scientific research.