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2: MEDDLE |
3: THE ENDLESS RIVER |
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Raving and drooling
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It's 12:30AM (or, impossibly, 11PM according to Fuller) and the Hills are departing the Mt Cleveland picnic area. Betty has pooh-poohed Barney's notion that the object is a satellite, and he's puzzled why, if it's a plane, it makes no noise.
Barney's sleep cycle has been upside-down for four days and he's been driving for most of the last 15 hours or so, lately along an endless, deserted, unlighted, curving mountain road. He's getting "angry and impatient" with Betty [Marden] and she's a little snippy with him, too. Poor Delsey is getting antsy, as only dogs know how, as the tension mounts: "Beside them, the dachshund was whining and cowering." [Fuller, p. 13] Or... if we look at Walter Webb's initial interview with the Hills, one month after the event, the dog is just fine throughout the entire thing. Fuller acknowledges this discrepancy without explanation: "the Hills at this point had forgotten to tell Webb about several instances of Delsey’s odd behavior" [Fuller, p. 37]. Forgetting to mention the dog's odd behavior and actively stating the dog was not alarmed at any time is not a contradiction you can just sweep under the rug. |
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NICAP report Oct 26, 1961, by Walter Webb who interviewed the couple on Oct 21, 1961.
The narrow way
They drove on toward Cannon Mountain at not much more than 5 mph, catching glimpses of the object as it moved erratically in the sky. -Fuller
Here's the road between the picnic area and the base of Cannon Mountain, at Echo Lake, a distance of 5.2 miles. See that blue arrow? That's why your object is moving erratically, Betty.
Here's the road between the picnic area and the base of Cannon Mountain, at Echo Lake, a distance of 5.2 miles. See that blue arrow? That's why your object is moving erratically, Betty.
Approach to Cannon Mountain.
You probably noticed that Barney has slowed down to just over 5 mph. Google tells me it's 5.2 miles, so it takes about 45 minutes.
Add 5 minutes for that sixth stop, and it's around 1:20AM when the Hills arrive at the base of Cannon Mountain. Let's assume they pick back up to 30 mph at this location. They reach the Old Man of the Mountain rock formation a couple of minutes later.
Notably, under hypnosis Barney says: "it was stopped when I stopped. I thought this was strange." Yes, it stops when he stops because it's a stationary object, and it moves when he's moving because the road is twisty. Not so strange, Barney.
In a 1967 interview, Betty describes the light like this: "It had a very erratic flight in the sky, and as it came in closer to us it was sort of riding along on the ridge of the mountains." This perfectly describes how a distant light on top of a mountain peak would appear to someone driving past. (-Betty 1967)
Marden (p.103) reports Betty's hypnotic time check of 11:10PM as they near this landmark, but we can ignore that because (1) Betty has already decided, years ago, that she lost 2 hours of time so her brain forgets how to do math, and (2) Marden's family legacy falls apart if there is no missing time, so she also forgets how to do math.
Let's do the math anyway: if it's only 11:10PM, the Hills have just driven 65 miles from Colebrook in 65 minutes. They've managed to maintain an average speed of 60 mph despite:
Why is Barney's time-traveling car not the star of this show? But no, it's a common-or-garden aircraft beacon that gets all the accolades.
Add 5 minutes for that sixth stop, and it's around 1:20AM when the Hills arrive at the base of Cannon Mountain. Let's assume they pick back up to 30 mph at this location. They reach the Old Man of the Mountain rock formation a couple of minutes later.
Notably, under hypnosis Barney says: "it was stopped when I stopped. I thought this was strange." Yes, it stops when he stops because it's a stationary object, and it moves when he's moving because the road is twisty. Not so strange, Barney.
In a 1967 interview, Betty describes the light like this: "It had a very erratic flight in the sky, and as it came in closer to us it was sort of riding along on the ridge of the mountains." This perfectly describes how a distant light on top of a mountain peak would appear to someone driving past. (-Betty 1967)
Marden (p.103) reports Betty's hypnotic time check of 11:10PM as they near this landmark, but we can ignore that because (1) Betty has already decided, years ago, that she lost 2 hours of time so her brain forgets how to do math, and (2) Marden's family legacy falls apart if there is no missing time, so she also forgets how to do math.
Let's do the math anyway: if it's only 11:10PM, the Hills have just driven 65 miles from Colebrook in 65 minutes. They've managed to maintain an average speed of 60 mph despite:
- Barney driving "at speeds never over 30 mph"
- six (6) stops to view the object
- 5 miles driving suuuper-slow
Why is Barney's time-traveling car not the star of this show? But no, it's a common-or-garden aircraft beacon that gets all the accolades.
The Franconia Notch is a valley through the White Mountains, with Cannon Mountain to the west. When you search for "Cannon Mountain" in Google Maps, it sticks a pin right there on the observation tower. Nearby is Mountain Station, the top end of the aerial tramway that runs down the mountain to Route 3, which incorporates a restaurant.
Take a look at this magnificent 3D view. (Bethlehem at the top right is about 3 miles north of the picnic area where the dog peed, or had already peed.) The blue arrows show Betty and Barney entering the Notch as their "object" grows ever larger.
(I love Google Maps.)
The elevation of Cannon Mountain is 4081 feet. The Old Man of the Mountain, at the base, is at 2881 feet, making the observation tower 1200 feet above the road.
Take a look at this magnificent 3D view. (Bethlehem at the top right is about 3 miles north of the picnic area where the dog peed, or had already peed.) The blue arrows show Betty and Barney entering the Notch as their "object" grows ever larger.
(I love Google Maps.)
The elevation of Cannon Mountain is 4081 feet. The Old Man of the Mountain, at the base, is at 2881 feet, making the observation tower 1200 feet above the road.
Cannon Mountain and the Franconia Notch, with the Hill's approach from the north on Route 3.
Signs of life
At the top of the mountain, the only light they had seen for miles glowed like a beacon, appearing to be on the top of the closed and silent aerial tramway, or perhaps on the restaurant there. -Fuller
Here we run into the "problem of the two lights" again. There was indeed a restaurant on the top of Cannon Mountain, and Jim confirms that the Hills are indeed seeing the glow from the windows: "According to the nice lady who was running the tram car, there’s always been a snack bar up there... the Coke machines and such would have cast a visible light (as they do to this day)". -Jim
So let's parse that sentence from Fuller.
This light is the only one they've seen for miles. They have of course been seeing the erratic object/light for miles as well, so this must mean the glow is the only other light they've seen for miles.
So what is this other light? It "glowed like a beacon" but is not the beacon, because they theorize it's the restaurant. (In context, this use of the word beacon means it's beckoning to them as the first sign of civilization for miles.) You can't mistake one for the other: One is a glowing coke machine, the other is a frickin' powerful beacon visible for miles all around that helps aircraft not crash into mountains.
The Hills can see the restaurant windows glowing. Why can't they also see the observation tower light?
Because they've mistaken it for a flying saucer. That's why.
Here we run into the "problem of the two lights" again. There was indeed a restaurant on the top of Cannon Mountain, and Jim confirms that the Hills are indeed seeing the glow from the windows: "According to the nice lady who was running the tram car, there’s always been a snack bar up there... the Coke machines and such would have cast a visible light (as they do to this day)". -Jim
So let's parse that sentence from Fuller.
This light is the only one they've seen for miles. They have of course been seeing the erratic object/light for miles as well, so this must mean the glow is the only other light they've seen for miles.
So what is this other light? It "glowed like a beacon" but is not the beacon, because they theorize it's the restaurant. (In context, this use of the word beacon means it's beckoning to them as the first sign of civilization for miles.) You can't mistake one for the other: One is a glowing coke machine, the other is a frickin' powerful beacon visible for miles all around that helps aircraft not crash into mountains.
The Hills can see the restaurant windows glowing. Why can't they also see the observation tower light?
Because they've mistaken it for a flying saucer. That's why.
Betty's recollection under hypnosis, showing she is aware of the restaurant light but not the beacon light. Fuller p. 147
This is the view from the north, looking south (reverse of the previous 3D image) with the Hills' approach marked. You can see the beacon and building near it, which is the new, large tramway station (built 1980) and restaurant (Cafe 4080). The original tramway station is a smaller building right next to the new one.
Approaching Cannon Mountain from the north.
Hey you
Back into my Google car to see what we can see up there on the mountain peak - remembering that in the dark the Hills can't see those peaks at all. All they can see is a disembodied bright light floating past the starscape.
Here we're coming around the bend and - hey! there you are! The restaurant comes into view (followed by the beacon). Note, however, that the restaurant windows "face northeast; a traveler approaching from the northwest wouldn't have a view of them until quite close and alongside." -Jim
So, while in daylight the restaurant and beacon are both visible at the same time, and disappear together, in the dark the restaurant glow is only apparent for a portion of this time.
Here we're coming around the bend and - hey! there you are! The restaurant comes into view (followed by the beacon). Note, however, that the restaurant windows "face northeast; a traveler approaching from the northwest wouldn't have a view of them until quite close and alongside." -Jim
So, while in daylight the restaurant and beacon are both visible at the same time, and disappear together, in the dark the restaurant glow is only apparent for a portion of this time.
A little further down the road, we're now driving alongside the mountain, past Echo Lake, and the beacon swings across the road from left to right.
Wait, it does what!?
Wait, it does what!?
Driving south at the base of Cannon Mountain
There she goes!
Don't take my word for it. Type these coordinates into Google Maps and take the drive south for yourself for two-thirds of a mile.
Now of course Betty can turn her head right and still see the beacon over her shoulder for another half-mile. The point of this is to show you, once again, how a stationary object in the dead of night really can swing across the road and freak her out.
Don't take my word for it. Type these coordinates into Google Maps and take the drive south for yourself for two-thirds of a mile.
Now of course Betty can turn her head right and still see the beacon over her shoulder for another half-mile. The point of this is to show you, once again, how a stationary object in the dead of night really can swing across the road and freak her out.
As they continue through the Notch, the shoulder of the mountain eventually hides both the restaurant and the beacon - at these coordinates.
They stopped again near the base of the mountain, momentarily [sixth stop], as the object suddenly swung behind the dark silhouette and disappeared. At the same moment, the light on the top of the mountain went out, inexplicably. -Fuller
Betty's flying saucer swings around and disappears, and the [restaurant] light "inexplicably" goes out too. GOD THIS IS SO STUPID.
I don't mean to say that Betty is stupid - she's confused and frightened and monumentally ill-informed. And I'm having fun driving through the beautiful White Mountains, I truly am. But GOD THIS IS REALLY STUPID.
It's the beacon.
It's the beacon.
It. Is. The. Beacon.
And since it's the beacon, there's no flying saucer.
And since there's no flying saucer (and no missing time, as we're discovering), there's no alien abduction.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. Here's a map showing where the beacon becomes visible, then "disappears", during this portion of the drive:
It's the beacon.
It's the beacon.
It. Is. The. Beacon.
And since it's the beacon, there's no flying saucer.
And since there's no flying saucer (and no missing time, as we're discovering), there's no alien abduction.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. Here's a map showing where the beacon becomes visible, then "disappears", during this portion of the drive:
Map of Franconia Notch showing where the Cannon Mountain beacon and restaurant are visible.
Learning to fly
One more thing before we move on:
Mrs. Hill could also detect something else: the strange object was traveling very erratically, in a step-like flight pattern, tilting vertically as it climbed each step, leveling off, dropping vertically, leveling off, tilting upward again, etc. All the time it seemed to be spinning. -Webb
(We might ask ourselves why a flying saucer with the technology to cross the galaxy hasn't learned how to fly straight. Let's just run with it since things are already nutty enough.)
Marden gives a similar description, with Barney also seeing the odd behavior:
He described how it moved in a stair-step pattern, rising vertically, and then moving horizontally for a short distance before it dipped down. -Marden
Betty's account comes from further north, whereas Barney's appears to be after passing the Old Man of the Mountain. Barney's account comes from hypnotic "testimony" and would be unavoidably influenced by Betty's account from years earlier, so I'll go with Betty's version...
I have two theories on what the step-like pattern of the light could be, especially as this was the only time this strange behavior was seen. The restaurant and station at the top of the mountain, along with the observation tower deck itself, all have windows that the Hills would be observing at different angles as they round the base of the mountain. Could reflected light from the beacon in these windows cause the light to appear to move in various angular directions? Another possibility is that because trees lining the road obscure the view at times, the light may abruptly appear and disappear as the forest and clearing pass by the car window.
Mrs. Hill could also detect something else: the strange object was traveling very erratically, in a step-like flight pattern, tilting vertically as it climbed each step, leveling off, dropping vertically, leveling off, tilting upward again, etc. All the time it seemed to be spinning. -Webb
(We might ask ourselves why a flying saucer with the technology to cross the galaxy hasn't learned how to fly straight. Let's just run with it since things are already nutty enough.)
Marden gives a similar description, with Barney also seeing the odd behavior:
He described how it moved in a stair-step pattern, rising vertically, and then moving horizontally for a short distance before it dipped down. -Marden
Betty's account comes from further north, whereas Barney's appears to be after passing the Old Man of the Mountain. Barney's account comes from hypnotic "testimony" and would be unavoidably influenced by Betty's account from years earlier, so I'll go with Betty's version...
I have two theories on what the step-like pattern of the light could be, especially as this was the only time this strange behavior was seen. The restaurant and station at the top of the mountain, along with the observation tower deck itself, all have windows that the Hills would be observing at different angles as they round the base of the mountain. Could reflected light from the beacon in these windows cause the light to appear to move in various angular directions? Another possibility is that because trees lining the road obscure the view at times, the light may abruptly appear and disappear as the forest and clearing pass by the car window.
From Betty's letter to Keyhoe, 1 week after the encounter, with her diagram of the object's flight path
The Hills sail past the Old Man of the Mountain (a rock formation that has since collapsed) with the object going in and out of sight behind trees...
> Go to PART 4: A momentary lapse of reason, in which reason lapses
(c) Charlie Wiser 2021
