In this episode, we explore the extraordinary life of Dresden, NY native Bolton Coit Brown. An accomplished artist, painter, lithographer and mountaineer of the late 1800s and early 1900s, Bolton spent his childhood exploring the woods and streams near Seneca Lake. Did his strange youthful rituals in the waters of Seneca Lake inspire or influence him to live a life of consequence and leave a legacy that includes a mountain named after him?

Next, we'll go back to a summer evening in 2011 when Eileen was traveling near Burnt Hill and the Finger Lakes National Forest and encountered a brightly glowing orb floating motionless about 100 feet up in the night sky. When the orb began to move, she followed it...and then things got weird. Soon, four other witnesses would watch the arrival of multiple aerial lights in the sky. Utilizing several internet sources, along with an interview I conducted with the primary witness several years ago with me, I've compiled a narrative of the entire high strangeness event in the witnesses' own words.

Finally, we look at a rare Bigfoot report from the Seneca Lake area in 1962. A fisherman realizes he's being observed by large, hulking creature covered in black fur and standing around 8 feet tall on the banks of Catherine Creek not far from Montour Falls. The witness recalls some intriguing details of the sighting, which was first reported on Episode 155 of the Bigfoot: Terror in the Woods podcast.

The Unbendable Bolton Brown (Stanford Magazine)

UFO Chronicles 161

Bigfoot TIW 155

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In early July 2025, I visited Connecticut Hill, also called the Alpine Portal, with my guide, Rick. Rick has spent the last 15-20 years hunting on Connecticut Hill, which is widely known for mysterious phenomena like UFOs, hauntings, cryptid sightings, anomalous weather and more. Our goal was to find a possible native stone pile Rick had previously photographed.

Though we didn't find that stone pile, we stumbled upon something far more intriguing.

Join me and Rick as we discuss our visit to Connecticut Hill and our surprising discovery (or, more accurately, rediscovery) we made there. And after the conversation, stick around as I go even further in-depth with the details on what we found in a remote, steep ravine off-trail at the Alpine Portal.

Images

Video Tour

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On July 9th, 2025, a resident of Rochester, New York captured footage of a large cat, believed by state DEC officials to be a cougar, on their doorbell camera, with the video going viral and putting the city in the media spotlight. The Seneca Lake area also has reports of large cats in the past decade or so, with multiple witnesses spying what appeared to be a black leopard in two locations including the Town of Benton. Was it an escaped pet? Or was it linked to the Alien Big Cats (ABC) phenomenon, which are often seen near military bases and areas with high rates of UFO and paranormal reports?

Next, we revisit one of the most widely-reported Seneca Lake UFO sightings ever: the 1952 Watkins Glen silver sphere splashdown. The incident occurred during one of the biggest UFO waves in American history, when the arrival of “flying saucers” over the U.S. Capitol in Washington forced the Pentagon to publicly admit for the first time their interest in UFOs. The Watkins Glen story is well-documented in books and publications, but some additional details reported in a local newspaper have been almost completely overlooked for the last seventy-plus years. These forgotten details provide another layer of credibility to the '52 flying silver sphere sightings near, over and in Seneca Lake.

We wrap up with a listener's story of an unsettling experience several years ago on Connecticut Hill, also known as the Alpine Portal, a hotspot of UFOs, ghosts, Bigfoot, and other reports of the paranormal and unexplained. The story begins with a troubling visit to Connecticut Hill Cemetery, location of the reputed “witch's grave,” before things get weirder, culminating in missing time . Was it just a case of someone getting spooked in a creepy graveyard and letting their imagination take over? Or did something far more strange happen that day at the Alpine Portal, where warps in reality aren't unexpected?

New episodes on the 7th, 17th and 27th of each month

podcast@senecalakemysteries.com

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Support the show via Venmo @senecalake