That Allegheny magic

Where sightings of Bigfoot and UFOs abound

On “The X-Files,” getting to the bottom of paranormal activity is easier said than done. When FBI agents Dana Scully and Fox Mulder stumble across phenomena that are difficult to explain, they fall back on the mantra that opens every show: “The truth is out there.”

But what if you live in Allegheny County, the region that leads Pennsylvania in reports of UFOs, Bigfoot and other weird sightings? Is the truth “here” instead of “out there”?

According to the National UFO Reporting Center and the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, our little corner of Western Pennsylvania is abuzz with unexplained paranormal phenomena. Allegheny County has had 315 UFO sightings compared with Bucks County, a suburb of our cross-state rival Philadelphia, at 216 sightings over the years.

As for Bigfoot, there have been six sightings of the primordial beast in Mercer, Cambria and Clearfield counties over several decades, according to the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization.

That may not sound like much, but the rival Keystone Bigfoot Project charts neighboring Westmoreland County ahead of Allegheny County with 113 Bigfoot sightings compared withAllegheny County’s 43.

Fayette County rounds out the region with 36 Bigfoot sightings according to the KBP. Explaining the discrepancy in reported sightings by two Bigfoot organizations is to delve into the even deeper mystery of how reports of mythical creatures are gathered in the first place.

Given the ubiquity of smartphones, the greatest mystery of all is why it remains so difficult to get clear, indisputable images of UFOs, Bigfoot or any other unexplained phenomena. The truth could very well be out there, but it would make every skeptic’s life a lot easier if proof were somewhere out there, too.