Title or author of sci-fi fantasy book written in 80's or 90's about yeti-like creature who could bore through solid rock and ice with his body heat

Question

As described above, the book was about a yeti-like creature which couldn't be killed by regular means. A group finally tracked it and managed to kill it with special (here is the sci-fi part) arrows which had little fusion bombs attached. When they struck the creature it caused that part of his body to dissolve. The creature could tunnel through the ice and rock of the mountains by melting it with his intense body heat.

Unfortunately, that is all I can remember of the book. No title, no author, no cover art. I have searched for this book for several years now with no luck. Does anyone remember it?

Answer 1

I see you also asked this question at librarything.com. On Feb 19th someone posted a possible answer. They thought the book might be "Snowman" by Norman Bogner. I don't have access to a copy to double-check. Here's a page at AbeBooks with the cover art: http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=12883352027&searchurl=sts%3Dt%26an%3Dnorman+bogner

Here's an excerpt from chapter 11:

"If the head of the arrow were made of some nonslip plastic that adhered to ice and instead of causing an explosion on contact it created just the opposite effect. The target would disintegrate and you could still achieve your purpose."
"Total destruction?" Bradford asked, filled with quixotic optimism.
"Yes, I'm talking about an implosion. Whatever the arrow hit and penetrated would fragment from within."
"What sort of material would you use?"
Carlos returned to his drawing board and drew a round-headed arrow with what resembled a suction cap.
"Plutonium. I'd make miniature nuclear warheads that would operate on transistors."
"Is it possible?"
"For a price, anything is possible."
"We'll need five crossbows and at least ten arrows per man.

Answer 2

To help in your quest, there is an early Star Trek episode (Devil In The Dark) which is on similar lines to this. On a desolate planet miners are being killed underground with no obvious cause and Kirk beams down to investigate. It turns out to be a new life form that moves through the ground 'super-heating itself to burn tunnels through the rock'.

Appreciate this is not your 'book', however it might be based on the book you are looking for or otherwise related. The episode was written by Gene L Coon. Gene Roddenberry would employ Sc-Fi authors such as Richard Matheson (I Am Legend) to either write an episode or adapt one of their existing themes / stories to work in the Trek universe. This was a deliberate move so that he could generate compelling new adventures for the crew in order to get away from the initial studio direction of 'a Western in space'. As such, many Trek episodes (and films) have both inspired and paid homage to the wider Sc-Fi genre.