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Welcome. 
The stories I'm about to tell 

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you are of real Bigfoot 
encounters and sightings. 

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They are true and happened to 
people like me and you. 

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They come from my collection of 
stories I call The Bigfoot 

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Project. 
In late October of 2017, I was 

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elk hunting in a remote part of 
Umpqua National Forest. 

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I had parked my truck at the end
of an old logging Rd. and hiked 

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in before daylight. 
By noon I had seen no sign of 

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elk, so I circled back toward a 
small Creek I knew from past 

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trips. 
The air was cool and still. 

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I sat on a fallen log near the 
water, eating a sandwich and 

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listening for movement. 
While sitting there I heard 

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splashes upstream but thought it
was a deer crossing the shallow 

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water. 
I stayed quiet and watched the 

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bend where the Creek curved 
around to stand a thick spruce. 

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At first I saw a dark shape 
crouched near the bank. 

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It looked like a stump, but 
shifted slightly from side to 

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side. 
I squinted, trying to make sense

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of it. 
Then it rose up out of its 

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Crouch and stood tall beside the
Creek. 

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It had long, dark reddish brown 
hair hanging from its shoulders 

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down to its hips. 
The hair looked thick and heavy,

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not matted but tangled with 
small twigs. 

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Its arms hung low to its knees 
and its chest was broad. 

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I could see wide shoulders 
tapering to strong looking legs.

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It stepped into the Creek 
without splashing much, wading 

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through to the opposite bank. 
It bent again, pick something 

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from the rocks, maybe turning 
stones to find food. 

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Then it stood again and sniffed 
the air, facing away from me. 

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The shape of his head and the 
thick neck showed me this was 

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not a man. 
I sat still. 

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Try not to break any twigs under
my boot. 

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The creature stepped up the 
bank, moving slow but covered 

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ground fast with each step. 
It reached a cluster of Alder 

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trees, paused, and turned its 
head slightly as if listening. 

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Then it moved through the brush,
pushing branches aside and 

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vanishing into the trees. 
I waited for a few minutes, 

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hoping it might circle back to 
the Creek. 

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It never did. 
I crossed to where it had been 

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and saw large footprints in the 
soft mud along the edge of the 

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water. 
Each print was deep and showed 

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clear toe marks. 
I pressed my boot next to 1 and 

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it was nearly twice as long. 
I didn't follow the tracks far 

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because the Bush was thick and 
the slope climbed steeply. 

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I knew then that what I saw was 
not a normal animal, it was a 

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Sasquatch moving through the 
forest, just like people have 

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talked about for years. 
Since that day, I hunt the same 

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area and I still listen for the 
same quiet splashes in the Creek

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every fall. 
In late October of 2014, I was 

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hunting black tailed deer near 
Deadwood, OR the land. 

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There is hilly, covered in thick
timber, ferns and old logging 

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roads that twist up into clear 
cuts. 

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That morning had been dry but 
overcast. 

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I've been sitting in my climbing
stand for a few hours. 

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The woods were quiet except for 
crows and the sound of wind 

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through the trees. 
After sitting still so long, I 

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picked up the faint smell of 
something foul. 

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It reminded me of wet dog mixed 
with skunk, and it seemed to 

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drift in and out with the 
breeze. 

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At first I thought maybe a 
bobcat had sprayed nearby or 

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maybe a skunk had wandered past 
in the night. 

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The smell got stronger until my 
nose burned a little. 

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I tried to ignore it, but it 
didn't fade like normal animal 

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scent does. 
I decided to get down and hike 

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up the Ridge to see if I could 
spot whatever was up there. 

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I unloaded my gun, lowered my 
pack by the rope, climbed down 

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slow, and then hiked up along an
old elk trail. 

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The slope was soft from needles 
and Moss, and my boots sank in 

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spots. 
I moved, careful to keep quiet. 

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About halfway up, I heard a thud
in the brush to my right. 

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I paused, thinking. 
A branch fell, but before I 

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could move again, something 
heavier crashed to my left. 

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This time it sounded like a big 
rock smashing down through ferns

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and sticks. 
My heart picked up because no 

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one was supposed to be near me 
and I doubted any deer or elk 

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could roll rocks like that. 
I crouched behind a stump and 

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looked up through my scope 
toward the upper brush line. 

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I saw nothing at first. 
The woods up there were dark and

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tangled. 
I scanned for antlers or ears. 

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A few seconds later, a stone 
landed so close that dirt hit my

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pant leg. 
It was bigger than the first and

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chipped when it bounced. 
I checked all around me to see 

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if anyone could be hiding. 
Nothing. 

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I looked back through my scope 
and caught movement uphill 

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between two big furs. 
I saw a part of a big body. 

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It stood behind ferns and limbs,
but its chest and head were 

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clear enough. 
The creature stood on 2 legs, it

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didn't Crouch or drop to all 
fours. 

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Its hair looked dark brown, 
almost black. 

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The coat looked rough and dirty 
and I could see wide shoulders 

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and arms, then hung lower than a
man's would. 

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Its head looked large but long 
from forehead to chin. 

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There was no neck, or maybe the 
neck was lost in all the hair. 

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The eyes caught some light but 
seemed too small for that size 

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of head. 
I watched its chest move slow, 

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like it was breathing steady. 
I didn't hear it make any sound,

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no growl or bark, just the 
forest noise around us. 

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I knew then I was staring at a 
Sasquatch. 

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It didn't remind me of any bear 
or ape I had seen in books or 

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zoos. 
It didn't sway or stomp, but 

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stood looking my way. 
I didn't want to point my rifle 

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straight at it, so I tilted the 
barrel down and peeked over the 

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scope. 
The creature shifted its weight 

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once. 
It lifted one arm and pushed a 

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sapling aside. 
It paused again, then stepped 

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behind more brush. 
Each step sounded soft for 

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something that big. 
I stayed frozen because my legs 

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wouldn't work. 
I counted my breath and forced 

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myself to back down slow. 
I went a few yards at a time, 

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checking uphill every step. 
I never turned my back to the 

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Ridge until the trail bent and 
trees blocked my sight. 

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At the bottom. 
I checked my stand from a 

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distance to see if anything had 
messed with it. 

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It looked fine but I didn't feel
like climbing back up. 

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I walked the old skid trail down
to where 2 hunting partners were

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posted. 
One sat on a stump by a small 

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clearing and the other was 
tucked in some young furs. 

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They were calm and said they had
seen nothing but a few doughs. 

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I never told them what I saw 
that day in detail, I just said 

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I had found sign of something 
big and they nodded. 

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For days I went over the steps. 
In my mind I thought about the 

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size, the hair, the long arms. 
I thought about how it tossed 

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rocks with force, enough to warn
me off, but never aimed straight

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to hit me. 
It watched me, but it didn't 

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chase me. 
It moved back up the hill once I

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left, staying hidden in the 
thicker trees. 

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A few weeks later I went back to
that Ridge during daylight. 

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I brought my cousin who likes to
track deer sign. 

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We found turned up soil where 
something heavy had stepped. 

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There were faint prints, 1 
looked wider than my boot and 

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longer too. 
In the years since, I've haunted

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other spots near Deadwood, but I
don't sit on that Ridge anymore.

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When I hear noises in the brush 
that don't match deer or bear, I

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move back to the truck. 
In early August of 2017, I was 

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near the shore of Lake Billy 
Chinook in Central Oregon. 

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I'd brought my rifle to check my
scope and get out of the house 

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for a bit. 
My mother came along to enjoy 

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the evening air and sit by the 
water while I practiced. 

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The lake sits in a big Canyon 
and there are thick clumps of 

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brush and pine trees all around 
the edges. 

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I set up in a small open spot 
close to a dirt track that drops

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down to the lake. 
There's a deep ditch that cuts 

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through this area and runs down 
to the water. 

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About a week before this day, I 
had come here alone but left 

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early because I felt very 
uneasy. 

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I couldn't explain it then, but 
looking back it made sense after

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what happened this time. 
That evening, I shot a few 

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rounds into a mud bank to line 
up my scope. 

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The shots echoed across the 
water and faded into the hills. 

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My mother strolled down to the 
shoreline while I finished 

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adjusting the scope. 
Once I was satisfied, I slung 

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the rifle over my shoulder and 
joined her by the lake. 

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We sat for a few minutes, then I
decided to walk up the hill 

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behind the ditch to see if there
are any fresh deer sign. 

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I often checked this spot before
hunting season. 

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My mother followed behind me. 
I crouched near some soft dirt 

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looking for hoof prints. 
As I brushed away pine needles, 

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I caught a sound that made me 
pause. 

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It was a high whistle, not like 
any bird I knew. 

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It came in short bursts and 
seemed to echo off the trees. 

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It sounded odd and didn't follow
a pattern I recognized. 

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While I was listening, my mother
tapped my shoulder and pointed 

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downhill toward the dirt track. 
She said someone was standing by

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the car. 
I couldn't see the car because 

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of some trees, so I moved to 
where she had been standing. 

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I could see the top of the car 
fine, but I didn't see anyone 

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near it. 
I asked if she still saw 

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anything, but she said it was 
gone. 

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The last light was dipping 
behind the Canyon walls, so we 

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turned to head back to the car. 
We went down around the ditch 

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and came up the dirt track to 
the clearing where we had 

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parked. 
The brush on both sides was 

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thick and dry. 
We couldn't see more than a few 

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feet into it. 
About 20 yards from the car, we 

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both stopped at the same time. 
A horrible smell filled the air 

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so fast it felt like walking 
into a wall. 

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It smelled like a broken toilet 
or an old outhouse in the heat. 

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My eyes watered and my stomach 
turned. 

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Right then I took what my mother
said about seeing something by 

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the car more seriously. 
My skin crawled and I knew 

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something big was close. 
I still had my rifle, so I 

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lifted it above the brush and 
fired two shots straight up. 

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The gunfire echoed across the 
lake and bounced back off the 

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rock walls. 
As soon as the echo died, we 

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heard heavy steps moving fast 
through the brush. 

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It sounded like a big animal 
running on 2 feet, snapping 

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sticks and shaking branches. 
The steps moved toward the ditch

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and ended with a loud thump, 
like something jumped down the 

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steep side and hit the dirt 
below. 

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My mother ran to the car while I
stayed just behind, her rifle 

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pointed low but ready. 
As she fumble with the door, I 

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heard something else from the 
edge of the ditch. 

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It was a rough sound, half like 
deep breathing mixed with a low,

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harsh voice. 
It rose and fell slowly, but I 

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couldn't make out any words. 
I stood frozen, staring at the 

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dark brush. 
The sound came again. 

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I couldn't see what made it, but
I knew it was close. 

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Once my mother slammed her door 
shut, I backed toward the 

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driver's side, eyes on the 
ditch. 

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I jumped in, started the car, 
and pulled away without looking 

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back. 
At home later that night, my 

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mother explained exactly what 
she saw. 

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While I was listening to the 
whistles, she said she saw a big

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upright shape by the car. 
The last light of the sun was 

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behind it, making it look like a
dark block with a fuzzy edge. 

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She couldn't see the face, but 
she could tell it was thick 

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across the shoulders. 
She noticed long hair that 

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looked reddish brown where the 
light caught it. 

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She used my height and the top 
of the car to figure out how big

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it must have been. 
I stand just under 6 feet and 

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the roof of the car reaches my 
chin. 

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She said the creature's head was
about a foot and a half higher 

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than the roof, which makes it 
close to 7 feet. 

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We talked over everything and 
agreed that nothing else fit but

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a Sasquatch. 
I've read about them since then 

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and a lot of strange things I 
saw here before make more sense 

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now. 
One time, not far from this 

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spot, I found 2 pine trees 
twisted off about 6 feet up. 

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There were no signs of logging 
equipment or storms that day. 

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Another time while deer hunting 
at dawn, I heard heavy things 

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being thrown down through the 
treetops, hitting branches and 

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landing with thuds. 
I've driven back to the lake at 

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night to fish or camp and 
smelled that same rotten stink 

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more than once. 
It comes and goes fast, like 

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something big is moving nearby 
and staying just out of sight. 

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00:12:03,960 --> 00:12:06,760
Since that evening, I always 
keep my rifle with an arm's 

227
00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:09,920
reach when I camp near there. 
I don't shoot for fun there 

228
00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:12,120
anymore. 
I pick open spots where I can 

229
00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:15,120
see all sides. 
If the wind shifts and I catch a

230
00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:18,560
foul odor that doesn't belong, I
pack and leave before dark. 

231
00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:25,760
In late May of 2015, I was 
staying with my grandparents 

232
00:12:25,760 --> 00:12:29,480
just outside Cave Junction. 
Their house sits near the end of

233
00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:32,120
an old dirt Rd. that runs 
through pine and alderwoods. 

234
00:12:32,560 --> 00:12:35,680
There are a few open fields, but
most of the land is thick brush 

235
00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:40,040
and logging scraps left behind. 
Years ago, one evening around 

236
00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:43,280
8:00, I decided to take our 
German Shepherd, Daisy, for a 

237
00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:45,400
walk. 
It was still light enough to see

238
00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:48,040
the tree line clearly and hear 
birds settling down for the 

239
00:12:48,040 --> 00:12:50,480
night. 
Daisy loves these walks and 

240
00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:52,480
usually trots ahead sniffing 
everything. 

241
00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:56,360
About 1/2 mile from the house 
she started acting strange. 

242
00:12:56,760 --> 00:12:59,760
She stopped dead in the road, 
turned sideways and let out a 

243
00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:01,720
deep bark toward the trees on 
our right. 

244
00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:05,080
At first I thought maybe she 
caught a whiff of a raccoon or a

245
00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:08,560
deer bedded down in the ferns, 
but then she backed up and 

246
00:13:08,560 --> 00:13:11,560
pressed herself against my legs,
growling from her chest. 

247
00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:15,000
Every time I tried to step 
around her, she blocked me. 

248
00:13:15,360 --> 00:13:17,480
Her hackles stood straight up 
along her back. 

249
00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:20,720
I've never seen her act this 
way, not even with bears or 

250
00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:23,920
stray dogs. 
I patted her head and tried to 

251
00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:26,600
calm her down. 
Her tail was tucked low and she 

252
00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:28,960
kept snorting like she smelled 
something foul. 

253
00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:32,640
I crouched down, held her 
collar, and listened hard. 

254
00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:36,360
I heard slow grunts and the 
sound of brush moving just off 

255
00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:39,960
the road, deep in the trees. 
It didn't sound like a deer, and

256
00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:41,640
it was too heavy to be a 
raccoon. 

257
00:13:42,080 --> 00:13:45,080
It sounded like something big, 
shifting its weight behind an 

258
00:13:45,080 --> 00:13:48,880
old downed tree trunk. 
I took a couple of steps off the

259
00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:51,160
road, still holding Daisy by the
collar. 

260
00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:54,680
I looked through a gap between 
the branches and saw it rise up 

261
00:13:54,680 --> 00:13:57,760
from behind the log. 
It stood on 2 legs. 

262
00:13:57,880 --> 00:14:00,080
It was as tall as the low branch
of an old pine. 

263
00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:02,960
Next to it, I guessed around 7 
feet or so. 

264
00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:06,960
Its body looked solid and thick,
with reddish brown hair covering

265
00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:09,400
its shoulders, arms, chest and 
legs. 

266
00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:11,880
The hair almost shone where the 
light touched it. 

267
00:14:12,680 --> 00:14:15,920
Its face shocked me most. 
It reminded me of a monkey I 

268
00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:19,640
once saw at the Portland Zoo. 
Not exactly the same, but close 

269
00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:21,240
enough that I knew this was no 
bear. 

270
00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:24,680
Standing up to sniff the air, 
the eyes caught mine for just a 

271
00:14:24,680 --> 00:14:27,000
second. 
Its head turned quick and I saw 

272
00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:29,360
the muscles in its shoulder roll
under the hair. 

273
00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:33,440
Daisy lunged forward so hard she
pulled me down to one knee. 

274
00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:37,240
I let her go by instinct as she 
tore off after the creature, 

275
00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:42,520
barking with her deepest growl. 
The creature spun and moved fast

276
00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:44,920
through the trees. 
I heard branches snapping and 

277
00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:48,400
dry leaves crunching as it ran 
away, but I barely saw its shape

278
00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:51,840
blur between tree trunks. 
I didn't stick around to watch. 

279
00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:54,480
I turned and sprinted back up 
the dirt Rd. toward my 

280
00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:57,920
grandparents house, yelling for 
Daisy, though she was long gone 

281
00:14:57,920 --> 00:15:00,720
into the brush. 
I reached the yard, out of 

282
00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:02,640
breath. 
My grandparents came out to see 

283
00:15:02,640 --> 00:15:05,480
what the racket was about, but I
didn't say much at first. 

284
00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:07,640
I paced the yard listening for 
Daisy. 

285
00:15:08,480 --> 00:15:12,000
About half hour later, maybe 
closer to 40 minutes, she came 

286
00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:15,200
running out of the woods by the 
shed, her tongue hanging out and

287
00:15:15,200 --> 00:15:17,160
she dropped to the grass to 
catch her breath. 

288
00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:21,000
She was dirty and smelled, but 
she had no cuts or scratches. 

289
00:15:21,560 --> 00:15:24,760
She slept near the back porch 
all night, ears twitching at 

290
00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:27,920
every little noise. 
I laid awake that night 

291
00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:30,960
listening through my window. 
I've heard that same deep womp 

292
00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:32,800
sound I have heard since I was 
little. 

293
00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:35,360
I'd never thought about it much 
until that night. 

294
00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:38,320
I've always heard howls and yips
from coyotes. 

295
00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:41,400
They get loud and frantic 
sometimes, but when the womp 

296
00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:44,000
sound starts, the coyotes go 
dead quiet. 

297
00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:48,040
No yipping, no barking, nothing 
but that low womp echoing 

298
00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:50,800
through the trees like something
big hitting its chest. 

299
00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:55,120
Sometimes the womp rolls into a 
howl that sounds too hollow to 

300
00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:58,080
be a wolf or a dog. 
My grandparents have heard it, 

301
00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:00,240
too. 
They say it's always been that 

302
00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:02,720
way out there, as far back as 
they can remember. 

303
00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:06,080
The smell that night still 
sticks in my memory. 

304
00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:09,800
When Daisy first barked at the 
trees, the air hit my nose like 

305
00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:11,880
a rotting carcass on the side of
the highway. 

306
00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:15,120
It made me gag a little, and I 
tasted it at the back of my 

307
00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:17,640
throat. 
When the creature ran off, the 

308
00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:21,680
smell drifted away fast. 
Since then I have not walked 

309
00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:23,280
that stretch of Rd. alone at 
dusk. 

310
00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:26,320
If I do walk it, I keep Daisy 
leashed and carry a bright 

311
00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:29,160
flashlight. 
Sometimes I stop and listen near

312
00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:32,240
that old fallen tree. 
Twice since then I have smelled 

313
00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:35,600
that same stink hanging in the 
air, just for a moment, then 

314
00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:39,560
gone like a switch turned off. 
When I talk about it with my 

315
00:16:39,560 --> 00:16:42,120
grandparents, they nod, but they
don't say too much. 

316
00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:44,840
They've lived there their whole 
lives and know those woods 

317
00:16:44,840 --> 00:16:47,720
better than anyone. 
I think they believe what I saw 

318
00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:50,000
was a Sasquatch. 
I do too. 

319
00:16:55,280 --> 00:17:00,280
On June 25th, 2024, my wife, our
two kids and I were staying in 

320
00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:03,400
our camper near the edge of the 
Okocho National Forest in 

321
00:17:03,400 --> 00:17:06,040
Central Oregon. 
We had parked at a quiet 

322
00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:09,920
campsite surrounded by tall pine
and juniper trees, not far from 

323
00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:11,760
a small Creek that runs through 
the woods. 

324
00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:15,480
It was late in the evening, the 
sun had dipped behind the Ridge,

325
00:17:15,599 --> 00:17:18,079
but there was still enough light
to see the tree line clearly. 

326
00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:21,000
We had a small campfire going 
near the picnic table. 

327
00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:24,480
My wife and I sat by the fire 
while our kids splashed around 

328
00:17:24,599 --> 00:17:27,319
in a little pool we had set up 
next to the camper steps. 

329
00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:30,480
Our dog was on her leash, tied 
to the picnic table. 

330
00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:33,920
She stayed calm, just sniffing 
the air and watching the kids. 

331
00:17:34,360 --> 00:17:37,040
The night was still and warm and
everything felt normal. 

332
00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:40,960
Then, out of nowhere, a loud 
crack split the quiet. 

333
00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:44,640
It came from the woods behind 
our camper, maybe 50 yards away.

334
00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:47,360
It didn't sound like a branch 
falling or a log. 

335
00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:50,680
It sounded like something 
snapped a small tree or struck a

336
00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:52,520
thick piece of wood against 
another. 

337
00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:55,920
It was sharp and heavy enough 
that all of us froze and turned 

338
00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:59,480
our heads at once. 
Our dog stood up stiff, her 

339
00:17:59,480 --> 00:18:02,800
first standing up down her back.
She growled deep in her throat 

340
00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:05,920
and faced the trees. 
Her nose worked the air and she 

341
00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:08,520
strained at her leash like she 
wanted to run straight into the 

342
00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:11,760
brush. 
We all stayed still, eyes fixed 

343
00:18:11,760 --> 00:18:15,040
on the spot the sound came from.
No other noise followed it. 

344
00:18:15,240 --> 00:18:18,440
No movement or talking, just the
normal insects buzzing in the 

345
00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:22,400
grass. 
After about 15 minutes of 

346
00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:25,320
sitting tents, the kids went 
back to playing and my wife and 

347
00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:28,720
I went back to poking the fire. 
We talked about how it maybe it 

348
00:18:28,720 --> 00:18:31,080
was just. 
We talked about how maybe it was

349
00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:33,760
just a tree cracking. 
We all calmed down and laughed 

350
00:18:33,760 --> 00:18:36,960
it off. 
The next day I had to drive down

351
00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:39,600
to Bend for a medical 
appointment at the VA clinic. 

352
00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:43,480
When we returned to camp later 
that day, right away I noticed 

353
00:18:43,480 --> 00:18:46,920
something off our big plastic 
dog food container, which we 

354
00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:50,360
kept inside A storage bin under 
the camper was out in the open 

355
00:18:50,360 --> 00:18:53,600
next to the fire pit. 
The lid was wide open and the 

356
00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:56,080
food was scattered around like 
it had been scooped out. 

357
00:18:56,600 --> 00:18:59,120
The latch on the container 
needed thumbs to open. 

358
00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:02,560
I walked around to check the 
rest of our gear. 

359
00:19:02,840 --> 00:19:04,640
Nothing else looked touched at 
first. 

360
00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:07,920
My fishing poles were leaning 
against a tree, just like I left

361
00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:10,040
them. 
The tackle box sat next to the 

362
00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:12,880
camper. 
Steps still closed, we unlocked 

363
00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:15,800
the door and stepped inside. 
The place was a mess. 

364
00:19:16,200 --> 00:19:18,920
The small shelves above the 
couch had come loose and fallen 

365
00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:21,680
onto the cushions. 
Those shelves were stuck on with

366
00:19:21,680 --> 00:19:25,520
strong adhesive brackets that 
held firm on bumpy roads before 

367
00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:28,920
a few other items had slid off 
the counters and spilled across 

368
00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:31,960
the floor. 
We went back outside to check 

369
00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:34,360
the roof. 
I climbed up the ladder and felt

370
00:19:34,360 --> 00:19:37,320
my stomach drop. 
One of our solar panels was 

371
00:19:37,320 --> 00:19:40,640
hanging by a thin strip of metal
tilted down over the edge of the

372
00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:42,880
roof. 
The bolts were still partly 

373
00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:45,800
attached, but the welded 
brackets they screwed into were 

374
00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:48,400
cracked and bent. 
It looked like someone grabbed 

375
00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:50,720
the panel and yanked until the 
welds broke. 

376
00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:54,600
If someone wanted to steal it, 
they could have just unbolted it

377
00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:56,960
with a wrench. 
They just ripped it loose and 

378
00:19:56,960 --> 00:19:59,920
left it hanging there. 
I had checked the ground for 

379
00:19:59,920 --> 00:20:02,000
tracks, but the dirt was packed 
hard. 

380
00:20:02,280 --> 00:20:05,240
No prints, no clear drag marks 
from the dog food bin. 

381
00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:07,840
I walked the tree line where we 
heard the knock two nights 

382
00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:11,320
before but found nothing except 
a broken pine cones and dry 

383
00:20:11,320 --> 00:20:13,800
needles. 
At first I thought maybe a 

384
00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:17,080
person messed with us, but if a 
thief wanted something, they 

385
00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:19,320
could have grabbed my rods and 
tackle and sold them. 

386
00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:21,400
They could have stolen the whole
solar panel. 

387
00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:24,480
There was nothing missing. 
It was like something came to 

388
00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:27,840
the camper, opened the food bin,
tore the panel half off, and 

389
00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:30,520
slammed the walls enough to 
knock the shelves loose, but 

390
00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:32,840
didn't want anything except to 
mess with the place. 

391
00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:36,680
That night, after we fixed the 
shelves and fixed the bolts on 

392
00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:39,600
the solar panel as best we 
could, a storm rolled in over 

393
00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:41,760
the forest. 
The wind bent the tops of the 

394
00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:43,600
Pines until they groaned and 
creaked. 

395
00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:45,760
Rain pounded the roof of the 
camper. 

396
00:20:45,920 --> 00:20:48,240
Thunder cracked again and again 
over the hills. 

397
00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:52,280
We tucked the kids into bed and 
my wife and I lay in bed talking

398
00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:55,240
and whispers. 
Our dog laid at our feet, ears 

399
00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:59,480
flat, staring at the door. 
Around midnight, the wind seemed

400
00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:00,720
to ease. 
For a few minutes. 

401
00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:03,760
The pounding rain turned into a 
steady tap on the roof. 

402
00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:06,800
That's when I heard the first 
thump against the side of the 

403
00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:09,320
camper. 
It wasn't a branch swaying in 

404
00:21:09,320 --> 00:21:11,960
the wind. 
It was a strong, slow push that 

405
00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:14,640
made the whole camper shift a 
few inches on its blocks. 

406
00:21:14,840 --> 00:21:17,960
My wife's eyes went wide. 
I held my breath, listening. 

407
00:21:18,520 --> 00:21:20,920
Another shove hit the back near 
the kids bed. 

408
00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:23,280
The walls creaked and the 
windows rattled. 

409
00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:26,400
Our dog sprang up her first, 
standing straight along her 

410
00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:28,680
back. 
She barked once, then crouched 

411
00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:32,280
low and growled toward the door.
Outside the wall, I could hear 

412
00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:35,480
heavy breathing and a grunt so 
deep I felt it in my chest. 

413
00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:39,040
It moved along the side of the 
camper, bumping and pressing as 

414
00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:41,640
it went. 
The kids woke up and started 

415
00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:44,640
crying when another hard push 
made the roof vent squeak 

416
00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:47,960
against its hinges. 
Then I heard a low growl that 

417
00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:51,040
rose and fell, mixed with what 
sounded like a rough snort. 

418
00:21:51,440 --> 00:21:54,360
It circled the camper, thumping 
and scraping the siding with 

419
00:21:54,360 --> 00:21:57,320
something heavy. 
Once it slammed hard enough to 

420
00:21:57,320 --> 00:22:02,080
knock over a cup on the counter,
I crawled across the floor to 

421
00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:05,600
the small window by the dinette.
Lightning flash just then bright

422
00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:07,680
enough to see outside for a 
split second. 

423
00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:11,600
In that flash I saw it. 
A dark shape, standing on 2 

424
00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:15,160
legs, one arm braced against the
camper wall, its head turned 

425
00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:17,720
toward the window. 
Its eyes cut the light. 

426
00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:20,160
For a heartbeat. 
I could see hair dripping with 

427
00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:22,840
rain, dark and tangled across 
wide shoulders. 

428
00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:27,000
The next flash showed it moving 
to the window by the kids bed. 

429
00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:30,400
I heard my wife pull them and 
whisper to them to be quiet. 

430
00:22:31,200 --> 00:22:33,760
Our dog barked again, then 
whined and backed under the 

431
00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:36,240
table. 
The camper rocked side to side 

432
00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:40,000
twice more, slower this time. 
A deep grunt came again, right 

433
00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:41,480
outside the window where I 
knelt. 

434
00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:44,560
I could see the outline of its 
arm pressed against the glass. 

435
00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:47,560
It stood there, breathing heavy,
fogging the window. 

436
00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:50,720
It stood there for what felt 
like forever, but was probably 

437
00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:53,400
less than a minute. 
Then a long roll of Thunder 

438
00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:55,960
cracked and the creature stepped
back into the dark. 

439
00:22:56,560 --> 00:22:59,440
I heard two heavy steps, and 
then the brush behind the camper

440
00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:01,640
rustled loud as branches 
snapped. 

441
00:23:02,800 --> 00:23:05,800
We sat frozen until the storm 
drowned out everything again. 

442
00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:07,760
None of us slept much that 
night. 

443
00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:11,520
Every gust of wind or a creak in
the walls made our dog growl low

444
00:23:11,520 --> 00:23:15,200
in her chest. 
By dawn, the storm had passed. 

445
00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:18,640
The ground was soaked and soft, 
but all around the camper were 

446
00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:21,040
patches of pressed grass and 
broken brush. 

447
00:23:21,320 --> 00:23:24,360
I didn't find clear footprints, 
just big spots where the soil 

448
00:23:24,360 --> 00:23:26,160
was churned and packed down 
deep. 

449
00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:29,720
We packed our gear, loaded the 
kids into their seats, and 

450
00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:32,600
hooked up the camper. 
My wife and I checked the camper

451
00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:35,200
three times to make sure nothing
else was damaged. 

452
00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:38,360
The dog stayed close to the 
truck while we worked. 

453
00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:42,000
She constantly checked the tree 
line and let out short growls 

454
00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:45,000
once in a while. 
We drove out of that camp before

455
00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:46,840
noon. 
We did not look back at the 

456
00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:48,560
woods when we pulled onto the 
main road. 

457
00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:50,880
We went home and never camped 
again. 

458
00:23:56,160 --> 00:24:00,080
In late November 1996, my friend
and I went camping and deer 

459
00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:02,720
hunting on private land outside 
Lapine. 

460
00:24:03,360 --> 00:24:06,840
This area is mostly pine forest.
It stretches for miles with no 

461
00:24:06,840 --> 00:24:11,000
houses, cabins, or other people.
To reach our camp we drove up an

462
00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:13,120
old logging cut that climbed a 
small mountain. 

463
00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:16,480
It was really just a rough 
bulldozer path that loggers made

464
00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:19,240
years ago. 
It was never maintained, full of

465
00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:22,480
washouts and rocks. 
A four wheel drive truck could 

466
00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:25,640
barely make it. 
The path climbed about 3 miles 

467
00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:27,560
up to a flat spot we called the 
Bowl. 

468
00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:30,200
It looked like a dish carved 
into the slope. 

469
00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:33,640
No trees, just around clearing 
about 30 feet across. 

470
00:24:34,520 --> 00:24:37,360
We set up our tents there and 
used it as our base for the next

471
00:24:37,360 --> 00:24:40,280
few days. 
On the 3rd morning we got up 

472
00:24:40,280 --> 00:24:42,640
before dawn. 
We decided where we would hunt 

473
00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:44,600
and plan to meet back at camp at
noon. 

474
00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:47,280
We walked together for 1/2 mile 
then split. 

475
00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:50,080
My friend kept going West along 
the mountaintop. 

476
00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:52,080
I turned South and went down the
slope. 

477
00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:55,320
I stopped a few yards in and 
waited for first light. 

478
00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:58,680
The ground was rocky and steep 
so I didn't want to move until I

479
00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:02,000
could see well. 
Once the sun was up I started to

480
00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:05,120
work my way along a narrow Ridge
that ran out from the mountain 

481
00:25:05,120 --> 00:25:08,200
like a finger. 
Another similar Ridge ran almost

482
00:25:08,200 --> 00:25:11,440
parallel to it with a low tree 
filled valley in between. 

483
00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:15,240
I moved slow, stopping often to 
look and listen. 

484
00:25:15,720 --> 00:25:18,880
The Ridge top was mostly open 
pine with some old oaks mixed 

485
00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:21,200
in. 
The tree trunks were wide apart 

486
00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:23,560
so if a deer cross the valley I 
would see it. 

487
00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:27,480
I also like checking the exposed
rock faces for different layers.

488
00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:31,080
I had taken geology classes and 
always paid attention to what 

489
00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:34,880
was under my boots. 
I crept along until I reached a 

490
00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:36,880
clear spot big enough to sit and
rest. 

491
00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:39,480
There was an old stump there 
that was the perfect height to 

492
00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:41,360
sit without bending my knees too
much. 

493
00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:44,840
I plan to rest, then walk to the
end of the Ridge and check for 

494
00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:48,360
sign before heading back. 
While sitting, I stared at a 

495
00:25:48,360 --> 00:25:50,360
massive oak tree at the top of 
the Ridge. 

496
00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:54,080
It must have been ancient. 
As I looked I noticed movement 

497
00:25:54,080 --> 00:25:56,840
near the base of that tree. 
Something was coming up from 

498
00:25:56,840 --> 00:26:00,640
behind the Ridge tip. 
Walking upright, at first I 

499
00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:02,840
thought it was a person, but 
something seemed off. 

500
00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:05,520
It was on 2 legs, moving slow up
the slope. 

501
00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:08,800
It didn't wear any bright 
orange, which hunters must wear 

502
00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:13,080
in this area during deer season.
It had no rifle, no pack, no 

503
00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:15,640
hat. 
I wondered how anyone could have

504
00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:17,080
gotten there. 
No Rd. 

505
00:26:17,080 --> 00:26:20,040
LED in that direction. 
Even an ATV could not cross that

506
00:26:20,040 --> 00:26:23,520
mess of rock and brush. 
As it got closer to the top, I 

507
00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:26,280
saw its head shape. 
It looked pointed at the top. 

508
00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:29,760
Its shoulders were wide, much 
broader than any man I've ever 

509
00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:32,000
seen. 
It seemed to be covered in hair 

510
00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:34,000
that shone a little where the 
sunlight hit it. 

511
00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:36,840
It reached the oak and stopped 
next to it. 

512
00:26:37,120 --> 00:26:39,600
From where I sat, it was about 
80 yards away. 

513
00:26:40,120 --> 00:26:43,760
Up close, it looked huge. 
I knew then I was not looking at

514
00:26:43,760 --> 00:26:46,160
a man, but not a normal animal 
either. 

515
00:26:46,440 --> 00:26:49,440
It was a Sasquatch. 
It turned its head and looked 

516
00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:52,000
straight at me. 
Its whole body barely moved. 

517
00:26:52,280 --> 00:26:55,440
Then it stepped sideways behind 
the tree, keeping its eyes on me

518
00:26:55,440 --> 00:26:58,400
the whole time. 
It used one step and A twist of 

519
00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:01,840
its hips to get behind the tree.
I stayed frozen. 

520
00:27:01,960 --> 00:27:04,680
I didn't raise my rifle. 
I knew I couldn't run back up 

521
00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:07,440
the Ridge fast enough to camp, 
so I stayed still. 

522
00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:10,400
The creature peeked out from 
behind the tree, then docked 

523
00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:12,920
back. 
I shifted to a small tree near 

524
00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:16,120
my stump for some cover, but it 
didn't hide me too well. 

525
00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:19,160
We did this back and forth for a
couple of minutes. 

526
00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:21,240
It peeked. 
I peeked once. 

527
00:27:21,240 --> 00:27:24,560
I thought I saw a dark patch on 
its chest, but later I realized 

528
00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:26,720
it was a knot in the tree, not 
on the creature. 

529
00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:30,280
The creature looked strong and 
thick from shoulder to hip. 

530
00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:32,000
Its legs were straight and 
thick. 

531
00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:35,560
Also, its hair was dark brown, 
maybe with a hint of reddish 

532
00:27:35,560 --> 00:27:39,000
colour when the sun hit it. 
I couldn't see its eyes clearly 

533
00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:41,080
at that distance. 
It made no sound. 

534
00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:44,680
Suddenly it turned its head away
from me, toward the woods above.

535
00:27:45,080 --> 00:27:48,240
It shifted its feet but stayed 
partly hidden behind the tree. 

536
00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:52,240
I heard what it heard, a loud 
snap of a branch uphill. 

537
00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:56,280
It moved off behind the tree 
faster than before, but not in a

538
00:27:56,280 --> 00:27:59,520
panic. 
I stayed low and scanned the 

539
00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:03,400
trees for what made that snap. 
I looked hard, thinking it might

540
00:28:03,400 --> 00:28:05,800
be another creature. 
I could see nothing. 

541
00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:09,200
I wanted to see where the 
creature went, so I went to the 

542
00:28:09,200 --> 00:28:10,960
oak. 
The ground there was hard and 

543
00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:12,640
dry. 
I found no tracks. 

544
00:28:13,080 --> 00:28:16,360
The slope it came up was steep 
and rocky with packed soil that 

545
00:28:16,360 --> 00:28:19,640
didn't hold Prince either. 
I paced out the distance back to

546
00:28:19,640 --> 00:28:23,880
my stump, about 83 yards. 
I stood under the tree knot I 

547
00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:26,640
thought was on his chest and 
reached as high as I could. 

548
00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:31,080
My fingertips barely touched the
bottom of that knot that told me

549
00:28:31,080 --> 00:28:33,720
how tall the creature's chest 
must have been when it stood 

550
00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:36,600
there. 
After that, I walked back up to 

551
00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:39,160
camp, checking behind me more 
often than usual. 

552
00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:41,680
My friend was already at camp 
when I got there. 

553
00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:44,680
He had seen no deer and no sign 
of anything strange. 

554
00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:48,280
We packed up the next day and 
took the slow drive back down 

555
00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:50,280
the old dozer cut to the main 
road. 

556
00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:53,840
I watched the timberline as we 
turned out of the forest but saw

557
00:28:53,840 --> 00:29:01,840
nothing. 
In August 2014, a local police 

558
00:29:01,840 --> 00:29:05,360
officer and a longtime friend 
went out to a family pond on 

559
00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:09,160
private land outside Sutherland.
The pond sits back in a small 

560
00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:11,240
clearing surrounded by thick 
Douglas fir. 

561
00:29:11,760 --> 00:29:14,560
It was quiet out there. 
They planned to relax for a bit 

562
00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:16,360
and maybe fish if they felt like
it. 

563
00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:19,960
When they got down to the water,
they saw something strange along

564
00:29:19,960 --> 00:29:22,880
the muddy bank. 
Scattered across a 20 foot 

565
00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:26,600
stretch were fish skeletons, not
just picked over, but broken, 

566
00:29:26,600 --> 00:29:29,680
nearly clean in half. 
Each backbone was snapped in the

567
00:29:29,680 --> 00:29:32,360
middle, but the head and tail 
were still attached to the 

568
00:29:32,360 --> 00:29:34,920
bones. 
The meat was completely gone, 

569
00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:38,160
stripped so clean that the ribs 
and spines looked white against 

570
00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:41,160
the damp ground. 
The officer and his buddy 

571
00:29:41,160 --> 00:29:43,760
checked the spot for signs 
someone had stopped or crushed 

572
00:29:43,760 --> 00:29:46,920
the fish, but there were no boot
prints on them and no tracks in 

573
00:29:46,920 --> 00:29:50,560
the fresh mud besides their own.
They talked about how odd it 

574
00:29:50,560 --> 00:29:52,880
was. 
Neither had seen fish left like 

575
00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:55,800
that before. 
A raccoon or Otter would usually

576
00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:58,760
drag the whole fish off, or at 
least chew the bones apart. 

577
00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:01,920
These looked broken and stripped
right there on the bank. 

578
00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:05,440
They sat by the pond for about 
1/2 hour. 

579
00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:08,560
His buddy stepped into the trees
behind them to relieve himself. 

580
00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:11,560
The officer stayed near the bank
looking down at the fish 

581
00:30:11,560 --> 00:30:14,560
remains, trying to figure out 
what animal would eat this way. 

582
00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:18,560
Then he heard a soft movement 
behind him, back where the tree 

583
00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:21,440
line thickened. 
He turned and scanned the Pines.

584
00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:23,880
At first he didn't see anything 
unusual. 

585
00:30:24,240 --> 00:30:27,560
Then he caught sight of dark 
reddish brown hair partly hidden

586
00:30:27,560 --> 00:30:30,280
behind a big tree trunk about 20
yards away. 

587
00:30:31,120 --> 00:30:34,160
The creature leaned out to its 
left, then shifted to peek out 

588
00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:37,640
from the right side of the tree.
It repeated this more than once,

589
00:30:37,680 --> 00:30:40,800
slow and steady. 
Each time it moved, he could see

590
00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:44,360
more of its side and shoulder. 
The tree was too narrow to hide 

591
00:30:44,360 --> 00:30:48,120
his whole body. 
After a few seconds of this side

592
00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:51,880
to side peaking, it stepped 
back, then took one wide stride 

593
00:30:51,880 --> 00:30:55,320
to the right that moved it out 
into the open between the pond 

594
00:30:55,320 --> 00:30:58,080
and the woods. 
He could see the whole shape 

595
00:30:58,080 --> 00:31:00,480
then. 
It stood tall and heavy, built 

596
00:31:00,560 --> 00:31:03,160
with long arms. 
The hair looked thick and rough,

597
00:31:03,320 --> 00:31:06,680
dark reddish brown in colour, 
like the mix of chestnut and 

598
00:31:06,680 --> 00:31:09,360
deep brown. 
Its head sat low on wide 

599
00:31:09,360 --> 00:31:12,360
shoulders. 
A low branch from the same tree 

600
00:31:12,360 --> 00:31:15,920
hung just over where it stood. 
Later, the officer measured that

601
00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:18,120
branch at about 8 feet above the
ground. 

602
00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:20,800
The creature's head nearly 
touched the branch when it 

603
00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:23,680
paused in the open. 
He didn't wait for it to move 

604
00:31:23,680 --> 00:31:25,400
again. 
He turned and ran straight 

605
00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:28,080
across the clearing toward his 
friend's grandma's house about 

606
00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:31,600
1/4 mile away, not stopping 
until he reached the back porch.

607
00:31:32,120 --> 00:31:35,520
His friend, confused at first, 
caught up not long after, still 

608
00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:38,800
buckling his belt. 
Later, the officer returned 

609
00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:41,720
alone and checked the tree. 
He confirmed the low branch 

610
00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:44,480
height and looked for tracks, 
but the ground under the tree 

611
00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:47,440
was packed hard. 
No clear prints showed, just 

612
00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:49,360
flattened grass where the 
creature had stood. 

613
00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:52,680
He didn't speak about this for 
nearly ten years. 

614
00:31:53,040 --> 00:31:56,080
Being in a small town, he knew 
word would spread fast and 

615
00:31:56,080 --> 00:31:58,920
people would talk. 
His father kept telling him he 

616
00:31:58,920 --> 00:32:00,960
should write it down or tell 
someone official. 

617
00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:03,880
He finally agreed, wanting it 
off his chest. 

618
00:32:04,680 --> 00:32:06,600
He knew what he saw was a 
Sasquatch. 

619
00:32:06,960 --> 00:32:09,440
It was not a man hiding, not a 
trick of light. 

620
00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:13,160
It watched from behind the trees
before showing itself completely

621
00:32:13,160 --> 00:32:16,200
for just a few seconds and then 
left without a sound. 

622
00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:25,720
On January 28th, 2000, snow fell
heavy across the hills near all 

623
00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:28,880
Sea Oregon. 
The area sits deep in the Coast 

624
00:32:28,880 --> 00:32:31,720
Range, mostly logging land and 
patches of old growth. 

625
00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:36,320
Very few people live back there.
That afternoon I was at home by 

626
00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:39,200
the wood stove with my police 
scanner on the table next to me.

627
00:32:39,680 --> 00:32:42,760
I had a relative call earlier 
that day with news that caught 

628
00:32:42,760 --> 00:32:45,480
me off guard. 
He said that a man who lives on 

629
00:32:45,480 --> 00:32:48,360
the edge of the timber tract 
claims three large hairy 

630
00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:51,000
creatures came onto his porch 
the night before. 

631
00:32:51,680 --> 00:32:55,080
He said they were man like in 
shape, big chested, long arms, 

632
00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:58,280
thick hair all over. 
They moved around the yard and 

633
00:32:58,280 --> 00:33:01,680
onto his steps. 
He got his SKS rifle, stepped 

634
00:33:01,680 --> 00:33:04,720
outside and shot 1. 
He was sure he hid it. 

635
00:33:05,160 --> 00:33:07,920
The creature dropped to the snow
but didn't stay down long. 

636
00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:10,960
Two others came out of the 
trees, lifted the one that was 

637
00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:14,400
hit and carried it back into the
timber without making a sound. 

638
00:33:16,120 --> 00:33:18,720
Word spread that someone called 
the federal agents about it. 

639
00:33:19,160 --> 00:33:22,200
Blood and hair samples were 
taken off the porch steps and 

640
00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:24,480
off the crusted snow near the 
edge of the clearing. 

641
00:33:25,800 --> 00:33:28,840
My relative said he didn't see 
this himself, but spoke with a 

642
00:33:28,840 --> 00:33:32,280
man who did. 
A few tree planting crews who 

643
00:33:32,280 --> 00:33:35,240
work for a contract company 
refused to go back up the Ridge 

644
00:33:35,240 --> 00:33:37,840
near that homestead. 
They packed their trucks and 

645
00:33:37,840 --> 00:33:40,480
left seedlings behind. 
Some said they wouldn't come 

646
00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:43,360
back until someone checked the 
area for more of the creatures. 

647
00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:47,400
While I sat by the scanner, I 
caught part of a short talk 

648
00:33:47,400 --> 00:33:50,760
between 2:00 local game wardens.
One told the other to keep his 

649
00:33:50,760 --> 00:33:53,600
eyes open for Sasquatch in that 
same general area. 

650
00:33:54,120 --> 00:33:56,640
Neither laughed. 
Their tone was steady and calm, 

651
00:33:56,760 --> 00:33:59,880
but serious enough that I turned
up the volume to be sure I heard

652
00:33:59,880 --> 00:34:02,720
right. 
They gave no names or exact 

653
00:34:02,720 --> 00:34:05,600
spots, but I knew the stretch of
timber they were talking about, 

654
00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:09,320
thick with second growth pine, 
steep switch back roads and 

655
00:34:09,320 --> 00:34:11,880
clearings that close in fast 
once dark comes. 

656
00:34:12,920 --> 00:34:16,199
I never saw that porch myself or
the blood spots, but the talk on

657
00:34:16,199 --> 00:34:18,679
the scanner lined up with what 
my relative said. 

658
00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:22,800
After the snow melted, logging 
crews went back into the lower 

659
00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:25,719
cuts but stayed out of the 
farthest blocks for a while. 

660
00:34:26,760 --> 00:34:29,960
That reminded me of my own 
experience on that same general 

661
00:34:29,960 --> 00:34:33,159
side of the state. 
It happened much earlier in July

662
00:34:33,159 --> 00:34:37,280
1983 when I worked driving for a
timber outfit near Deadwood. 

663
00:34:38,520 --> 00:34:42,560
Back then I ran a one ton flat 
bag truck hauling a 1200 gallon 

664
00:34:42,560 --> 00:34:46,400
water tank to fill tree sprayers
and dust control rigs on dusty 

665
00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:48,920
summer roads. 
It was a simple job, but the 

666
00:34:48,920 --> 00:34:51,639
back roads cut through some of 
the roughest parts of the hills.

667
00:34:52,159 --> 00:34:55,360
Some roads twist so tight you 
can't see around the bends until

668
00:34:55,360 --> 00:34:58,840
you're nearly on them. 
One afternoon, near the end of a

669
00:34:58,840 --> 00:35:02,400
long day, I topped a rise on a 
gravel track that dropped down 

670
00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:05,760
into a cedar pocket. 
I lifted my foot off the gas and

671
00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:08,720
coasted a little. 
Halfway down the short hill, I 

672
00:35:08,720 --> 00:35:10,680
saw something move across the 
bend ahead. 

673
00:35:11,160 --> 00:35:14,000
It stepped from the right side 
of the road, took three big 

674
00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:16,520
strides, and was gone into the 
brush on the left. 

675
00:35:17,200 --> 00:35:21,200
I braked hard enough the tanker 
sloshed behind me when I passed 

676
00:35:21,200 --> 00:35:23,840
the same spot. 
There was no sound, no sign in 

677
00:35:23,840 --> 00:35:26,760
the brush, but I had gotten 
close enough to see details I 

678
00:35:26,760 --> 00:35:30,200
can't explain away. 
It was on 2 legs the whole time,

679
00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:33,440
its arms swung as it ran. 
It was taller than the hood of 

680
00:35:33,440 --> 00:35:37,520
my truck, probably about 7 feet.
It looked wide in the chest, but

681
00:35:37,520 --> 00:35:40,120
the hips tapered. 
The hair on the upper half 

682
00:35:40,240 --> 00:35:42,920
looked dark brown with a slight 
reddish tone in the sun. 

683
00:35:43,360 --> 00:35:46,000
The lower body fur seemed 
lighter, more faded. 

684
00:35:47,120 --> 00:35:50,440
Its legs bent at the knee just 
like a man running, and never 

685
00:35:50,440 --> 00:35:53,480
turned its head to look at me, 
just kept his face forward and 

686
00:35:53,480 --> 00:35:56,560
crossed the road. 
After it vanished into the 

687
00:35:56,560 --> 00:35:59,440
huckleberry, I sat for a moment 
with my foot on the brake. 

688
00:35:59,920 --> 00:36:03,280
I rolled down the rest of the 
road, slow, watching both sides.

689
00:36:03,680 --> 00:36:07,800
Nothing else moved in the trees.
When I reached the landing where

690
00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:10,160
the other trucks waited, I 
thought about telling the crew 

691
00:36:10,160 --> 00:36:12,840
what I saw. 
A few laughed when I hinted at 

692
00:36:12,840 --> 00:36:16,000
it, so I kept it short. 
I knew better than to talk about

693
00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:18,840
big hairy creatures to people 
who would rather believe it was 

694
00:36:18,840 --> 00:36:22,080
just a trick of the light or my 
eyes playing games after a long 

695
00:36:22,080 --> 00:36:25,720
shift. 
Since then, every few years, 

696
00:36:25,720 --> 00:36:29,480
something small reminds me like 
fresh memories of contractors 

697
00:36:29,480 --> 00:36:32,920
refusing to plant in a certain 
block, or a logger saying he 

698
00:36:32,920 --> 00:36:35,720
heard heavy movement in the 
brush while setting chokers for 

699
00:36:35,720 --> 00:36:38,680
yarding. 
I don't know what the man really

700
00:36:38,680 --> 00:36:41,600
shot at near Elsie. 
I don't know what carried it 

701
00:36:41,600 --> 00:36:46,040
away, but I know what crossed my
path that summer day in 1983. 

702
00:36:49,920 --> 00:36:54,120
In July 2008, on a warm night 
near Skyo, Oregon, I stood with 

703
00:36:54,120 --> 00:36:56,800
my boyfriend by his pickup truck
at my parents farm. 

704
00:36:57,520 --> 00:37:00,360
We had come back late after a 
dinner in town and parked on the

705
00:37:00,360 --> 00:37:02,320
gravel drive beside the back 
pasture. 

706
00:37:03,160 --> 00:37:06,080
We leaned against the truck bed 
facing the open pasture behind 

707
00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:09,600
the house where I grew up. 
The pasture is about 5 acres, 

708
00:37:09,720 --> 00:37:13,200
surrounded by wire fencing and 
backed by a line of tall fir and

709
00:37:13,200 --> 00:37:16,160
oak trees. 
Beyond that tree line, the land 

710
00:37:16,160 --> 00:37:19,200
slopes down toward an old Creek 
bed and more timber that runs 

711
00:37:19,200 --> 00:37:22,440
for miles. 
We stood talking quietly, 

712
00:37:22,560 --> 00:37:25,840
relaxed, barely moving. 
The sky was clear enough that 

713
00:37:25,840 --> 00:37:27,440
the moon lit up the pasture 
well. 

714
00:37:27,960 --> 00:37:31,000
Every fence post and clump of 
grass stood out in the soft 

715
00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:33,840
light. 
While we talked, both of us 

716
00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:37,040
noticed movement at the same 
time toward the far end of the 

717
00:37:37,040 --> 00:37:39,440
pasture. 
Something large and dark moved 

718
00:37:39,440 --> 00:37:42,880
fast across the open field. 
It came from near the lower 

719
00:37:42,880 --> 00:37:45,800
corner of the fence line and 
crossed at an angle, heading 

720
00:37:45,800 --> 00:37:49,640
southwest toward the trees. 
Under the moonlight, the shape 

721
00:37:49,640 --> 00:37:52,600
was clear enough to see it move 
upright on 2 legs. 

722
00:37:53,200 --> 00:37:55,920
From how it looked against the 
fence post and the tall grass, 

723
00:37:56,120 --> 00:37:58,200
it stood around 7 to 8 feet 
tall. 

724
00:37:58,720 --> 00:38:02,040
Its arms swung by its sides and 
its head was slightly forward as

725
00:38:02,040 --> 00:38:04,920
it ran. 
Before reaching the trees, it 

726
00:38:04,920 --> 00:38:06,680
turned its head back in our 
direction. 

727
00:38:07,120 --> 00:38:09,960
Even at that distance, it was 
easy to see that it looked 

728
00:38:09,960 --> 00:38:13,360
straight at us for a second 
before facing forward again and 

729
00:38:13,360 --> 00:38:15,920
disappearing into the timber at 
the back of the pasture. 

730
00:38:17,160 --> 00:38:20,200
Both of us pushed away from the 
truck and asked each other if we

731
00:38:20,200 --> 00:38:21,800
really saw what we thought we 
saw. 

732
00:38:22,440 --> 00:38:24,160
Neither of us waited for an 
answer. 

733
00:38:24,360 --> 00:38:27,040
We ran inside through the back 
porch and told my mother. 

734
00:38:27,560 --> 00:38:30,280
She grabbed the flashlight, 
stepped out and swept the beam 

735
00:38:30,280 --> 00:38:32,120
over the pasture and along the 
fence. 

736
00:38:32,480 --> 00:38:35,120
But the night was silent and the
trees didn't show anything 

737
00:38:35,120 --> 00:38:38,880
moving. 
There were no strange sounds and

738
00:38:38,880 --> 00:38:41,920
we didn't smell anything. 
The ground was dry and the grass

739
00:38:41,920 --> 00:38:44,600
high enough that if there were 
any prints, we couldn't find 

740
00:38:44,600 --> 00:38:47,440
them. 
About three years later, a 

741
00:38:47,440 --> 00:38:50,560
neighbor who lives up the Ridge 
about 1/4 mile behind our place 

742
00:38:50,760 --> 00:38:52,320
was hunting deer with her 
husband. 

743
00:38:52,760 --> 00:38:55,560
She later told my mother she 
smelled something strong and 

744
00:38:55,560 --> 00:38:59,840
musky before she saw anything. 
Through the brush below her 

745
00:38:59,840 --> 00:39:03,480
stand, she saw a tall shape 
covered in dark brown hair 

746
00:39:03,560 --> 00:39:05,360
moving upright between the 
trees. 

747
00:39:05,960 --> 00:39:09,040
She said it didn't drop to all 
fours but kept walking steady 

748
00:39:09,040 --> 00:39:11,360
until it moved out of sight 
toward the Creek bottom. 

749
00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:15,200
Her husband smelled the same 
odor and heard snapping branches

750
00:39:15,360 --> 00:39:18,520
but didn't get a clear look. 
They left their stands early 

751
00:39:18,520 --> 00:39:20,840
that day and didn't go back for 
a long while. 

752
00:39:21,960 --> 00:39:25,480
What we saw that night moved on 
2 legs covered ground fast, 

753
00:39:25,720 --> 00:39:28,560
turned its head to check us out,
and stepped into the trees 

754
00:39:28,560 --> 00:39:31,200
without slowing. 
We're fairly certain that what 

755
00:39:31,200 --> 00:39:40,040
we saw was a Bigfoot. 
On Halloween night in 2006, I 

756
00:39:40,040 --> 00:39:43,240
drove my younger brother to 
Foster Lake just east of Sweet 

757
00:39:43,240 --> 00:39:45,840
Home OR. 
He was a high school senior at 

758
00:39:45,840 --> 00:39:48,560
the time and he and some friends
plan to meet there to hang out 

759
00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:51,080
by the water. 
It was a local spot where 

760
00:39:51,080 --> 00:39:54,080
teenagers like to swap ghost 
stories and try to spook each 

761
00:39:54,080 --> 00:39:57,600
other on Halloween. 
The main parking area sits right

762
00:39:57,600 --> 00:40:00,600
by the lake and connects to a 
short Rd. that loops back toward

763
00:40:00,600 --> 00:40:05,120
the main highway through town. 
I was mostly focused on talking 

764
00:40:05,120 --> 00:40:08,000
with my brother while we drove. 
He was excited to see his 

765
00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:10,760
friends and I wasn't paying much
attention to what was happening 

766
00:40:10,760 --> 00:40:12,840
along the road or in the woods 
by the lake. 

767
00:40:13,480 --> 00:40:15,680
I dropped him off at the lot 
where his friends cars were 

768
00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:17,520
parked. 
I watched him walk up to the 

769
00:40:17,520 --> 00:40:20,520
group gathered near the shore. 
Then I turned back to head home.

770
00:40:21,040 --> 00:40:23,880
I planned to get back before it 
was too late since I had to work

771
00:40:23,880 --> 00:40:27,080
early the next morning. 
I pulled out of the lot and 

772
00:40:27,080 --> 00:40:30,320
drove back down the Park Rd. 
that crosses a small inlet where

773
00:40:30,320 --> 00:40:32,760
a Creek feeds into the east side
of Foster Lake. 

774
00:40:33,360 --> 00:40:35,640
There's a low bridge there. 
It was a clear night with 

775
00:40:35,640 --> 00:40:38,360
scattered clouds, and the moon 
lit the water enough that I 

776
00:40:38,360 --> 00:40:40,280
could see the surface shining in
spots. 

777
00:40:41,280 --> 00:40:44,200
As my headlights swept over the 
bridge, I caught sight of 

778
00:40:44,200 --> 00:40:47,240
something at the edge of the 
Creek about 20 yards downstream.

779
00:40:47,880 --> 00:40:50,480
I slowed to look closer, but 
didn't stop right away. 

780
00:40:51,120 --> 00:40:53,520
At first, I thought maybe a 
person was crouched at the 

781
00:40:53,520 --> 00:40:56,480
water's edge. 
I kept rolling, then found a 

782
00:40:56,480 --> 00:40:59,680
wide spot to turn around. 
I backed the car up, swung 

783
00:40:59,680 --> 00:41:01,320
around and drove back to the 
bridge. 

784
00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:04,800
I eased the car forward so the 
headlights were aiming down the 

785
00:41:04,800 --> 00:41:07,440
line of the Creek bank. 
It was still there. 

786
00:41:07,600 --> 00:41:10,960
Squatted low by the water. 
It balanced on the balls of its 

787
00:41:10,960 --> 00:41:13,480
feet. 
Its arms reached down and its 

788
00:41:13,480 --> 00:41:15,840
hands moved just under the 
surface of the water. 

789
00:41:16,560 --> 00:41:18,360
The light of my headlights 
caught the fur. 

790
00:41:18,600 --> 00:41:20,720
It looked dark and shiny where 
the beams hit it. 

791
00:41:21,040 --> 00:41:23,720
It was big. 
Even squatted down, it looked 4 

792
00:41:23,720 --> 00:41:25,760
1/2 or 5 feet tall at the 
shoulders. 

793
00:41:26,240 --> 00:41:29,360
Its back was wide. 
The fur looked thick and clumped

794
00:41:29,360 --> 00:41:31,000
in spots where it might have 
been wet. 

795
00:41:31,640 --> 00:41:34,400
It didn't move its body. 
It just dipped its hands and 

796
00:41:34,400 --> 00:41:35,920
pulled out something in the 
shallows. 

797
00:41:36,720 --> 00:41:39,360
I sat there with my foot on the 
brake, trying not to blink. 

798
00:41:39,760 --> 00:41:42,720
It didn't look at my car or show
any sign that I was bothering 

799
00:41:42,720 --> 00:41:45,160
it. 
After what felt like forever, 

800
00:41:45,160 --> 00:41:48,080
but was probably only a few 
seconds, it finished whatever it

801
00:41:48,080 --> 00:41:49,880
was doing. 
It shifted its weight, 

802
00:41:50,040 --> 00:41:53,160
straightened its legs, and rose 
up in one smooth motion. 

803
00:41:53,840 --> 00:41:56,560
Standing at full height, it 
looked tall enough that its head

804
00:41:56,560 --> 00:41:58,960
would have been well above the 
top of my SUV. 

805
00:41:59,520 --> 00:42:01,920
It turned its upper body 
slightly, stepped into the 

806
00:42:01,920 --> 00:42:04,240
shallow current and crossed to 
the other side. 

807
00:42:04,840 --> 00:42:08,200
The Creek at that spot runs 
about 15 feet across, maybe knee

808
00:42:08,200 --> 00:42:10,760
deep in most places. 
It walked through it like the 

809
00:42:10,760 --> 00:42:13,960
water wasn't there. 
When it reached the far bank, it

810
00:42:13,960 --> 00:42:16,080
climbed the muddy slope without 
using its hands. 

811
00:42:16,320 --> 00:42:18,960
It stepped into the brush under 
the trees and the branches 

812
00:42:18,960 --> 00:42:21,360
swayed for a few seconds before 
going still. 

813
00:42:22,040 --> 00:42:25,080
I didn't hear it make any sound,
nothing but the water and the 

814
00:42:25,080 --> 00:42:28,800
trees moving. 
I sat there until my legs 

815
00:42:28,800 --> 00:42:30,680
started to ache from holding the
brake down. 

816
00:42:31,160 --> 00:42:34,360
The headlights showed only the 
empty bank now nothing moved but

817
00:42:34,360 --> 00:42:36,080
the faint ripple where it had 
crossed. 

818
00:42:37,400 --> 00:42:40,320
I finally drove forward off the 
bridge, heart thumping, and 

819
00:42:40,320 --> 00:42:42,080
headed down the road towards 
Sweet Home. 

820
00:42:42,800 --> 00:42:45,520
I kept my eyes on the shoulder 
of the road the whole way out to

821
00:42:45,520 --> 00:42:48,120
the highway. 
What struck me most was how 

822
00:42:48,120 --> 00:42:51,000
close it was to people. 
There were St. lamps along the 

823
00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:54,200
park entrance road and houses 
not far behind the trees. 

824
00:42:54,720 --> 00:42:58,680
The town sits less than a mile 
away, yet there it was crouched 

825
00:42:58,680 --> 00:43:01,320
at the Creek, completely 
unbothered by my car. 

826
00:43:02,400 --> 00:43:05,280
Later that week I drove back to 
the same spot in daylight. 

827
00:43:05,680 --> 00:43:08,480
I parked at the side turn out 
and walked to the Creek edge. 

828
00:43:09,200 --> 00:43:12,200
The bank where it squatted was 
muddy with flat stones along the

829
00:43:12,200 --> 00:43:14,400
edge. 
I didn't see clear footprints, 

830
00:43:14,520 --> 00:43:17,000
but there were wide spots in the
mud where something heavy had 

831
00:43:17,000 --> 00:43:18,840
pressed down and left shallow 
dance. 

832
00:43:19,720 --> 00:43:22,280
I followed the tree line up the 
slope where it had stepped into 

833
00:43:22,280 --> 00:43:24,480
the woods. 
The branches were bent and 

834
00:43:24,480 --> 00:43:26,680
snapped in a spot where it had 
pushed through. 

835
00:43:27,920 --> 00:43:29,520
I didn't tell many people at 
first. 

836
00:43:29,800 --> 00:43:32,720
Foster Lake stays busy in 
summer, but quiet in fall and 

837
00:43:32,720 --> 00:43:35,200
winter. 
People camp, fish and picnic. 

838
00:43:35,640 --> 00:43:38,680
Nobody expects to see a creature
that size within sight of the 

839
00:43:38,680 --> 00:43:41,920
road. 
A few years later, I heard from 

840
00:43:41,920 --> 00:43:44,520
a fisherman that something big 
crossed the bank at that same 

841
00:43:44,520 --> 00:43:47,520
creekmouth early one morning 
while he loaded his boat. 

842
00:43:48,160 --> 00:43:51,520
He never saw it straight on, but
heard heavy steps and saw a big 

843
00:43:51,520 --> 00:43:53,240
dark shape push through the 
Bush. 

844
00:43:54,240 --> 00:43:57,480
Every time I drive that stretch 
I slowed down when crossing the 

845
00:43:57,480 --> 00:43:59,560
bridge. 
I still look down the bank to 

846
00:43:59,560 --> 00:44:01,400
the same bend where that 
creature was. 

847
00:44:01,400 --> 00:44:10,600
That Halloween night in the fall
of 2014, I was driving South on 

848
00:44:10,600 --> 00:44:13,840
Hwy. 126 near Vita, heading 
toward Eugene. 

849
00:44:14,440 --> 00:44:16,640
The road there runs along the 
Mackenzie River. 

850
00:44:17,040 --> 00:44:20,000
It was a clear afternoon, the 
pavement dry, and hardly any 

851
00:44:20,000 --> 00:44:23,360
traffic on that stretch except 
for the occasional truck or car.

852
00:44:23,960 --> 00:44:26,760
I came around a gentle bend 
where the road dips between two 

853
00:44:26,760 --> 00:44:30,240
ridges and crosses a small side 
Creek that drains down into the 

854
00:44:30,240 --> 00:44:32,960
Mackenzie. 
As my headlights swung through 

855
00:44:32,960 --> 00:44:35,960
the curve, I saw movement low on
the right shoulder near the 

856
00:44:35,960 --> 00:44:38,880
ditch. 
Before I could react, a huge 

857
00:44:38,880 --> 00:44:42,920
upright shape stepped up out of 
the ditch. 1 stride put it fully

858
00:44:42,920 --> 00:44:45,440
onto the road bed. 
A second and third stride 

859
00:44:45,560 --> 00:44:48,720
carried it across the two lanes 
and then disappeared down the 

860
00:44:48,720 --> 00:44:51,760
opposite bank toward the thicker
brush and Creek bottom. 

861
00:44:52,560 --> 00:44:55,360
A car travelling northbound had 
come through the same bend and 

862
00:44:55,360 --> 00:44:58,360
almost the same moment. 
Both of us braked and rolled to 

863
00:44:58,360 --> 00:45:00,160
a crawl at the spot where it 
crossed. 

864
00:45:00,760 --> 00:45:02,600
I put my window down and 
motioned. 

865
00:45:02,920 --> 00:45:06,160
A middle-aged woman cracked her 
window and nodded when I asked 

866
00:45:06,160 --> 00:45:09,760
if she had seen what crossed. 
She confirmed she had and looked

867
00:45:09,760 --> 00:45:13,480
just as surprised as I felt. 
What struck me most in those few

868
00:45:13,480 --> 00:45:16,880
seconds was the size. 
It stood around 7 to 8 feet 

869
00:45:16,880 --> 00:45:20,600
tall, with a chest and shoulders
wider than any person I've ever 

870
00:45:20,600 --> 00:45:23,320
seen. 
The legs were thick from hip to 

871
00:45:23,320 --> 00:45:26,360
knee, and each step stretched 
further than any man could 

872
00:45:26,360 --> 00:45:29,200
manage. 
It moved fast but steady. 

873
00:45:30,040 --> 00:45:32,520
The hair covering the body 
looked blackish brown. 

874
00:45:32,720 --> 00:45:35,760
It wasn't matted, but hung in 
thick patches that shifted as 

875
00:45:35,760 --> 00:45:38,800
the creature walked. 
The arm swung wide, reaching 

876
00:45:38,800 --> 00:45:41,120
well past where any man's hands 
would fall. 

877
00:45:41,600 --> 00:45:44,360
I couldn't see the face in 
detail, but noticed the skin 

878
00:45:44,360 --> 00:45:46,800
looked clearer of hair than the 
rest of the body. 

879
00:45:47,840 --> 00:45:50,640
A small Creek cuts under that 
part of the road through a short

880
00:45:50,640 --> 00:45:52,920
culvert. 
I remember thinking afterward 

881
00:45:52,960 --> 00:45:55,240
that the creature could have 
stayed hidden under the bridge 

882
00:45:55,440 --> 00:45:58,560
or in the thick brush by the 
bank, but chose to cross in the 

883
00:45:58,560 --> 00:46:01,560
open instead. 
It didn't appear panicked, just 

884
00:46:01,560 --> 00:46:05,320
quick and direct. 
After it vanished into the far 

885
00:46:05,320 --> 00:46:08,600
ditch, the northbound car pulled
off and the woman sat for a 

886
00:46:08,600 --> 00:46:11,040
moment before slowly pulling 
back onto the road. 

887
00:46:11,520 --> 00:46:14,280
I did the same. 
My heart was pounding so hard I 

888
00:46:14,280 --> 00:46:17,320
could feel it in my throat as I 
drove the last few miles into 

889
00:46:17,320 --> 00:46:20,000
town. 
I've spent my whole life 

890
00:46:20,000 --> 00:46:23,280
hunting, fishing and camping all
across the western states. 

891
00:46:23,760 --> 00:46:27,240
I knew about Bigfoot from living
in California, but I never truly

892
00:46:27,240 --> 00:46:30,760
expected to see one, especially 
not so close to the highway with

893
00:46:30,760 --> 00:46:34,360
cars travelling. 
Years passed, but I never forgot

894
00:46:34,360 --> 00:46:37,240
how it moved. 
The stride was not like a man's.

895
00:46:37,640 --> 00:46:40,520
Each step covered so much 
ground, and the sway of its 

896
00:46:40,520 --> 00:46:42,440
shoulders matched the reach of 
its arms. 

897
00:46:42,960 --> 00:46:45,960
The weight of its torso and legs
showed with every shift. 

898
00:46:47,480 --> 00:46:50,480
A few years after that first 
highway sighting, I had another 

899
00:46:50,480 --> 00:46:54,400
encounter not far from the same 
area, this time near Finn Rock, 

900
00:46:54,400 --> 00:46:56,760
Oregon. 
It was late fall again, and I 

901
00:46:56,760 --> 00:46:59,320
was out with an old friend 
checking some firewood spots 

902
00:46:59,480 --> 00:47:01,720
along the edge of the Mackenzie 
River corridor. 

903
00:47:02,320 --> 00:47:05,520
We often cut standing dead trees
for winter wood, and we like to 

904
00:47:05,520 --> 00:47:08,800
scout new spots before snow made
the back roads too slick. 

905
00:47:09,400 --> 00:47:12,000
That day, the weather turned to 
light rain, just enough to 

906
00:47:12,000 --> 00:47:14,440
darken the dirt tracks and 
dampen the underbrush. 

907
00:47:15,360 --> 00:47:18,160
We were in my old pickup 
crawling along a narrow spur 

908
00:47:18,240 --> 00:47:20,560
that cuts through mixed fur in 
Alder stands. 

909
00:47:21,200 --> 00:47:24,040
The plan was to check an old 
log, landing up a slope where I 

910
00:47:24,040 --> 00:47:26,520
knew some snags stood dry enough
for easy cutting. 

911
00:47:27,720 --> 00:47:30,760
As we rounded a wide bend, the 
road opened into a single 

912
00:47:30,760 --> 00:47:34,240
straight stretch, lined on both 
sides by second growth fir. 

913
00:47:34,720 --> 00:47:38,160
About 150 yards ahead, something
stepped out from the east side 

914
00:47:38,160 --> 00:47:40,520
timber and crossed the track in 
Plainview. 

915
00:47:41,240 --> 00:47:44,280
This creature moved upright, 
covering ground in long, quick 

916
00:47:44,280 --> 00:47:46,400
strides. 
It carried what looked like a 

917
00:47:46,400 --> 00:47:48,600
deer carcass over its left 
shoulder. 

918
00:47:49,240 --> 00:47:52,440
The animal hung limp, head and 
legs bouncing slightly with each

919
00:47:52,440 --> 00:47:55,640
step. 
This creature looked tall, 7 to 

920
00:47:55,640 --> 00:47:58,720
8 feet for sure, but leaner than
the first one I saw. 

921
00:47:59,400 --> 00:48:02,640
Its torso and arms were long but
narrower through the chest. 

922
00:48:03,280 --> 00:48:05,320
The hair looked dark brown, 
nearly black. 

923
00:48:05,800 --> 00:48:08,560
Its head stayed low, tilted 
slightly forward under the 

924
00:48:08,560 --> 00:48:11,760
weight on its shoulder. 
The deer carcass blocked most of

925
00:48:11,760 --> 00:48:14,440
its face. 
From our angle, it never paused 

926
00:48:14,440 --> 00:48:16,880
or looked at the truck. 
It crossed the road in a couple 

927
00:48:16,880 --> 00:48:20,000
of strides and stepped into the 
trees on the West side, heading 

928
00:48:20,000 --> 00:48:22,120
downhill toward a brushy Creek 
bottom. 

929
00:48:23,040 --> 00:48:24,840
Both of us sat frozen for a 
moment. 

930
00:48:25,120 --> 00:48:27,800
I used the truck forward to the 
crossing point and let the 

931
00:48:27,800 --> 00:48:30,120
engine idle. 
The woods had gone quiet. 

932
00:48:30,360 --> 00:48:32,600
Nothing moved in the brush line 
where it vanished. 

933
00:48:34,120 --> 00:48:36,240
The next morning. 
With the weather clearing, I 

934
00:48:36,240 --> 00:48:39,240
drove back alone. 
I parked where it crossed and 

935
00:48:39,240 --> 00:48:40,800
walked down the bank toward the 
Creek. 

936
00:48:41,480 --> 00:48:44,840
The mud along the edge held a 
few partial impressions, broad, 

937
00:48:44,840 --> 00:48:47,320
flat shapes too long for any 
man's boot. 

938
00:48:47,920 --> 00:48:51,000
Some were clean enough to show a
wide heel and the slope of a big

939
00:48:51,000 --> 00:48:53,760
toe, but most were broken by 
roots and gravel. 

940
00:48:54,600 --> 00:48:57,560
I followed these prints for 
maybe 10 or 15 yards before they

941
00:48:57,560 --> 00:48:59,920
disappeared into thick 
underbrush and ferns. 

942
00:49:00,560 --> 00:49:03,000
There was no drag marks or blood
spots I could see. 

943
00:49:03,320 --> 00:49:06,520
It carried its catch clean over 
the shoulder, leaving no trail 

944
00:49:06,520 --> 00:49:08,640
except for the deep prints in 
the softer bank. 

945
00:49:10,040 --> 00:49:12,680
Standing there, I compared this 
one to the first. 

946
00:49:13,040 --> 00:49:16,400
It was less massive, but taller 
than most grown men by a head. 

947
00:49:17,520 --> 00:49:21,040
That stretch of river has plenty
of cover, thick stands of fur, 

948
00:49:21,040 --> 00:49:24,360
deep gullies and feeder creeks 
that twist back into the hills. 

949
00:49:24,840 --> 00:49:27,880
Once something steps into that 
tangle, you'll not find it again

950
00:49:27,880 --> 00:49:32,200
without good dogs or blind luck.
I never spoke much about either 

951
00:49:32,200 --> 00:49:34,880
encounter except with a few 
people who know the river 

952
00:49:34,880 --> 00:49:36,840
country. 
Some believe me without 

953
00:49:36,840 --> 00:49:39,480
question. 
Some nod politely and change the

954
00:49:39,480 --> 00:49:47,200
subject. 
In late April 2002, I was 

955
00:49:47,200 --> 00:49:50,280
working with a fellow geologist 
near the banks of Fall Creek, 

956
00:49:50,440 --> 00:49:53,640
east of Lowell, OR. 
We were measuring exposed 

957
00:49:53,640 --> 00:49:56,360
bedrock along the Creek and 
collecting rock samples for 

958
00:49:56,360 --> 00:49:59,280
later lab work. 
That area is mostly mixed 

959
00:49:59,280 --> 00:50:02,640
Douglas fir, with open patches 
along the water and scattered 

960
00:50:02,640 --> 00:50:04,360
logging clear cuts up the 
slopes. 

961
00:50:05,280 --> 00:50:08,120
It was Turkey season, so most of
the morning we heard occasional 

962
00:50:08,120 --> 00:50:11,360
gunshot blasts from local 
hunters on private land nearby. 

963
00:50:12,040 --> 00:50:14,560
The echoes carried down the 
Creek valley but didn't distract

964
00:50:14,560 --> 00:50:17,400
us too much. 
After an hour or so, the shots 

965
00:50:17,400 --> 00:50:19,520
grew more spread out and then 
stopped all together. 

966
00:50:19,520 --> 00:50:23,560
As the day warmed up, we worked 
our way upstream, crossing the 

967
00:50:23,560 --> 00:50:26,200
Creek back and forth over 
shallow spots to get good 

968
00:50:26,200 --> 00:50:29,360
measurements on both banks. 
Around mid morning I was 

969
00:50:29,360 --> 00:50:32,400
standing near a big outcrop 
beside the water, taking notes 

970
00:50:32,400 --> 00:50:35,360
on the bedding planes and grain 
structure of a sandstone 

971
00:50:35,360 --> 00:50:38,080
exposure. 
My colleague was about 20 yards 

972
00:50:38,080 --> 00:50:40,200
upstream bending over a sample 
bag. 

973
00:50:41,160 --> 00:50:44,440
As I leaned in to measure a 
seam, I heard a soft but steady 

974
00:50:44,440 --> 00:50:47,400
rustling behind me. 
It was not the splash of water 

975
00:50:47,400 --> 00:50:50,520
or wind in branches and sounded 
more like brush being pushed 

976
00:50:50,520 --> 00:50:52,760
apart. 
I turned my head to check the 

977
00:50:52,760 --> 00:50:55,800
bank behind me. 
Across the Creek, maybe 2 to 300

978
00:50:55,800 --> 00:50:58,640
feet away, a low branch 
stretched out over a small 

979
00:50:58,640 --> 00:51:01,760
footbridge built by hunters or 
loggers years before. 

980
00:51:02,320 --> 00:51:05,280
Hanging from this branch was 
something I did not expect to 

981
00:51:05,280 --> 00:51:07,800
see. 
It was not sitting or perched. 

982
00:51:07,920 --> 00:51:11,280
It was literally hanging by its 
arms, gripping the branch much 

983
00:51:11,280 --> 00:51:14,040
like a large ape would. 
The first thing that caught my 

984
00:51:14,040 --> 00:51:17,840
eye was the length of its arms. 
The fur covering its arms looked

985
00:51:17,840 --> 00:51:20,760
reddish brown in patchy sunlight
filtering through the trees. 

986
00:51:21,400 --> 00:51:24,040
The hair looked shaggy and moved
a bit in the breeze, but the 

987
00:51:24,040 --> 00:51:26,400
forearms seemed to have less 
hair than the shoulders and 

988
00:51:26,400 --> 00:51:28,880
back. 
The body itself looked short and

989
00:51:28,880 --> 00:51:30,720
squat. 
I couldn't see a clear head 

990
00:51:30,720 --> 00:51:33,600
shape because of the bridge, and
a limb hid part of my line of 

991
00:51:33,600 --> 00:51:37,080
sight, but the arms and the mass
of the torso were plain to see. 

992
00:51:37,840 --> 00:51:41,320
For a brief moment, no more than
10 or 15 seconds, the creature 

993
00:51:41,320 --> 00:51:44,760
just hung there, motionless 
except for a slight swing as it 

994
00:51:44,760 --> 00:51:47,640
adjusted its grip. 
It reminded me of the way 

995
00:51:47,640 --> 00:51:50,480
orangutans use their long arms 
to hold their body steady in 

996
00:51:50,480 --> 00:51:53,080
trees. 
Before I could call out to my 

997
00:51:53,080 --> 00:51:55,120
colleague, the thing released 
its hold. 

998
00:51:55,400 --> 00:51:57,520
It dropped straight down behind 
the low bridge. 

999
00:51:58,000 --> 00:52:00,600
Because of the old wooden 
structure, I couldn't see it hit

1000
00:52:00,600 --> 00:52:03,320
the ground, but I heard a 
muffled thump and another short 

1001
00:52:03,320 --> 00:52:06,800
rustle in the brush behind it. 
Then all was silent again, 

1002
00:52:06,840 --> 00:52:09,280
except for the trickle of the 
Creek and the breeze through the

1003
00:52:09,280 --> 00:52:12,000
forest. 
I stood still, waiting to hear 

1004
00:52:12,000 --> 00:52:13,880
more movement, but nothing 
followed. 

1005
00:52:14,480 --> 00:52:17,320
I glanced back at my partner 
upstream and walked over to him.

1006
00:52:17,840 --> 00:52:20,160
He looked puzzled when I asked 
if he had noticed anything 

1007
00:52:20,160 --> 00:52:22,120
strange. 
He said he thought he heard 

1008
00:52:22,120 --> 00:52:24,880
something rustling, but he had 
not seen anything unusual. 

1009
00:52:26,080 --> 00:52:28,280
We stood there for a few 
minutes, scanning the other 

1010
00:52:28,280 --> 00:52:30,600
bank. 
The far slope had scattered 

1011
00:52:30,600 --> 00:52:33,000
ferns, but nothing moved or made
another sound. 

1012
00:52:33,600 --> 00:52:36,400
We debated crossing over to 
check for tracks or broken 

1013
00:52:36,400 --> 00:52:39,200
limbs, but neither of us wanted 
to push through the thicket 

1014
00:52:39,200 --> 00:52:41,360
without a clear idea of what was
over there. 

1015
00:52:42,640 --> 00:52:45,120
The distance was far enough that
I could not swear to fine 

1016
00:52:45,120 --> 00:52:48,000
details, but the arms in first 
stood out clearly. 

1017
00:52:48,640 --> 00:52:51,560
It did not have any clear face 
or legs, just the arms, 

1018
00:52:51,600 --> 00:52:55,640
shoulders, and part of its back.
No sound came from it except the

1019
00:52:55,640 --> 00:52:58,440
soft rustle when it let go and 
hit the brush below. 

1020
00:52:59,720 --> 00:53:02,280
We worked a few more hours, 
keeping closer together than 

1021
00:53:02,280 --> 00:53:04,560
usual. 
No other shots rang out from 

1022
00:53:04,560 --> 00:53:06,920
hunters and the rest of the day 
stayed quiet. 

1023
00:53:07,480 --> 00:53:10,680
We didn't smell anything odd, 
nor did we find broken branches 

1024
00:53:10,680 --> 00:53:13,400
on our side of the Creek that 
matched the size of what I saw. 

1025
00:53:14,800 --> 00:53:17,040
After finishing our 
measurements, we packed up and 

1026
00:53:17,040 --> 00:53:19,600
hiked back to where we parked 
near the end of an old logging 

1027
00:53:19,600 --> 00:53:21,880
spur. 
None of us brought it up again 

1028
00:53:21,920 --> 00:53:24,760
on the drive out to the main 
road, but later that night I 

1029
00:53:24,760 --> 00:53:28,080
went over the siding again. 
In my mind, the Creek bank where

1030
00:53:28,080 --> 00:53:30,920
it hung is a narrow patch 
between the water and a steep, 

1031
00:53:30,920 --> 00:53:33,960
forested rise. 
The bridge crosses just above a 

1032
00:53:33,960 --> 00:53:36,960
deep bend where the current runs
low on foot. 

1033
00:53:36,960 --> 00:53:39,600
You could have come down through
heavy brush or used the bridge 

1034
00:53:39,600 --> 00:53:43,200
itself to get close. 
We returned the next month to 

1035
00:53:43,200 --> 00:53:46,520
finish mapping another section 
upstream, but I didn't see or 

1036
00:53:46,520 --> 00:53:49,320
hear anything else like it. 
We stayed on our side of the 

1037
00:53:49,320 --> 00:53:52,200
Creek and did not cross to check
the exact spot again. 

1038
00:53:53,080 --> 00:53:55,680
I have worked in forestry and 
Backcountry all over the 

1039
00:53:55,680 --> 00:53:59,200
Northwest, and I know the common
wildlife in this part of Oregon.

1040
00:53:59,680 --> 00:54:02,400
None of those have arms long 
enough to hang upright from a 

1041
00:54:02,400 --> 00:54:04,800
limb over a bridge the way this 
thing did. 

1042
00:54:05,760 --> 00:54:09,080
The only thing I know for sure 
is what I saw with my own eyes, 

1043
00:54:09,440 --> 00:54:12,680
A squat, broad body, long 
reddish brown arms and the 

1044
00:54:12,720 --> 00:54:15,720
unmistakable motion of it 
swinging from a tree limb before

1045
00:54:15,720 --> 00:54:19,280
dropping to the ground. 
We turned in our rock samples 

1046
00:54:19,280 --> 00:54:21,240
and finished our project on 
schedule. 

1047
00:54:21,560 --> 00:54:24,360
I have not told many people what
I saw because it doesn't fit 

1048
00:54:24,360 --> 00:54:28,000
what most people think belong in
an Oregon Creek valley, but I 

1049
00:54:28,000 --> 00:54:34,840
stand by what I witnessed. 
I drive a delivery truck on a 

1050
00:54:34,840 --> 00:54:37,800
regular route through Central 
Oregon three times a week. 

1051
00:54:38,320 --> 00:54:42,400
On this day this happened. 
It was early October 2009 and my

1052
00:54:42,400 --> 00:54:45,440
12 year old son rode along with 
me since he had no school that 

1053
00:54:45,440 --> 00:54:47,560
day. 
He liked to see the back roads 

1054
00:54:47,560 --> 00:54:50,320
and small towns along my route 
and I liked the company. 

1055
00:54:51,240 --> 00:54:54,880
We left Eugene just after dawn 
and made good time up Hwy. 58, 

1056
00:54:55,200 --> 00:54:58,240
cutting across to head toward 
Redmond on the back roads. 

1057
00:54:59,360 --> 00:55:03,040
Not far from the small town of 
Powell Butte, we turned onto A2 

1058
00:55:03,040 --> 00:55:06,200
lane country highway that runs 
along the edge of open wheat and

1059
00:55:06,200 --> 00:55:08,920
hay fields. 
This stretch is known for deer 

1060
00:55:08,920 --> 00:55:11,800
crossing, especially in winter 
when the green winter wheat 

1061
00:55:11,800 --> 00:55:13,440
draws them down from the 
rimrock. 

1062
00:55:14,360 --> 00:55:17,440
As we turned on to this road, I 
told my son to keep an eye out 

1063
00:55:17,440 --> 00:55:19,760
for deer on his side and I would
watch mine. 

1064
00:55:20,160 --> 00:55:22,880
Hitting a deer with a full 
delivery load is the last thing 

1065
00:55:22,880 --> 00:55:25,720
I wanted. 
We both watched carefully for 

1066
00:55:25,720 --> 00:55:28,200
the next few miles. 
I passed a few scattered 

1067
00:55:28,200 --> 00:55:31,120
junipers and farm driveways but 
saw no deer at all. 

1068
00:55:31,760 --> 00:55:34,880
When the road curved to the east
side of Powell Bute, it opened 

1069
00:55:34,880 --> 00:55:37,480
up into wide, flat fields of 
green winter wheat. 

1070
00:55:38,080 --> 00:55:40,800
I kept my eyes scanning the 
fence lines and the ditches for 

1071
00:55:40,800 --> 00:55:44,120
any movement. 
As I glanced out across the open

1072
00:55:44,120 --> 00:55:46,400
wheat, I caught sight of 
something that didn't match. 

1073
00:55:46,400 --> 00:55:50,400
The flat green rose about two to
300 yards from the highway, near

1074
00:55:50,400 --> 00:55:52,960
a low rise where the ground 
slopes up toward a clump of 

1075
00:55:52,960 --> 00:55:56,600
taller sagebrush, I saw a large 
black shape bent low. 

1076
00:55:57,280 --> 00:55:59,320
I eased my foot off the gas and 
coasted. 

1077
00:55:59,680 --> 00:56:02,480
My son noticed I was staring and
turned to follow my line of 

1078
00:56:02,480 --> 00:56:05,000
sight. 
Without me saying anything, he 

1079
00:56:05,000 --> 00:56:07,560
leaned forward and asked. 
Dad, is that a Bigfoot? 

1080
00:56:08,360 --> 00:56:10,800
Right Then the thing 
straightened up and stood fully 

1081
00:56:10,800 --> 00:56:13,320
upright in Clearview against the
green wheat field. 

1082
00:56:13,760 --> 00:56:16,880
From the cab of the truck, it 
looked at least 7 to 8 feet 

1083
00:56:16,880 --> 00:56:18,800
tall. 
It was thick through the 

1084
00:56:18,800 --> 00:56:21,840
shoulders and chest, well 
proportioned without a slouched 

1085
00:56:21,840 --> 00:56:25,440
back or sagging belly. 
Its hair looked jet black 

1086
00:56:25,440 --> 00:56:28,200
against the pale morning light. 
The shape of the head was 

1087
00:56:28,200 --> 00:56:30,720
noticeable. 
It seems slightly pointed at the

1088
00:56:30,720 --> 00:56:34,320
top, blending down into wide 
shoulders with little sign of a 

1089
00:56:34,320 --> 00:56:37,520
visible neck. 
In its right hand it held a 

1090
00:56:37,520 --> 00:56:39,400
small branch close up to its 
mouth. 

1091
00:56:39,880 --> 00:56:42,480
It plucked at the branch with 
its left hand, picking off 

1092
00:56:42,480 --> 00:56:44,080
something and putting it to its 
mouth. 

1093
00:56:44,680 --> 00:56:47,360
From that motion, I guess it 
might have been eating berries 

1094
00:56:47,360 --> 00:56:50,600
or buds. 
I let the truck roll slow, 

1095
00:56:50,640 --> 00:56:53,280
barely above idle. 
We were close enough to see its 

1096
00:56:53,280 --> 00:56:56,400
arms move, but too far to see 
eyes or facial features. 

1097
00:56:57,040 --> 00:56:58,920
It never flinched or turned to 
run. 

1098
00:56:59,160 --> 00:57:02,400
It stood there calmly, feet 
planted wide, just watching our 

1099
00:57:02,400 --> 00:57:04,720
truck on the road while it ate 
from that branch. 

1100
00:57:06,200 --> 00:57:09,120
After maybe 2 minutes I had to 
keep moving because of a blind 

1101
00:57:09,120 --> 00:57:12,600
curve behind me. 
As I slowly picked up speed, it 

1102
00:57:12,600 --> 00:57:16,320
turned its whole upper body to 
follow us as we drove past not 

1103
00:57:16,320 --> 00:57:18,960
just its head. 
The motion looked smooth but 

1104
00:57:18,960 --> 00:57:21,920
strong, like it moved from the 
waist up without stepping. 

1105
00:57:22,920 --> 00:57:24,880
I looked in the mirror but saw 
nothing more. 

1106
00:57:25,200 --> 00:57:28,000
My son kept twisting around 
trying to catch another glimpse,

1107
00:57:28,240 --> 00:57:30,240
but the Bigfoot never came back 
into view. 

1108
00:57:30,840 --> 00:57:32,480
We didn't stop and walk out 
there. 

1109
00:57:32,600 --> 00:57:35,560
The field is private land and I 
was hauling a time sensitive 

1110
00:57:35,560 --> 00:57:37,400
load. 
There was nothing out there but 

1111
00:57:37,400 --> 00:57:39,720
short wheat and a few sagebrush 
clumps. 

1112
00:57:40,040 --> 00:57:43,200
Nowhere for something that size 
to hide unless it dropped low or

1113
00:57:43,200 --> 00:57:44,960
moved to the rimrock behind the 
field. 

1114
00:57:46,240 --> 00:57:49,760
A few days after that I ran the 
same route again alone north of 

1115
00:57:49,760 --> 00:57:53,600
Powell Butte on a stretch of 
Hwy. where 126 climbs up towards

1116
00:57:53,600 --> 00:57:56,160
some low ridges covered in mixed
pine and Jupiter. 

1117
00:57:56,280 --> 00:57:59,680
I pulled off at a wide shoulder 
up the steep slope from the 

1118
00:57:59,680 --> 00:58:01,400
road. 
I noticed a line of tracks 

1119
00:58:01,400 --> 00:58:03,760
heading straight up the Ridge 
into the thicker trees. 

1120
00:58:04,160 --> 00:58:07,040
The prints look bigger than any 
human boot I have ever seen. 

1121
00:58:07,520 --> 00:58:10,600
They were spaced far apart in 
the snow with no zigzag or 

1122
00:58:10,600 --> 00:58:13,920
switch back like a person would 
make on an incline that steep. 

1123
00:58:14,840 --> 00:58:16,800
The snow was at least 10 inches 
deep. 

1124
00:58:17,080 --> 00:58:20,240
Climbing that hill on foot would
have taken real effort, but 

1125
00:58:20,240 --> 00:58:23,000
these prints went in a straight 
line without a single slide 

1126
00:58:23,000 --> 00:58:25,960
mark. 
After about 10 or 15 yards into 

1127
00:58:25,960 --> 00:58:29,160
the timber, the tracks faded 
where the snow got patchy under 

1128
00:58:29,160 --> 00:58:31,920
the trees. 
I took a few photos with my 

1129
00:58:31,920 --> 00:58:34,120
phone but didn't follow the 
tracks up the Ridge. 

1130
00:58:34,400 --> 00:58:36,240
It was too steep and I was 
alone. 

1131
00:58:36,760 --> 00:58:38,680
Plus, I had half my route to 
finish. 

1132
00:58:39,960 --> 00:58:42,480
I run this stretch three times a
week year round. 

1133
00:58:42,760 --> 00:58:45,600
Before that day, I never paid 
much attention to the fields and

1134
00:58:45,600 --> 00:58:48,720
ridges except to watch for deer 
or elk crossing the road. 

1135
00:58:49,040 --> 00:58:52,040
Now I keep a sharp eye looking 
for dark spots in the fields or 

1136
00:58:52,040 --> 00:58:55,080
against the tree line, hoping to
see that creature again. 

1137
00:58:55,760 --> 00:58:58,400
The winter wheat stays green 
when everything else is brown, 

1138
00:58:58,520 --> 00:59:00,360
so they draw deer and other 
animals. 

1139
00:59:00,640 --> 00:59:04,080
Whatever we saw that day in the 
open field was not a deer, not a

1140
00:59:04,080 --> 00:59:08,280
bear, and not a man. 
It stood upright and solid as a 

1141
00:59:08,280 --> 00:59:11,760
boulder as we passed. 
I have not seen anything like it

1142
00:59:11,760 --> 00:59:15,480
again, but I still slow down and
scan that same rise every time I

1143
00:59:15,480 --> 00:59:20,680
come through that curve. 
Thanks for listening everyone. 

1144
00:59:21,320 --> 00:59:24,800
Before I go tonight, I just want
to remind you my new book is out

1145
00:59:24,800 --> 00:59:27,600
on Amazon. 
I would be deeply grateful if 

1146
00:59:27,600 --> 00:59:29,800
you could grab a copy to show 
your support. 

1147
00:59:30,680 --> 00:59:33,920
Thank you so much and until next
time, take care.