I guess as I began I should tell you how I came to be where I was when I saw the Beast and Shenandoah park my wife had Divorced me sometime before and rather Than sitting around and moping about the Whole grizzly affair I took up the Exercising some weightlifting and bike Riding to be more precise as well as a Lot of walking after about a year so I Was clocking about five or six miles in A day and walking distance alone and I Was quite fast if I do say so myself the Speed developed out of necessity since I Had limited time to take my walks to to My work schedule and everything else That was going on in my life at that Time I increased my speed to ensure that The same amount of miles would be Attained every time out over a period of About three years I became more and more Fit than I had ever been in my entire Life at least something had come out of That hideous divorce my next phase was To begin pushing the limits of what I Can do and I decided that when I can get Time off I would take little four to Five day vacations going to areas where I could actually hike and see something Up to this point in time the only thing I was seeing was the surrounding homes In my community my trip to Shenandoah Was actually one of many hiking Destinations I had traveled to it began As mosted by contacting the park and
Sending for a brochure After that I scoped out the available Accommodations preferring to camp in or Near the location of the hike and then I Would plan my trip accordingly having Gone through my punch list My plan for Shenandoah was to set up Camp at a place called Big Meadows and From there I would walk the area between Big Meadows and Thornton gap I would be Walking on a section of Allegheny trail Where there was a fairly good elevation Up to about 4,000 feet according to the Map The route that I had chosen had many Overlooks as well as some interesting Things to see along the hike and to me It looked perfect it was just enough of A challenge for where I was physically At the time it was late summer and my Hope was that there wouldn't be too many People up there while I was in my heart I had always envisioned myself living The life of a guy in High Plains Drifter Confident alone and able to handle Whatever came my way well this was as Close to that as I would get I was the High trails drifter one day at a time The first days hike in Shenandoah my Goal was to make it to a place called Corbin cabin after which I would trek Back to camp the scenery on the way to The cabin was breathtaking To get there you had to cross the street
In a small Creek breaking from the Allegheny trail the cabin itself was Located near the base of Pinnacle Peak In a place called Nicholson's Hollow When I had finally arrived the cabin I Was amazed at how much guts it must have Taken for someone to not only come here But to build this miniature homestead by Hand so many years ago it was a small Cabin built on a stone foundation having One main room with a small side addition There was also a fireplace and a porch Each one of the cabins Timbers was Handcrafted I can only imagine the Amount of labour involved in Constructing it the brochure said it had Been inhibited by an old Mountaineer who Must have been even more like the High Plains Drifter having met the halfway Point to my goal I turned around and Started to head back it had been a great Day and by the time I made it back to The campsite I was bushed the next day I Packed up and drove north a short Distance to the Thornton Gap entrance Station this time I was going to hike From the other direction heading from North downwards Corbin cabin and back in This way I would be able to cover a Fairly nice section of the trail by way Of two day hikes So once again I took off for the day's Journey there was a considerable amount Of wildlife visible along the route I
Had brought my Nikon 20 by 50 binoculars With me they are a bit bulky but well Worth the effort and extra weight I was Encountering many deer off the side of The trail here and there and for the Most part the birds here were very Different from those where I live which Can be expected when one travels to Different regions of the States I was so Glad that I came here and I had just Passed the area where I had cut off for Corbin cabin yesterday pushing on a Little further until I reached a spot Called Stoney man and I sat down for a Rest the vistas from here were Incredible full of rolling hills and Woods as far as the eyes could see the Sun was bright and I felt more alive Than I had ever been I was eating some Granola bars and drinking water when I Decided to break out the nikons and have A look around at one point I'd put them Down and was just looking with my eyes When I noticed two black objects in a Clearing way off in the distance below It took me a minute to realize they were Both moving I picked up the binoculars And focused in on one of the objects in Question I would have to say they were About a thousand yards away from me and I watched them for quite a while with The binoculars I was able to tell that These objects were actually a large Block bear and a cub and they were
Feasting on what appeared to be a deer Carcass I hadn't seen bear take down Deer and I was wondering if the deer had Died recently and they sniffed it out For a meal I must have been watching Them for 15 or 20 minutes before it Happened Now I must warn you that the next series Of events went down so quickly that it Was actually quite difficult to figure Out just what happened Within the binoculars fill the view a Large and darkly colored figure came Running into the frame I don't know how Much ground had actually covered but it Looked like perhaps 75 yards in two or Three seconds not only was this thing Booking but it was running upright on Two legs at the same time that I caught A side of the figure I saw the larger Bear lurched and jumped to the side of The carcass and the little one bolted Away this all happened in a matter of Seconds the creature closed the gap Between itself and the bear quickly and Ended the sprint making head-on contact With the bear and knocking it to the Ground I could see its arms flailing as It remained on top of the bear and it Was a short-lived fight everything Stopped there may have been sound but From my distance I couldn't hear Anything at all as this thing was now Sitting still on top of the bear
Straddling its body a minute later the Cub reappeared at a distance I saw the Creature wave its arms and moments later The Cubs scurried into the brush and was Out of sight for good I continued to Watch the scene for about 30 minutes the Strange creature tossed the Bears head Back and forth in its two hands now I Don't know how tall a bear is from the Ground to the top of its back but I Would have to say that judging by the Brief period when I had seen it running The creature was at least three times as Tall as that bear was high so if the Bear was three feet tall this creature Was nine or ten feet tall easily it was Immense its arm almost looked to be as Long as the Bears total body length at This point I realized I just had to be Looking at a Bigfoot and this Bigfoot Had just charged and killed a black bear In front of me I watched the creature For about another 15 minutes but time Was not on my side as awesome as this Was I had to complete my return hike Back before I got dark and I was already Wondering if I can make it back in time Before I left I snapped a few photos With my Canon camera but I must admit That I didn't have any great hopes for The development of the pictures just Given the distance alone nevertheless I Took a few and hope for the best Eventually I got up and left knowing
That I would really have to step up the Pace on the return leg to make it back By dark thankfully I was up to the task When I made it back to Thornton gap I Stopped by the ranger station I had Stopped in there to say hello before I Began my hike and had told them my plans For the day you always want to let Others know where you are and what you Plan to do just in case something should Happen along the way I told the Rangers What had transpired and they were Dumbfounded one of them told me that he Had seen something a few years ago but He stopped talking before elaborating on Just what exactly that something was as I mentioned before this thing covered a Large amount of real estate rapidly now I know I'm just throwing numbers at you And I have no way of actually knowing or Calculating them properly the creature Looked like it was running roughly 40 Miles an hour across this tract of land It also looked like the bear was taken Completely by surprise Which also indicated a very fast run all That the bear had time to do was shift Off of the carcass and turn and then it Was hit and hit hard the impact reminded Me of Ronnie Lott plugging a run on the Football field I mean it was just wham And lights out just think about it for a Moment the thought of any man being There in performing such an act is
Utterly ludicrous this creature did not Hesitate for one split second he didn't Run up to the bear and stop to size up His attack it was a brutally effective Running kill I could clearly distinguish Between the bear and the Bigfoot the Entire scuffle the Bigfoot was a reddish Dark brown and the bear was black so There was no difficulty at all in Telling the positions of the two beasts In other words who was moving and who Was not I wish I could have stayed to See whether the Bigfoot would drag off The Bears carcass or the deers but I was At a time When I had arrived back home I developed The film and had a couple of the Pictures enlarged as I suspected it was A wasted effort Even when enlarged you can only see a Small dark spot where the two creatures Were but for me that was good enough to Preserve the memory since I knew what The small dark spot represented This was to be our fourth fishing Adventure in Wyoming the region contains Some of the best fly-fishing and Wilderness hiking in the world and it is Breathtaking country after our first Trip we had quickly learned that it is Well worth your time and money to work With a good outfitter or guide service When you are planning to go into such Areas in most if not all situations you
Will need some type of permits and/or Licenses and the area knowledge of local Men or women is a valuable asset which Cannot be measured in dollars and cents This is not the time or place to be Cheap for the price of a Hawaiian Vacation for two you could be readily Supplied with everything and anything That you will need including a guide in Doing so you are not only helping Yourselves but you are supporting an Industry and a people in the region Which will help ensure that these Resources will be in place for a very Long time in the future we met up with Our guide Joseph at a predetermined Location he was a slightly built rugged Looking man who was a pure Arapaho Heritage and his family had been in the Region for many generations we were to Hike into and fish in two different Areas the first site that we would fish Was named Big Meadows and the second Along the route would be downs Fork Meadows there is a creek running right Through this area which changes its name Periodically as you trek the only name I Can ever remember is den Woody Creek Simply because the name and its European Roots the area consists of a rocky Mountainous surround with pine forests Grassy meadows and water that's Wyoming And that's why we love it each time we Come to the state we prospect a new area
So this particular location was brand New for the two of us we each were given A holster pistol and Joseph had a rifle And a pistol as well this is grizzly Country and there are plenty of visible Herd animals and trout as well which the Bears are itching to sink their claws Into so it was eyes wide open from here The entire area that we planned a Pass-through is similar throughout full Of thick grassy meadows and marshy areas Surrounded by extremely rugged timber Rocky Mountains terrains rises up behind The tree line with the land's appearance Being the same in every direction that You looked this trip was in no way Particularly difficult and the actual Mileage covered was not very far it was More casual hike with most of our time Spent focused on catching trout we hiked Him and set up camp on the edge of Big Meadows from where we were in the timber Line we had a good good firm patch of Ground on which to pitch a tent and with Our camp being within a reasonable Walking distance across the meadow for Us to reach the creek right behind the Stretch of forest where we had set up Our camp was a small amount of shedding Up from the earth and across from the Creek was the lake during the first two Days we spotted a grizzly coming down Across the meadow it posed no threat to Us and was fairly far away each time
That we saw it we also saw a moose Grazing on the thick green grass and I Had told Alistair on more than one Occasion that having a guide brought a Certain sense of stability to us Whenever we saw something of any kind Joseph was not by any means flustered by A predator that might have otherwise Framed us to death he had a mutual Respect for the surroundings and its Inhabitants which is not to say that Joseph was full-heartedly or lacks in Any way he simply was not visibly moved By them on one afternoon know we were Lined up side by side fishing from the Bank of the creek we all faced in the Direction of the small lake which laid To the northwest next to the lake there Was an outcropping of rock which butted Up against it which appeared like a Rugged hill or mound at most it was 200 Feet tall which was much smaller than The surrounding mountainous landscape Marjorie and I were standing with our Eyes focused on the creek when Joseph Suddenly said look over there Right being the edge of that hill do you See that we both turned our heads and Looked trying to follow to the direction Of Joseph Point he spoke again do you see it it's A hairy man now her and I were not Ignorant of what he was talking about Her pointing at although neither of us
Had ever seen one we knew he had to be Talking about a Bigfoot as we focused in On the base of the mound there was Loping along the edge of the hill Adjacent to the marsh once we laid eyes On it it was very easy to observe since It was completely out in the open it Must have completely came out of the Woods and lay a short distance north of Our camp it had to have walked right Across the meadow while we were fishing We hadn't seen it and yet there it was I Would say that it was five or six Hundred yards or so away and the Creatures iconic silhouette was Unmistakable The marsh or meadow area consisted of Bright green grass that was about two Feet tall and the grass was especially Green along the water's edge were at a Buted the rocky outcropping there were No trees to obscure our view and the Bigfoots profile was very dark against The rocky background since the rocks Were beige in color its arms swung like Clock pendulums as it took long and Deliberate strides and it walked with a Somewhat forward leaning posture which Was quite evident to the eye within two Minutes it disappeared behind the bend And was gone from our view and we had Just become members at the believer's Club pardon the pun but this was a Really big deal for me and my wife so
The rest of the day was spent with the Three of us talking about Bigfoot around The campfire that night Joseph started Telling us of the Indian folklore that Pertained to these hairy men he had Actually personally seen the creatures Many times but he was as surprised as we Were to catch sight of one in that Particular day however it was still more Routine for him than it was for us During the night Joseph added that we should keep our Eyes out for the hairy man while we were Here he said that throughout history the Indian people had experienced and spoke Of some really bad things regarding These creatures their tribal records Mentioned many encounters including Attacks on people livestock And even unexplained disappearances Because of the tone of his voice We became certain that he was unhappy That this sighting occurred that evening I also took note of the fact that he Spent a fair amount of time cleaning and Prepping the guns the next day we packed Up and walked to the back of the lake Where the Bigfoot had disappeared from View Joseph said that the area was where we Could pick up on glacier trail without The trail we would have to trek entirely Through the woods to get to the next Location from there who would make our
Way north to an area called downs Fork Meadows I wouldn't have known that path Was there without a professional like Joseph to guide us now I would be a liar If I didn't say to you that when we Started down this route things became a Whole lot creepier and not just because Of what we had seen but because this Trail area became quite a bit tighter Everything had closed in around us large Stands of timber flanked us on both Sides and some rock walls cropped up Here and there forming what felt like a Prison cell as I remember it was a curvy Trail and at any given point it was Difficult to see very far ahead of us I Kept thinking of all of westerns where The Indians would set up an ambush on Some unsuspecting Cowboys positioning Themselves behind some boulders upon a Cliff No offense Joseph to get to Din woody Creek we went straight through the dark Stand of trees after which we found Ourselves winding around some more Ambush points or high rocks as we came Out of the trees we found ourselves near A fork in two creeks the Downs Fork Creek and the south end of honeymoon Creek this was quite a cool little area And there were several meadows with a Number of creeks or streams metering Around with them they were like small Tributaries off the main creeks and the
Meadows had several strands of trees Spotted within them I know I speak for All of us when I say that this place Really struck us in the most amazing way We felt like Alice going down that Rabbit hole and popping out in Wonderland now just so you understand Joseph's job was not to fish Fact we asked him numerous times to join Us with a rod and he politely declined Every time he would spot for us or get In the creek and help with landing a Fish and he also paid strict attention To other things like setting up our Flies and leaders and downs Fork however He was seemingly preoccupied with his Field glasses when I asked him about This he said that this was grizzly Territory and then it would be best for All of us if we kept watch we didn't Argue with him he was our guide so he Knew best during the latter part of the Afternoon something let out the loudest Most prolong howling roar that is Humanly imaginable sounding like a fire Department siren the howl was as intense As you could possibly imagine and it Sounded reasonably close I looked around In all directions but I could see Nothing except for a thick forest truth Be told the sound seemed like it was Emanating from all around us rather than Any particular direction or place it was The loudest most enveloping blasts of
Noise that I had ever heard in my life And it brought us to a complete Standstill we stood there completely Aghast our jaws were hanging open and Joseph had already brought his rifle to Bear following his example we dropped Our rods and grabbed our pistols the Sound stopped and then we heard nothing We held our ground turning in every Direction while not saying a word it Seemed like 15 minutes had passed before Joseph finally broke the silence he Turned towards us in whispered the hairy Man is here I remember thinking to Myself that even when holding a gun One can sometimes feel defenseless and I've never felt more vulnerable in my Life as far as I was concerned whatever Had made that noise could eat bullets And spit them back out again We had a momentary discussion about the Best course of action and then we Started back out the way we came in Working our way through the trees ambush Points and everything else this time we Were like jungle fighters looking around Corners with our guns first we Hightailed it all the way back to camp And nobody said anything about To drink or eat it was all about moving And moving fast we must have been about Two miles south of Big Meadows when we Broke out into that area that felt less Secluded we could see in virtually every
Direction and had decent visibility we Knew that like it or not we would have To spend the night and this was the Place to set up camp when I tell you we Had an easy night that is an Understatement Nobody slept and regardless of what my Wife and I did Joseph felt it was his Duty to be awake and standing guard the Minutes seemed like hours and I kept Waiting for a Banzai attack but nothing Happened in the morning we finally took The time to eat we were all hungry and We need all of our energy in order to Finish the final stretch of journey back To this very day we still send Joseph a Christmas card to let him know we are Thinking about him as for my wife and I We have not been back to Wyoming in over 15 years and we don't plan to go back to Any time soon nothing can prepare you For this screaming which seemed like it Was coming down from the sky it was so Loud that it felt like it could hurt me Like some sort of sonic weapon I know This doesn't make any sense to you but If a child had just been there I think They would have curled up in a ball in The ground and started crying it was Absolutely terrifying and certainly Something that we'll never forget The two of us talk regularly about how Brave Joseph must be to go back to these Areas again and again just to earn a
Living Over 20 years ago we had planned to head Down to Aurora North Carolina for a Megalodon shark tooth dig that was Taking place in May in case you are Unfamiliar with the name the Megalodon Was the largest prehistoric shark on Record with sizes ranging up to 60 feet In length Roughly nice quality unbroken fossilized Teeth from this behemoth are an Enthusiasts prized possession in this Day and age you can purchase them Directly from those who have already Done the hunting but as is generally the Case in all things collectible the fun Is in the hunting so we pack the truck And headed down to the event we were Going to spend two weeks there and then Head back home We chose during the week because the Weekends are usually jammed with people Now the events not much of a hunt per se But you still have a lot to do and a lot Of work there is a place there called The PCs phosphate mine they bring out Tons of fossil Laden dirt and let people Six to the spoils in the hope of finding An intact Megalodon tooth people find Teeth fairly regularly at this event Though however most of them are broken Into pieces with the whole ones being Between half to four inches in length Overall it's kind of a neat community
Affair where you can mean talk to a lot Of like-minded hounds from all over the World while we were there my husband and I had gotten to know a couple from Oregon by the name of Tyler they asked Us if we had ever been at their home State and we told them what we had not Though we had heard there are some very Good pickings there they confirmed that Fact so we exchanged numbers and Addresses with them and they told us That if we ever find ourselves up in Their neck of the woods we should call Them and ask for some solid leads our Collection consists of about 70 or 80 Pieces about 40 or so were our own finds And the rest were pieces which we have Purchased throughout the years the Tyler's collection on the other hand Holds over a thousand pieces most of Which were found an organ alone I didn't Have to ask my husband if we would place Oregon on our destination list we just Looked at each other and knew that's What we had to do Two years go by and we contacted the Tyler's and plan to head out there for a Week now here are the rules for safe and Effectual raw counting that we've been Following for many years they came from A wonderfully written guide for rock Hunters firstly it is advisable to Select several sites within a fairly Small area this will help you avoid
Wasting valuable time traveling from Place to place additionally it's always Wise to become as informed as possible On what exactly can potentially be found In each location that you choose during The research process secondly you should Not hesitate to befriend and consult Other local collectors or clubs in the Area they can be a useful resource of Information for your personal hunt and Most are more than willing to share what They know with fellow hounds thirdly you Must bring proper tools and/or equipment Including boots and tough clothing for Fieldwork depending on what type of Material you are seeking you may need a Rock hammer a shovel pry bar sledge Hammer chisel or even a light pick if You plan to pan for gold painting Supplies will be necessary as well we Also like to have a small sieve with us Any hunt which is nothing more than some Screening stretched over a 2×4 frame Lastly you must make preparations for Both seasonable and unseasonable weather Conditions canteens caps and sunglasses Are necessary for hotter and more arid Areas warm clothes and rain gear is a Must for mountainous and colder climates Also be sure to research the ownership Of the site you plan to visit since you May have to get permission from local Landowners to be there take care in and Around abandoned mines don't throw any
Rocks or debris from cliffs or hillsides And take only what you will use and Leave the rest behind for others these Are the rules we abide by and if you do The same you could also be safe and Successful my husband and I had set our Sights on an area surrounding the Clackamas River near Estacada The river is frequented by whitewater Kayakers and hikers alike but according To the Tyler's this area also contains a Wealth of cinnabar petrified wood in Jasper's we made our way into the Surrounding area with our camper having An older dodge with a half camper in the Bed we have a Coleman gas stove and a Porta potti stashed inside as well as a Small propane heater that keeps it quite Toasty in cold weather it's not Self-contained but it's a decent place To crash up for a day of rock hunting Generally we look for places where we Can park without much of a hassle but That tends to be fairly easy in rural Areas on this trip we got really lucky We nestled then in a campground called Indian Henry which is just past Pop fall From there we could easily access the Riverside Trail which is about six miles In and out it's a bit shorter of a hike Than our previously planned location Which would have been about 10 miles The Riverside trail twists and turns Alongside the Clackamas River and at
Times it even crosses the water on the First day we decided to do an Exploratory hike so that we could see if There were any noticeable hot spots Doing a preliminary hike helps us Determine the best areas to search so That we can focus our time and energy Wisely this place was beautiful at times You could hear road traffic but as the Trail meanders through the forest the Sounds of cars would fade away as it Turns out we were not alone on the trail That day it was hardly a mob scene but We ran into a few dozen people during The day's hike there were areas high Above the river where you could hear Water rushing below you and areas of Old-growth forest where you couldn't see Too far in any direction Since your vision was sub scared by the Large pines and dense undergrowth the Way the path wound through the forest Like a serpent you spent most of your Time going up a little grade and then Coming back down once we reached day's End We had located several prime areas for Exploration and scoped out some viable River bars which we felt would be Accessible with hip waders in most Places the forest was hard up against The river's edge and there were only a Few exceptions where rounded rocks and Small boulders had collected forming
Small riverbanks these areas are prime Locations for our hunt since they act as Catch points for anything and everything Coming down Never if you dig a little deeper you can Find treasures that were buried by the Current years ago my husband and I Referred to this entire area as the Land Of the Lost Nimmy and after an old Hollywood boom if You let your imagination run wild you Could picture a Stegosaurus or a Saber-toothed tiger sneaking around the Undergrowth they were massively white Trees everywhere and clusters of Broadleaf ferns filled the space between Them with decaying falling trees and Limbs Lange stood about the forest floor In every direction it was a neat little Piece of paradise The next day we headed down to an area By the river that had looked promising The day before but we couldn't seem to Shake an eerie feeling that hadn't been Present the previous day do you know the Feeling you get when you feel like Someone is watching you we feel this all The time when we are hounding generally When we look up there are a couple People somewhere watching us at work Everyone wants to know what you're doing And wants to watch this doing what we do And people always want to know what We're looking for
It makes the hunt wonderfully social However on this day we felt that feeling All the time regardless of whether or Not there was a person in sight as it Got later we hadn't found anything worth Keeping unfortunately this is generally The case when you're a rock hound it's Not as though there are valuable pieces Just waiting for you to put them in your Bag everywhere you go lurking under Every stone that you flip over if that Was the case we would all be Multimillionaires and not rock hounds However perseverance does occasionally Pay off and when the day drew to a close My wife found a magnificent piece of Dark green blood stone which is a stone That is generally associated with a Common opal it was a fantastic find and May well be the best piece in our Collection a date after this find we Left the river for the day and hiked Back to our camper it was a great end to A great day and a far trip had ended Right here and now would have been more Than happy but it didn't the next day we Were to stumble upon our greatest Discovery ever but it wasn't a rock or a Fossil We awoke to a dreary and drizzly rain Now we are not easily deterred from our Hunts so we donned our rain gear and Headed out this day felt very different As we headed down the trail there was
Not a soul in sight and we had the Entire place to ourselves it was awesome But at the same time it was a little bit Eerie to be in there alone who knew what Mysterious things were looking within The confines of these woods we had been Digging about for some three or so hours Of the day sight when we heard an Airhorn blasts someone else must also be Wandering around the area and had seen a Bear or something that they wanted to Scare off with a loud blast a small boat Horn is a basic part of hiking equipment One loud blast will generally send Anything in earshot scurrying for cover To us is signaled that we weren't alone And that there may be a bear around we Both stood up and turned at the same Time after Haines was sounded like a Deep groan accompanied by a splash Standing in the river's edge about 75 Feet away from us was a sasquatch almost Immediately it turned to look at us the Sasquatch seemed to be a shock to Ciasses we were to see it my husband and I were frozen in fear and the creature Also didn't move it stared at us and we Stared back black eyes the size of golf Balls sat deeply and set in its skull Giving the beasts face and mean and Intimidating cast it could attack us if It wanted to After a long tense moment it started Slowly swaying from the waist up it made
A couple of deep guttural sounds and my Husband crept over to my side we didn't Know what to do this thing was well over Ten feet tall and I closed my eyes once Or twice it was the only movement I was Capable of and I kept hoping I would Find myself in the comfort of the truck When I open them again surely this Couldn't be real but there was no waking Up from this the sheer immensity of this Beast was staggering like standing Alongside of a Clydesdale horse I mean The bulk of the creature lay at the Extremes of human cognizance it had to Have been nearly 5 feet wide of the Shoulders and it only tapered off Slightly at the waist With its weight being somewhere upwards Of 1,500 pounds easily its arms alone For six feet long and the hands on this Thing were as large as a hockey goalies Glove its large head was set deeply into Its heavily muscled shoulders leaving Really no visible neck which made it Seem even less human if such a thing is Even possible the patches of visible Skin were somewhat grey and mostly Covered with longer darker brown black Splotches of hair this was and is the Real deal we were up close and personal With a sasquatch after what seemed like An eternity a second creature partially Emerged from the brush we could only see Its upper body and arms and it did not
Step into the river like the other one Instead it stayed where it was watching Us from what we could see this one was About one or two feet smaller than the Other one in the river but also every Bit as massive in its own right when This second one appeared it brought with It a strong stench of feces in the air Which had not accompanied the first Suddenly the one in the river kind of Flexed its upper body like a strong Mans Pose while letting out a large deep Huff In a grunt While both arms move forward with its Fists clenched my heart loved into my Throat we were surely done for instead Of rushing at us the Beast turned and Took one step into the brush they both Disappeared as suddenly as they had Appeared and we heard nothing more not Even a whisper They had vanished like two ghosts we Remained where we were for about another Half hour wondering where they were and If they were possibly in the forest Alongside us watching our every move Maybe whoever had blown the horn had Seen them passing through the woods and Thought they were seeing a bear we Slowly gathered together our gear and Made our way out of the forest this was A large and old forest I told you it Felt like a dinosaur could be roaming Around but outside of the confines of
The park and trail there were some roads And many fairly open tracks of property This was hardly a desolate location with A Amount of people dwellings and some Business related structures scattered About the countryside nevertheless here In their very midst these two monsters Roamed around the very idea was so Inconceivable even though we had just Seen them ourselves having had both the Greatest fine for our collection and the Greatest encounter imaginable to mankind We left we will never forget it before We left a state though we stopped by the Tyler's place to talk over the events That we had just witnessed they told us Over coffee and cake that such things Were heard of an organ but they had Never given any real credence to the Idea of a sasquatch I was born and Raised in the Vancouver area and college I had achieved a degree in electrical Engineering and found myself working for A startup company in Spokane Washington While there I made friends with a Co-worker Clifford Wells from Pennsylvania he too Was an engineer and during one of our Many dinners together and after Indulging in a brew or two we overheard Some characters at the bar shouting and Laughing with each other about Bigfoot At some point I asked cliffy what he
Thought about the beasts after cliff he Tried to make some lofty and skeptical Comments I reached into my wallet and Pulled out a picture it was the famous Patty picture and I passed it to cliff He commented that he had seen it before And he knew that it was still from a Cowboys film clip which had supposedly Been taken in the woods back in the 50s I told him that my uncle had given this To me when I was young and then I had Come with a warning the warning was to Always carry more gun with you than you Think you need when you go into the Woods and I carry that picture as a Reminder of that warning I began to Share my uncle's story with Cliff that He and his logging crew were actually Run off a job by these things many years Ago up in the Canadian woods cliff Interrupted to ask me if my uncle was Still alive and then asked if it was Possible to visit him stating that he Would really like talk about him about This experience and hear the story Firsthand During a little summer vacation around The fourth of July he and I went to Visit my uncle Frank we found ourselves Sitting in his modest home chatting About what I had said to cliff and the Picture I had shown him at some point Uncle Frank made a once-in-a-lifetime Offer hey
Listen fellas if you like we can go up To the old logging site where I can show You some really weird stuff who doesn't Like to see weird stuff we certainly When it turned down the opportunity so We took off in his truck the next day It's actually quite funny because my Uncle never invited me to see anything Before having a friend with me must have Been my golden ticket we drove for about 90 minutes until we reached a break in The woods where Uncle Frank turned off The road and onto a low mountainside Where I thought the suspension was going To fall out from under us eventually the Trail was so rocketed it became Impassable but thankfully we weren't Going too far from the final destination So we got out and walked now Uncle Frank Was 76 years old but he was still in Good enough shape that we could Challenge a bear to an arm wrestling Match and of course he would beat it up The mile-long hike up to the rest of the Mountain was nothing for him eventually We reached a flat-topped area that he Called either a stage or a landing Though I don't really remember what it Was he told us that many jobs had Involved clearing out hillsides where Severe wind storms had downed a lot of Trees these locations were what they Called windfall first they would create A flat work area above where the trees
Were that needed to be taken from there They would place a type of machine with A big boom on it from which a thick Cable would be run down to the base of a Hillside by the crew the cable would be Secured to the top of a large tree at The bottom of the hill creating somewhat Of a cable tight rope from the bottom to The top of the work area the men would Work down the hill trimming up the trees That were knocked down and cutting down The trees which still remains standing Once downed they would wrap a cable Around the trees and bunches with this Cable being attached to a hoist or a Trolley which was suspended from the Overhead cable The overhead trolley would then pull the Trees back up the hills of the staging Area as we look the area over the place Was a mess it looked like a large bomb Had gone off leveling everything though There was quite a bit of new growth that Had crept up over the years the evidence Of the work that these men had performed Was still more than evident after a Moment My uncle had said if you can navigate Your way down in that direction you will Come across some old oil and fuel drums Take a good look at them and when you Come back we will have a talk about what You have seen go slow and watch your Step so that you don't sprain an ankle
Or worse when they cleared an area they Really didn't clear it at all they took The money lumber and then left Everything else behind in a junk heap Walking through that heap was like Walking through and over a plate of Spaghetti only the spaghetti was made of Tree branches brush and debris finally We reached the drums they were old rusty And crushed but they all seemed to be Still sealed and relatively full with The exception of a couple instances Where the welds and the drums had rusted Out most of the other drums were still Fully intact but the tops and bottoms of Each and every drum were bulging outward As though some sort of pressure from Within had forced them out but that Wasn't the weirdest thing each of the Drums were cinched her squeezed and Around the middle forming them into Enormous hourglasses upon closer Inspection there was no indication to Our eyes of a chain or rope having been Wrapped around them and cinched tight to Force the shape there were no real Visible scratches or grooves in the Metal and many of them had a good amount Of paint still on them these were Industrial 50-gallon steel drums and you Could still smell diesel gasoline and Oil in the area all around them if he Hadn't told us where to go I don't Believe that anyone else could have
Found them many were wedged in piles of Branches and debris we climbed back up To this landing area and what a freaking Ordeal that was coming down was one Thing but getting back up was quite Another And the crew had to deal with that mess Every single day these men must have Been animals themselves when he had Reached the top completely winded from The climb Uncle Frank laughed at us we proceeded To describe to him what we had saw and Just the drums to him just like we Described him to you and then he told us To take a seat he told us that he and His crew of seven men had come to the Site in the usual way they had Everything set to begin to work and had Began to go about their business the 50 Gallon drums were kept on the staging Area they contained lubricant grease Diesel and gasoline everything that the Machinery needed to operate it was a Large tract of timber and they knew they Would be there for quite a while to Clear it all out when they arrived back To the job site on the morning of the Second day they saw that there had been Some damage done to the equipment Overnight odd things were broken smashed Or twisted similar to the destruction That would have been left by vandals They cannot even begin to work until
Many of the things were fixed and they Had to go back into town to get the Tools and parts required for repairs it Had only been one day but they were Already losing money after the second Day on the third day the same thing Happened they came back to the site in The morning only to find that much of The equipment had been damaged again in Fact some of the things they had just Fixed were broken in the same way as Before the owner who was also a worker Was furious he was cursing wildly and Accusing an industry rival of sabotaging The jobsite if the other guy had been There be guilty or not there would have Been bloodshed for sure knowing that They might be dealing with vandals the Boss decided to put an armed guard to The site he approached two characters From a local gin mill offering them Fifty bucks a night to stay at the site With their rifles until morning this Went on for about a week and every night They built a big fire and sat there Until morning after the guards were Posted nothing happened we had worked With no interruption for that entire Week so the boss got tired of shelling Out 50 bucks a day and told them that They wouldn't be needed anymore he Figured that whoever had been Doing the damage would not waste their Time coming to the site anymore
Knowing that they were guards waiting There the very next day no fire had been Made overnight and there were no armed Guards watching the site when we arrived In the morning All the supply drums were gone Anna Raged the boss left the site and Returned with four more drums and that Night he decided to stay there himself This time he was not going to light a Fire he was going to sit quietly in the Cab of the crane with his shotgun and Whoever showed up was going to get a Belly full of lead well the next morning When the crew arrived the boss was Nowhere to be found the door was opened On the cap and the door handle had been Torn off we searched for him for hours And hours shouting his name throughout The woods working our way up and down The hill scouring every square inch as Best we could the only thing that we Found was his 12-gauge which was about a Hundred feet from the cab and it was Bent in half like something from a Superman episode worried one of the guys Went back to town to get the police the Next two days were spent assisting in a Massive search but they never found his Body Only his hat and the four drums that had Been brought to the job site that day Were located the search team found them In the same area as the five from the
Previous day's disappearance right where They lie today squeezed around in the Middle and thrown clear down the hill Something had picked these several Hundred pound drums up crushed them Around the middle and then hurled them 80 feet away no human being or beings Could have done such a thing to this Very day the boss is still listed as a Missing person something was not happy About a lumber crew invading their Neighborhood that's for damn sure
