Saturday, June 7, 2014

Alaska Sasquatch Encounters

As a kid growing up in the sixties I was never really intimidated by school, like most of the other students I knew.  Some part of my spirit knew it was just a transitional phase that would one day fade away to reveal what real life was really all about.  The cliques and social posturing didn't impress or interest me at all, as I already sensed I wasn't going to fit in well with any of them.  Likewise there was very little else school had to offer that I was interested in...just the books.  I was there for the books pure & simple. 

On the weekends I would often take the bus downtown; spending the morning in the public library and the afternoon scouring used book stores.  By the time I was a senior in high school I had a pretty impressive library of my own at home.  While a good many subjects held my interest, I was especially fond of the paranormal; those things which "science" rejected, and refused to investigate.  One book in particular really caught my imagination:  "Abominable Snowmen: Legend come to Life." by  Ivan T. Sanderson.  The author not only wrote about the Yeti of the Himalayas, but went so far as to suggest there were four different species of this creature, living on most of the planets continents except Australia!  I had no way of knowing it at the time, but that book set in motion a series of choices I would make in my life that would lead me to have several encounters with the Alaskan Sasquatch, or "Bigfoot" as one unimaginative newspaper man from California famously named them.  

Fast forward to the spring of 1975: after participating in the southeast Asia war games [where the United Stated took second place;] you could say I was ripe for some adventure of another kind, and followed my soul to Alaska, making it my adopted home.  My objective and desire was to live a rustic wilderness lifestyle, out in the boonies away from town, and people & all their drama and noise.  Traveling with me was my new bride, who not only shared my desire to live in the wilderness; she wanted to do it up in the Brooks range, around the Arctic circle.  Tough minded woman!  We established ourselves in the town of Ketchikan, bought a trailer sitting on a cliff out north of town, and began getting ready for winter.  Before long I found myself gainfully employed on a local harbor tug boat; and times were good. 

A couple years slipped away...and it suddenly dawns on me that my dream of wilderness living is still on hold, and slipping away along with the good times and easy money.  That flame of desire in me was building, I really didn't want to put it off another year...but then there were three of us now, and my wife wasn't so keen about moving into the woods with a 1 year old child.  I reminded her that humans have logged much more time living in wilderness than they have in big cement cities...it's where we come from after all, I just wanted to return.  Once we got to talking about it, we realized we both still wanted the same thing, and began planning our "jumping off" date.  Eighteen months later the plan came together rather nicely: we divested ourselves of the Cliffside trailer, exchanging it for a three room cabin, on a log raft, aka A Floathouse.

For the first few weeks we were essentially water squatters as we were still trying to line up a place to put the floathouse.  Got kicked out of Bar Harbor, the main marina on the waterfront; so we moved across the narrows to Gravina Island and tied up to a log storage raft...right under the airport flight path!  A few weeks later a friend of mine who was related to one of the board members of the local native corporation; secured me an employment contract to provide public relations and security services up in George Inlet.  Almost halfway up the inlet is a beautifully pristine little pocket in the shoreline called Gem Cove, our new home in the wilderness fifteen nautical miles from Ketchikan.

The most unusual feature of this cove was the long, narrow, tree covered island situated directly across the entrance; leaving just a narrow, rock studded corridor one had to navigate to gain entrance to the cove.  I had of course scouted the area beforehand and thus was certain we could get the raft through the narrow entrance.  The topography of the shoreline afforded but a single optimal spot for the floathouse, on the north shoreline just across from the narrow skookum chuck entrance.  We eased the raft in on the highest tide of the month; then coaxed it into position.  A few minutes later we had two anchors set, and mooring lines tied to the shore.  Four hours later with the outgoing tide draining water from the cove, our little floathouse settled onto the beach beneath us; not quite perfectly level, but close enough for us.  As the sun began to lower in the sky I sat on the back deck of the floathouse in a moment of reflection and satisfaction; offering the universe a silent prayer of thanks that my lifelong dream of living in the wilderness was now reality.

There is an unapproachable quality of life to living in the wilderness, away from the trappings of humanity, and the difference is immediately noticeable to the soul.  You wake to the sound of eagles calling, and perhaps some breeze in the treetops, but not much more than that.  The first few weeks we were there it seemed we heard vocal objections to our presence from the squirrels, ravens, and blue jays as well as the eagles; but after a while they must have grown used to us because things quieted down.  I made it a prime directive not to hunt in the vicinity of the cove because getting to see Alaskan wildlife in their native habitat was a big part of my reason for living here.  Once used to our presence, the local denizens of the forest returned to their regular routines, allowing us a glimpse every now and then.  Sometimes in the mornings we'd see deer on the far shore, and a couple of times even wolves.  That first summer we learned to our surprise that the large stream feeding fresh water into the cove was indeed a salmon stream!  Now this was good because of readily available salmon and not-so-good because the black bears also like easy pickings.  So, it wasn't too unusual to see the occasional bear strolling the beach out in front of the floathouse on it's way to or from the stream. 

One of the nicest things about wilderness life is that once you have accomplished the necessary daily chores of tending to your needs such as firewood, water, meal preparation, and putting up preserves for winter; there is still plenty of daylight remaining for other projects & pursuits.   After dark it's all about family time, reading, cribbage, music and finding ways to keep a 2 year old child entertained & happy, (which is tough anywhere!)  Next day you get up and do it all over again just like any lifestyle; except in the wilderness all your effort benefits you, not some boss somewhere.  You set your own rules and productivity knowing that if you don't do it, it won't get done.

We'd lived in Gem Cove for just over a year before we saw the first evidence of Sasquatch.  A friend of ours from town had come out to spend the weekend with us.  Little Bear was a native Tlingit woodcarver who a year before had carved me a massive chair from an old seasoned tree trunk.  He wanted to get in a deer hunt so he could take some venison home to his family.  We took my skiff up the coast a mile or so then put ashore and headed uphill to a nearby ridge system.  Near the top of the first ridge we came onto a nice big muskeg meadow which was dotted here & there with small stands of trees: perfect deer territory.  We hunkered down just inside the tree line and tried the deer call...nothing.  After waiting a while longer we decided to skirt the edges of the meadow, in opposite directions, but keeping each other in plain sight.

 Just a few minutes into this strategy however, little bear whistles at me to get my attention.  When I looked over at him, now about 30 yards distant, he calls out to me, "Hey come check this out!"  Being a tad miffed that he'd just spooked any deer that may be around, I walked over to where he was standing.  As I drew near he just points to the ground next to him saying "You ain't gonna believe this."  There in the mushy muskeg carpet was two different sets of what appeared to be human footprints...except they were barefoot tracks, and very large.  One set was only just bigger than a normal human foot - but the other was considerably larger.  Not having camera or tape measure with us we could only estimate the big prints to be some 16 inches long and about 6 to 7 inches wide. 
We saw a long line of these footprints, where they entered from the tree line and cut across the meadow towards a stand of trees.  The large footprints left a 2 inch deep impression in the muskeg, the smaller ones, about half that.  In comparison our own footprints lasted mere seconds before disappearing as the muskeg returned to it's normal state.  No matter how hard we tried, we couldn't get the muskeg to hold our footprints, yet there was the trail of these giant barefooted tracks!  Suddenly feeling like trespassers poaching on private lands, we agreed the hunt was done and headed down to the boat.  (In 2003 our experience this day was included in the book Raincoast Sasquatch by J. R. Alley)

Back at the floathouse Little Bear told us that his people tell stories of Sasquatch encounters in southeast Alaska as part of their tribal heritage.  It isn't a legend or mystery to them, but rather a known part of the natural world.  Our friend told us of hearing his grandfather & the elders talk about them.  One of the things he remembered was the elders said when you hear the sound of tree knocking, (someone beating a stick upon a tree), that Sasquatch is in the area.  The elders also said that if respected and left alone the Sasquatch generally afford the same courtesy to others.  You find this same kind of respect among many divergent native people, from the coast Salish tribes to the Lakota Sioux; all regard Sasquatch as a great spirit of the woods.

It was a couple of weeks later when we were harvesting blueberries, just up the hill behind the floathouse, when we saw a couple things that smacked our curiosity a good one.  The blueberry 'bush' we were working was actually a massive entanglement of many bushes which towered above our heads.  Up higher than we could reach we saw several branches which were stripped bare of berries, leafs...everything.  Just bare naked branches.  It looked as if some big thing with prehensile lips had just stripped the branch by pulling it thru its mouth; or maybe used it as a toothbrush!  Immediately I began searching the ground for any large footprints, but being dry and somewhat rocky the terrain wasn't conducive to footprints.  However my search did come across something totally unexpected.  A few feet away from the berry tangle, laying on the ground was a little something left behind.  The polite terms like droppings or scat or even defecation just don't suffice in this case.  I was looking at one magnificent turd.  Very unlike what a bear might leave, it was quite human-like in its appearance, except for the size and girth, which is what made it so magnificent.  The thing was longer that my size 12 boot!!  Agreeing that we had enough berries for now mom and I with kid in tow made a dignified retreat back to the beach. 

Being that I've read about such creatures all my life I was actually fairly excited in a happy way about seeing the footprints, and now the magnificent turd!  Being from west Texas farm stock, my wife was somewhat less excited than me, and I think less impressed as well.  Like I said, tough minded woman, who evidently does not rattle easily.  It was a good thing she didn't rattle easily because things were about to get kicked up a notch or three in short order. 

One of the home improvements I made to the cabin was a small second floor balcony accessible from our loft bedroom.  We enjoyed having dinner out on the balcony many evenings, and sometimes would just sit out there talking into the wee hours.  About three weeks after the berry incident we were out on the patio one evening admiring the star field above us.  The mood was lighthearted and we were teasing & kidding each other, just goofing off mostly...when the still night air was pierced by a shrieking howl sounding very much like amputation without anesthesia!  This ungodly sounding howl was a good distance off, maybe a couple miles up the inlet and lasted nearly five or six seconds.  We just kinda looked at each other for a long second, then I decided comic relief was called for, so I asked my wife: "What do ya think, should I answer back?"  Before she could utter a word, something else returned the same exact screeching howl from the ridge up behind our cabin.  It was so loud every hair on the back of my neck bristled as we sprang into action.  There was no need for words, we simply retreated inside locking & barring the door  behind us.  We didn't hear anything else, but that didn't stop us from preparing ourselves and home for the unknown.  The unknown stayed away all night.  We know because we didn't sleep that night, at all.

In the following days we came to discuss and re-assess our choice of a wilderness lifestyle based on recent occurrences.  I am certain sure part of my wife's persona wanted to move back to town almost as much as the rest of her wanted to stay.  In the end, logic prevailed.  We'd lived in Gem Cove over a year without any problems at all from Sasquatch (or any other creature)...why would they wait this long to scare us off the land?
It was just that hearing the second howl so very close to home kinda rattled us both a little.  The sound was primal in it's intensity and overpowering in it's sheer volume.  I think hearing that every night, or even every week would have run us out of that place, but the serenade was not repeated and life in Gem Cove returned to normal, for a while anyway.

With summer fading and winter approaching I kept busy adding to our firewood supply.  A nice huge driftwood log had come ashore just outside the cove so I grabbed it, towed it home and began cutting it up on the back deck.  Having to stop to refill the chain saw, I decided to take a bit of a break, let the saw cool off a bit, so I sat down to have myself a smoke.  One thing that's the same as living anywhere else is that when something changes in your day-to-day environment in the woods; you tend to notice it.  Enjoying my break from work; my eyes just naturally began scanning the far shoreline of the cove, and that was when I saw it.  Maybe 30 feet or so above the waterline a quarter mile away there was a patch of black behind the tree line, motionless.  Knowing this was not a normal part of the landscape my interest was piqued immediately.  Pulling the brim of my ball cap down to shade my eyes, I could now make out a squat head on top of that patch of black.  Binoculars were hanging just inside the back door to the cabin, so I very casually got up to retrieve them.  Binoculars in hand I used the edge of the house to steady on and looked toward the black patch on the far shore.  What I was seeing was very clearly a large hairy black humanoid looking creature...from mid chest up, as it was standing behind a bush.  It was looking directly at the floathouse, and me.  Again the bristling hairs on my neck, and that wilding sensation that accompanies the thrill of discovery! 

I wanted my wife to witness this so she wouldn't think me totally off the deep end, and I repeatedly tried to yell at a whisper for her to come outside, not wanting to scare the creature off before she could see it.  Finally she comes to the back door, I gave her the field glasses and told her right where to look...as I looked back myself just in time to see the thing turn away & disappear into the forest.  When asked if she'd seen it my wife just said she'd gotten the briefest of glimpses just as it disappeared.  She thought it was a black bear.  A wise man might have just left it at that, but not being terribly wise I had to go over there and seek some kind of evidence.  Armed with a camera, tape measure and a couple of guns; I took the skiff over to the far shore where I'd seen Sasquatch.  I was disappointed to find no conclusive footprints in the hard ground, no hair samples, not even a magnificent turd!  My surprise confirmation came when I went to check out the 'bush' sasquatch had stood behind, finding it in fact was a tree measuring eight feet tall.  Since the tree only came to mid-chest on the creature, I feel safe in estimating his height to be a minimum of ten feet.

Something happens when you experience firsthand a thing or event that common consensus excludes and ridicules.  Whether you have yourself believed in it or not doesn't really matter; because such an experience changes you fundamentally, and you will never be the same person you were the day before the experience.  You can never un-see once you have seen, you cannot un-know once you know, and the energy which accompanies such peak experiences can be addicting or terrifying depending on who you are.  I am addicted, having spent the majority of my life in search of having that feeling again, and again.  It never gets old. 

A few days after my first Sasquatch sighting, an idea occurred to me which seemed perfectly logical at the time; however my wife felt otherwise.  The salmon were still running in the creek for another week or better, so I thought to offer some up to the neighborhood sasquatch.  The idea was brilliant in it's simplicity; Fish-kabobs!  I gathered three long poles from spare lumber I had, & sharpened both ends.  I impaled a couple fresh salmon on one end, then sank the other end deep in the wet sand alongside the creek.  When finished; each pole suspended it's fish some eight feet above the beach, with the poles placed 15 feet apart.  The eagles, bears, ravens, otters and such all love fresh seafood, why should sasquatch be any different?  I set the 3 poles up just prior to dusk, then returned to the cabin a couple hundred yards away to await what the light of day would reveal. 

I wanted to go out and look right at sun up, but made myself wait, knowing many animals feed at dawn & dusk.  After a quick breakfast and some hot coffee I could resist no longer, and went to have a look at the poles.  As the stream came into view I could see the poles were all still standing, exactly as I'd left them, except there were no fish, just empty poles.  I know that isn't concrete evidence that sasquatch took the fish; but a bear would have knocked the poles over, as would a wolf or any other critter.  To my knowledge eagles & ravens don't hunt at night - but an owl might possibly have snatched a fish or two...but all six fish??  Whatever took the fish managed to do so without disturbing the pole much, if at all, so there's that anyway!

 I concluded that the results of the experiment were interesting albeit inconclusive; and that they warranted another try, so that very night at dusk, I offered up six more fresh caught salmon on the poles exactly as the night before.  The next morning I headed to the stream a little earlier than the previous day, restless with anticipation.  When I approached the stream I could instantly see that all three poles were gone.  Closer inspection confirmed the poles weren't just down, but gone as in totally missing.  I searched the beach, even the tree line, the poles were nowhere to be found.  While I saw this development as something positive, even interesting; my wife saw it quite another light.  She conjectured that I had just armed the sasquatch, and the missing poles represented some kind of threat or warning to us.  All I could offer in reply was that finding the poles jammed into the beach in front of our house would be a warning or threat, and to remind her we'd been here more than a year without any aggression from the local sasquatch group.  "But why would they take the poles?" she asked defensively.  Hoping to defuse the issue with positive energy I said: "Maybe it's like that old proverb; 'if you give a man a fish he eats for a day - if you teach him to fish, he feeds himself.' What if the fish-kabobs gave old high-pockets the idea of spearing fish instead of chasing them?"

Soon the salmon run was over, as was the summer, and as fall descended upon us there was no further evidence or incidence of sasquatch near the cove, and we busied ourselves with getting ready for winter.  My job with the local native corporation required me to patrol George Inlet by boat a minimum of twice a week.  What with my curiosity & sense of adventure, a patrol could consume several hours, so I always packed a lunch along with my usual gear.  One afternoon I was on patrol about seven miles up the inlet at Coon Cove and decided it was time for lunch.  Just inside the cove I cut the outboard motor and let the skiff drift as I ate.  The incoming tide carried my boat further into the large cove as I marveled at the idyllic, pristine wilderness that was my office.  Out here in the quiet places a man can think without having to block out distractions.  There I was lost in thought soaking in all the raw beauty around me, when movement on the beach caught my eye.  There on the beach about a hundred yards away I saw a black bear, looked like he was turning over rocks for the small crab often found there. 

As I turned in my seat to get a better look; my knee bumped one of the oars, which in turn banged into the aluminum hull of the skiff with a loud thump.  Instantly the bear stood up on it's hind legs, and turned towards me to see what made the noise, and my heart jumped into my throat to realize the bear was in fact a sasquatch; staring directly at me.  It seemed like longer, but in a few seconds the creature just casually turned and strode back into the woods, disappearing from view.  I just sat there with what I'm sure must have been a stupefied look on my face as the energies I'm addicted to coursed thru my body as they do with each peak experience.  I remember wondering if the sasquatch was as curious as me.  I could imagine him gazing at me now from concealment, wondering what he thought of me. 

There is a kind of reverie which follows an encounter such as the one I'd just had, and it enveloped me the whole trip back to the cabin.  Upon returning home I decided not to share the experience with my wife just yet, simply didn't see what could be gained from it as I already knew she didn't share my fascination with the sasquatch and it didn't make any sense to give rise to needless fears.  Unfortunately, that was the last time I was to see the creature; in fact we continued to reside peacefully in Gem Cove another three years without any sign or indication of them at all.  But in the back of my mind I knew they were there, if not close, then somewhere else, and once you know you can never un-know.

Although there exist numerous accounts where the Yeti, Bigfoot, or Sasquatch have displayed decidedly aggressive behavior toward us humans; such was certainly not my experience.  The two creatures I saw seemed more curious than anything, but guardedly so.  I will never forget the face of the sasquatch I saw with the binoculars, the eyes had a certain quality to them which you don't see in wild animals...the lights are on and somebody's home!!  When the Tlingit people speak of sasquatch it is with respect, because he is considered to have supernatural powers like telepathy; and that you will only see them if they desire it.

Ever since Roger Patterson & Bob Gimlin filmed a sasquatch near Bluff Creek California back in 1967; people have taken to the back woods in hopes of finding the legend.  Some are true believers who just want the same peak experience I spoke of, and to know.  Others however, hunt the bigfoot with cameras and guns, hoping to exploit the creature into fame and fortune, although they probably wouldn't like that being done to them, they're just fine with hunting & killing a sasquatch.  Lamentably, cable TV exploits these Duck Dynasty rejects with their own series for the ever burgeoning "reality TV" doctrine.  For those who think such filmed hunts are "real" I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but you're being played like the saxophone on 'Bad to the Bone' because no self-respecting sasquatch would go anywhere near such a circus of clowns.  What really bothers me about this is that such conduct of hunting down a rare unknown humanoid is even legal.  It's sad, really to think that of those who believe in the existence of sasquatch, some are more than willing to kill one to prove it. 


 With humans behaving so badly on these filmed bigfoot hunts is it any wonder there are accounts of hostile and aggressive behavior?  How would any of us react if our home was invaded by armed & aggressive puny hairless apes?  Isn't it enough that we've declared war on nature, must we really also destroy those who have learned to live in harmony with it?  Recent video and still photos coming out of Russia of sasquatch and Yeti have renewed the public interest in the subject; which is bound to inspire even more hunting expeditions to come.  This is one of those times to remember the sage advice; of being careful what you wish for, if you intend to join such a hunt.  First there's the sheer size and power of sasquatch, who can throw a full 55 gallon barrel with no problem, then you have the very fact they go to extremes to avoid humans, which is proof enough of a superior intellect. 


"True Wealth is Measured by What You Can Just Leave Be"

May the Source be with You!




Related Augureye Posts:
Other Voices:
http://www.bigfootencounters.com/sbs/oldalaska.htm
http://cryptozoologynews.com/
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/bigfoot-existence-backed-dna-video-report-article-1.1473883
http://www.oregonbigfoot.com/gallery.php

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/bigfoot-sightings/


34 comments:

  1. If only the world was populated with more people like you my friend what a wonderful world it would be (to borrow from an old song). I was born and raised a country boy and will always be at heart. Times have changed much here in rural Ireland. From the time we were old enough to understand, we were thought about Nature. I have had many strange experiences in my life, but I stopped talking about them because people see you as a nut, however that does not stop them from happening. I love your stories and look forward to each new one you post. Thank you so much and please keep them coming. Perhaps one day I will post a few of my own.

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  2. Bob~
    The ridicule of those who thought me nuts for the things I choose to believe (most of my life) never really bothered me much, because once you know......

    Thanks for the feedback; think I have a few more in me before it gets down to posts on vegan recipes and pictures of my food ;)

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  3. Thanks for your wonderful story. But, I'm curious at to what the scat by the blueberry bush actually looked like. Back in the 90s I was kayaking in Mountain Brook Reservoir in Jaffrey, NH. I came ashore at the terminus of a 3/4 mile long cove, where Mountain Brook enters the reservoir. As I walked around in the woods there I was startled to see a pile of 'scat' shaped like sausage links, but between 8 and 12 inches in length, and about 2 inches in diameter. I instantly realized whatever left that pile of scat was a lot bigger than me! I hastily retreated to my kayak and paddled away.

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  4. Dave~
    Indeed the droppings near the berry tangle was not a pile, but rather long, semi-segmented (tootsie Roll) quite similar to what you saw. It looked human in all regards except size & girth, and yes, my first impression was like yours...something much larger than human left us the 'gift'...within sight of where we lived. and you thought your neighbors were strange! :) thanks for the input!











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    1. I have several samples of feces in my freezer that are exactly as you both have described.Two are from here in north central pa where I have seen sasquatch in person and the third is from Tioga county pa.

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    2. Sharon~
      You should maybe have those specimens DNA tested - other than that, why are you keeping them in the freezer? Let one thaw out in your yard, and the neighbors dog will never crap in your yard again!!

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  5. The Sasquatch are a people, with their own culture, and are VASTLY superior to humans.
    Also, there is an easy way to make contact with them, but THEY are the ones who are always in control of any encounters.
    Please read Kewaunee Lapseritis' two books, to learn the truth about the Sasquatch people, their culture, and their belief system (or watch his interviews on Youtube).
    Kewaunee has had direct contact with them for 35 years, and is well known to them, as a trustworthy human. They will not make contact without trust, and if you have a camera or a gun in your possession, or have selfish motives, you can FORGET about making any kind of contact with them. Their intelligence is much higher than ours, and their ethical standards are far superior to ours. They have a great disgust (not fear) of most humans, and very few humans will meet their standards for contact. You can't understand the complexity of what is happening, here on Earth, and the great tragedy, of what is about to happen, without knowing who the Sasquatch people are, and what they are trying to prevent, here on Earth.
    Great article, but sadly, you blew a great opportunity for real contact, as they did show some trust, and interest in you, and your family. :-

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    1. Solarinc~
      Many thanks for the info on Kewaunee's books & videos, will definitely look them over as I haven't heard of him before. I agree that this is a culture of indigenous forest dwellers who possess a spiritual clarity lacking in most humans, and from direct personal experience I can tell you they ARE telepathic, and possess some impressive Jedi mind tricks. Just as the native Alaskans seldom speak of such things...I did not include ALL of my Sasquatch encounters in the post, as it was getting lengthy enough.

      Actually, I rather believe I do "understand the complexity of what is happening here on earth and the great tragedy of what is about to happen," perhaps better than most. I'm not so sure I blew any opportunities for contact as you suggest, after all, I gave them fresh fish, and three sharpened spears for tools. That I never found myself impaled by one of those spears on my many excursions into the woods; I think is evidence enough of contact. Although I never again SAW the Sasquatch clan near Gem Cove; I was aware of their presence sometimes, as they would "tell" me when I was in the wrong area, telepathically...which was so subtle a thing as to be sublime. There are several types of contact. And yes, they accepted and trusted us, or else we would never has lasted there for 4 years! Peaceful Blessings.

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  6. I had another experience in that same reservoir, also in the 90s. I paddled my kayak into another cove that was surrounded by large pine trees. I began videotaping the cove, when I heard this loud crack behind me. To my horror, a huge pine tree, about 80 to 100 feet in height was falling directly towards me! I dropped the video camera, and frantically tried to paddle away, but was enclosed by floating logs, making a quick escape impossible. I avoided being hit by the main trunk, but sustained a small cut on my head from a branch that scraped me. My kayak was pushed down below the cockpit level, and it flooded. Only by the most strenuous efforts was I able to free myself, and paddle the flooded kayak back to my launch point.

    Having already seen the giant scat I began to wonder if I had trespassed too often on 'its' territory.

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  7. Dave~
    Yup, I would have to agree with you about the trespassing thing; they are quite territorial, and are known to push over trees, throw boulders and even scream horrifically to ward off interlopers. This to me also indicates their superiority, because if they were humans, they'd just kill first and ask questions later. As 'Solarinc' remarked in another comment today; we're not just talking about 'creatures' here, but rather a RACE of humanoid indigenous forest dwellers...who are our long-lost brothers.

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  8. Stories like yours are more convincing to me than most of the videos I have seen, with a few exceptions. I know you consider yourself blessed to have had that experience.

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    1. Mike~
      Sincere thanks brother; indeed authenticity is rare, as with most things in this life, I always get a rush of truth chills ("goose flesh") when I see the real thing on someone's video or photo-and that tells me it's not a fake. Not only do I indeed consider myself blessed to have the experience, my life has been an embarrassment of such riches. Thanks!

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  9. I live on Vancouver Island, home to groups of these criturs and have had no encounters myself but my bro and a friend have seen them and one fella at only 10 feet near Gold River as he turned a bend in a semi truck to go into a logging yard. There it was standing almost in the middle of the road and he got the rig stopped and they just looked at each other for a few seconds and it turned and strode into the forest. It was at least 8 feet in height and had reddish hair with none on its chest. Long arms hung below its knees and it looked very powerful. My bro saw one at a distance hunting deer up Nanaimo lakes rd one fall and it was unmistakable he said walking like a man and black as a bear. I have read accounts from channels that tell us of a time in far off history when Extra Terrestrials who develop planets through seeding and so on as colonies for life were looking to develop through genetics a humanoid being who could act as a guardian species for the planet and the story is that they crossed their genetics with monkeys to get a bipedal critur that could possibly evolve into such a species. This created from chimps the Gorilla and from Gorilla's humanoid genes were added to create Sasquatch. This was again a failed attempt to create a guardian species that could evolve to be of the higher light to transform this world into a heavenly realm for those that lived on it. At a stage a million or so years ago a draconian group came into this world and they began to develop what came to be the humanoids of today leaving the other created creatures on their own to live or die. We have come a long way from there but now we face disasters of our own making that if not intervened upon would be the end of the line for us here. The Movie 'Harry and the Hendersons' do a right fine job of portraying a Sasquatch for a movie and they should have got an Oscar for the makeup if not the portrayal. Keep the stories coming as we find them most interesting.

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    1. Aaron~
      Huge thanks for sharing these encounters, as well as the possibilities of their origins. I have many times read about a link or connection between UFO's and Sasquatch/Yeti, etc. It wouldn't surprise me...we really understand so little about this planet. Indeed, off-world interference is an on going problem and menace to all of us. Makes me wanna move right back into the deep wilderness; I already know I have the skills to get on out there.

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    2. You feel as I in the desire to return to a simpler lifestyle away from the madding crowd but I'm getting old now and wish to be near the amenities this civilization provides. I have lived in the wilds when I was younger and I still keep a TP up in the yard as a lifeboat in case the place burns or theres an earthquake or something. There are some good stories of encounters here on the island and one from the 1920s on the mainland that is the most interesting as the prospector was captured in his sleeping bag with his rifle as he slept with it. Very interesting story of a family of them with two little ones the old man and a female. he was with them for a week when he finally scared them out of the way so he could escape using his 30.30. and making his way back to the coast where he was reluctant to tell his story but did eventualy. It can be found on the internet somewhere on a website about such things. There was a girl who camped out behind our mountain in the Nanaimo lakes and had a family group come down to play in the daytime by the water she camped at and they had two kids and even allowed them to come up close to the campfire where the momma scolded them for getting to near the flames. They felt comfortable around the young lady who never thought they were aggressive but was enthralled by the every day encounters. This story can be found also on the internet somewhere. I myself am not in a hurry to make friends with one but would hopefully make it feel comfortable to be close to me. Hard to imagine not freaking out at the encounter tho. You are courageous and are a credit to humanity. Carry on friend.

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    3. Aaron~
      The encounters you refer to are all in the book I mentioned in the post; and they were the very stories which sparked my imagination so many years ago. Yeah, I like the modern comforts, electricity and all that as you do, but the cost is severe to the soul, they're called 'possessions' for a good reason & it ain't because you possess 'it' - vice versa. I always thought about how I might handle a very close encounter, up close & personal - I think it would have been the time of my life. got the scar tissue to handle the courageous bit; not too sure about that credit to humanity, but thanks for the vibe!

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    4. Amazing wonderful read. What cajones you have (with wonderful support) to be able to live so freely. I send you all the best and look forward to more inspiring literature.

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    5. Anony~
      Indeed with wonderful support! Teamwork is what makes wilderness life rewarding; division of labor. Many hands make light work. thanks

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  10. Great story. I enjoyed it immensely. Thank You

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    1. Anon~
      Thanks for the feedback, it's good to know!

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  11. thanks for that great story. living in the foothills near calif. lake oroville,there were many encounters by foothill locals and published in a book.my own experience was that 'a 8 ft. tall sasquatch lived up our dirt access road' and one night in bed I heard very loud foot thuds running on our road,but these thumping sounds vibrated my cabin,so it had to be a huge creature to do that,and I felt I had correctly identified these thud/foot sounds,as the pace was also correct.
    also,a family who lived in french creek area ,readily spoke of a curious B F who peeked in windows and they left sweets for the big guy,just matter of fact,as they told their story,so that was enough for me to know,they are real.

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    1. Dale~
      It certainly seems that anywhere you find expanses of deep wilderness, you also find stories of encounters with these forest dwellers. Maybe if they stop believing humans really exist we'll finally be discovered as a hoax. Mysteries abound.

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  12. Fantastic account of you experience!

    Did you ever see stick structures or tree bends around the cove?

    RJ

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  13. Thanks RJ~
    I did a great deal of exploring in the areas surrounding the cove and never saw any nests, or tree bends. However, I did go deer hunting on Gravina island, across the narrows from Ketchikan, and a few miles inland we came into a very large muskeg meadow; where we saw several good sized trees which had been uprooted, then jammed back into the ground with the roots up in the air! A very chilling thing to see, let me tell you! We immediately knew we were trespassing where we didn't belong, and left. On the way back down; my friend; who lived on Gravina, down on the beach...told me a very strange story about one night when his cabin was visited by several very large creatures. He said they just walked in a big circle around the cabin a couple of times, then disappeared. Next morning he and his lady discovered a ring of really big footprints around the small cabin. It pays to be humble and respectful when one lives in the quiet places!

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  14. Great stories, thx for sharing it. I've read interesting stories about their Himalayan cousin, made by buddhist monks in Tibet. "They" seems to have special powers, even being able to enter secret places located in the wild. (Remember that Steve Austin episode? :) Like Aaron said, monks are considering them as an old guardian species.. If you're interested in Lobsang Rampa's books, he describes his "childhood" in remote lamaseries of Tibet and their encounters.

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    1. Lobsang Rampa. I so loved that series. Think it was about 32 years or so ago. Need to go back and refresh on the encounters. Thank you....

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  15. Thank you for sharing your stories and adventures!

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  16. I think the chain saw upset them. Very nice...easily believable share. I have been approached...and we are making our acquaintance right now. Clearly they have abilities way beyond we humans. Again...nice when happening upon a story i know to be true.

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    1. Thanks,

      Ya should have been there. Unforgettable

      Blessings

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  18. Your observations are excellent. Native Haida Alaskans and Tsimshians alike have a long oral tradition of sightings, track reports and even interactions with these creatures. One Gem Cove track reported in the 1970's by Ace S. and a friend was mentioned in Raincoast Sasquatch in 2003. To date I have investigated or documented over 128 Revilla Island reports of sightings, tracks incredibly loud vocalizations, sworn eyewitness affidavits of witness, 12 eyewitness or forensic sketches of such creatures around Revilla as well as unusual hair. The most recent sighting between George and Carol Inlet was reported by a heavy equipment operator at Shelter Cove in May, 2015 and a kayaker's photo of tracks above Fish Creek/Thorne Arm in the summer of 2014. The late Don Atkinson spent 4 hours in the 1990's directing me drawing a sketch of the face of the creature he witnessed from 20 feet above Moth Bay in the 1970's. I have been lucky enough to be one of three people at Whipple creek in March, 1998 getting a look at an upright, tall hair-covered figure running across the road. Military personnel involved in "Northern Edge" war-games there several years later dropped a lot of live .50 cal ammo in the creek trying to get out of there. City residents, trophy hunters and first-generation Alaskans can be skeptical as they might like, all good... but it doesn't change what thousands of years of subsistence living has taught the native people, or what amazing secrets the Alaska might still reveal to those who take the time to spend a year anchored up in any remote Southeast gunkhole or wild protected anchorage. A healthy native disinclination to repeat the name of these manlike creatures is well-documented. And finally, a hundred years of non-native skepticism and ridicule of anything not convenient to the beliefs, religion or economy of urban society, business and government has until now been sufficient to keep a lid on almost all practical information regarding the makers of these tracks.

    Bravo to you for your scientific curiosity, courage to investigate and for sharing what you have come to know about sasquatches (by any name) in Southeast Alaska!

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    1. Cogiit~
      Unless I'm mistaken, that 1970's Gem Cove track you mentioned that was published in "Raincoast Sasquatch" was reported by the late Ace Starkweather, who accompanied me on a hunt when I lived there.

      Just a bit south of Carroll Inlet there is a little promontory named "Ape Point", and whenever folks in Ketchikan would claim that Sasquatch don't exist - I'd just grin and ask them, "then explain to me how Ape Point got it's name" Nobody ever could answer that question.

      The salient thing I think we should all keep in mind is that
      The Sasquatch were there first,
      and will be there when we're gone.

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    2. Chatauqua, you are so very right that, as you say,
      "The Sasquatch were there first,
      and will be there when we're gone."

      There is one Tlingit family in Klawock who keep a family story alive in a very quiet, protected and reverent fashion that desribes how the ancestors of their "hit" or "house lineage" as the word is translated, first came to Southeast Alaska thousands of years ago.
      My Tlingit friend from Klawock recounted :last year:

      "As the elders in my family tell it, our ancestral family "came down through the interior of BC along the banks of the Nass River, following the footprints of one of the giant people."

      Please feel free to leave a note for me in an envelope the next time you stop in at Parnassus, I have to go in and sign some of my books. If you would like to have coffee somewhere and look over a rough draft of my next book, "Alaskan Bigfoot: Ice Age Survivor " I would very much enjoy meeting with you and sharing stories.

      Sincerely Yours,
      J. Robert Alley ("Gogiit")

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    3. Thanks for the warm words brother. I just ordered my copy of 'Raincoast Sasquatch' from Amazon, looking forward to a good read!

      Would like nothing more than a chat over coffee & a rough draft, Alas I moved from Ketchikan a number of years ago. From what I hear it has changed a lot, it might be nice to return sometime for a visit.

      I'll keep my eye out for your next book.
      There's another post you might enjoy on my blog - "The Great Alaskan Monster Hunt"
      It recounts the story of my expedition to Thomas Bay in search of the 'Kushtaka'

      I'm not sure when you moved to Ketchikan, but I'm pretty sure you're my replacement!

      Cheers!
      C.

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