Friday, August 28, 2009

Weekend Activities

If you are on the West Coast this weekend, specifically in the vicinity of Skamania County, Washington, then you probably should log off your computer now and head over to the Bigfoot Bash and Bounty!

Guest speakers include: Joe Beelart, Henry Franzoni and the oh so charming Robert Michael Pyle!

Go on Git!
Bigfoot Bash and Bounty

2009 Texas Bigfoot Conference

Just a reminder that the 2009 Texas Bigfoot Conference is coming up quickly! This awesome event is hosted by the Texas Bigfoot Research Conservancy.

September 26th!

Register now!

Sharonlee says you better!

Have you seen their list of speakers?

Click this link right here! Or else!

Ohio Expedition

As promised, I am posting information about the research that my partner Bob was conducting at Salt Fork State Park while I was out cavorting on the west coast.

The significance of the clucking noise mentioned is that myself and Don Keating have both heard and recorded this clucking noise and it seemed to have been a signal indicating the presence or absence of humans in the area. I'm just speculating, but that is the conclusion that I have come to. Any thoughts or ideas?

Bob's report:

Friday night August 21st at Salt Fork State Park, we all sat in our chairs on a horseshoe shaped ridge that funnels down to a bowl shaped depression. The depression is full of a lot of downed trees and scrub brush. The outer edges of the top of the ridge are surrounded by forest. Almost everyone had night vision equipment and I was the only one with a parabolic mic.

The sky was clear and the stars were really out. It was a moonless night. I saw one real nice shooting star and others in the group saw quite a few.

Jason and Dave hiked down a ways into the depression in front of our position. We had heard some Bared Owl calls and Jason then did some whoops. The first Owl call I heard didn't sound right to me. Instead of a tapered off sound at the end of the call it stopped abruptly. For a while there while they were down in the depression Jason and Dave were doing some whoop calls and we were hearing different answers back. At times it also sounded like two different animals were calling to each other at different positions. At one point Jason got a whoop response back to one of his whoops.

After a while of enjoying sitting there and hearing the different calls coming from different directions Jason and Dave came back up to our sitting position. I had been scanning around with my night vision but didn't see anything interesting. At almost the same time Jason and Rick said they caught some movement through their NV off to our right flank from in the tree line. They continued to scan the area but caught no more movement. I was listening to the area of the movement with my parabolic mic. I heard a clicking noise come from the area. Jason was closest to the noise/movement area and I asked him if he had heard it. He said no. Immediately after that I heard the same clicking sound. I asked the others if any of them had heard it but no one did.

The clicking sound I heard sounded like a noise you make with your tongue bent back on the roof of your mouth then popping it forward while opening your mouth. Each time I heard it there where about 5 or 6 clicks in a row. The sound was very distinct through the parabolic mic. I can't say how far away the sound came from but the max distance the mic is supposed to be good for is 300 feet. No one else picked up this noise without a parabolic mic.

After a while of no action on the ridge we drove over to an area where Don Keating and Scott A where researching. They were basically hanging out at a picnic area using listening devices. Don started talking about a clicking noise that he had recorded in the past year from nearby. He still had the original sound file in the recorder and he played it back for us. I was astonished because it was the same exact clicking sound that I had just heard back up on the ridge. On Don's recording you can hear something that sounds like a bipedal gate walk up to the mic and start messing with it then you hear a series of about 5 or 6 clicking noises. I have also heard this same clicking sound from a recording Sharon has picked up.

For me this was very interesting. I wonder if anyone else out there in Squatchland has heard anything like this?


Jason and Rachel, Bigfoot, Sylvia, Rick, Dave and Bob


The "Ridge"

Bob also adds:
One thing that is important I want to add about my clicking sound report is that Don Keating had a biologist that specializes in primate behaviour listen to the sounds and he said that it sounds like the clicking sounds that are made by some primates for communication. There is a segment on this in Don's recent documentary "Sasquatch At Salt Fork".

Thursday, August 27, 2009

PNW Trip Pics


Beachfoot 2009 Group Photo


Slash with Mike Esordi at Bluff Creek


Early Bird (not!) Diner in Willow Creek. Home of the Bigfoot Burger!


The Bluff Creek Company


Sharonlee in Bigfoot cage at Bigfoot Motel in Willow Creek


Craig playing 'rock paper scissors' with Bigfoot statue at Willow Creek China Flats Museum

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

And more!

On Saturday, the day began at 10 a.m. with presentations from Tom Steenberg and the drawing for door prizes. My name was drawn and I won the book, Where Bigfoot Walks Crossing the Dark Divide, by Robert Michael Pyle. Luckily for me he was also in attendance and offered to sign the book for me. Almost everyone was a winner! There were Bigfoot books, Bigfoot wine made by Ron Morehead, plaster casts and many other donations that were offered as door prizes.

The group broke for lunch and reconvened at 2 p.m.. We sat down to a presentation by "John" who is a criminal investigator. This presentation was so enjoyable and informative! He spoke for a little over an hour and he could have easily gone on for another!

Todd then gave out more door prizes. The atmosphere was relaxed and fun. The sun was warming us everytime the wind would let up and give it a chance.

I walked over to Robert Michael Pyle to have him sign my book, and this took over an hour as Bob Gimlin was regaling us with stories about the day he and Roger Patterson stumbled upon Patty.

I asked questions and he answered them forthright and with much detail. Honestly, if anyone thinks this man is lying about what he saw, they need to sit down and talk to him and ask questions.

The conversation was in depth and open. I learned about the night of October 20th, 1967. Bob and Roger had to gather up Roger's horse and head back to their camp to retrieve the casting materials, they went back to Al Hodgsen's store and Bob picked up some empty cardboard boxes to carry them back. The casts were poured but they had to wait hours. Around 4 a.m. it began to rain and Bob put the boxes over the casts so they wouldn't get ruined. It began to pour and the low road out of Bluff Creek was being washed away. The truck with the horse trailer was a front wheel drive and they had a heck of a time getting over Onion Mountain...so many little details that none of us had ever known, unless of course you had talked with Bob and asked the questions.

The conversation soon turned to butterflies and tattoos and we laughed and joked like nobody's business.

I walked away to mingle and Robert finally signed my book.

We then posed for a group picture to memorialize the event. We had to get about 50 people in the picture and that was no easy feat!

We then were told to meet at 5 p.m. to sing Happy Birthday to Peter Byrne. It was a surprise birthday party for him! Donations were made in lieu of gifts for Peter's project in Nepal. I will add a link so you can donate as well! :)

International Wildlife Conservation Society

Yvonne and Todd then began the preperations for the cook out and again everyone was eating and mingling.

That evening, Robert M. Pyle read his stories to us with his engaging style as the campfire roared. Ron Morehead then gave the Sierra Sounds presentation in place of the absent Scott Nelson.

So we are sitting in the glow of the roaring campfire and Ron is playing audio from the Sierra Sounds. It was surreal.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Pics from Beachfoot 2009



Pics from Beachfoot 2009


Lincoln City, OR

On Friday morning we set out from Autumn's house in 2 cars.

I rode with Autumn on the way to Wal-Mart to pick up some supplies. We had about 45 minutes discussion of many issues in bigfoot research and she sure did teach me many things I had not known before.

As a side note, I like the fact that I am so new to this field compared to many of you, and I learn new things and keep an open mind. I do not have any convictions that would prevent me from listening and understanding other people's points of view.

Let me first tell you that we are on our way to an event called Beachfoot. This is the second annual gathering of Beachfoot and it is by invitation only. Don't worry, I wasn't invited, I kind of tagged along as a "plus-one". Believe me, I would not have been invited on my own merit. The guest list was premiere.

We pull in to the Halderman estate, 7 acres of rural land donated for the weekend by Hal and Lupe Halderman. Todd Neiss is there to greet us and he takes us up the hill to get registered. I figured we would check in, go get some dinner change and come back for the campfire chat. Well, I decided I was not going to be in "reporter" mode since I was an unofficial guest and didn't want to ruffle any feathers. So of course I am not prepared with a camera or audio recorder when Bob Gimlim comes up and gives Craig Woolheater a big hug and starts laughing and joking with him.

I shake Mr. Gimlin's hand and I am sure I muttered something totally unintelligent. I was in awe of this handsome, sweet cowboy!

As we make our way back towards the camp area we are greeted by Tom Yamarone, Cliff Barackman Paul Graves and Jerry Hein. Bob Gimlin then invites us to have dinner with them. He brought some fresh ground buffalo to make burgers. We run off to the store to get buns, beans and I got some salmon for myself...I didn't want to eat a buffalo! LOL!

We returned and the gang enjoyed buffalo burgers, ranch style beans and fresh veges from Bob's garden. Yams and Jerry and Paul did most of the cooking and it was the best meal I had in days!

Steve Inness joined us along with his friend Jason. We finally got the salmon cooked and Bob was like, "Oh boy, salmon! Can I have a piece of that?" In my head I am thinking Bob, you can have it all! but he just wanted a little and half was for Autumn too...it turned out great!

After dinner we headed to the campfire and sat around while Autumn sang, and Yams and Paul played guitar. It was so much fun!

I am sitting behind Ron Moorehead, and Orey Inness...there are so many faces! Such notables of the bigfoot world!

Then as the evening goes on, a familiar face comes alight by the fire's glow as he walks closer to the circle....Bruce Harrington!? LOL! He sees Diane Stocking and says hello, gives her a hug and a kiss, then he sees me and comes over and does the same! It was good to see another familiar face! By another, I mean Diane, she greeted me with open arms and a big hug.

We then retire and promise to meet back Saturday morning at 10 a.m. for presentations and more.....