WEBVTT 1 00:00:06.080 --> 00:00:08.560 As far back as I can remember. As a child, 2 00:00:08.919 --> 00:00:12.599 my grandpa and dad taught me how to hunt. I 3 00:00:12.720 --> 00:00:14.919 was an only child that knew it would be up 4 00:00:14.960 --> 00:00:18.640 to me to carry on the family hunting tradition. My 5 00:00:18.760 --> 00:00:21.920 grandpa owned some land way up in the mountains, away 6 00:00:21.920 --> 00:00:26.480 from everyone and everything. On this land sat an old 7 00:00:26.519 --> 00:00:29.519 cabin that was built by my great grandpa back in 8 00:00:29.559 --> 00:00:33.439 the early nineteen hundreds. It took about an hour to 9 00:00:33.520 --> 00:00:37.000 travel to the nearest house or store, so this was 10 00:00:37.039 --> 00:00:40.439 a well kept private area that no one ever visited 11 00:00:40.600 --> 00:00:44.159 except the three of us. There was no electric or 12 00:00:44.159 --> 00:00:46.880 phone service at the camp, being as it was so 13 00:00:47.000 --> 00:00:50.159 far out in the woods. One learned to be careful 14 00:00:50.200 --> 00:00:53.200 because if something happened while at camp or hunting, then 15 00:00:53.240 --> 00:00:56.039 you were on your own. There was no way to 16 00:00:56.079 --> 00:00:59.799 get any help. When I was fifteen years old, we 17 00:00:59.799 --> 00:01:02.880 had planned a hunting trip up to the cabin, but 18 00:01:02.960 --> 00:01:04.959 I had come down with the flu and could not 19 00:01:05.079 --> 00:01:08.159 make the trip, so my grandpa and my dad left 20 00:01:08.200 --> 00:01:11.480 home to make that four hour drive to our hunting camp. 21 00:01:12.599 --> 00:01:14.480 Mam and I told them that we loved them and 22 00:01:14.519 --> 00:01:17.120 wished them the best of luck on their weak hunting trip, 23 00:01:17.239 --> 00:01:20.959 and off they went. Three days later, we get a 24 00:01:20.959 --> 00:01:24.439 call from the county police that something bad had happened there. 25 00:01:25.319 --> 00:01:27.959 We were told my dad was in the hospital and 26 00:01:28.079 --> 00:01:32.480 in very bad shape. Mom asked, what about Grandpa? Is 27 00:01:32.519 --> 00:01:36.200 he okay? They did not know anyone else was with 28 00:01:36.319 --> 00:01:39.000 my dad, so my mom told them about the camp 29 00:01:39.280 --> 00:01:41.959 and the police were dispatched to go find my grandpa. 30 00:01:43.239 --> 00:01:45.159 Mama and I jumped in the car and drove that 31 00:01:45.280 --> 00:01:48.640 long trip as fast as we could. Once we got 32 00:01:48.640 --> 00:01:51.280 to the hospital, we found out my dad had had 33 00:01:51.319 --> 00:01:55.319 a stroke and they found Grandpa at the cabin. He 34 00:01:55.480 --> 00:01:59.400 was covered with claw marks and his chest was ripped open. 35 00:02:00.439 --> 00:02:02.879 He was either dead from his wounds or he had 36 00:02:02.920 --> 00:02:07.480 had a heart attack before the animal attacked. Somehow, my 37 00:02:07.599 --> 00:02:09.919 dad was able to get in the truck and started 38 00:02:09.960 --> 00:02:12.599 to drive down the mountain to get help, but he 39 00:02:12.680 --> 00:02:15.439 did not make it all the way to town. Someone 40 00:02:15.560 --> 00:02:17.719 found him pulled over on the side of the road 41 00:02:18.039 --> 00:02:22.400 and took him to the hospital. After a couple of days, 42 00:02:22.520 --> 00:02:25.400 my father came to enough to explain what had happened 43 00:02:25.520 --> 00:02:29.719 that led to the long investigation. Both men were out 44 00:02:29.759 --> 00:02:32.680 in their deer stands hunting when my dad hears the 45 00:02:32.719 --> 00:02:36.439 most awful roaring, growling sound down in the woods where 46 00:02:36.479 --> 00:02:40.400 Grandpa was sitting. He heard yelling but could not make 47 00:02:40.479 --> 00:02:44.360 out what he was saying. Then a gunshot and more 48 00:02:44.439 --> 00:02:48.840 yelling came from my Grandpa. He then heard sounds from 49 00:02:48.879 --> 00:02:51.960 some kind of a wild animal. My Dad got out 50 00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:55.719 of his stand and ran to Grandpa. Dad was yelling 51 00:02:55.759 --> 00:02:58.400 where are you as he was scanning the area with 52 00:02:58.479 --> 00:03:00.719 his gun to his shoulder, trying to figure out what 53 00:03:00.800 --> 00:03:03.800 had happened. He could not see Grandpa and did not 54 00:03:03.919 --> 00:03:07.599 see anything moving around. It was totally silent when he 55 00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:11.319 got there. Dad made his way to grandpa stand to 56 00:03:11.360 --> 00:03:14.240 find him lying in some brush and he was bleeding 57 00:03:14.360 --> 00:03:17.879 very badly. He picked Grandpa up and headed to the 58 00:03:17.919 --> 00:03:22.240 cabin with him over his shoulder. When he reached the cabin, 59 00:03:22.599 --> 00:03:27.360 my father collapsed. He had had a stroke. He knew 60 00:03:27.479 --> 00:03:29.599 the only way to get help was to try and 61 00:03:29.719 --> 00:03:33.759 drive out of there. During the investigation, the police found 62 00:03:33.759 --> 00:03:37.680 where Grandpa was sitting, his rifle was broken in half 63 00:03:37.960 --> 00:03:41.599 and the barrel was bent almost into a U shape. 64 00:03:41.639 --> 00:03:44.719 Grandpa also had a handful of hair in his fist, 65 00:03:45.360 --> 00:03:47.919 and they never found out what kind of animal that 66 00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:51.479 this hare came from. There was also a blood trail 67 00:03:51.560 --> 00:03:54.919 leading down into the thick swamp, then went up into 68 00:03:54.960 --> 00:03:58.599 a tree and then vanished. They took samples of the 69 00:03:58.639 --> 00:04:01.120 blood but could not find any kind of match to 70 00:04:01.199 --> 00:04:04.039 tell what it had come from. There was a big 71 00:04:04.080 --> 00:04:06.719 man hunt put in place for days, but no one 72 00:04:06.800 --> 00:04:11.960 found anything other than that blood trail. Eventually it was 73 00:04:12.039 --> 00:04:16.360 classified as a bear attack. Only bad thing about them 74 00:04:16.399 --> 00:04:19.480 closing this case as a bear attack is there are 75 00:04:19.480 --> 00:04:23.000 no bears in this part of the country. Once we 76 00:04:23.079 --> 00:04:26.160 got Dad home, he told me the sounds he had heard, 77 00:04:26.279 --> 00:04:29.279 and from the claw marks on Grandpa and the gun 78 00:04:29.319 --> 00:04:34.199 being destroyed like that, he firmly believed it was a bigfoot. 79 00:04:35.040 --> 00:04:37.720 There are many rumors from other folks up in those 80 00:04:37.800 --> 00:04:41.040 hills saying that they had sighted them before and hear 81 00:04:41.199 --> 00:04:44.639 some creepy sounds in the woods at night. My dad 82 00:04:44.680 --> 00:04:46.959 made me promise to never go back up to the 83 00:04:47.000 --> 00:04:50.279 cabin and to stay away from that place. I have 84 00:04:50.399 --> 00:04:54.000 never been back up there since, and we all really 85 00:04:54.279 --> 00:05:01.439 missed my grandfather. Dad and I have never had too 86 00:05:01.480 --> 00:05:04.399 much in common, so we've always had a hard time 87 00:05:04.519 --> 00:05:08.560 finding things to do together. I never cared too much 88 00:05:08.600 --> 00:05:11.399 about hunting, but it seems to be the only thing 89 00:05:11.519 --> 00:05:14.839 my dad has interest in, so I pretend just so 90 00:05:14.920 --> 00:05:19.920 we can have some bonding experiences. Deer season in two 91 00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:23.120 thousand and nine is when this all happened. I was 92 00:05:23.279 --> 00:05:25.759 just out of college and was lucky enough to get 93 00:05:25.759 --> 00:05:28.439 a new job, but it wasn't starting for a couple 94 00:05:28.480 --> 00:05:31.160 of weeks, so we decided to go for a week 95 00:05:31.240 --> 00:05:34.480 long trip to Tennessee, where my dad had leased some 96 00:05:34.639 --> 00:05:38.800 land right on the border of a large park. Dad 97 00:05:38.839 --> 00:05:41.680 said he had a place picked out for us, about 98 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:44.920 a ten minute hike from where we usually park the van. 99 00:05:45.319 --> 00:05:48.680 When we go there, my Dad would be using a 100 00:05:48.720 --> 00:05:52.759 tree stand and I would be in a blind. Since birth, 101 00:05:52.839 --> 00:05:55.439 I've had a bad knee that makes it impossible for 102 00:05:55.519 --> 00:05:59.439 me to climb ladders. We like to hunt together, so 103 00:05:59.480 --> 00:06:02.519 we were going to place my blind about ten yards 104 00:06:02.560 --> 00:06:06.600 from his tree stand. We had walkie talkie hooked up 105 00:06:06.600 --> 00:06:09.160 to an ear piece so we would be able to 106 00:06:09.199 --> 00:06:13.720 talk throughout the hunt. My first day we were there, 107 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:16.839 it was just setting up blinds in his tree stand. 108 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:20.959 His stand was a type that had a platform and 109 00:06:21.079 --> 00:06:24.959 was completely separate piece from the latter. Neither of us 110 00:06:25.160 --> 00:06:27.639 ever set that type up so it took a little 111 00:06:27.680 --> 00:06:31.279 longer than we wished for. We also put up ribbons 112 00:06:31.279 --> 00:06:33.680 along the path to be able to find our spot 113 00:06:33.839 --> 00:06:38.199 easier at night. On our way to and from the spot, 114 00:06:38.319 --> 00:06:42.319 I noticed several broken limbs up high. I didn't think 115 00:06:42.360 --> 00:06:45.040 anything of it at the time, but knowing what I 116 00:06:45.160 --> 00:06:48.399 know now, I can't help but think that they are related. 117 00:06:49.600 --> 00:06:52.319 On the second day we were on our trip, we 118 00:06:52.439 --> 00:06:55.120 left for our hunting spots an hour and a half 119 00:06:55.199 --> 00:06:58.120 before the sun came up. I was in the blind 120 00:06:58.160 --> 00:07:00.879 and could hear my dad getting all that up, but 121 00:07:00.959 --> 00:07:04.839 that wasn't all I could hear. I also heard something 122 00:07:04.959 --> 00:07:08.759 large stomping around the other side of the ridge. At 123 00:07:08.800 --> 00:07:10.920 the time, I just thought it was a really loud 124 00:07:10.959 --> 00:07:14.199 deer getting an early start. Even though it was a 125 00:07:14.199 --> 00:07:17.920 good distance away. I could hear the loud breathing. I 126 00:07:17.959 --> 00:07:20.920 could clearly hear that it was sniffing loudly, and the 127 00:07:20.959 --> 00:07:24.600 wind was blowing past us in that direction, so I 128 00:07:24.680 --> 00:07:29.160 knew it was winding us. My dad came through across 129 00:07:29.240 --> 00:07:32.560 my earpiece, asking if I could hear it. I told 130 00:07:32.639 --> 00:07:34.879 him I could, but I doubted that it would come 131 00:07:34.920 --> 00:07:38.000 this way, since it seemed like it was already winding us. 132 00:07:39.000 --> 00:07:42.199 The loud noise continued for another thirty minutes or so, 133 00:07:42.600 --> 00:07:46.519 and then it faded away. The third day is when 134 00:07:46.600 --> 00:07:50.839 everything happened. It started off like a normal hunt. We 135 00:07:50.920 --> 00:07:54.199 got there before sunrise and heard the little animals creeping 136 00:07:54.240 --> 00:07:57.120 along the floor. As soon as the sun came up. 137 00:07:57.879 --> 00:08:00.560 We had two squirrels in between my day and I 138 00:08:00.680 --> 00:08:04.279 playing for about an hour to keep us entertained, but 139 00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:07.759 overall we had no real action for the majority of 140 00:08:07.839 --> 00:08:13.240 the day. Around four pm, the woods went silent. I 141 00:08:13.279 --> 00:08:16.480 know you were thinking, oh, the woods went silent, cliche again, 142 00:08:17.040 --> 00:08:20.160 but it is a cliche for a reason. The woods 143 00:08:20.199 --> 00:08:24.360 went absolutely silent. My dad came over the headset and 144 00:08:24.480 --> 00:08:27.439 asked if I could see anything, to which I replied no. 145 00:08:28.879 --> 00:08:32.320 After about ten minutes of not a single noise being made, 146 00:08:32.519 --> 00:08:36.480 I started to see something behind my dad's tree. It 147 00:08:36.519 --> 00:08:39.480 was a dark figure, way too dark to be a deer. 148 00:08:40.480 --> 00:08:43.600 I couldn't tell what it was because the movement in 149 00:08:43.639 --> 00:08:47.000 the shape was all wrong. I told my dad that 150 00:08:47.080 --> 00:08:49.360 I could see something, but I couldn't make it out. 151 00:08:50.320 --> 00:08:53.000 The closer it got, the better I could see it. 152 00:08:53.919 --> 00:08:56.639 The body was so dark that it was almost black, 153 00:08:56.720 --> 00:09:00.120 while the head was a dark red color. It was 154 00:09:00.120 --> 00:09:03.200 working its way toward us, but not in a straight line. 155 00:09:04.159 --> 00:09:07.519 It would walk one direction, ducking behind bushes and trees, 156 00:09:07.919 --> 00:09:11.200 and I will only see it in small spots when 157 00:09:11.200 --> 00:09:14.480 it would change directions and work its way more diagonally 158 00:09:14.519 --> 00:09:18.000 toward us. My dad kept asking me what it was, 159 00:09:18.120 --> 00:09:21.200 but I quit answering. I didn't want the words bigfoot 160 00:09:21.240 --> 00:09:23.639 to be my answer, but that's all I could think 161 00:09:23.720 --> 00:09:28.120 it was. As it kept getting closer, I noticed something 162 00:09:28.159 --> 00:09:32.279 else strange. I couldn't hear it at all. I have 163 00:09:32.440 --> 00:09:36.519 no idea how such a big creature could be absolutely quiet, 164 00:09:36.639 --> 00:09:40.559 but it was when it was around thirty yards directly 165 00:09:40.639 --> 00:09:43.159 behind my dad. That's when I could see it in 166 00:09:43.200 --> 00:09:47.519 its entirety. It was massive, and it was definitely a male. 167 00:09:48.559 --> 00:09:51.360 It was around eight to nine feet and probably four 168 00:09:51.399 --> 00:09:55.879 feet across the shoulders. It was making its way directly 169 00:09:55.960 --> 00:09:59.559 towards my dad's tree stand. I could even see that 170 00:09:59.600 --> 00:10:02.399 it was looking right at him, without looking in any 171 00:10:02.440 --> 00:10:06.360 other direction. My dad was still coming across my earpiece, 172 00:10:06.519 --> 00:10:09.360 asking if I saw a deer, but when my eyes 173 00:10:09.440 --> 00:10:12.480 opened up large, he started to get worried and I 174 00:10:12.480 --> 00:10:16.679 could hear his anxiety over the headset. I'm not proud 175 00:10:16.720 --> 00:10:19.720 of this, but I couldn't speak. I couldn't think of 176 00:10:19.759 --> 00:10:23.279 what to say, and I was terrified. Everyone wants to 177 00:10:23.320 --> 00:10:26.480 see Bigfoot, but I can promise you, once you've seen 178 00:10:26.559 --> 00:10:31.440 one this close, all you want to do is go home. Finally, 179 00:10:31.480 --> 00:10:34.000 my dad figured out that it was making its way 180 00:10:34.120 --> 00:10:37.320 right for him. I saw the creature bend down and 181 00:10:37.399 --> 00:10:40.200 pick something up. It was a limb that was laying 182 00:10:40.279 --> 00:10:45.000 across the leaves, probably around five feet long. I had 183 00:10:45.039 --> 00:10:47.039 no idea what it was about to do with it, 184 00:10:47.200 --> 00:10:50.799 but I still couldn't speak. I wanted to warn my dad, 185 00:10:50.879 --> 00:10:53.360 but I couldn't say a word, and my hands were 186 00:10:53.399 --> 00:10:56.519 shaking so much. I don't think my mouth had shut 187 00:10:56.600 --> 00:11:00.759 for five minutes. As it came around my day dad's tree, 188 00:11:00.799 --> 00:11:03.960 he finally saw it. He screamed, and for the first 189 00:11:04.000 --> 00:11:07.480 time in my entire life, I saw my dad afraid. 190 00:11:08.519 --> 00:11:11.360 Bigfoot had the limb in its hands and swung it 191 00:11:11.519 --> 00:11:14.720 like a bat. At first I thought it was swinging 192 00:11:14.759 --> 00:11:18.080 at him, but it swung the limb just below his feet, 193 00:11:18.159 --> 00:11:22.480 smashing the limb and the ladder instantly. The ladder was 194 00:11:22.480 --> 00:11:25.399 a light aluminum, but it was still strong enough to 195 00:11:25.519 --> 00:11:28.039 amaze me with the amount of force it would take 196 00:11:28.120 --> 00:11:32.240 to completely break the ladder in two pieces. It took 197 00:11:32.279 --> 00:11:35.440 the tree stand so hard that my dad dropped his gun, 198 00:11:35.759 --> 00:11:38.600 which is just as well, because I honestly don't believe 199 00:11:38.759 --> 00:11:43.159 that a slug would bring down this monster anyway. Luckily 200 00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:46.080 he had the type of deer standing platform and the 201 00:11:46.200 --> 00:11:50.679 ladder are separate pieces, Otherwise he would have fallen directly 202 00:11:50.799 --> 00:11:55.559 on top of the creature. The bigfoot then screamed. It 203 00:11:55.600 --> 00:12:00.080 screamed so loud that it took away my breath. It 204 00:12:00.120 --> 00:12:03.759 wasn't even facing my direction, but the scream was so 205 00:12:03.879 --> 00:12:07.480 loud I could feel it through my core. I can't 206 00:12:07.559 --> 00:12:10.000 even imagine what it was like for my dad, who 207 00:12:10.120 --> 00:12:15.000 was five feet away from its mouth. It then walked away, slowly, 208 00:12:15.480 --> 00:12:19.519 looking like it had a lot of confidence. It didn't 209 00:12:19.559 --> 00:12:22.279 care that it could be seen anymore. It was not 210 00:12:22.480 --> 00:12:26.120 hiding or trying to be quiet, just walking away slowly. 211 00:12:27.320 --> 00:12:29.639 I can't tell you why it did that, or why 212 00:12:29.679 --> 00:12:32.399 it didn't try to hurt him. Maybe it was just 213 00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:37.399 a territorial thing. We stayed put, not talking, for another 214 00:12:37.519 --> 00:12:40.919 hour before we decided to leave. I had to help 215 00:12:40.960 --> 00:12:44.000 my dad down since he didn't have a ladder. It 216 00:12:44.039 --> 00:12:46.360 was tough to get him down because of my leg, 217 00:12:46.480 --> 00:12:48.759 but he made it to the ground without getting injured. 218 00:12:49.480 --> 00:12:51.799 The walk back to the van was slow, with us 219 00:12:51.840 --> 00:12:55.639 looking in all directions the whole time. We never heard 220 00:12:55.759 --> 00:13:00.919 or saw anything else after the entire ordeal, I'm pretty 221 00:13:00.960 --> 00:13:04.200 sure that I never noticed him looking my way or 222 00:13:04.320 --> 00:13:09.000 acknowledging my blind Ever, the worst part about it is 223 00:13:09.080 --> 00:13:11.720 my dad could have seriously been injured, but I never 224 00:13:11.799 --> 00:13:14.879 warned him. I was just so scared, and I'm embarrassed 225 00:13:14.879 --> 00:13:18.440 at how bad I let him down. I also noticed 226 00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:21.679 that I never smelled it. I always hear about how 227 00:13:21.720 --> 00:13:25.279 bad they smell, but even me being so close, I 228 00:13:25.360 --> 00:13:28.720 never caught a whiff. I asked my dad if he 229 00:13:28.840 --> 00:13:30.879 smelled it, but he just said he didn't want to 230 00:13:30.919 --> 00:13:33.960 talk about it. In fact, he wouldn't talk about any 231 00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:37.639 of it and swore me to secrecy. It's a shame 232 00:13:37.759 --> 00:13:40.600 that people are mock for just being witnesses of something 233 00:13:40.799 --> 00:13:43.759 like this. Maybe if people had a safe way to 234 00:13:43.799 --> 00:13:46.279 talk about it, people would be able to share their 235 00:13:46.399 --> 00:13:50.360 experiences more. I've never been inside the woods since, and 236 00:13:50.440 --> 00:13:54.080 I never planned to go again. My dad still goes hunting, 237 00:13:54.200 --> 00:14:01.639 but he only hunts on small properties now behind the farm. 238 00:14:01.919 --> 00:14:05.039 Being a cab driver in a small Ontario city just 239 00:14:05.159 --> 00:14:07.960 under one hundred thousand people means that you get out 240 00:14:07.960 --> 00:14:12.440 of town calls fairly regularly, drop off in pickups a 241 00:14:12.519 --> 00:14:16.000 half hour away or coming up to three hours away, 242 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:19.679 maybe one every other month. Once a year or so, 243 00:14:20.080 --> 00:14:22.879 at least one driver will get a call five hours 244 00:14:22.960 --> 00:14:27.000 or more away. You wouldn't believe the company record, but 245 00:14:27.080 --> 00:14:30.200 that's another story. I've been lucky enough to get a 246 00:14:30.240 --> 00:14:33.120 handful of long distance calls over the seven years that 247 00:14:33.159 --> 00:14:37.120 I've been a cabby. The office knows that, unlike most 248 00:14:37.120 --> 00:14:40.759 of the other drivers, I enjoy the long rides, especially 249 00:14:40.799 --> 00:14:43.320 the part of the trip when I'm alone, just me 250 00:14:43.440 --> 00:14:47.039 and the music. I've also been lucky in that the 251 00:14:47.080 --> 00:14:50.399 customers on those long trips have been mostly pleasant, and 252 00:14:50.440 --> 00:14:54.639 the entire ride with each was uneventful except for the 253 00:14:54.720 --> 00:14:59.679 last one. That is. Dispatch got a call around four pm, 254 00:14:59.720 --> 00:15:02.360 one hour afternoon from a woman that had to get 255 00:15:02.399 --> 00:15:05.919 home as soon as possible due to a family emergency, 256 00:15:06.360 --> 00:15:08.960 but the RV that her and her husband were using 257 00:15:09.039 --> 00:15:12.200 to tour the province to mark their recent early retirement 258 00:15:12.399 --> 00:15:15.000 had broken down and the garage couldn't get the part 259 00:15:15.120 --> 00:15:18.120 for at least another day, so a cab was her 260 00:15:18.159 --> 00:15:21.840 only choice. I won't say where she was going beyond 261 00:15:21.879 --> 00:15:26.679 it being near the northwest corner of Algonquin Park. With 262 00:15:26.799 --> 00:15:30.240 her address programmed into my GPS. 263 00:15:29.960 --> 00:15:30.720 Off we went. 264 00:15:31.919 --> 00:15:34.440 We chatted for the first half hour or so, and 265 00:15:34.519 --> 00:15:37.440 she explained that her father had fallen from his roof 266 00:15:37.519 --> 00:15:41.639 while fixing some shingles and it hurt himself badly. She 267 00:15:41.720 --> 00:15:44.240 didn't have all the details, but what she did have 268 00:15:44.639 --> 00:15:48.240 had her worried. She asked if I minded if she 269 00:15:48.399 --> 00:15:50.799 nodded off, because she was going to be too busy 270 00:15:50.840 --> 00:15:54.360 to sleep once she got home. I assured her that 271 00:15:54.440 --> 00:15:56.399 it was quite all right, so the rest of the 272 00:15:56.440 --> 00:16:00.279 trip was made in silence except for the radio. Of course, 273 00:16:01.240 --> 00:16:03.519 it had been a hot August day, but by eight 274 00:16:03.679 --> 00:16:06.360 thirty in the evening it was very pleasant, with a cool, 275 00:16:06.480 --> 00:16:10.120 light breeze that had blown away the day's humidity. My 276 00:16:10.200 --> 00:16:12.919 customer had woken up once we turned onto the fire 277 00:16:13.000 --> 00:16:16.480 route that led to her house. A washboard section of 278 00:16:16.519 --> 00:16:20.519 dirt road will do that. At around the four mile 279 00:16:20.679 --> 00:16:24.440 mark halfway. It turned out to be we both saw 280 00:16:24.480 --> 00:16:28.320 a large black blur across the road at the faintest 281 00:16:28.480 --> 00:16:31.679 edge of my high beams. That's a good sized bear, 282 00:16:31.759 --> 00:16:36.039 I commented, a nervous little uh huh was all I 283 00:16:36.039 --> 00:16:40.200 got is a reply. I didn't inquire any further, assuming 284 00:16:40.240 --> 00:16:44.720 that bears frightened her. That's understandable. She had enough on 285 00:16:44.759 --> 00:16:48.279 her mind as it was. If you've ever driven on 286 00:16:48.320 --> 00:16:51.440 an interior fire route, you know that you can't go 287 00:16:51.679 --> 00:16:54.159 very fast on a lane and a half wide if 288 00:16:54.200 --> 00:16:57.919 you're lucky. But also because of the abundance of wildlife, 289 00:16:58.559 --> 00:17:01.200 so I wasn't surprised in the least, and I was 290 00:17:01.279 --> 00:17:05.359 kind of expecting some. Not giving it another thought, I 291 00:17:05.400 --> 00:17:09.200 continued on to the customer's house. I helped her with 292 00:17:09.279 --> 00:17:11.759 her luggage and wished her father the best, and then 293 00:17:11.839 --> 00:17:15.799 got back in the van and I left. Going back 294 00:17:15.880 --> 00:17:18.039 up the fire route, I looked for a good spot 295 00:17:18.079 --> 00:17:21.279 to pull the van over, at least partially off the road, 296 00:17:21.599 --> 00:17:26.440 because nature was calling rather insistently. I know what you're asking. 297 00:17:27.000 --> 00:17:29.359 If you're on such a backwoods dirt road, why are 298 00:17:29.440 --> 00:17:32.960 you bothering to get out of anyone's way? Well, I 299 00:17:33.000 --> 00:17:35.839 figure that my customer wasn't going to be far behind me, 300 00:17:36.000 --> 00:17:39.319 and besides, the company I worked for drills it into 301 00:17:39.440 --> 00:17:42.720 us park out of traffic's way when picking up or 302 00:17:42.799 --> 00:17:45.839 dropping off people so that they aren't deluged with any 303 00:17:45.880 --> 00:17:50.440 more complaints than they already get. Really, though, it's just 304 00:17:50.480 --> 00:17:54.200 a polite thing to do anyway, it took quite a 305 00:17:54.240 --> 00:17:56.759 while to find a suitable spot, so when I did, 306 00:17:56.880 --> 00:17:59.839 I wasted no time turning the van off and getting 307 00:18:00.079 --> 00:18:02.640 out and over to the passenger side to take care 308 00:18:02.680 --> 00:18:06.720 of business. Feeling greatly relieved, I decided to have a 309 00:18:06.799 --> 00:18:09.319 smoke and soak in the piece and quiet for a 310 00:18:09.319 --> 00:18:12.440 few minutes and stretch before the four and a half 311 00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:17.160 hour return home. Pacing slowly back and forth along the 312 00:18:17.200 --> 00:18:21.079 passenger side of the van, I noticed that my footsteps 313 00:18:21.200 --> 00:18:25.079 through the twigs and lee litter were unusually loud, so 314 00:18:25.160 --> 00:18:29.640 I stopped and listened to absolutely nothing. There weren't even 315 00:18:29.759 --> 00:18:35.119 crickets chirping. It was weird. Finishing my cigarette, I turned 316 00:18:35.119 --> 00:18:37.200 to circle the back of the cab and drop the 317 00:18:37.200 --> 00:18:40.279 butt onto the dirt, keeping my eyes down on it 318 00:18:40.319 --> 00:18:42.759 to make sure I stepped on it to grind it 319 00:18:42.839 --> 00:18:46.240 out as I lifted my eyes. There was enough of 320 00:18:46.279 --> 00:18:49.160 a full moon shining through the tree canopy for me 321 00:18:49.240 --> 00:18:53.279 to see two gigantic hairy feet just back from the 322 00:18:53.319 --> 00:18:58.319 opposite side of the road. I froze. Those weren't palls, 323 00:18:58.880 --> 00:19:04.359 These were definitely toes. A jolt of excitement shot through me. 324 00:19:04.799 --> 00:19:08.960 I'm seeing a real life sisquatch, I thought. Cold fear 325 00:19:09.240 --> 00:19:13.839 soon followed. I didn't hear it coming. The van was off, 326 00:19:14.200 --> 00:19:17.359 everything else was eerily silent, and I had not heard 327 00:19:17.480 --> 00:19:22.000 a thing. I slowly raised my eyes and saw calves 328 00:19:22.160 --> 00:19:25.000 as big as my thighs, and then thighs at least 329 00:19:25.039 --> 00:19:28.839 as big a round as a car steering wheel. After 330 00:19:28.920 --> 00:19:31.319 noting that it was a mail, I stopped when I 331 00:19:31.440 --> 00:19:35.720 was looking straight ahead into a hairy stomach. It's funny 332 00:19:35.839 --> 00:19:38.640 what can go through your mind during times of stress. 333 00:19:39.480 --> 00:19:43.119 I kept seeing clips from nature shows about gorilla behavior 334 00:19:43.240 --> 00:19:46.440 in the wild, hoping that these could be at least 335 00:19:46.519 --> 00:19:51.400 somewhat applicable. My curiosity and excitement beat out my fear, 336 00:19:51.519 --> 00:19:56.599 forcing my eyes to continue upwards. A barrel chest led 337 00:19:56.720 --> 00:20:01.519 into shoulders over four feet wide. As my eyes crept higher, 338 00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:04.640 they came to a long chin resting on a little 339 00:20:04.680 --> 00:20:09.759 to no neck. Finally our eyes met I saw his 340 00:20:09.880 --> 00:20:13.880 thin lips part as he let out a long, low growl. 341 00:20:14.880 --> 00:20:18.640 My heart dropped into my stomach. Just then, a car 342 00:20:18.720 --> 00:20:22.079 came over the hill about fifty yards back to my left, 343 00:20:22.200 --> 00:20:26.720 illuminating the whole area. The sasquatch took a step back, 344 00:20:26.960 --> 00:20:30.480 turned to look at the approaching car, finished the one eighty, 345 00:20:30.599 --> 00:20:33.160 and walked back into the dark of the bush in 346 00:20:33.240 --> 00:20:38.079 a few long strides, disappearing entirely. I couldn't turn my 347 00:20:38.160 --> 00:20:41.279 head away from the direction that the heavily muscled harry 348 00:20:41.480 --> 00:20:44.359 back had went until the car slowed to a stop 349 00:20:44.440 --> 00:20:48.359 in front of me. The passenger side window glided down, 350 00:20:48.480 --> 00:20:51.200 and I leaned over to see my customer. She had 351 00:20:51.200 --> 00:20:53.920 a very concerned look on her face as she asked, 352 00:20:53.960 --> 00:20:58.200 are you okay? My brain seemed incapable of getting my 353 00:20:58.319 --> 00:21:04.480 vocal cords to work, so I just nodded, follow me out, okay. Again, 354 00:21:04.759 --> 00:21:08.400 I just nodded. My body seemed to be moving on 355 00:21:08.599 --> 00:21:12.039 autopilot as I straightened up and finished the circle around 356 00:21:12.079 --> 00:21:16.400 the van, jumped in and started it up, pulling out 357 00:21:16.440 --> 00:21:19.200 behind her. When she passed, I followed her out the 358 00:21:19.240 --> 00:21:23.079 country road She stopped just short of the pavement and 359 00:21:23.160 --> 00:21:26.240 got out and walked back to the cab. Are you 360 00:21:26.400 --> 00:21:30.359 sure you're okay, she asked, after I rolled down the window, 361 00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:34.359 finally able to speak. I nodded and I said, yeah, 362 00:21:34.480 --> 00:21:36.960 I think so. Thank you so much for showing up 363 00:21:37.000 --> 00:21:41.759 when you did. I don't know. You're very welcome, she 364 00:21:41.839 --> 00:21:44.759 cut in, But I really have to go. I'd love 365 00:21:44.839 --> 00:21:47.319 to discuss this with you, but I don't have the time. 366 00:21:47.680 --> 00:21:50.640 I have to go see my father. With that, she 367 00:21:50.759 --> 00:21:53.440 turned and walked back to her car, and off she went. 368 00:21:54.759 --> 00:21:57.680 I didn't follow right away, taking the time to set 369 00:21:57.759 --> 00:22:01.440 my GPS for the shop and to light a cigarette. 370 00:22:01.480 --> 00:22:05.039 To my surprise, my hands weren't shaking at all. That 371 00:22:05.319 --> 00:22:08.480 changed as I was putting the van into gear. An 372 00:22:08.519 --> 00:22:13.359 inhumanely loud howl split the air, sounding no more than 373 00:22:13.400 --> 00:22:16.640 one hundred to one hundred and fifty feet away. My 374 00:22:16.759 --> 00:22:20.799 blood almost stopped flowing as the transmission dropped into gear 375 00:22:21.160 --> 00:22:24.079 and I stomped on the pedal, throwing dirt and gravel 376 00:22:24.119 --> 00:22:27.279 out behind me in a rooster tail. I can take 377 00:22:27.279 --> 00:22:31.640 a hint. People find as zen in their own ways. 378 00:22:32.480 --> 00:22:37.559 For me, it's driving long distances alone usually it does anyway, 379 00:22:38.200 --> 00:22:42.440 this time not so much. I played the experience over 380 00:22:42.599 --> 00:22:45.480 and over during the drive back to the yard, making 381 00:22:45.519 --> 00:22:48.759 sure to secure every detail that I could to my memory. 382 00:22:49.799 --> 00:22:53.559 I am five foot eleven, and a level gaze had 383 00:22:53.599 --> 00:22:57.720 me looking directly into its stomach. I figure his height 384 00:22:57.799 --> 00:23:01.119 to be somewhere between eight foot six nine feet tall. 385 00:23:01.839 --> 00:23:04.680 His weight had to be at least five hundred pounds. 386 00:23:05.200 --> 00:23:09.279 He wasn't proportioned quite like a human. The car headlights 387 00:23:09.319 --> 00:23:12.640 gave me a good enough look, albeit short, to see 388 00:23:12.640 --> 00:23:16.000 that his arms were longer than hours, with his fingers 389 00:23:16.039 --> 00:23:20.799 reaching past mid thigh. The nails, and they were nails, 390 00:23:20.880 --> 00:23:24.039 not claws, were jagged, like he spent a lot of 391 00:23:24.079 --> 00:23:28.640 time digging in rough terrain. The hair was dark, almost black, 392 00:23:29.000 --> 00:23:33.480 seeming longer on the shoulders and arms than elsewhere. His 393 00:23:33.559 --> 00:23:38.880 barreled chests slowly expanded and contracted with each enormous breath. 394 00:23:39.440 --> 00:23:44.000 The lung capacity must be staggering. His face was dark 395 00:23:44.079 --> 00:23:46.799 skinned and hairless, giving me a good view of his 396 00:23:46.960 --> 00:23:51.319 thin lipped, wide mouth, broad flat nose, and deep set 397 00:23:51.359 --> 00:23:55.799 eyes under a prominent but smaller brow ridge than I expected. 398 00:23:56.839 --> 00:23:59.839 I have the impression of him having a cone shaped head, 399 00:23:59.839 --> 00:24:03.400 but I can't say for certain. His turn and walk 400 00:24:03.440 --> 00:24:07.240 into the darkness was amazingly fluid and graceful, even while 401 00:24:07.319 --> 00:24:11.960