1 00:00:07,719 --> 00:00:10,160 Speaker 1: When I was fourteen, I had my first face to 2 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:13,800 face encounter with a big foot. A good buddy of 3 00:00:13,839 --> 00:00:16,399 mine was staying over at my house, and like dumb 4 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:19,199 teenagers we were, we decided to sneak out of the 5 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:21,879 house around three in the morning to walk two miles 6 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:25,600 down to the truck stop for some waffles. On our 7 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:28,039 way back, I wanted to show my friend the place 8 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:31,640 my cousin and I had seen a bigfoot while driving earlier. 9 00:00:32,399 --> 00:00:35,159 I figured that we wouldn't see anything, since they're supposed 10 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:38,359 to be so rare and elusive. All I was trying 11 00:00:38,399 --> 00:00:41,079 to do was use that story in location to scare 12 00:00:41,119 --> 00:00:43,560 my buddy. But as soon as we got about forty 13 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:47,920 yards into this field, we noticed a deer was acting funny. 14 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:51,240 We could see that it was hunkered down but still 15 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:53,600 on its legs, and as soon as we noticed it, 16 00:00:53,799 --> 00:00:57,759 the deer sprang up and bolted away. No sooner than 17 00:00:57,799 --> 00:01:01,520 seeing that deer run, was taken to the edge of 18 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:04,120 the trees, where we saw something else pop up on 19 00:01:04,239 --> 00:01:08,920 two legs and seemingly turned towards us. When we saw 20 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:12,280 that bigfoot turn towards us, we both asked each other 21 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:15,599 for confirmation, and as we were doing that, the thing 22 00:01:15,719 --> 00:01:18,599 stomped off into the woods and made a powerful hissing 23 00:01:18,719 --> 00:01:22,400 sound similar to the sound of an air hose on 24 00:01:22,439 --> 00:01:26,599 a truck, but it was much louder than that. After that, 25 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:29,480 the two of us turned around and left, well, at 26 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:33,519 least we did for a bit. Our curiosity got the 27 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:37,120 better of us, or our own stupidity did, but we 28 00:01:37,159 --> 00:01:39,959 walked right back into the field, and we hurried right 29 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:43,519 back out as that angry bigfoot stomped his way towards 30 00:01:43,599 --> 00:01:47,959 us in the woodline. We repeated this a couple of times, 31 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:51,120 and on the final time we heard nothing, so we 32 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:53,640 went in further and we stood there for a bit. 33 00:01:54,719 --> 00:01:57,799 At this point, I think we just wanted confirmation that 34 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:01,239 we saw something down there, so, out of desperation for 35 00:02:01,319 --> 00:02:04,760 that confirmation that we decided to try and make that 36 00:02:04,799 --> 00:02:07,640 thing prove it was really there by chunking a rock 37 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:11,199 into the trees. My buddy threw the rock as hard 38 00:02:11,199 --> 00:02:13,439 as he could, and he hit a tree not seven 39 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:16,759 yards from us, And as soon as that rock collided 40 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:19,439 with the tree, a bigfoot stepped out where we could 41 00:02:19,479 --> 00:02:22,080 get a good look at it and let out a deep, 42 00:02:22,439 --> 00:02:26,520 raspy exhale. I didn't get a good look at its face, 43 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:30,000 I don't think, since I only get brief and indistinct 44 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:33,199 flashes of it in my memory. But from the chest 45 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:36,120 down I got a really good look. It was a 46 00:02:36,159 --> 00:02:39,560 male bigfoot with reddish hair about the color of the dirt. 47 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:43,120 Its forearms were thick as my thigh, and its hands 48 00:02:43,159 --> 00:02:46,680 were as white as my chest. Right after we saw 49 00:02:46,759 --> 00:02:49,120 it good, my buddy turned to me and asked, can 50 00:02:49,159 --> 00:02:52,280 we run now? I told him no, because I was 51 00:02:52,319 --> 00:02:55,319 taught my whole life to never turn your back or run, 52 00:02:55,639 --> 00:03:00,159 since that just triggers the chase response in most predatory animals. 53 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:03,280 So we got low and backed out, trying to seem 54 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:07,199 non threatening while keeping this thing in view. I'm not 55 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:10,120 sure why, but once we got back to the house, 56 00:03:10,159 --> 00:03:13,120 it was like nothing had happened. The two of us 57 00:03:13,199 --> 00:03:15,520 never spoke of that again, and that was back in 58 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:19,120 the late summer of two thousand and eleven. It took 59 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:21,360 me about a week or two. Then I was right 60 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:25,240 back in the woods now looking for bigfoot. That encounter 61 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:27,800 led me down a path I'm so happy to be on. 62 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:31,159 I told my story to a bigfoot group in Virginia 63 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:34,639 and ended up a member. To this day, I still 64 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:37,800 go looking for sign of Bigfoot. I hope one day 65 00:03:37,879 --> 00:03:40,680 we all get some sort of validation for what we've 66 00:03:40,719 --> 00:03:44,360 seen in the form of the public at large, excepting 67 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:51,479 that these things are out here. Our house is on 68 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:55,599 the edge of a semi rural area known as Orchard Mesa. 69 00:03:56,680 --> 00:04:00,680 On its western side, it extends into canyons into the 70 00:04:00,719 --> 00:04:05,520 Colorado National Monument, which is similar to a small Grand Canyon. 71 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:10,639 These canyons extend south into the LaSalle Mountain Range by 72 00:04:10,639 --> 00:04:15,000 the border of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. On the 73 00:04:15,039 --> 00:04:20,319 eastern side, there are fields, farms, vineyards, pastures, and small 74 00:04:20,399 --> 00:04:23,680 hills which all connect to the bottom of the Grand Mesa, 75 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:28,079 a ten thousand foot high mountain range, the largest mesa 76 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:32,600 platform in the country, having alpine fields and hundreds of lakes. 77 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:37,199 The Colorado River threads through the Orchard Mesa, coming from 78 00:04:37,199 --> 00:04:41,160 the same direction of the Grand Mesa. The river in 79 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:44,519 this section is heavily wooded on both sides, with a 80 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:48,920 wide variety of wildlife. The lakes and the streams have 81 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:53,600 healthy fish populations as well. Mountain goats and lions are 82 00:04:53,639 --> 00:04:58,240 also in the area. Our house is on a half 83 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:01,079 acre of land and is in closed with a high 84 00:05:01,079 --> 00:05:04,319 wooden fence. In the back section of the yard, there 85 00:05:04,439 --> 00:05:08,759 is a sectioned off old garden. Our neighbors only have 86 00:05:08,839 --> 00:05:11,319 a wire fence that our dogs would get through, so 87 00:05:11,399 --> 00:05:14,879 we kept it blocked off. There's a bigger, older shed 88 00:05:14,959 --> 00:05:18,279 the size of a garage, closer to the house. It 89 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:22,040 is connected to a smaller metal shed by a wooden gate. 90 00:05:22,959 --> 00:05:26,240 This eight foot high shed has nothing next to it 91 00:05:26,319 --> 00:05:30,399 on all sides. These sheds block off the section with 92 00:05:30,519 --> 00:05:33,480 the old garden, and no one has been back there 93 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:39,560 in two years. Monday night, December second, twenty nineteen, one 94 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:42,879 of my dogs went running out of the door barking. 95 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:47,199 The other dog followed. They were barking like when people 96 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:49,800 are walking behind the house by the canal and the 97 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:53,319 small road there, but the barking was frantic and was 98 00:05:53,399 --> 00:05:57,480 focused on one area. I jumped out of bed, worried 99 00:05:57,519 --> 00:06:00,399 the dogs would be bitten by a rabid coon, and 100 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:03,720 grabbed a flashlight, which I keep in a cupboard close by. 101 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:06,839 I got to the door and down the three short 102 00:06:06,879 --> 00:06:11,480 cement stairs while shining the flashlight towards the dogs. They 103 00:06:11,519 --> 00:06:13,920 were all barking at the bottom right side of the 104 00:06:13,959 --> 00:06:16,959 small shed where it is attached to a fence with 105 00:06:17,079 --> 00:06:21,040 the sectioned off garden area. Something was behind the shd 106 00:06:21,439 --> 00:06:25,360 and I called for the dogs. They immediately turned and 107 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:28,240 ran towards me. I'm grateful that I didn't have to 108 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:31,639 drag them back to the house. I know it couldn't 109 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:34,319 have been a bear, since they were starting to hibernate 110 00:06:34,439 --> 00:06:37,000 in mid November, and if it was a bear, it 111 00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:41,120 would most likely have run off or roared at them. 112 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:43,920 A big cat would have run off too, and if 113 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:46,439 it were the loose pit bulls that we've heard or 114 00:06:46,519 --> 00:06:49,759 jumping fences and getting cats, it would have fought back. 115 00:06:50,759 --> 00:06:52,720 The dogs ran up to me and I opened the 116 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:55,600 door to hustle them in. I kept shining the light 117 00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:59,879 towards the area. This flashlight is so strong it literally 118 00:07:00,079 --> 00:07:04,399 lights up the entire backyard. It's fifteen hundred lumens and 119 00:07:04,439 --> 00:07:07,160 it is light like daylight when you shine it, so 120 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:09,560 you don't have to swing it around. You only need 121 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:12,519 to hold it in one area, and the entire area, 122 00:07:12,639 --> 00:07:15,879 for many feet on all sides, is lit up like daylight. 123 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:19,560 I stepped over a little closer in the direction of 124 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:22,759 the small shed, being cautious not to go all the 125 00:07:22,759 --> 00:07:26,240 way over to where they were barking at something. I 126 00:07:26,279 --> 00:07:29,480 saw someone moving behind the shed towards the back on 127 00:07:29,519 --> 00:07:34,000 the left, which was my neighbor's wire fence. I thought, crap, 128 00:07:34,079 --> 00:07:37,079 someone is back there. Who is it now? Why could 129 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:39,879 I see them moving behind the shed so high up 130 00:07:40,120 --> 00:07:43,720 there was nothing to stand on. Did my crazy neighbors 131 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:47,079 build a platform back there that they're standing on? There 132 00:07:47,120 --> 00:07:50,800 are people who break into houses in this area. It 133 00:07:50,879 --> 00:07:53,680 looked like they had a tannish looking coat on and 134 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:56,839 they were sort of hunched over. What were they doing? 135 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:01,120 This person was moving really slow, like they were shuffling 136 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:04,160 while looking down at the ground. I wondered why they 137 00:08:04,199 --> 00:08:08,040 were not reacting to the light. This all happened in 138 00:08:08,079 --> 00:08:11,240 a matter of seconds, and now they were moving from 139 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:14,319 the left corner towards the right corner of the shed. 140 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:18,519 I stepped back towards the door and into the house 141 00:08:18,639 --> 00:08:22,000 as fast as I could, and I was thinking frantically, 142 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:25,639 should I wake John? What do I do? Oh? My god, 143 00:08:25,759 --> 00:08:28,519 I don't know what to do. He won't believe me. 144 00:08:29,199 --> 00:08:31,879 I mean, he knows these things exist, but he won't 145 00:08:31,879 --> 00:08:34,799 believe me that it's here. In our yard. It's just 146 00:08:34,879 --> 00:08:38,399 too much of a coincidence. The next day I went 147 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:41,840 out to take pictures behind the shed. There are parts 148 00:08:41,879 --> 00:08:45,399 on the grass that resemble giant footprints, but too much 149 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:48,960 grass to be certain. It was evident that something was 150 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:51,120 walking around out there, but it couldn't have been a 151 00:08:51,159 --> 00:08:55,320 bear or a raccoon. As for the bigfoot, the night before, 152 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:58,519 it was behind the eight foot high shed and its 153 00:08:58,559 --> 00:09:01,879 head was at least a foot above it. I took 154 00:09:01,919 --> 00:09:04,600 some more pictures to show measurements of the shed and 155 00:09:04,639 --> 00:09:07,360 the footprint type marks, as well as the tamp down 156 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:11,519 areas of grass, but they really don't show much at all. 157 00:09:11,559 --> 00:09:13,679 And then she writes, I don't care anymore if my 158 00:09:13,759 --> 00:09:17,080 full name is used. I'm just really disturbed about the 159 00:09:17,120 --> 00:09:21,320 timing of this encounter. Scott Carpenter is right. I think 160 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:25,679 I'm now thinking these things can track us like bloodhounds. 161 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:32,039 It's too much of a coincidence. In the fall of 162 00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:35,759 twenty eighteen, while teasing my wife about the size of 163 00:09:35,799 --> 00:09:39,879 my shoes, I said something about bigfoot to get her laughing. 164 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:42,840 I had never mentioned bigfoot before, and I was just 165 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:46,279 joking around when I blurted out bigfoot in relation to 166 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:49,679 my shoe size. The comment got my wife to laughing, 167 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:53,080 which was the whole point of the conversation. The very 168 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:56,399 next day, an article popped up onto my phone about 169 00:09:56,399 --> 00:10:00,720 some dude having an encounter with Bigfoot. Was my phone 170 00:10:00,759 --> 00:10:04,000 listening in on my conversation at home the previous evening. 171 00:10:04,960 --> 00:10:07,600 I had never done a search on my phone or 172 00:10:07,679 --> 00:10:12,840 anywhere else for subjects related to Bigfoot. Twilight Zone music 173 00:10:12,919 --> 00:10:16,960 began playing in my head. I clicked on the bigfoot article, 174 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:20,559 and I became totally intrigued with what I learned. The 175 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:23,639 subject of Bigfoot had me hooked, and I spent many 176 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:27,240 hours over the next two months researching and gathering as 177 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:31,759 much knowledge as I could about this fascinating creature. There 178 00:10:31,799 --> 00:10:34,559 came a point in my study where I concluded that 179 00:10:34,799 --> 00:10:39,600 one Bigfoot does exist, and two I hope I never 180 00:10:39,679 --> 00:10:43,879 meet a Bigfoot close up and personal. I was born 181 00:10:43,919 --> 00:10:48,159 in Gardena, California, in nineteen fifty two, and I lived 182 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:52,240 pretty much in southern California until nineteen sixty eight, when 183 00:10:52,279 --> 00:10:56,480 my mom and dad moved the family to Arizona. Mom 184 00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:59,600 was born and raised in Arizona and Dad was just 185 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:02,559 ready for a change, ready to move out of the 186 00:11:02,639 --> 00:11:06,320 hustle and bustle of metropolitan Los Angeles into a more 187 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:11,039 laid back lifestyle. We moved to Prescott and a year 188 00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:14,799 later ended up in the Phoenix area. My mom's brother 189 00:11:14,919 --> 00:11:17,559 lived in Arizona his whole life, and by the time 190 00:11:17,639 --> 00:11:21,360 our family arrived from California, he was having good success 191 00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:25,799 in residential construction. He enjoyed getting away from the crowds, 192 00:11:25,799 --> 00:11:28,639 and he built a cabin in a remote area called 193 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:33,519 Bonita Creek. The cabin is nestled in tall pine trees, 194 00:11:33,799 --> 00:11:38,399 scrub pine, and manzanita just a short hike from Bonita Creek. 195 00:11:39,279 --> 00:11:43,120 Artesian spring water gushes from the base of the Mogulon 196 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:47,279 Rim feeding Bonita Creek, and it flows year round with fresh, 197 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:50,799 clean water. The banks of the creek are lined with 198 00:11:50,919 --> 00:11:55,799 tall grass, pine trees, flowers, sticker bushes, and wild berries. 199 00:11:56,480 --> 00:12:02,639 It's beautiful and it's peaceful and it's quiet. Arizona, north 200 00:12:02,639 --> 00:12:06,679 of Payson is thick with wildlife. On one drive to 201 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:09,120 the cabin, I had to stop for an entire herd 202 00:12:09,159 --> 00:12:12,600 of elk crossing the road. That was a surprise for 203 00:12:12,679 --> 00:12:16,919 a city guy. Elk, deer, bird, squirrel, cattle, wild horses 204 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:19,840 and even bald eagles are things I've seen on the 205 00:12:19,919 --> 00:12:23,360 trek to the cabin. Little did I know there's an 206 00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:27,240 even larger animal out there in the forests of Arizona. 207 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:33,000 It is a massive primate predator. It's Bigfoot. My first 208 00:12:33,159 --> 00:12:36,240 encounter with Bigfoot happened on a weekend camp out in 209 00:12:36,279 --> 00:12:39,799 the high country of Arizona. I was with friends near 210 00:12:39,879 --> 00:12:43,879 the mogulon Rim. I hope I'm pronouncing that right. If 211 00:12:43,919 --> 00:12:47,120 I'm not, just forgive me. We picked out a spot, 212 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:50,559 not a designated camping area, and circle the wagon, so 213 00:12:50,679 --> 00:12:55,120 to speak. We had campers, trucks, tent, starps, ice chests, 214 00:12:55,159 --> 00:12:57,519 and plenty of grub to cook over an open fire, 215 00:12:57,919 --> 00:13:01,639 and we built a huge one that first evening, as 216 00:13:01,679 --> 00:13:04,320 the sun was slipping behind the mountains in the west, 217 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:07,840 one guy enjoying the sunset with me, decided to call 218 00:13:07,879 --> 00:13:12,440 out for Bigfoot. Seriously, I had never heard of such 219 00:13:12,440 --> 00:13:15,440 a thing. He cupped his hands to his face and 220 00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:18,879 he let out the loudest, longest whoop that he could. 221 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:22,679 I was thinking to myself, oh my, surely this will 222 00:13:22,759 --> 00:13:27,759 yield nothing. Is bigfoot even real. Nonetheless, the guy let 223 00:13:27,799 --> 00:13:31,600 out one or two more whoops. The valley before us 224 00:13:31,639 --> 00:13:35,159 and the mountains in the distance remained quiet. He got 225 00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:38,639 no response. I didn't really think there would be a response. 226 00:13:39,639 --> 00:13:43,039 After dark, we sat around in portable camp chairs, enjoying 227 00:13:43,039 --> 00:13:49,080 a crisp mountain temperature and a star sparkled sky. Partway 228 00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:51,879 through the evening, two of the gals suddenly reported seeing 229 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:55,080 eyeshine at the west edge of the camp site, between 230 00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:57,799 a vehicle and the tree that it was park next to. 231 00:13:58,799 --> 00:14:02,320 They said the eye shine was a neutral color, like silver, 232 00:14:02,879 --> 00:14:04,919 and close enough to the ground that it could have 233 00:14:04,960 --> 00:14:09,200 been a coyote or a deer or something similar. Light 234 00:14:09,279 --> 00:14:12,039 from our campfire must have been enough to get a reflection. 235 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:15,759 Since the gall seemed concerned about what they had seen, 236 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:18,000 we kept a vigil for a while, but there was 237 00:14:18,039 --> 00:14:21,960 no investigation. After all, we were in the forest and 238 00:14:22,080 --> 00:14:26,720 one would expect to encounter some wildlife. A while later, 239 00:14:26,799 --> 00:14:30,039 there was a loud, blood curdling scream maybe two hundred 240 00:14:30,080 --> 00:14:33,519 yards off to the woods to the northwest, something that 241 00:14:33,600 --> 00:14:37,639 sounded like a woman under attack that got my attention. 242 00:14:38,639 --> 00:14:40,600 I really wasn't sure what to make of it, and 243 00:14:40,639 --> 00:14:43,159 I waited to see if the scream would happen again. 244 00:14:44,159 --> 00:14:47,159 No one went into the dark to investigate, and the 245 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:51,720 scream was not repeated. The evening wound to a close 246 00:14:51,799 --> 00:14:56,519 around midnight, and everyone turned in. After drifting off to sleep, 247 00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:59,639 there was a disturbance at our capsite that woke up 248 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:02,600 some of the lady campers, but I slept through it. 249 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:05,919 The ladies weren't sure what it was that caused them 250 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:09,279 to wake up. The next morning, I got up with 251 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:11,960 the sunrise and walked to the edge of the overlook, 252 00:15:12,279 --> 00:15:15,399 just soaking in the view and inhaling the fresh pine 253 00:15:15,559 --> 00:15:19,000 scented air. As I turned a walk back to camp, 254 00:15:19,039 --> 00:15:21,960 I noticed a structure near the edge of the overlook. 255 00:15:22,519 --> 00:15:26,480 It was rather primitive in appearance, an uprooted pine tree 256 00:15:26,559 --> 00:15:29,480 leaning at an angle, with one end resting in the 257 00:15:29,519 --> 00:15:33,039 fork of a second tree. Along both sides of the 258 00:15:33,080 --> 00:15:36,279 pine angling to the ground, there were broken off branches 259 00:15:36,440 --> 00:15:39,559 leaning against the trunk. It was sort of a crude, 260 00:15:39,679 --> 00:15:43,000 lean to shelter with an interior that would be shielded 261 00:15:43,039 --> 00:15:47,639 from the elements, especially if the exterior was covered with snow. 262 00:15:48,759 --> 00:15:51,720 As I considered the structure, I thought maybe some boy 263 00:15:51,799 --> 00:15:54,480 scouts had built this thing, but it was odd that 264 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:57,200 they had not used the saw to cut the branches. 265 00:15:57,679 --> 00:16:01,519 Everything was just busted off and add it on. It 266 00:16:01,559 --> 00:16:03,919 looked as though it had been there quite a while. 267 00:16:05,039 --> 00:16:09,039 After contemplating its construction, I headed back to the camp, 268 00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:12,480 having no idea of this type of structure was sometimes 269 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:16,840 seen in Bigfoot habitat. I didn't even know Bigfoot existed. 270 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:20,919 The fuzzy clips from the Patterson film were intriguing, but 271 00:16:21,039 --> 00:16:23,600 I wasn't sure if Bigfoot was the real deal or not. 272 00:16:24,639 --> 00:16:28,799 All this happened about twelve years ago. It wasn't until 273 00:16:28,840 --> 00:16:32,720 studying Bigfoot in the fall of twenty eighteen that I 274 00:16:32,799 --> 00:16:36,759 realized Bigfoot was perhaps responsible for some of what I 275 00:16:36,799 --> 00:16:41,000 had experienced on that camp out. My second encounter with 276 00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:44,159 Bigfoot happened on a forest road not far from the 277 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:48,080 cabin at Bernita Creek. It was a quiet Saturday afternoon 278 00:16:48,159 --> 00:16:52,120 in the fall of twenty fourteen. The sun was slipping 279 00:16:52,159 --> 00:16:54,639 down in the west and there was no one around, 280 00:16:54,679 --> 00:16:58,960 no neighbors, no one. The cabins close by were vacant 281 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:02,600 and it was just three of us, my friend, her daughter, 282 00:17:02,799 --> 00:17:07,440 and me. It was very quiet and peaceful. We were 283 00:17:07,599 --> 00:17:11,960 meandering towards the driveway leading to our cabin. The gals 284 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:16,079 were selectively collecting rocks to use back home for decorating 285 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:21,680 the edge of planters, walkways, etc. While engaged in this process, 286 00:17:21,839 --> 00:17:25,480 suddenly a rock flew in from somewhere behind us and 287 00:17:25,599 --> 00:17:28,279 bounced to a stop at the feet of the ladies. 288 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:32,200 It wasn't very large, maybe smaller than the size of 289 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:35,480 a baseball, and it didn't really hurt anyone. It just 290 00:17:35,519 --> 00:17:39,440 flew in and landed near their feet. We stopped immediately 291 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:42,279 and turned around, looking to see who might have thrown 292 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:45,359 this rock at us, but there was no one out there. 293 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:50,079 The whole area was dead quiet, no neighbors, no one. 294 00:17:50,480 --> 00:17:53,880 It was just us at that point. There was nothing 295 00:17:53,880 --> 00:17:56,759 that we could do. There wasn't even anyone out there 296 00:17:56,799 --> 00:18:00,200 to yell at, but somehow a rock had just been thrown. 297 00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:04,839 After looking around a while and seeing nothing, we turned 298 00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:08,079 and continued the short distance to the cabin to settle 299 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:11,759 in for the night. For whatever reason, I never felt 300 00:18:11,759 --> 00:18:15,839 comfortable about leaving the security screen and front door unlocked 301 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:20,400 when staying overnight at this cabin, Although my mind's normal 302 00:18:20,440 --> 00:18:23,599 reasoning said there was nothing to fear, no danger, no 303 00:18:23,759 --> 00:18:28,599 undesirables anywhere close to this remote location of Arizona, I 304 00:18:28,720 --> 00:18:34,680 still felt uneasy about omitting precautions. I never left any 305 00:18:34,680 --> 00:18:38,559 of the windows open at night. I never felt comfortable 306 00:18:38,559 --> 00:18:42,039 about leaving the blinds open either, even though one of 307 00:18:42,079 --> 00:18:44,920 the windows on the south side was about eight feet 308 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:48,440 off the ground at the bottom, that window in its 309 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:51,519 blinds could have been left open with no apparent danger, 310 00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:55,279 but I closed them anyway. I know that sounds paranoid, 311 00:18:55,359 --> 00:18:59,000 but for whatever reason, I felt uncomfortable until daylight in 312 00:18:59,079 --> 00:19:02,000 the morning. Then I would open the doors, the blinds, 313 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:06,240 and push the windows open. Looking back at that overkilled 314 00:19:06,279 --> 00:19:10,480 precaution and knowing what other people have experienced with bigfoot, 315 00:19:10,839 --> 00:19:14,200 I'm glad I did lock those security screens and doors. 316 00:19:14,720 --> 00:19:17,680 I've learned that bigfoot will grab and turn a doorknob, 317 00:19:17,759 --> 00:19:22,119 and sometimes they peer through screens and windows. Maybe my 318 00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:27,720 precautions weren't unfounded. After all, bigfoot have also been known 319 00:19:27,759 --> 00:19:32,400 to throw rocks, sticks, pine cones, and other objects. Thinking 320 00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:35,200 about that rock that was hurled at us, was that 321 00:19:35,359 --> 00:19:40,440 thrown by a bigfoot? Maybe there wasn't anything else out there. 322 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:44,000 Perhaps this bigfoot was curious and just wanted to see 323 00:19:44,039 --> 00:19:46,640 what we would do, or maybe it wanted to let 324 00:19:46,720 --> 00:19:49,359 us know that it was there, or perhaps it was 325 00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:52,880 just messing with us for fun. Whatever the case, I 326 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:56,079 believe that rock was most likely thrown by a bigfoot 327 00:19:56,240 --> 00:20:00,279 because of my next encounter. In June of two twenty 328 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:04,519 and sixteen, I married a lovely woman. My bride is 329 00:20:04,559 --> 00:20:10,599 full of life and a great lover of the outdoors, hiking, biking, spring, wildflowers, fall, 330 00:20:10,720 --> 00:20:14,839 colors changing, and the wild blackberries growing along Bonita Creek. 331 00:20:15,799 --> 00:20:18,319 We decided to slip away for a weekend at the 332 00:20:18,359 --> 00:20:23,200 cabin for some time alone, well almost alone, we did 333 00:20:23,240 --> 00:20:26,720 have our two dogs with us. We arrived at the 334 00:20:26,759 --> 00:20:30,880 cabin on Saturday afternoon. We dumped our stuff inside the 335 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:34,079 front door and headed down to the creek. It was 336 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:38,400 beautiful and serene, as always, We hiked a loop that 337 00:20:38,599 --> 00:20:41,279 ended up back at the cabin for a barbecue dinner 338 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:44,960 on the deck. The table was set for two overlooking 339 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:48,000 the forest with a gentle sound of Bonita Creek in 340 00:20:48,039 --> 00:20:52,640 the distance. It was perfect. The next morning, my wife 341 00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:54,839 was up and heading out with the dogs before I 342 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:58,119 could get my shoes on. She and the boys reached 343 00:20:58,119 --> 00:21:00,799 the creek way ahead of me and turned east to 344 00:21:00,880 --> 00:21:04,519 hike up stream. By the time I arrived, they had 345 00:21:04,559 --> 00:21:08,400 disappeared into the thick trees, the brush, and the tall grass. 346 00:21:08,880 --> 00:21:12,200 While hiking in their direction, I noticed an area across 347 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:14,759 the creek where the tall grass had been pushed down 348 00:21:14,839 --> 00:21:19,240 somewhat like a nest. The depression was a circular and 349 00:21:19,319 --> 00:21:24,559 maybe fifteen foot in diameter. It was perplexing. I wondered 350 00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:27,559 what had made that flattened pattern, but I kept on moving. 351 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:31,839 A side note here, my logical mind is saying there's 352 00:21:31,920 --> 00:21:34,680 no danger, and my wife is okay taking off with 353 00:21:34,759 --> 00:21:37,799 the dogs on her own without me, but I still 354 00:21:37,839 --> 00:21:42,240 felt uneasy. After about fifteen minutes, I caught up with them, 355 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:45,240 and as all the natural beauty was just too much 356 00:21:45,279 --> 00:21:49,200 to rush past, and my wife had stopped to pick blackberries. 357 00:21:50,279 --> 00:21:52,799 By noon, we were headed back down the creek towards 358 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:57,119 the cabin. We emerged from a somewhat densely forested area 359 00:21:57,279 --> 00:22:01,160 into a more open, grassy location spread out on both 360 00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:04,880 sides of the creek. It was lovely, but what was 361 00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:09,279 that nasty odor? It smells something like a skunk, but 362 00:22:09,359 --> 00:22:13,200 not quite like a skunk. I surveyed the grassy area, 363 00:22:13,319 --> 00:22:16,079 thinking maybe I would see a skunk or something out there, 364 00:22:16,119 --> 00:22:19,319 but I couldn't see anything. The grass was too tall. 365 00:22:20,079 --> 00:22:24,119 There was just that smell that had suddenly arrived. I 366 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:26,960 asked my wife, do you smell that? What is that? 367 00:22:27,960 --> 00:22:31,119 She shrugged her shoulders and headed on towards the cabin. 368 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:34,799 I decided I'd better move on before I met whatever 369 00:22:35,039 --> 00:22:38,960 this was that smells so badly. I paused in the 370 00:22:38,960 --> 00:22:41,519 grassy area and turned to take a picture of that 371 00:22:41,599 --> 00:22:44,200 beautiful part of the creek we had just walked through. 372 00:22:44,759 --> 00:22:49,000 It was twelve forty seven pm on Sunday, September the 373 00:22:49,119 --> 00:22:54,000 twenty fourth, twenty and seventeen. I looked at the photo 374 00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:56,599 on the screen and it looked a bit washed out. 375 00:22:56,960 --> 00:23:00,480 There was too much light. I changed the camera setting 376 00:23:00,519 --> 00:23:02,839 while standing in the same spot, and I took a 377 00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:06,839 second picture. It was twelve forty eight pm, and even 378 00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:09,240 though I did not know it at the time, I 379 00:23:09,319 --> 00:23:13,319 had just taken my first picture of a bigfoot. He 380 00:23:13,480 --> 00:23:16,200 was right there across the creek from the path I 381 00:23:16,240 --> 00:23:18,960 had just walked down, not more than twenty yards from 382 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:22,359 where I had been. He never made a sound. I 383 00:23:22,359 --> 00:23:25,440 didn't even know he was there until fifteen months later, 384 00:23:25,799 --> 00:23:30,240 when I remembered the skunky smell that Sunday at Bonita Creek, 385 00:23:30,519 --> 00:23:34,480 and I began looking carefully at my photos. Sure enough, 386 00:23:34,519 --> 00:23:37,400 there he was. He was not in the first photo, 387 00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:40,880 but he was in the second photo. Head and shoulders 388 00:23:40,920 --> 00:23:43,960 were visible peering across the top of the bushes to 389 00:23:44,079 --> 00:23:47,640 see what I was doing. That was my third encounter. 390 00:23:48,240 --> 00:23:52,200 I wonder how many other people have had similar experiences, 391 00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:55,839 having been in such close proximity to a bigfoot and 392 00:23:55,920 --> 00:23:59,160 not even know it. I'm going to jump ahead a 393 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:03,400 bit to one more experience at Bonita Creek. Candy and 394 00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:06,920 I made another visit to Bonita Creek in July of 395 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:11,039 twenty nineteen. My intent was to check out the area 396 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:15,000 more thoroughly for evidence of Bigfoot and see if they 397 00:24:15,079 --> 00:24:20,119 might respond to a gifting. Here's what happened. I tried 398 00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:23,680 putting out some apples, M and MS, peanuts, and a 399 00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:26,839 few other goodies for the bigfoot animals at Bonita Creek, 400 00:24:27,319 --> 00:24:30,160 and then proceeded to knock on a wooden bench with 401 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:33,759 a stick. I did that twice and then went back 402 00:24:33,839 --> 00:24:36,000 up to sit on the deck at the cabin to 403 00:24:36,079 --> 00:24:39,400 wait to see what would happen. It was late in 404 00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:41,920 the day, and I was hoping Bigfoot would get the 405 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:45,039 goodies down at the creek, maybe come later to pick 406 00:24:45,079 --> 00:24:49,359 them up. No luck on that, but something strange did happen. 407 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:54,480 About fifteen minutes after I got situated on the deck, Suddenly, 408 00:24:55,119 --> 00:24:57,759 just upstream from the place where I did the knock, 409 00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:01,279 I heard this very strange animal sound coming from down 410 00:25:01,319 --> 00:25:05,319 there by the creek. It was some repeated garble sound. 411 00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:09,519 The pattern repeated maybe three or four times, followed by 412 00:25:09,559 --> 00:25:12,720 a quack, quack quack, and then the same sounds were 413 00:25:12,759 --> 00:25:17,319 repeated again, followed by the same quacking. Mind you, these 414 00:25:17,319 --> 00:25:19,480 sounds were not made by a duck, and there were 415 00:25:19,480 --> 00:25:22,720 no ducks up there at Bonita Creek. I didn't hear 416 00:25:22,759 --> 00:25:25,079 any sounds like that the rest of the four days 417 00:25:25,079 --> 00:25:28,720 that we were there. I believe the garble sounds were 418 00:25:28,759 --> 00:25:31,000 made by a bigfoot who came to check out the 419 00:25:31,039 --> 00:25:34,000 origin of my double set of wooden knocks made by 420 00:25:34,039 --> 00:25:37,440 whacking on that bench with a stick. At least that's 421 00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:41,200 what I think. The next morning, Candy and I and 422 00:25:41,279 --> 00:25:44,960 our dog Bobby decided to hike to the east along 423 00:25:45,039 --> 00:25:48,240 Bonita Creek all the way to the headwaters where Bonita 424 00:25:48,319 --> 00:25:51,440 creek bubbles up out of the ground. It's about a 425 00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:54,640 two and a half mile heike. After we had hiked 426 00:25:54,680 --> 00:25:57,960 about a mile, suddenly, from the north side of the canyon, 427 00:25:58,240 --> 00:26:01,640 up in a wooded area with a dent cover, sounds 428 00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:06,039 started coming from the hillside overlooking the creek. I turned 429 00:26:06,039 --> 00:26:08,920 to check out the origin of the sounds, as did Candy. 430 00:26:09,559 --> 00:26:13,279 Her immediate question was what was that. To her, it 431 00:26:13,359 --> 00:26:17,279 sounded like a child making noises. To me, it sounded 432 00:26:17,359 --> 00:26:21,440 like some sort of very large, loud bird. The sounds 433 00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:24,519 were coming from three separate areas on the side of 434 00:26:24,599 --> 00:26:27,759 the hill. We could see nothing up there. We just 435 00:26:27,839 --> 00:26:31,640 heard the loud sounds. On the way back, Candy and 436 00:26:31,680 --> 00:26:35,000 I got separated. She hikes a lot faster than me, 437 00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:38,200 she said. When she got back to the same spot, 438 00:26:38,279 --> 00:26:41,279 the sounds started up again, only this time they were 439 00:26:41,359 --> 00:26:46,240 much louder than before. Strangely enough, when I hiked past there, 440 00:26:46,319 --> 00:26:49,640 there was no noise at all. We had one other 441 00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:53,279 strange noise incident as we left the headwaters of the creek. 442 00:26:53,839 --> 00:26:56,480 This was while we were still together. Before she left 443 00:26:56,480 --> 00:27:00,119 me in the dust with a fast hiking pace. On 444 00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:02,920 the other side of the canyon, the south side. Up 445 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:06,079 on the crest of the mountain came another unusual sound. 446 00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:10,200 Once again, I thought it sounded something like a big bird, 447 00:27:10,279 --> 00:27:12,720 but Candy said that she thought it sounded like a 448 00:27:12,839 --> 00:27:17,039 child screaming. We were in plain view of the mountain 449 00:27:17,079 --> 00:27:20,039 at that point. I stared at the point of origin 450 00:27:20,119 --> 00:27:23,680 for the sound, but I didn't see anything. My thinking 451 00:27:23,799 --> 00:27:27,680 was that perhaps it was Bigfoot a century alerting the 452 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:31,279 rest of the Bigfoot animals as to our location. That's 453 00:27:31,319 --> 00:27:35,680 only my thinking. One other point of interest. Bobby was 454 00:27:35,759 --> 00:27:38,079 hiking with both of us on the way up, but 455 00:27:38,160 --> 00:27:42,640 with Candy on the way back. Walking along quietly by myself, 456 00:27:42,680 --> 00:27:46,200 I saw too deer on my track back. They were 457 00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:48,359 on the north side of the creek in some tall, 458 00:27:48,559 --> 00:27:52,200 dense ferns and grass. I only saw them briefly, but 459 00:27:52,279 --> 00:27:54,839 it was fun to see them. There were plenty of 460 00:27:54,880 --> 00:27:58,920 deer and elk tracks along the trail leading to the spring. However, 461 00:27:58,960 --> 00:28:01,960 I did not see any bigfoot prints, even though I 462 00:28:02,039 --> 00:28:06,519 made a conscious effort to find some. My analysis of 463 00:28:06,559 --> 00:28:10,319 the whole habitat is that Bigfoot animals moved east away 464 00:28:10,319 --> 00:28:13,920 from the populated area of Bonita Creek where our cabin 465 00:28:14,119 --> 00:28:18,559 is the area inhabited by people. I wish they could 466 00:28:18,559 --> 00:28:20,920 have received the goodies I had for them, but maybe 467 00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:24,319 that will happen at some point in the future. Now 468 00:28:24,359 --> 00:28:28,279 back to my fourth encounter with Bigfoot. In the fall, 469 00:28:28,599 --> 00:28:33,039 my wife loves to collect colorful leaves for holiday decorations. 470 00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:36,839 Her favorite place to find these little treasures is ten 471 00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:41,039 miles north of Sedona, at the West Fork of Oak Creek. 472 00:28:41,920 --> 00:28:46,319 This part of Arizona is stunningly beautiful. The West Fork 473 00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:50,559 meanders through a narrow canyon with vertical walls of multicolored 474 00:28:50,799 --> 00:28:55,480 layered stone, all capped by crystal clear blue sky. The 475 00:28:55,519 --> 00:28:59,480 trees are evergreen, splattered among the maples with changing leaves 476 00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:03,640 of yellow, red, gold, brown, and fading green. It's a 477 00:29:03,759 --> 00:29:08,480 leaf hunter's paradise. When the time came for the twenty 478 00:29:08,599 --> 00:29:13,440 eighteen Sedona leaf collecting expedition, there was a secondary purpose 479 00:29:13,519 --> 00:29:17,279 for me. While my wife was finding just the right leaves, 480 00:29:17,519 --> 00:29:20,799 I planned to critically survey the West Fork area for 481 00:29:20,880 --> 00:29:25,599 Bigfoot evidence and snap photos of everything I found. As 482 00:29:25,599 --> 00:29:27,880 soon as we hiked into the canyon, I had to 483 00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:31,119 get the camera and start taking pictures of saplings bent 484 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:35,759 over forming arches, large limbs snapped off from tree trunks 485 00:29:35,759 --> 00:29:39,440 and laying on the ground. Very large diameter trees pushed 486 00:29:39,519 --> 00:29:41,920 over with their root balls ripped out of the ground. 487 00:29:42,480 --> 00:29:47,759 Trees wedged and threaded horizontally between other trees, tree trunks 488 00:29:47,839 --> 00:29:52,440 arranged to form giant xes, tree trunk rubble piled up 489 00:29:52,480 --> 00:29:56,680 to prevent passage into the area. Large sized tree trunks 490 00:29:56,680 --> 00:30:00,799 that had been snapped into like popsicle sticks, tree trunks 491 00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:04,279 leaning upside down against canyon walls, and way off in 492 00:30:04,319 --> 00:30:07,079 the distance, way up on the side of the canyon, 493 00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:13,119 an indistinct, dark brown, motionless object. In addition to Bigfoot 494 00:30:13,200 --> 00:30:16,039 on Bonita Creek, it looks like there might be Bigfoot 495 00:30:16,079 --> 00:30:19,720 on the west fork of Oak Creek as well. Imagine 496 00:30:19,720 --> 00:30:25,000 that Bigfoot in Arizona. Then from way upstream, around a 497 00:30:25,079 --> 00:30:28,079 bend in the canyon and way off in the distance, 498 00:30:28,599 --> 00:30:32,599 came the faint sound of a five whack wood knock. 499 00:30:33,359 --> 00:30:36,880 Who do you think did that? Thank you for all 500 00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:41,079 your diligent study on behalf of Bigfoot. Thanks for sharing 501 00:30:41,119 --> 00:30:44,559 my story. Best wishes to all who have seen or 502 00:30:44,680 --> 00:30:47,839 hope to see someday one of these giant miracles of 503 00:30:47,880 --> 00:30:50,799 the forest. The creature we know is Bigfoot