WEBVTT 1 00:00:07.719 --> 00:00:10.160 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