WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:01.600 Today, I want to tell you about a journey that 2 00:00:01.600 --> 00:00:03.879 I've been on for most of my life. Ever since 3 00:00:03.919 --> 00:00:05.799 I was a kid, I've heard tales of Bigfoot and 4 00:00:05.839 --> 00:00:08.320 wild men while spending time with my friends and family. 5 00:00:09.039 --> 00:00:11.439 As I grew older and read more about the paranormal, 6 00:00:11.599 --> 00:00:14.679 my interest in encryptids and other things strange only deepened. 7 00:00:15.240 --> 00:00:17.160 That's why I'm so excited to share with you what 8 00:00:17.199 --> 00:00:21.640 I've personally become involved with the Untold Radio Network. The 9 00:00:21.719 --> 00:00:25.280 Untold Radio Network is a live streaming podcast network that 10 00:00:25.359 --> 00:00:29.359 airs a new show every day across all podcast platforms, YouTube, 11 00:00:29.359 --> 00:00:32.119 and more. They have eight different shows on all sorts 12 00:00:32.159 --> 00:00:36.119 of exciting topics such as bigfoot, cryptids, UFOs, aliens, and 13 00:00:36.200 --> 00:00:39.479 much more. I even have my own show called Weird Encounters, 14 00:00:39.479 --> 00:00:42.439 where I talk about all things strange. This is more 15 00:00:42.479 --> 00:00:45.280 than just a podcast network. It's a community that allows 16 00:00:45.320 --> 00:00:47.759 me to meet so many amazing people who share their 17 00:00:47.799 --> 00:00:51.520 stories and experiences with strange. If you're interested in hearing 18 00:00:51.560 --> 00:00:54.600 more of these stories and learning more about the paranormal encryptids, 19 00:00:54.960 --> 00:00:57.359 make sure you check out the Untold Radio Network for 20 00:00:57.479 --> 00:01:00.759 all kinds of exciting shows. It's free to subscribe. So 21 00:01:00.759 --> 00:01:05.319 what are you waiting for visit www dot untold radionetwork 22 00:01:05.439 --> 00:01:06.560 dot com today. 23 00:01:06.760 --> 00:01:09.680 Now, what are your reporting? I got a screen going 24 00:01:09.719 --> 00:01:12.359 on here. Something just kid with my dog. Something killed 25 00:01:12.400 --> 00:01:15.680 your dog? My dog. We're flying through there, over the tree. 26 00:01:15.719 --> 00:01:20.319 I don't know how it did it. Okay, Damn, I'm 27 00:01:20.319 --> 00:01:22.840 really confused. All I saw was my dog coming over 28 00:01:22.879 --> 00:01:24.840 the fence, and name was dead once you hit the ground. 29 00:01:25.040 --> 00:01:26.840 I didn't see any cars. All I saw was my 30 00:01:26.879 --> 00:01:45.640 dog coming over the fence. Sat what are you reporting? 31 00:01:46.599 --> 00:01:50.439 We got some wonder or something crawling around out here? 32 00:01:57.400 --> 00:02:00.200 Did you see what it was? It was enough out 33 00:02:00.200 --> 00:02:01.519 here looking. I'm new to the window now and I 34 00:02:01.519 --> 00:02:05.319 don't need anything. I don't want to go outside. It's 35 00:02:05.359 --> 00:02:12.599 frant Hello, hit the fuddy out here? What quint On Melter? 36 00:02:12.759 --> 00:02:15.319 I thought of a bitch about tech foot nine? I 37 00:02:15.319 --> 00:02:18.599 don't know em Melter. Yeah, I'm walking right heady h 38 00:02:18.960 --> 00:02:19.199 I r. 39 00:02:19.159 --> 00:02:20.840 Folks on WI Walcome my guest to the show. It 40 00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:24.000 is Brook from Dark, Florida. Welcome to the show. 41 00:02:24.039 --> 00:02:26.400 Brooke. Hi, thank you for having me. 42 00:02:26.759 --> 00:02:28.240 I have been looking forward to this. We got to 43 00:02:28.240 --> 00:02:29.800 hang out a little bit down in Florida at the 44 00:02:29.800 --> 00:02:33.439 Great Florida Bigfoot Conference back in April. My first time 45 00:02:33.479 --> 00:02:35.879 really getting introduced to you and what you're doing as 46 00:02:35.879 --> 00:02:38.000 far as bigfoot is concerned, and we had a blast 47 00:02:38.039 --> 00:02:39.199 down there. I know you were a part of the 48 00:02:39.280 --> 00:02:41.759 round table during that conference. We might get into that 49 00:02:41.800 --> 00:02:43.840 a little bit later on. But as I start with 50 00:02:43.879 --> 00:02:46.400 most people, let's start with what got you interested in 51 00:02:46.400 --> 00:02:47.520 this subject? To begin with? 52 00:02:48.360 --> 00:02:52.120 Yeah, absolutely so. I've always had a curious mind, and 53 00:02:52.199 --> 00:02:54.360 I was always that kid who asked too many questions 54 00:02:54.840 --> 00:02:57.400 and I went down all of the rabbit holes. So 55 00:02:57.800 --> 00:03:00.800 I loved everything from history. And remember this one time 56 00:03:00.840 --> 00:03:04.000 I was tasked with a social studies project and I 57 00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:06.800 decided to do mine on dB Cooper. I was just 58 00:03:06.879 --> 00:03:09.560 instantly hooked. I saw the special on History Channel and 59 00:03:09.639 --> 00:03:11.000 I was like, I love this. I need to figure 60 00:03:11.039 --> 00:03:13.439 out what's going on, what are the theories? So I 61 00:03:13.479 --> 00:03:16.680 wrote my report on dB Cooper. I turned it in 62 00:03:16.800 --> 00:03:20.000 and I actually won the contest. I won the Social 63 00:03:20.039 --> 00:03:23.879 Studies Fair with my dB Cooper report. I had theories, 64 00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:27.439 possible suspects, the whole nine. So fast forward then to 65 00:03:27.599 --> 00:03:31.439 high school, the curiosity only deepened. I remember going down 66 00:03:31.479 --> 00:03:34.639 all of the rabbit holes and symbolism and things like that. 67 00:03:34.800 --> 00:03:38.639 When once you are into it, it's everywhere. So naturally, 68 00:03:38.759 --> 00:03:42.400 Cryptis was just the next step into that rabbit hole. 69 00:03:42.520 --> 00:03:45.639 My nanny aka my grandmother, she actually had a sighting 70 00:03:46.159 --> 00:03:48.879 growing up. She shared that with me. What happened to 71 00:03:48.960 --> 00:03:51.960 her was in Florida back in the nineteen seventies, the 72 00:03:52.039 --> 00:03:55.120 early nineteen seventies, before a lot of the industrialization that 73 00:03:55.159 --> 00:03:57.680 we see today was going on. She had just moved 74 00:03:57.719 --> 00:03:59.840 into this neighborhood. It was brand new. In fact, they 75 00:03:59.840 --> 00:04:02.879 were still building, so you had all the timber that 76 00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:06.520 was stacked up, and that was heavy logs that they 77 00:04:06.520 --> 00:04:09.919 had cut down and stacked and so they started getting 78 00:04:09.919 --> 00:04:12.479 nervous because they were coming out in the mornings and 79 00:04:12.520 --> 00:04:15.479 they were thrown around like match sticks. So it was 80 00:04:15.560 --> 00:04:18.439 freaking out people in the neighborhood. What could be doing this. 81 00:04:18.800 --> 00:04:22.360 She was a newspaper delivery driver, so she had to 82 00:04:22.360 --> 00:04:24.519 get up at the butt crack of dawn. So she 83 00:04:24.600 --> 00:04:27.160 told me she started parking her truck super close to 84 00:04:27.199 --> 00:04:30.800 the house because she was genuinely afraid of whatever was 85 00:04:30.879 --> 00:04:34.360 out there. So this one morning, same thing, she had 86 00:04:34.399 --> 00:04:37.040 just parked her truck really close to the house and 87 00:04:37.079 --> 00:04:40.480 she hopped in it, but this time she was chased, 88 00:04:40.680 --> 00:04:44.240 and she was chased by a bigfoot. And I remember 89 00:04:44.279 --> 00:04:47.439 her telling me that just this smell was just overwhelming, 90 00:04:47.920 --> 00:04:51.600 and that the odor was just so disgusting, and that 91 00:04:51.720 --> 00:04:54.519 this thing chased her up to fifty miles an hour. 92 00:04:54.639 --> 00:04:57.160 She said, so with that, she was never one of 93 00:04:57.160 --> 00:04:59.800 those people who went out and became a big footer. 94 00:05:00.199 --> 00:05:02.920 It was just something I remember her sharing. Even as 95 00:05:02.920 --> 00:05:05.639 she got older she developed dementia, we would ask her 96 00:05:05.720 --> 00:05:07.800 about it. When we would ask her, it was almost 97 00:05:07.800 --> 00:05:10.959 like that PTSD moment. It would come right back, and 98 00:05:11.000 --> 00:05:14.079 it was like she was at that moment that morning, 99 00:05:14.199 --> 00:05:17.000 and she could still recall the story with the same 100 00:05:17.120 --> 00:05:20.279 detail as she did before. Her story never changed, and 101 00:05:20.439 --> 00:05:23.680 it really frightened her. I just have that curious mind, 102 00:05:23.680 --> 00:05:25.920 and I wanted to know more about it for myself, 103 00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:29.560 so I got into listening to podcasts and things like that. 104 00:05:29.759 --> 00:05:31.399 I'm like, I want to be one of those people 105 00:05:31.480 --> 00:05:33.759 who find the answers, who go out there. I love 106 00:05:33.920 --> 00:05:37.199 armchair research, and I understand for some people that's all 107 00:05:37.240 --> 00:05:40.160 we can do. But since I'm able bodied and I'm 108 00:05:40.199 --> 00:05:42.519 already out there hiking I've always been a big hiker 109 00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:46.120 in nature enthusiast, so it was just blending in now 110 00:05:46.199 --> 00:05:49.240 bigfoot and cryptids into what I was already doing. This 111 00:05:49.279 --> 00:05:51.720 time just being a little bit more intentional with it, 112 00:05:51.959 --> 00:05:55.519 applying a different lens to situations, and that's what got 113 00:05:55.560 --> 00:05:58.759 me started on this wonderful bigfoot path. 114 00:05:59.360 --> 00:06:02.920 I love that story. When things come from people's families, 115 00:06:02.959 --> 00:06:05.720 that's what got me interested in the subject to begin with. 116 00:06:05.800 --> 00:06:08.519 When I was a kid growing up in the North 117 00:06:08.560 --> 00:06:12.600 Georgia Mountains, I heard those stories from my great grandparents 118 00:06:12.680 --> 00:06:16.920 about people in the area that had experiences with these creatures. 119 00:06:17.079 --> 00:06:19.519 They didn't call them bigfoot or sasquatch. That wasn't really 120 00:06:19.600 --> 00:06:22.240 in their nomenclature at the time. It was hairy man, 121 00:06:22.279 --> 00:06:24.920 wild man, those kind of things. And one of those 122 00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:27.959 stories from nineteen eighty six, I'll never forget that story 123 00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:30.199 that my great grandfather used to tell me about this 124 00:06:30.279 --> 00:06:33.199 gensing hunter that went up on the mountain as the 125 00:06:33.199 --> 00:06:36.079 crow flies. It's not very far from where I grew up. 126 00:06:36.079 --> 00:06:38.800 It was probably about ten miles maybe fifteen miles up 127 00:06:38.800 --> 00:06:41.680 on Lookout Mountain. They would tell me this story about 128 00:06:41.680 --> 00:06:45.000 this gensing hunter that had this encounter with a sasquatch 129 00:06:45.040 --> 00:06:47.920 that was ten feet away from him. I would hear 130 00:06:47.959 --> 00:06:50.160 that story from them, and I thought to myself, this 131 00:06:50.240 --> 00:06:52.480 could be bys This could be one of those stories 132 00:06:52.519 --> 00:06:54.839 that keeps kids out of the woods. You don't go 133 00:06:54.879 --> 00:06:56.560 out in the woods at night, or Bigfoot's going to 134 00:06:56.639 --> 00:07:00.600 take you. And it really was literally four years ago. 135 00:07:00.680 --> 00:07:03.040 I was doing research for the show because I narrated 136 00:07:03.040 --> 00:07:04.639 a lot of stories on the show in addition to 137 00:07:04.680 --> 00:07:06.839 the interviews that I do, and I was looking for 138 00:07:06.959 --> 00:07:09.079 some stories that I wanted to pull off of some 139 00:07:09.120 --> 00:07:11.759 of the databases I have access to, and lo and 140 00:07:11.800 --> 00:07:15.399 behold in Somerville, Georgia. I go to this database and 141 00:07:15.439 --> 00:07:20.720 there's actually a BFRO report from nineteen eighty six from 142 00:07:21.079 --> 00:07:23.800 that area. It was the exact same story from this 143 00:07:23.920 --> 00:07:27.160 Jensen Hunter, and it really brought back all of these 144 00:07:27.199 --> 00:07:30.439 memories from childhood, and it really brought into focus for 145 00:07:30.600 --> 00:07:34.839 me the fact that a this story wasn't just something 146 00:07:34.839 --> 00:07:37.120 my great grandparents were telling me to scare me at night. 147 00:07:37.360 --> 00:07:40.519 It's a real legitimate story. And it also got passed 148 00:07:40.519 --> 00:07:42.639 on to other people and made its way onto this database. 149 00:07:42.680 --> 00:07:45.279 So that's one of those things that not that you 150 00:07:45.399 --> 00:07:48.560 needed in this. But it's a validation of sorts that 151 00:07:49.480 --> 00:07:52.079 you know somebody who knew somebody who had this story, 152 00:07:52.120 --> 00:07:55.399 and for you, for your grandma that told her story. 153 00:07:55.560 --> 00:07:59.160 I think it's fantastics. You obviously got interested in the subject. 154 00:07:59.519 --> 00:08:02.680 When did you did you actually start getting serious about 155 00:08:02.720 --> 00:08:05.040 going out and actually looking for these things. I know 156 00:08:05.079 --> 00:08:07.079 you're out hiking and doing the things that you're doing, 157 00:08:07.120 --> 00:08:09.920 but when did you get really serious about your bigfoot research. 158 00:08:10.360 --> 00:08:14.279 I attended my first to Bigfoot conference in twenty twenty three, 159 00:08:14.439 --> 00:08:16.120 and that's where I was able to meet some other 160 00:08:16.240 --> 00:08:19.199 Florida local researchers. Little did I know that it would 161 00:08:19.279 --> 00:08:22.040 really lead me to some incredible friendships that are now 162 00:08:22.279 --> 00:08:26.680 like family. And I attended this little pre conference dinner 163 00:08:26.759 --> 00:08:28.759 and I got to meet some awesome people. So made 164 00:08:28.800 --> 00:08:31.399 those connections there, like the seed was planted. It went 165 00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:33.960 to the conference, got to hear really that was an 166 00:08:33.960 --> 00:08:38.240 incredible conference. We had David Politis, Jeff Meldrum, Ron moorehead 167 00:08:38.399 --> 00:08:40.559 I think Ronnie LeBlanc was there too, so you had 168 00:08:40.600 --> 00:08:43.159 the biggest names in the game there and it was 169 00:08:43.240 --> 00:08:45.440 just so inspiring. So I got to go to that 170 00:08:45.519 --> 00:08:48.679 conference get some good information and make some connections and 171 00:08:48.759 --> 00:08:52.279 meet other people who wanted to go search for this 172 00:08:52.320 --> 00:08:55.360 thing too. So I made an incredible friend, my friend Marian. 173 00:08:56.440 --> 00:08:59.159 We started chatting, So now fast forward, I was doing 174 00:08:59.200 --> 00:09:01.919 this on my own, and then we had our annual 175 00:09:01.960 --> 00:09:05.200 Bigfoot Christmas dinner party we have that. So now it's 176 00:09:05.200 --> 00:09:08.360 like December of twenty twenty three. We were chatting at 177 00:09:08.360 --> 00:09:10.120 the Christmas party and I'm like, I really want to 178 00:09:10.159 --> 00:09:13.440 start bridging some of these connections and collaborating. So we 179 00:09:13.480 --> 00:09:16.120 had planned to go on a camp out in the Everglades, 180 00:09:16.200 --> 00:09:18.799 and as an adult, I had never been camping. As 181 00:09:18.799 --> 00:09:21.559 a child, I had gone, but I don't even remember it. 182 00:09:21.720 --> 00:09:23.840 So we had decided we're just going to go all 183 00:09:23.840 --> 00:09:25.440 the way in and we're going to go camp out 184 00:09:25.440 --> 00:09:28.519 in the Everglades, down in the skun Cape territory and 185 00:09:28.600 --> 00:09:31.399 see what's going on. Leading up to that. Some plans 186 00:09:31.399 --> 00:09:33.240 got canceled and we weren't able to go, so I 187 00:09:33.240 --> 00:09:35.519 was getting discouraged at this point, but we were able 188 00:09:35.519 --> 00:09:38.000 to actually go out to a place here in central 189 00:09:38.000 --> 00:09:40.679 Florida that's got five hundred thousand acres of just this 190 00:09:40.840 --> 00:09:44.360 wetland and it spans across five counties. It's the headwater 191 00:09:44.440 --> 00:09:47.919 for several major rivers in the area, including the with Aalacouchie, 192 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:52.519 the Oklahaha Hillsboro River. Tons of wildlife there so diverse. 193 00:09:52.639 --> 00:09:57.240 You can even imagine everything from birds, reptiles, amphibians, tons 194 00:09:57.279 --> 00:10:00.360 of bugs. It is a really target rich and vironment. 195 00:10:01.320 --> 00:10:03.440 So we decided to go out and that's where it began. 196 00:10:03.519 --> 00:10:06.720 We just we hit it off. Personality is really meshed well, 197 00:10:06.759 --> 00:10:09.679 and she's a ying to my yang. We keep each 198 00:10:09.720 --> 00:10:12.679 other grounded in that sense, and so we started going 199 00:10:12.720 --> 00:10:15.879 out together and then by camping, dreams did come true. 200 00:10:15.919 --> 00:10:19.600 I was able to go primitive camping in June, and 201 00:10:20.159 --> 00:10:22.639 in Florida it is hot as hell in the summer, 202 00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:26.679 so in this particular area, nobody was out there. We 203 00:10:26.679 --> 00:10:29.440 were the only crazy people who decided it was a 204 00:10:29.480 --> 00:10:31.600 good idea to go out here in primitive camp. From 205 00:10:31.600 --> 00:10:32.960 the time to get out of your car, you're just 206 00:10:33.240 --> 00:10:35.919 drenched and splat. So what we did is we have 207 00:10:36.039 --> 00:10:39.919 these e bikes because in Florida it's primarily flat. The 208 00:10:39.960 --> 00:10:42.200 farther north that you get it gets a little bit 209 00:10:42.200 --> 00:10:45.720 more hillier, but where we research it is pretty much flat. 210 00:10:45.879 --> 00:10:48.120 So we get on our e bikes, we lit up 211 00:10:48.120 --> 00:10:50.559 all our gear, and this camp site's about two miles 212 00:10:50.559 --> 00:10:53.559 in off of the main drag through some really I 213 00:10:53.600 --> 00:10:56.519 would say treacherous trail because it's not a trail that's 214 00:10:56.559 --> 00:10:58.399 like a foot trail. It's not the Florida Trail. It's 215 00:10:58.399 --> 00:11:01.759 an unmanaged trails, lots of tall grass in some places, 216 00:11:02.159 --> 00:11:04.840 potholes the whole night. So we navigate in there, we 217 00:11:04.879 --> 00:11:07.440 set up camp, and we had been there for a 218 00:11:07.440 --> 00:11:10.440 few days. I believe this was our second to last 219 00:11:10.759 --> 00:11:12.960 day there, and we were coming out from scouting some 220 00:11:13.080 --> 00:11:16.320 locations during the day and checking things out in this swamp, 221 00:11:16.840 --> 00:11:18.399 and we're on the way back, and so this was 222 00:11:18.440 --> 00:11:21.440 a stretch of road that we had already traveled several times. 223 00:11:21.440 --> 00:11:23.799 And like I said, I have not seen a single 224 00:11:23.840 --> 00:11:26.320 person since we've been out there. It's just been us. 225 00:11:26.759 --> 00:11:30.399 So we're coming back on the e bikes. I'm looking 226 00:11:30.480 --> 00:11:33.759 down because the parts of the trail are like limestone, 227 00:11:33.799 --> 00:11:36.480 and it took a mix of limestone and sand and 228 00:11:36.519 --> 00:11:40.440 sometimes mud. And so we're going along in lo and behold, 229 00:11:41.039 --> 00:11:43.519 I'm knocks out of my seat almost because I see 230 00:11:43.799 --> 00:11:48.519 these visible footprints in this mud and sand. So I 231 00:11:48.600 --> 00:11:50.879 slam on the brakes. I'm like, we got to get 232 00:11:50.879 --> 00:11:53.519 off and check this out. And so for people, I'm 233 00:11:53.519 --> 00:11:55.559 sure if they're listening to your show, they already know. 234 00:11:55.879 --> 00:11:58.879 But you have the difference between the Class A and 235 00:11:58.919 --> 00:12:01.440 the Class B sightings. So the class as I've seen it, 236 00:12:01.519 --> 00:12:04.159 I've put my eyes on it. I cannot misidentify this 237 00:12:04.279 --> 00:12:07.679 as anything other than a bigfoot. And then class B 238 00:12:08.200 --> 00:12:11.720 would be anything like a footprint, you found hair, you 239 00:12:11.799 --> 00:12:15.320 found Scott, you heard it, that would be class B. 240 00:12:15.480 --> 00:12:18.240 You had everything else happened, but actually laying your eyes 241 00:12:18.279 --> 00:12:21.759 on it, so this falls into the Class B category. 242 00:12:22.240 --> 00:12:25.320 We get off and we're looking at these footprints and 243 00:12:25.480 --> 00:12:29.519 there's a clear trackway that goes through mud, which thank 244 00:12:29.519 --> 00:12:32.600 goodness it did because you could really see the toes 245 00:12:32.679 --> 00:12:36.440 and the detail really well. We follow it. It leads 246 00:12:36.480 --> 00:12:38.840 off out it to nowhere into the woods. It's on 247 00:12:38.919 --> 00:12:40.840 the trail and it just veers right off into the 248 00:12:40.840 --> 00:12:43.879 woods into nothing. For those who have not familiar with 249 00:12:43.960 --> 00:12:47.720 kind of Florida's topography, if you are in the woods 250 00:12:47.720 --> 00:12:50.759 of Florida, it is very dense. There is all kinds 251 00:12:50.799 --> 00:12:54.039 of things out there, from fire ants to snakes to 252 00:12:54.320 --> 00:12:56.519 you name it. It is just not a place where 253 00:12:56.639 --> 00:13:00.360 you typically would want to be walking around barefoot. And 254 00:13:00.399 --> 00:13:02.639 this was clearly you could see the toes. This was 255 00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:06.559 not bear this was just someone's bare foot print. And 256 00:13:06.600 --> 00:13:09.360 so we measured the prints and they were about twelve 257 00:13:09.360 --> 00:13:12.159 and a half inches long by five inches wide and 258 00:13:12.200 --> 00:13:16.200 then were two inches deep. So the stride length that 259 00:13:16.200 --> 00:13:19.039 we were able to measure as well was five foot 260 00:13:19.159 --> 00:13:23.000 six inches and I'm five nine, so I'm super tall 261 00:13:23.360 --> 00:13:26.759 in a sense for a woman. I tried to emulate 262 00:13:27.080 --> 00:13:29.600 the stride length there and I was falling short. I 263 00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:33.200 couldn't make my legs go that amount of distance. So 264 00:13:33.320 --> 00:13:36.759 something big had made those tracks. We took pictures and 265 00:13:36.799 --> 00:13:39.759 documented it. We didn't have any casting material or anything 266 00:13:39.799 --> 00:13:41.840 like that with us at the time. We were weighing 267 00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:44.639 back and forth because my friend Marian was using some 268 00:13:44.960 --> 00:13:46.879 reference that she had and was like, I'm just not 269 00:13:47.039 --> 00:13:48.960 sure about this. I want to make sure that this 270 00:13:49.159 --> 00:13:53.919 is legit. So she had actually gone on a expedition 271 00:13:54.039 --> 00:13:56.679 in the Ozarks where she got to meet Shane Carpenter, 272 00:13:56.720 --> 00:13:59.120 who I do not know if you're familiar, but he 273 00:13:59.159 --> 00:14:01.879 has a property like four hundred acres. It's a private 274 00:14:01.919 --> 00:14:04.759 property where he's able to go out there investigate like 275 00:14:04.919 --> 00:14:07.759 untouched area because where we're at is obviously it's public land. 276 00:14:07.799 --> 00:14:11.440 Anybody can go there. So he has this theory and 277 00:14:11.519 --> 00:14:14.799 he's been tracking these prints that they find, and it 278 00:14:14.960 --> 00:14:18.720 seemed every two years that there were these smaller tracks 279 00:14:18.720 --> 00:14:23.360 that hadn't quite flattened out yet to that typical bigfoot 280 00:14:24.039 --> 00:14:28.519 shape or characteristics that we're looking for. So she was 281 00:14:28.600 --> 00:14:33.679 thinking that could this be a juvenile track that we 282 00:14:33.759 --> 00:14:35.600 had found and that's why it had a little bit 283 00:14:35.639 --> 00:14:38.200 of that arch and had not flattened out yet. So 284 00:14:38.240 --> 00:14:40.320 I could sat on it for a little while because 285 00:14:40.360 --> 00:14:42.279 I wanted to be sure before I posted on. But 286 00:14:42.320 --> 00:14:44.360 in my bones, I was like, I know that we 287 00:14:44.519 --> 00:14:47.919 found something cool here. Fast forward, I went to the 288 00:14:47.960 --> 00:14:50.279 Smoky Mountain Bigfoot Conference and I actually got to say 289 00:14:50.320 --> 00:14:55.159 with some BFO investigators there, and I love those guys 290 00:14:55.159 --> 00:14:57.080 because they sit around and they all tell their stories 291 00:14:57.080 --> 00:14:59.559 from their expeditions and things like that. So they're shooting 292 00:14:59.600 --> 00:15:02.000 the brea and sharing their stories, and I said, I'm 293 00:15:02.000 --> 00:15:04.519 going to share mine. I'm going to see what they think. 294 00:15:04.559 --> 00:15:07.039 So I tell them, I pull up my phone, I 295 00:15:07.039 --> 00:15:10.120 start showing them the pictures and they were blown away. 296 00:15:10.240 --> 00:15:13.320 They're like, this is so cool. And then Lorie she 297 00:15:13.399 --> 00:15:16.159 asked me, She said, did this trail just go off 298 00:15:16.200 --> 00:15:18.240 into the lives into nothing? And I was like, yes, 299 00:15:18.360 --> 00:15:20.919 actually it did. So it just was a really validating 300 00:15:21.279 --> 00:15:23.600 moment for me. Like you said, finding someone else is 301 00:15:23.720 --> 00:15:26.679 you are onto something here. So I get back from 302 00:15:26.679 --> 00:15:29.039 the conference and then I'm on Facebook and I see 303 00:15:29.080 --> 00:15:31.679 that there's this trail cam footage that came out of 304 00:15:31.720 --> 00:15:35.080 the same area in which we do research. To me, 305 00:15:35.879 --> 00:15:40.559 my opinion is it looked like a bigfoot with possibly 306 00:15:40.639 --> 00:15:45.600 the juvenile behind it. 307 00:15:43.600 --> 00:15:45.919 And stay tuned for more sasquatch out to see. We'll 308 00:15:45.960 --> 00:15:47.879 be right back after these messages. 309 00:15:52.039 --> 00:15:54.200 In that moment, I said, you know what, I Am 310 00:15:54.360 --> 00:15:57.240 just going to post my pictures with my own disclaimer 311 00:15:57.600 --> 00:16:00.399 and see what happens. And it just felt inauthen for 312 00:16:00.480 --> 00:16:02.919 me to hold on to it, because part of this 313 00:16:03.200 --> 00:16:05.519 research is of trying to be transparent go where the 314 00:16:05.600 --> 00:16:08.360 data takes me. It just felt inauthentic to hold on 315 00:16:08.399 --> 00:16:11.279 to it any four. So hearing that validation from those 316 00:16:11.320 --> 00:16:13.960 BFO investigators is everything I needed. And then seeing that 317 00:16:13.960 --> 00:16:16.879 trail cam footage. I put it out and the response 318 00:16:17.080 --> 00:16:19.080 was really good. It was great. So that was my 319 00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:22.480 Class B siting that I had. So that was in 320 00:16:22.559 --> 00:16:25.960 June of last year. Speak of the BFRORO. It was 321 00:16:26.120 --> 00:16:28.559 always on my bucket list to be able to go 322 00:16:28.679 --> 00:16:32.080 on one of their expeditions. I'd heard so many cool 323 00:16:32.399 --> 00:16:34.360 stories that have come out of it, and like I said, 324 00:16:34.360 --> 00:16:36.159 I got to meet some of the organizers and they're 325 00:16:36.159 --> 00:16:40.720 just genuinely great people. We've become friends. We had a 326 00:16:40.759 --> 00:16:43.559 Florida one and that was in February of this year. 327 00:16:43.879 --> 00:16:47.320 So to go on an expedition, it's pretty hardcore. You 328 00:16:47.360 --> 00:16:49.279 have to fill out a ton of paperwork, You have 329 00:16:49.320 --> 00:16:52.720 to sign an NDA because what the organization is trying 330 00:16:52.759 --> 00:16:55.320 to do is take you to a place where you 331 00:16:55.480 --> 00:17:00.440 have the highest chance of having an encounter of some 332 00:17:00.559 --> 00:17:04.000 sort with bigfoot activities. So if we go around saying 333 00:17:04.559 --> 00:17:07.839 it's here next thing, everyone who's listening to a podcast 334 00:17:07.960 --> 00:17:09.680 or a show is going to go out there. I'm 335 00:17:09.680 --> 00:17:12.240 guilty when I'm listening to podcasts and I hear something, 336 00:17:12.279 --> 00:17:14.359 I'll write it down and I'm like ooh, adding that 337 00:17:14.519 --> 00:17:18.119 to my memory bank. You have to have some sort 338 00:17:18.119 --> 00:17:20.759 of level of secrecy around it to remain the integrity 339 00:17:20.799 --> 00:17:22.240 of the site. Plus, if they hear a bunch of 340 00:17:22.279 --> 00:17:25.440 bigfooters are coming, you could have people who want to 341 00:17:25.440 --> 00:17:28.039 go out there and be jerks and corrupt the investigation. 342 00:17:28.680 --> 00:17:31.759 So I signed my nda, I paid my money. I 343 00:17:31.880 --> 00:17:34.599 was in my friend Marian. She has been a bfour 344 00:17:34.680 --> 00:17:37.559 investigator gosh, probably for a few decades, but she had 345 00:17:37.559 --> 00:17:39.680 gotten out of it because she had kids and a family, 346 00:17:39.720 --> 00:17:42.039 and now that they're grown up and everything, she's got 347 00:17:42.039 --> 00:17:45.119 some more free time. She's retired, she's hopping back into it. 348 00:17:45.480 --> 00:17:47.480 So she said, do you want to go on the 349 00:17:47.480 --> 00:17:49.200 scouting trip? I said, do I want to go on? 350 00:17:49.359 --> 00:17:51.519 Of course I want to go on the scouting trip. 351 00:17:51.559 --> 00:17:55.559 So it was her myself, another woman than the event organizer. 352 00:17:55.920 --> 00:17:59.079 So we had gone out to the Florida Panhandle. Basically 353 00:17:59.119 --> 00:18:02.279 the point of our trip up there was to scout 354 00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:06.559 out some locations for this next expedition. This gentleman had 355 00:18:06.599 --> 00:18:08.720 surveyed that area, he'd gone there a lot, He's had 356 00:18:08.720 --> 00:18:10.759 some experiences and things like that in the past. But 357 00:18:10.799 --> 00:18:13.240 we were just trying to hone the focus for where 358 00:18:13.240 --> 00:18:17.880 we wanted to take folks come February. So that's November, 359 00:18:18.160 --> 00:18:20.160 and for Florida. I know we were talking about it being 360 00:18:20.200 --> 00:18:23.000 hot earlier. This was one of those rare moments that 361 00:18:23.039 --> 00:18:26.559 we decided to participate in winter and it was actually 362 00:18:26.880 --> 00:18:30.920 super cold, so on this camping trip, I don't think 363 00:18:30.960 --> 00:18:33.160 I hadn't even anticipated for it to be that cold. 364 00:18:33.240 --> 00:18:35.680 And the closest Walmart was like two hours away. So 365 00:18:35.720 --> 00:18:39.240 we're literally in the middle of nowhere in this campground, 366 00:18:39.359 --> 00:18:42.000 like the day after Thanksgiving. It's just us. There's a 367 00:18:42.039 --> 00:18:44.359 few other people there, but really nobody's out there, and 368 00:18:44.400 --> 00:18:46.279 it's super coold. It was going to be a freeze 369 00:18:46.279 --> 00:18:48.200 warning while we were there. It was getting down to 370 00:18:48.279 --> 00:18:53.039 twenty seven degrees, so very cold. We'd scouted some locations 371 00:18:53.039 --> 00:18:55.559 in the days that we were there, nothing really happened, 372 00:18:55.680 --> 00:18:57.799 or just getting a general idea of some areas that 373 00:18:57.839 --> 00:18:59.759 would be good to place people for some night time 374 00:18:59.799 --> 00:19:03.640 in investigations. So our last night there the freeze warnings 375 00:19:03.680 --> 00:19:06.920 coming in, We're sitting around the fire, We're having some chili. 376 00:19:07.000 --> 00:19:10.240 We're just relaxing and unwinding and just telling stories and 377 00:19:10.240 --> 00:19:12.640 hanging out. Probably gonna go to bed soon and hope 378 00:19:12.640 --> 00:19:15.119 for the best, hope that we don't freeze to death 379 00:19:15.200 --> 00:19:18.480 out here. At this point, my friend Marian, who had 380 00:19:18.519 --> 00:19:22.680 been cooking our wonderful chili, suddenly realized this. She doesn't 381 00:19:22.680 --> 00:19:25.559 have her phone because earlier in the evening I had 382 00:19:25.599 --> 00:19:28.960 gone for a little ATV ride with our friend Jeff, 383 00:19:29.000 --> 00:19:31.000 and we were going to check some things out and 384 00:19:31.240 --> 00:19:33.799 it's just it just a beautiful ride. Got to see 385 00:19:33.839 --> 00:19:36.400 some deer and stuff trailing us adjacently. It was a 386 00:19:36.440 --> 00:19:38.359 bucket of dough, so it was really fun. And while 387 00:19:38.359 --> 00:19:40.680 we were doing that, she had taken a short hike 388 00:19:41.079 --> 00:19:43.480 on this trail that was nearby the campground that kind 389 00:19:43.480 --> 00:19:46.319 of looped around the lake. This is during hunting season, 390 00:19:46.440 --> 00:19:49.359 so she realizes while she's on the trail, oh my gosh, 391 00:19:49.440 --> 00:19:51.519 I don't have my orange on. So she takes her 392 00:19:51.519 --> 00:19:55.559 backpack off and grabs out her reflective vest that has 393 00:19:55.599 --> 00:19:58.359 the orange, throws it on and carries on. I should 394 00:19:58.400 --> 00:20:02.880 also note that this particular campground had terrible phone service. 395 00:20:02.920 --> 00:20:06.799 I've never been somewhere like that that had just awful service. 396 00:20:06.839 --> 00:20:11.519 There was literally one point of the campground, maybe a 397 00:20:11.599 --> 00:20:14.400 twelve x twelve space, where you could just stand just 398 00:20:14.440 --> 00:20:17.240 a certain way and hold your phone just right, and 399 00:20:17.359 --> 00:20:19.279 maybe get a text to go out to let people 400 00:20:19.319 --> 00:20:22.119 know that you're okay. So we weren't really on our 401 00:20:22.160 --> 00:20:24.279