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 00:00:51.520 --> 00:00:53.880 more of these stories and learning more about the paranormal 19 00:00:53.960 --> 00:00:56.679 and encryptids, make sure you check out the Untold Radio 20 00:00:56.759 --> 00:01:00.640 Network for all kinds of exciting shows. It's free to subscribe. 21 00:01:00.679 --> 00:01:04.439 So what are you waiting for visit www dot untold 22 00:01:04.519 --> 00:01:06.599 radionetwork dot com today. 23 00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:11.359 Warning this episode contains harsh language and descriptions that may 24 00:01:11.400 --> 00:01:14.159 not be suitable for younger listeners or those who may 25 00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:18.439 be sensitive to such material. Listener discretion is strongly advised. 26 00:01:18.599 --> 00:01:22.120 Now are you reporting? I got a screen going on here? 27 00:01:22.239 --> 00:01:25.879 Something just killed my dog. Something killed your dog? My dog. 28 00:01:25.879 --> 00:01:28.000 We're flying through here, over the tree. I don't know 29 00:01:28.040 --> 00:01:33.040 how it did it? Okay, damn, I'm really confused now. 30 00:01:33.159 --> 00:01:35.000 All I saw was my dog coming over the fence, 31 00:01:35.000 --> 00:01:36.680 and they would have dead. Want to hit the ground, 32 00:01:36.719 --> 00:01:39.159 I entertaining cars. All I saw was my dog coming 33 00:01:39.200 --> 00:01:39.799 over the fence. 34 00:01:56.879 --> 00:01:57.439 Are you reporting? 35 00:01:58.439 --> 00:02:09.400 We got some wonder something crawling around out here? Did 36 00:02:09.400 --> 00:02:12.520 you see what it was? I'm out here looking them 37 00:02:12.560 --> 00:02:14.280 near the window now, and I don't need anything. I 38 00:02:14.280 --> 00:02:20.680 don't want to go out dight. He is quite hello. 39 00:02:22.240 --> 00:02:24.639 Hit the boddy out here? Went on out there? I 40 00:02:24.759 --> 00:02:27.479 thought of a bit of about text nine. I don't know. 41 00:02:27.639 --> 00:02:29.000 Do you see ann ount there? Yeah? 42 00:02:29.080 --> 00:02:33.560 I'm walking right out an upright wolf siding on cinder Road. 43 00:02:34.240 --> 00:02:37.759 A prominent local government official who wishes to remain anonymous, 44 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:42.199 shared a remarkable encounter he experienced last Saturday night. Around midnight. 45 00:02:43.039 --> 00:02:45.680 He was driving home from a friend's house in Benzonia, 46 00:02:45.800 --> 00:02:49.520 taking the back roads back to Traverse City. While traveling 47 00:02:49.560 --> 00:02:53.199 down Cinder Road several miles outside Bendon, he noticed a 48 00:02:53.240 --> 00:02:56.120 pair of glowing eyes reflecting in his headlights up ahead. 49 00:02:56.960 --> 00:03:00.120 Assuming it was a deer, he slowed down, and as 50 00:03:00.120 --> 00:03:03.080 he got closer, however, he realized it was something much 51 00:03:03.159 --> 00:03:06.360 larger and darker than a deer. By this point, he 52 00:03:06.400 --> 00:03:08.879 had slowed his truck to around thirty miles per hour 53 00:03:09.159 --> 00:03:12.159 and was still several hundred feet from the creature. As 54 00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:14.439 he approached, he got a better look and described it 55 00:03:14.479 --> 00:03:18.639 as resembling a very large, dark wolf. The startling detail 56 00:03:19.240 --> 00:03:21.759 it wasn't on all fours, but standing upright on its 57 00:03:21.800 --> 00:03:25.800 back legs next to a road killed deer. He estimated 58 00:03:25.800 --> 00:03:28.919 the creature stood over six feet tall with very dark 59 00:03:28.960 --> 00:03:33.400 fur that seemed almost black. Curious and confused, he slowed 60 00:03:33.400 --> 00:03:36.159 his truck to a stop. The creature hadn't moved an 61 00:03:36.159 --> 00:03:39.360 inch and was still staring directly at him. For a 62 00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:41.639 brief moment, he thought it might be some kind of prank, 63 00:03:42.120 --> 00:03:44.960 maybe a giant stuffed animal someone had placed by the road. 64 00:03:45.759 --> 00:03:48.280 It was so still and unusual that he couldn't imagine 65 00:03:48.319 --> 00:03:51.080 it being real. But just as he had that thought, 66 00:03:51.439 --> 00:03:54.719 the creature suddenly dropped down onto all fours and sprinted 67 00:03:54.719 --> 00:03:58.560 across the road into the woods with incredible speed. He 68 00:03:58.599 --> 00:04:01.360 sat frozen in his truck for a few moments, trying 69 00:04:01.360 --> 00:04:04.439 to process what had just happened. He admitted he wasn't 70 00:04:04.479 --> 00:04:06.479 sure what to make of it, but he was certain 71 00:04:06.520 --> 00:04:09.840 of one thing. It was real. When asked if he 72 00:04:09.879 --> 00:04:13.159 had been drinking that night, he firmly denied it, saying no, 73 00:04:13.840 --> 00:04:17.360 whatever that was, it was for real. Although he was 74 00:04:17.399 --> 00:04:21.319 extremely curious, he didn't dare wander into the woods to investigate. 75 00:04:22.240 --> 00:04:24.720 Using a flashlight from the safety of his truck, he 76 00:04:24.759 --> 00:04:27.600 spotted tracks leading into the forest on the opposite side 77 00:04:27.600 --> 00:04:30.920 of the road. Luckily, he had his digital camera with 78 00:04:31.040 --> 00:04:33.199 him and managed to snap a photo of one of 79 00:04:33.240 --> 00:04:36.199 the prints. He later showed the picture to a friend, 80 00:04:36.560 --> 00:04:40.519 explaining that the pawprint measured around seven or eight inches long. 81 00:04:41.279 --> 00:04:43.759 He even placed a shotgun shell next to the print 82 00:04:43.759 --> 00:04:47.439 for scale. In another photo, he explained that he only 83 00:04:47.519 --> 00:04:49.639 ventured a couple of steps from his truck to take 84 00:04:49.639 --> 00:04:54.000 the pictures, unwilling to go any further. The soft roadside 85 00:04:54.120 --> 00:04:57.199 mud had preserved the tracks clearly, but he wasn't about 86 00:04:57.240 --> 00:05:00.920 to risk stepping into the woods alone at night. When 87 00:05:00.959 --> 00:05:03.199 asked if it could have been a bear, he dismissed 88 00:05:03.199 --> 00:05:06.959 the idea immediately. He's an experienced bear hunter and has 89 00:05:06.959 --> 00:05:10.519 spent years hunting in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. He knows what 90 00:05:10.600 --> 00:05:13.560 a bear looks like up close, and this was definitely 91 00:05:13.600 --> 00:05:16.720 not a bear. That's his story. He left it up 92 00:05:16.759 --> 00:05:19.240 to me whether to believe it or not. But knowing 93 00:05:19.319 --> 00:05:21.920 him and seeing the photos, I have no reason to 94 00:05:21.959 --> 00:05:24.720 doubt him. I've heard the stories and the legends about 95 00:05:24.800 --> 00:05:27.480 creatures like this, and I always thought they were just 96 00:05:27.519 --> 00:05:31.480 for entertainment. But after hearing what he experienced, I'm starting 97 00:05:31.519 --> 00:05:34.639 to see things in a different light. I've got a 98 00:05:34.680 --> 00:05:37.959 story for your listeners that's as bizarre as it is fascinating. 99 00:05:38.759 --> 00:05:41.360 It all started back in nineteen seventy four in the 100 00:05:41.399 --> 00:05:45.639 Lost Creek Canyon area, when two young boys, the McBride brothers, 101 00:05:45.879 --> 00:05:49.680 reported seeing a sasquatch like creature on an old hog farm. 102 00:05:50.120 --> 00:05:53.560 Their story sparked ridicule from locals, but The details they 103 00:05:53.600 --> 00:05:57.920 shared have puzzled people ever since. The McBride boys described 104 00:05:57.920 --> 00:06:01.879 the creature as massive, standing about nine feet tall. What 105 00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:04.439 made their account even stranger was the blue belt the 106 00:06:04.480 --> 00:06:07.879 creature was wearing, a detail no one had heard before. 107 00:06:08.720 --> 00:06:10.879 One of the brothers claimed to have seen the creature 108 00:06:10.920 --> 00:06:13.680 on the farm itself, while the other glimpsed it as 109 00:06:13.680 --> 00:06:16.199 it ran off into the woods, carrying a pig under 110 00:06:16.199 --> 00:06:20.519 its arm. The ridicule didn't stop other strange reports from emerging. 111 00:06:21.279 --> 00:06:23.720 A few weeks later, two teenagers came forward with their 112 00:06:23.759 --> 00:06:27.399 own encounter. They were parked in Plumb Canyon, a popular 113 00:06:27.399 --> 00:06:30.600 spot for young couples, when they claimed the creature approached 114 00:06:30.600 --> 00:06:33.920 their car in the moonlight. The teen saw its face, 115 00:06:34.399 --> 00:06:36.920 hair covered with a bullet shaped head, and it was 116 00:06:37.040 --> 00:06:40.920 towering between nine and ten feet tall. The young girl 117 00:06:40.920 --> 00:06:43.519 screamed when she locked eyes with it, and the creature 118 00:06:43.600 --> 00:06:47.959 quickly ran off. By August of that year, local curiosity 119 00:06:48.040 --> 00:06:52.120 was high, and a man named Bob Karrossi decided to investigate. 120 00:06:52.720 --> 00:06:54.439 He went out to the area where the teens had 121 00:06:54.480 --> 00:06:57.959 been parked and discovered a footprint. The print was odd, 122 00:06:58.360 --> 00:07:02.160 about ten inches long and six inch wide. Some skeptics 123 00:07:02.160 --> 00:07:05.439 dismissed it as too small for a sasquatch, but others 124 00:07:05.600 --> 00:07:10.439 argued that creatures like humans very in size depending on age, gender, 125 00:07:10.680 --> 00:07:15.360 and build. One local woman, missus Adel Childress, believed the 126 00:07:15.399 --> 00:07:19.000 McBride boys and was particularly intrigued by the detail of 127 00:07:19.040 --> 00:07:21.920 the blue belt. A member of a local group that 128 00:07:22.040 --> 00:07:25.800 investigated unusual reports, she reached out to the family and 129 00:07:25.839 --> 00:07:29.519 other witnesses to gather more information. What followed was a 130 00:07:29.560 --> 00:07:32.720 series of strange events that left her questioning everything she 131 00:07:32.800 --> 00:07:36.480 thought she knew. Here's missus Childress's story in her own 132 00:07:36.560 --> 00:07:40.879 words from her journal. It was October nineteen seventy four. 133 00:07:41.240 --> 00:07:43.240 I had just gotten my son off to school when 134 00:07:43.279 --> 00:07:46.199 my husband Frank showed me an article in the Saugust 135 00:07:46.199 --> 00:07:50.160 New Hall Signal. The headline read does Bigfoot roam the 136 00:07:50.160 --> 00:07:53.680 Santa Clarita Valley. It was about the McBride boys and 137 00:07:53.759 --> 00:07:56.160 their sighting of a strange creature running off with a 138 00:07:56.160 --> 00:07:59.240 pig under its arm. As a member of a local 139 00:07:59.279 --> 00:08:02.519 club that in instigates reports like these, I decided to 140 00:08:02.519 --> 00:08:05.879 look into it. I contacted the owners of the hog 141 00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:08.399 farm where the sighting happened and spoke with the boys. 142 00:08:09.079 --> 00:08:10.920 Only one of them had seen the creature on the 143 00:08:10.959 --> 00:08:13.639 farm itself, while the other caught a glimpse of it 144 00:08:13.680 --> 00:08:17.240 as it ran off. What really caught my attention was 145 00:08:17.279 --> 00:08:21.040 the glowing blue belt they both described. I reported my 146 00:08:21.120 --> 00:08:23.319 findings back to the group, but none of us had 147 00:08:23.319 --> 00:08:26.800 ever heard of such a detail before. It was completely new. 148 00:08:27.600 --> 00:08:30.240 After sharing the story with our group, I decided to 149 00:08:30.279 --> 00:08:33.279 issue a statement to the signal, hoping someone else might 150 00:08:33.279 --> 00:08:36.759 come forward with more information. Of course, the statement brought 151 00:08:36.799 --> 00:08:39.639 its share of jokes. My neighbors teased me, and Frank 152 00:08:39.639 --> 00:08:42.440 couldn't stop calling the whole thing a bunch of hogwash. 153 00:08:43.279 --> 00:08:46.440 My kids, though, took it more seriously. They heard stories 154 00:08:46.440 --> 00:08:49.720 from school friends whose families owned farms near the McBride's, 155 00:08:50.039 --> 00:08:53.320 and some of them shared similar tales. These stories were 156 00:08:53.320 --> 00:08:56.759 never reported publicly, likely out of fear of being laughed at. 157 00:08:57.679 --> 00:08:59.279 A Few weeks later, I got a call from a 158 00:08:59.279 --> 00:09:01.399 couple who said that they had seen a UFO near 159 00:09:01.399 --> 00:09:05.080 a place called Texas Canyon. They described the object as 160 00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:09.679 disc shaped, hovering silently over the tree tops. The sighting 161 00:09:09.720 --> 00:09:12.559 was unsettling enough on its own, but the timing felt 162 00:09:12.559 --> 00:09:16.200 connected somehow, as if the area was experiencing a wave 163 00:09:16.279 --> 00:09:20.320 of strange activity. That period in nineteen seventy four was 164 00:09:20.360 --> 00:09:24.519 full of incidents that seemed to defy explanation. Looking back, 165 00:09:24.559 --> 00:09:27.240 I still can't say for sure what the McBride boys saw, 166 00:09:27.679 --> 00:09:30.559 but I believe them the detail of the blue belt 167 00:09:30.600 --> 00:09:34.120 was too specific to be fabricated, and their fear was real. 168 00:09:34.960 --> 00:09:37.360 Whatever it was they encountered, it left a mark on 169 00:09:37.399 --> 00:09:40.120 our community and on everyone who tried to make sense 170 00:09:40.120 --> 00:09:43.799 of it. This story raises more questions than it answers. 171 00:09:44.399 --> 00:09:47.240 What was the significance of the blue belt? Was it 172 00:09:47.279 --> 00:09:50.000 something the creature had found or part of some unknown 173 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:54.440 context we can't understand? And what about the footprint? Could 174 00:09:54.440 --> 00:09:56.919 it belong to a younger or smaller individual of the 175 00:09:56.960 --> 00:10:00.200 same species. I hope your listeners find this story as 176 00:10:00.240 --> 00:10:03.519 fascinating as I do. It's a reminder that the world 177 00:10:03.600 --> 00:10:06.720 is full of mysteries, and sometimes the truth is stranger 178 00:10:06.720 --> 00:10:10.799 than fiction. A friend of the truth, my name's Jeff Smith, 179 00:10:11.159 --> 00:10:13.159 and I wanted to share an experience that my friends 180 00:10:13.200 --> 00:10:16.879 and I had in the Huachuka Mountains of Cochise County, Arizona. 181 00:10:17.720 --> 00:10:20.840 It's an encounter I think about often and Even years later, 182 00:10:21.080 --> 00:10:24.600 I'm still trying to process what happened. It all began 183 00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:27.519 during the summer of two thousand and three. Two friends 184 00:10:27.559 --> 00:10:30.039 and I had planned a weekend hiking and camping trip. 185 00:10:30.799 --> 00:10:33.440 The wildfires that year were bad and much of the 186 00:10:33.519 --> 00:10:36.799 area was off limits, so our usual plans were out 187 00:10:36.799 --> 00:10:39.399 the window. We had wanted to head up Carr Canyon, 188 00:10:39.480 --> 00:10:42.759 but it was closed. After some discussion and pouring over 189 00:10:42.840 --> 00:10:46.799 our map, we decided to try Miller Canyon instead. It 190 00:10:46.840 --> 00:10:49.360 was a bit further out and not as developed, but 191 00:10:49.440 --> 00:10:52.039 we figured it would be worth it. The drive out 192 00:10:52.039 --> 00:10:55.120 there was uneventful. The desert gave way to the rolling 193 00:10:55.159 --> 00:10:59.399 foothills and eventually the dense, pine covered peaks of the Wachukas. 194 00:10:59.799 --> 00:11:02.679 These mountains are known for their rugged beauty, but also 195 00:11:02.720 --> 00:11:05.480 for their remoteness. It's the kind of place where you 196 00:11:05.480 --> 00:11:08.639 can hike for miles and never see another soul. That 197 00:11:08.799 --> 00:11:12.120 solitude was part of the appeal for us. After bouncing 198 00:11:12.200 --> 00:11:14.840 along the dirt road for what felt like forever, we 199 00:11:14.879 --> 00:11:17.519 finally found a spot to set up camp. It was 200 00:11:17.559 --> 00:11:20.519 an ideal about twenty yards off the road, but we 201 00:11:20.519 --> 00:11:23.519 didn't see any other cars or campers, so we figured 202 00:11:23.559 --> 00:11:26.919 we'd have the area to ourselves. We pitched our small, 203 00:11:27.000 --> 00:11:30.279 dome style tent and settled in for the night. The 204 00:11:30.320 --> 00:11:33.000 sky was clear and filled with stars, and the moon 205 00:11:33.120 --> 00:11:36.320 was so bright it cast shadows on the ground. It 206 00:11:36.399 --> 00:11:38.639 was the kind of night that makes you appreciate being 207 00:11:38.639 --> 00:11:41.440 out in nature, away from the noise and stress of 208 00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:45.720 everyday life. Little did we know that tranquility wouldn't last. 209 00:11:46.679 --> 00:11:48.399 Sometime in the middle of the night, I woke up 210 00:11:48.399 --> 00:11:51.960 to my friend yelling. At first, I was groggy and disoriented, 211 00:11:52.240 --> 00:11:55.879 but his voice was urgent, almost panicked. I sat up 212 00:11:55.919 --> 00:11:58.120 in my sleeping bag and asked him what was going on. 213 00:11:58.679 --> 00:12:01.639 He was sitting upright, his face pale in the dim light. 214 00:12:02.480 --> 00:12:05.519 I just saw bigfoot, he said. I wanted to laugh 215 00:12:05.559 --> 00:12:08.759 it off, who wouldn't, But the look on his face 216 00:12:08.840 --> 00:12:12.679 stopped me. He wasn't joking. My friend was a pretty 217 00:12:12.720 --> 00:12:16.159 laid back guy, not someone who spooped easily, and he 218 00:12:16.200 --> 00:12:21.000 looked genuinely terrified. He explained what happened. I woke up 219 00:12:21.000 --> 00:12:22.840 and looked up through the mesh of the tent roof. 220 00:12:23.080 --> 00:12:26.279 He said, the moon was bright and I saw something 221 00:12:26.320 --> 00:12:29.200 standing over us. At first I thought it was a person. 222 00:12:29.639 --> 00:12:32.360 But then I realized how big it was. It had 223 00:12:32.360 --> 00:12:35.799 to be at least eight feet tall, maybe more. Its 224 00:12:35.799 --> 00:12:38.159 head was long, and it didn't really have a neck. 225 00:12:38.679 --> 00:12:41.799 Its head just kind of merged with its shoulders. It 226 00:12:41.840 --> 00:12:44.720 was leaning forward, looking straight through the mesh at me. 227 00:12:45.360 --> 00:12:49.360 I could see the silhouette perfectly against the moonlight. Its eyes. 228 00:12:49.799 --> 00:12:52.399 I swear I could see the whites of its eyes. 229 00:12:52.960 --> 00:12:55.759 We just stared at each other. It felt like forever, 230 00:12:56.200 --> 00:12:59.240 but it was probably thirty seconds. Then it moved away, 231 00:12:59.759 --> 00:13:02.919 and that's when I yelled. As he talked, I felt 232 00:13:02.919 --> 00:13:05.759 a chill run down my spine. I glanced at our 233 00:13:05.799 --> 00:13:08.480 other friend, who had woken up by then, and he 234 00:13:08.519 --> 00:13:11.519 looked just as unsettled. None of us dared to leave 235 00:13:11.559 --> 00:13:14.480 the tent to investigate. We stayed up the rest of 236 00:13:14.519 --> 00:13:18.480 the night, listening every sound. The rustle of leaves, the 237 00:13:18.519 --> 00:13:21.799 crack of a branch made us jump, but the creature 238 00:13:21.840 --> 00:13:24.639 didn't come back, at least as far as we could tell. 239 00:13:25.679 --> 00:13:27.840 The next morning, we packed up and left as quickly 240 00:13:27.879 --> 00:13:30.960 as we could. The whole drive back, my friend kept 241 00:13:31.039 --> 00:13:33.879 replaying what he'd seen. He wasn't the type to make 242 00:13:33.919 --> 00:13:37.399 things up, and I trusted him completely. I still do 243 00:13:38.080 --> 00:13:40.519 whatever he saw that night, he believed it was real, 244 00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:44.720 and honestly, so do I. This wasn't my only brush 245 00:13:44.799 --> 00:13:48.000 with the unexplained. A few years later, I was hiking 246 00:13:48.039 --> 00:13:51.360 alone in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah, bush whacking through 247 00:13:51.399 --> 00:13:55.080 an aspen grove out of nowhere. I got this distinct 248 00:13:55.080 --> 00:13:58.600 feeling of being watched. It wasn't just paranoia. It was 249 00:13:58.639 --> 00:14:02.759 almost tangible, like someone's eyes were boring into me. I 250 00:14:02.799 --> 00:14:06.320 stopped and looked around, but there was nothing. The feeling 251 00:14:06.320 --> 00:14:09.080 didn't go away, though, so I started singing out loud 252 00:14:09.159 --> 00:14:12.080 to calm my nerves. I've been alone in the woods 253 00:14:12.080 --> 00:14:15.840 plenty of times before, but this was different. I didn't 254 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:18.200 realize it at the time, but I've since learned that 255 00:14:18.240 --> 00:14:21.639 this feeling of being watched is a common phenomenon among 256 00:14:21.759 --> 00:14:25.639 people who encounter sasquatch. Looking back, I wonder if something 257 00:14:25.759 --> 00:14:29.120 was there just out of sight. If I'd been more 258 00:14:29.159 --> 00:14:31.480 aware of the reports in that area, I might have 259 00:14:31.559 --> 00:14:35.600 been more vigilant. Since these experiences, I've thrown myself into 260 00:14:35.639 --> 00:14:39.279 learning more about Bigfoot and similar encounters. I'm hoping to 261 00:14:39.320 --> 00:14:42.320 have another experience, and I want to understand what these 262 00:14:42.360 --> 00:14:45.879 creatures are why they seem so elusive and what their 263 00:14:45.919 --> 00:14:49.240 presence means. Thanks for giving me a chance to share 264 00:14:49.279 --> 00:14:53.600 my story. I hope it resonates with your audience, and 265 00:14:53.879 --> 00:14:55.919 stay tuned for more sasquatch O got to see. We'll 266 00:14:55.960 --> 00:14:57.840 be right back after these messages. 267 00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:01.799 Hi there. 268 00:15:02.279 --> 00:15:04.519 I love the show and I've been debating for months 269 00:15:04.519 --> 00:15:07.120 whether to write in about what happened to me last spring. 270 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:10.279 I guess I've been a little nervous, but hearing all 271 00:15:10.279 --> 00:15:12.519 the other stories has made me realize I'm not the 272 00:15:12.519 --> 00:15:16.120 only one who's experienced something strange. So here it is. 273 00:15:16.879 --> 00:15:19.200 Last May, I rented a small cabin up in the 274 00:15:19.240 --> 00:15:22.960 Cascades for a solo getaway. I'd been feeling burned out 275 00:15:23.000 --> 00:15:26.200 from work and just needed some peace and quiet. The 276 00:15:26.279 --> 00:15:30.320 cabin was pretty remote, no neighbors, no Wi Fi, barely 277 00:15:30.360 --> 00:15:33.639 any cell service, just a cozy little place tucked into 278 00:15:33.679 --> 00:15:36.960 the trees with a creek running nearby. It was exactly 279 00:15:37.000 --> 00:15:40.399 what I needed. The first couple of days were blissful. 280 00:15:40.720 --> 00:15:43.879 I read books, cooked simple meals, and hiked the trails 281 00:15:43.919 --> 00:15:46.399 around the area. I'd sit out on the porch in 282 00:15:46.440 --> 00:15:48.360 the evenings with a cup of tea and just listen 283 00:15:48.399 --> 00:15:51.480 to the sounds of the forest. It was so relaxing. 284 00:15:52.360 --> 00:15:55.679 But on the third night things started to get weird. 285 00:15:56.600 --> 00:15:59.320 I was sitting on the porch around nine pm. It 286 00:15:59.399 --> 00:16:01.639 was dark, but not pitch black because the moon was 287 00:16:01.720 --> 00:16:05.919 nearly full. I remember the forest seemed unusually quiet, no 288 00:16:06.039 --> 00:16:09.000 crickets or frogs, just the faint rustle of leaves in 289 00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:12.759 the breeze. I chalked it up to the cool temperature. Then, 290 00:16:13.200 --> 00:16:15.879 from somewhere down near the creek, I heard this low, 291 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:19.000 rumbling sound. At first, I thought it was just the water, 292 00:16:19.360 --> 00:16:22.720 but it kept growing louder and deeper, almost like a growl. 293 00:16:23.519 --> 00:16:26.039 It didn't sound like any animal I've ever heard, and 294 00:16:26.080 --> 00:16:28.600 I grew up camping and hiking, so I've heard my 295 00:16:28.679 --> 00:16:31.960 fair share of wildlife. I stood up and shined my 296 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:34.840 flashlight in the direction of the noise, but I couldn't 297 00:16:34.840 --> 00:16:39.159 see anything. Still, something about that sound made my skin crawl, 298 00:16:39.519 --> 00:16:41.639 and I decided it was best to head inside and 299 00:16:41.679 --> 00:16:45.120 lock the door. I didn't sleep well that night. I 300 00:16:45.200 --> 00:16:48.000 kept waking up to what sounded like footsteps crunching on 301 00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:50.919 the gravel around the cabin. Every time I got up 302 00:16:50.960 --> 00:16:54.639 to check. Though I couldn't see anything outside. It was unnerving, 303 00:16:55.039 --> 00:16:58.039 but I convinced myself it was just my imagination or 304 00:16:58.080 --> 00:17:01.720 maybe a deer wandering around. The Next day, I decided 305 00:17:01.720 --> 00:17:04.200 to stay close to the cabin. I spent the morning 306 00:17:04.240 --> 00:17:06.720 reading on the porch, but I couldn't shake the feeling 307 00:17:06.759 --> 00:17:09.519 that I was being watched. Have you ever had that 308 00:17:09.599 --> 00:17:12.559 sensation like someone's eyes are on you, but you can't 309 00:17:12.599 --> 00:17:16.960 see them. That's exactly how I felt. Around noon, I 310 00:17:17.000 --> 00:17:19.240 walked down to the creek to fill up my water bottle. 311 00:17:19.759 --> 00:17:22.440 The water was crystal clear and cold, and the sound 312 00:17:22.519 --> 00:17:25.480 of it flowing was soothing. But as I knelt down 313 00:17:25.519 --> 00:17:27.839 to fill my bottle, I caught movement out of the 314 00:17:27.839 --> 00:17:31.319 corner of my eye. Across the creek, maybe thirty or 315 00:17:31.319 --> 00:17:34.720 forty yards away, there was this huge, dark figure standing 316 00:17:34.759 --> 00:17:38.519 partially hidden behind a tree. It was tall, at least 317 00:17:38.519 --> 00:17:42.079 seven feet, and its body was massive, covered in dark 318 00:17:42.160 --> 00:17:46.640 brown hair. My heart nearly stopped. I froze, unsure of 319 00:17:46.640 --> 00:17:49.440 what to do. It didn't move, but I could tell 320 00:17:49.480 --> 00:17:52.200 it was watching me. I could see its face clearly 321 00:17:52.319 --> 00:17:55.160 enough to know it wasn't a bear. Its features were 322 00:17:55.200 --> 00:17:58.240 more human like, with deep set eyes, and a broad, 323 00:17:58.359 --> 00:18:01.279 flat nose. I don't know how long we stood there 324 00:18:01.319 --> 00:18:04.480 staring at each other. It felt like an eternity, but 325 00:18:04.519 --> 00:18:07.559 it was probably only twenty or thirty seconds. Then it 326 00:18:07.599 --> 00:18:11.519 made this low guttural sound, almost like a grunt, and 327 00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:14.920 stepped back into the trees. I didn't stick around to 328 00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:17.920 see where it went. I grabbed my water bottle and 329 00:18:17.960 --> 00:18:20.839 bolted back to the cabin, locking the door behind me. 330 00:18:21.599 --> 00:18:24.000 My hands were shaking so badly I could barely turn 331 00:18:24.039 --> 00:18:26.759 the lock. For the rest of the day, I stayed 332 00:18:26.759 --> 00:18:30.079 inside with the curtains drawn. I couldn't stop replaying what 333 00:18:30.119 --> 00:18:32.799 I'd seen in my head. Part of me wanted to 334 00:18:32.839 --> 00:18:34.799 pack up and leave, but it was late in the 335 00:18:34.880 --> 00:18:36.839 day and I wasn't sure I could make it back 336 00:18:36.839 --> 00:18:40.079 to town before dark. That night was even worse than 337 00:18:40.119 --> 00:18:43.480 the one before. Around midnight, I woke up to the 338 00:18:43.480 --> 00:18:46.319 sound of something heavy thudding against the side of the cabin. 339 00:18:46.839 --> 00:18:49.880 It was loud, like someone was throwing rocks or hitting the. 340 00:18:49.839 --> 00:18:50.720 Wall with a log. 341 00:18:51.680 --> 00:18:54.440 I grabbed the flashlight and cautiously peeked out the window. 342 00:18:55.119 --> 00:18:57.680 I couldn't see anything at first, but then the beam 343 00:18:57.680 --> 00:19:00.240 of light caught a pair of glowing eyes reflect in 344 00:19:00.279 --> 00:19:03.680 the darkness. They were high up, too high to belong 345 00:19:03.720 --> 00:19:06.440 to a deer or even a bear. I slammed the 346 00:19:06.440 --> 00:19:09.400 curtain shut and backed away from the window, my heart racing. 347 00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:12.960 Whatever it was stayed outside for hours. I could hear 348 00:19:13.000 --> 00:19:16.920 it moving around, sometimes knocking on the walls, other times 349 00:19:16.960 --> 00:19:20.359 making that same deep rumbling sound i'd heard the night before. 350 00:19:21.079 --> 00:19:23.759 By dawn, the noises had stopped and the forest was 351 00:19:23.799 --> 00:19:27.480 eerily quiet again. I didn't waste any time packing up. 352 00:19:27.960 --> 00:19:29.759 I threw my stuff into the car and got out 353 00:19:29.759 --> 00:19:33.079 of there as fast as I could. Even now, months later, 354 00:19:33.319 --> 00:19:35.640 I can't explain what I saw and heard during those 355 00:19:35.680 --> 00:19:38.680 two nights. I've tried telling myself it was just a 356 00:19:38.720 --> 00:19:41.559 bear or some other animal, but deep down I know 357 00:19:41.640 --> 00:19:45.400 that's not true. Whatever it was, it wasn't like anything 358 00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:49.039 I've ever encountered before. Thanks for letting me share my story. 359 00:19:49.480 --> 00:19:51.559 It feels good to finally get it off my chest. 360 00:19:52.480 --> 00:19:55.160 Keep up the great work on the podcast. I'll be 361 00:19:55.240 --> 00:20:00.160 listening best, Sarah. I've been listening to your show for 362 00:20:00.200 --> 00:20:02.559 a while, and I think it's awesome how you give 363 00:20:02.599 --> 00:20:06.160 people a space to share these experiences. I've gone back 364 00:20:06.200 --> 00:20:08.799 and forth about sending this in, but I figure it's 365 00:20:08.839 --> 00:20:11.400 time to put it out there. This happened to me 366 00:20:11.440 --> 00:20:13.640 and my cousin about two years ago during a fishing 367 00:20:13.680 --> 00:20:17.160 trip in northern Minnesota. Every summer, my cousin Josh, and 368 00:20:17.160 --> 00:20:19.160 I take a week off to fish at this spot 369 00:20:19.200 --> 00:20:22.039 near the Boundary Waters. It's way out in the middle 370 00:20:22.039 --> 00:20:25.440 of nowhere. No cabins, no people, just miles of forest 371 00:20:25.519 --> 00:20:28.720 and lakes. We love it because it's so remote and 372 00:20:28.759 --> 00:20:31.960 the fishing is unbeatable. We usually set up camp by 373 00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:34.240 a lake that's about a three mile hike from where 374 00:20:34.279 --> 00:20:37.359 we park the truck. We bring everything we need for 375 00:20:37.400 --> 00:20:40.640 the week and just enjoy being off the grid. This 376 00:20:40.680 --> 00:20:43.920 particular trip started out like any other. The weather was 377 00:20:43.960 --> 00:20:47.519 perfect and we were catching plenty of fish. On the 378 00:20:47.559 --> 00:20:50.079 third night, after a long day on the water, we 379 00:20:50.079 --> 00:20:53.279 were sitting around the campfire just talking and roasting some 380 00:20:53.359 --> 00:20:56.880 hot dogs. It was a clear night and the stars 381 00:20:56.880 --> 00:20:59.720 were incredible. We had a couple of beers and we're 382 00:20:59.799 --> 00:21:01.880 just about ready to call it a night when we 383 00:21:01.920 --> 00:21:04.680 heard something that made both of us stop mid conversation. 384 00:21:05.599 --> 00:21:08.960 It was a loud, almost whooping sound coming from deep 385 00:21:08.960 --> 00:21:11.759 in the woods. It didn't sound like any animal we 386 00:21:11.839 --> 00:21:14.440 knew of, more like a mix between a howl and 387 00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:18.160 a yell. It carried on for several seconds, then stopped. 388 00:21:18.960 --> 00:21:21.480 Josh looked at me and said, what the hell was that. 389 00:21:22.519 --> 00:21:25.400 I shrugged, trying to play it cool, but I could 390 00:21:25.440 --> 00:21:29.119 tell he was freaked out, and honestly I was too. 391 00:21:29.359 --> 00:21:32.200 We listened for a while, but everything went quiet again. 392 00:21:33.000 --> 00:21:35.880 Eventually we decided it was probably just some animal and 393 00:21:35.920 --> 00:21:39.000 went to bed. The next morning, we were up early 394 00:21:39.039 --> 00:21:42.240 and back out on the lake. Everything seemed normal and 395 00:21:42.279 --> 00:21:44.359 we didn't think much about the weird noise from the 396 00:21:44.440 --> 00:21:47.720 night before, But when we got back to camp that evening, 397 00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:53.359 something was off. For starters, our campsite looked different. Some 398 00:21:53.400 --> 00:21:56.359 of our gear had been moved around. The cooler we'd 399 00:21:56.440 --> 00:21:58.759 left by the fire pit was now tipped over near 400 00:21:58.799 --> 00:22:00.799 the edge of the woods, and the lid was open. 401 00:22:01.519 --> 00:22:03.880