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<v Speaker 1>While I was in elementary school, my family lived in Lancaster, California,

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<v Speaker 1>in the Mahave Desert. I loved that desert and spent

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of time on my own, exploring and riding

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<v Speaker 1>horses there all by myself. In the summer of nineteen

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<v Speaker 1>sixty seven, once I finished sixth grade, we moved north

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<v Speaker 1>to Bishop, California, on the eastern side of the Sierra

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<v Speaker 1>Nevada Mountain Range. This is where my father grew up.

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<v Speaker 1>He had family who lived in nearby Lone Pine, and

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<v Speaker 1>they still did. Dad made the decision to move as

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<v Speaker 1>a result of a deal with his partner, wherein they

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<v Speaker 1>split the business geographically and Dad took over the northern half.

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<v Speaker 1>In Lancaster, we spent a lot of time outdoors in

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<v Speaker 1>the desert, and this didn't change when we moved to Bishop.

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<v Speaker 1>It was an absolutely gorgeous place to live, and my

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<v Speaker 1>love of nature grew as I was afforded the same

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<v Speaker 1>freedom to roam and explore with my horse. As a family,

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<v Speaker 1>we often traveled via our Willis jeep to remote spots

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<v Speaker 1>where Dad taught us all about camping and how to

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<v Speaker 1>fish and shoot rifles. One weekend, my mom and Dad

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<v Speaker 1>me and four of my five siblings went on one

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<v Speaker 1>of those camping trips to the mountains. Remote camping is

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<v Speaker 1>exactly what it sounds like. There was no campground, no showers,

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<v Speaker 1>and no playground for kids. It was just us in

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<v Speaker 1>nature with no one else around for miles and miles.

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<v Speaker 1>We set up camp at the end of the long

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<v Speaker 1>clearing that had a nice fire burning as night fell.

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<v Speaker 1>I loved camping back then. There just wasn't anything like

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<v Speaker 1>sitting around the fire with my family and taking in

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<v Speaker 1>all the feelings and sounds of the great outdoors. Eventually

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<v Speaker 1>I needed to answer nature's call, and I had it

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<v Speaker 1>away from the firelight along one side of the clearing.

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<v Speaker 1>Once I felt I was far enough away from the camp,

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<v Speaker 1>I squatted down behind a bush to empty my bladder.

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<v Speaker 1>Our camp was to my right. As I stared straight

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<v Speaker 1>across the clearing, suddenly I saw a large creature step

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<v Speaker 1>out of the brush on the other side of the

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<v Speaker 1>clearing about my one o'clock. It made no sound, as

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<v Speaker 1>if it were trying to be quiet. I was immediately

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<v Speaker 1>gripped with fear at the sight of something I had

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<v Speaker 1>never seen before. I processed every possibility through my mind,

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<v Speaker 1>but I could not identify it. I checked the bears

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<v Speaker 1>off my list. This thing was big, but it wasn't

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<v Speaker 1>shape quite right. Plus it looked too natural walking on

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<v Speaker 1>two legs. I decided it had to be some kind

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<v Speaker 1>of ape, not a chimp, gorilla, or orangutan. It was

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<v Speaker 1>six feet tall and had a coat of medium length

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<v Speaker 1>hair that looked golden or rusty. The full moon in

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<v Speaker 1>the glow of the campfire provided more than enough light

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<v Speaker 1>to allow me to see it incredibly well. I was terrified,

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<v Speaker 1>but I was also an awe and more than a

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<v Speaker 1>little curious. I sat perfectly still and made absolutely no

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<v Speaker 1>sound as I watched it walk along the edge of

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<v Speaker 1>the clearing away from the camp. Once it got to

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<v Speaker 1>about my ten o'clock, it stepped back into the woodline

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<v Speaker 1>and continued on its way. I held my position as

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<v Speaker 1>I listened to its footfalls in the forest until I

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<v Speaker 1>couldn't hear it anymore. Only then did I stand up,

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<v Speaker 1>pull up my jeans, and head back to camp. As

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<v Speaker 1>a young girl trying to analyze and understand what I

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<v Speaker 1>had just witnessed, the thought occurred to me that it

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<v Speaker 1>might be a member of my family messing with me.

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<v Speaker 1>But I could see everyone sitting around the fire at

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<v Speaker 1>the opposite end of the clearing from where this thing

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<v Speaker 1>had slipped back into the woods. It had to be

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<v Speaker 1>a real animal. There was just no way someone could

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<v Speaker 1>be wearing a costume. Nevertheless, I made up my mind

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<v Speaker 1>not to mention it to anyone, just in case. I

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<v Speaker 1>figured if someone was messing with me, eventually they would

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<v Speaker 1>be unable to resist saying something, so I kept my

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<v Speaker 1>mouth shut and the subject never came up. That seemed

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<v Speaker 1>to solidify my analysis that it had to be a

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<v Speaker 1>real animal. My parents had been struggling with the business

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<v Speaker 1>in their marriage as well. That next summer, they closed

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<v Speaker 1>a business up north and sold our house in that

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<v Speaker 1>beautiful place. We moved back down below, as we called

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<v Speaker 1>southern California, back then to Riverside near Los Angeles, where

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<v Speaker 1>my dad got a new job. A few months later,

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<v Speaker 1>my parents divorced nineteen seventy two, Mom remarried, and we

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<v Speaker 1>moved to Texas. I never told a soul about my

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<v Speaker 1>encounter for years. Initially I didn't want to cause it

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<v Speaker 1>any additional stress on my parents, who were having their

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<v Speaker 1>own problems at the time. And then life went on

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<v Speaker 1>and I pushed it to the back of my mind.

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<v Speaker 1>Sometime in the nineteen nineties, I ended up sharing the

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<v Speaker 1>entire experience with my husband. He is an open mind

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<v Speaker 1>and trust me to be a person of integrity, and

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<v Speaker 1>therefore he accepted my story as real. We've since spent

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<v Speaker 1>a great deal of time analyzing my encounter, and he

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<v Speaker 1>has had some excellent thoughts about it. First, since what

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<v Speaker 1>I saw wasn't a giant of over seven feet tall

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<v Speaker 1>like so many others have reported, he suggested that perhaps

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<v Speaker 1>it was an adolescent. He also thought that its young

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<v Speaker 1>age might have predisposed it toward curiosity about the strange

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<v Speaker 1>creatures that had entered the remote territory. Also, the young

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<v Speaker 1>sisquatch might have become alarmed when I left the campsite

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<v Speaker 1>and headed closer to his observation point. My husband thinks

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<v Speaker 1>it remained close to the edge of the clearing to

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<v Speaker 1>reduce noise in the possibility of being seen. Finally, he

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<v Speaker 1>posed the theory that the fact that it never made

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<v Speaker 1>eye contact with me or even looked in my direction

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<v Speaker 1>could be indicative of an animal behavior, and that they

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<v Speaker 1>think if they can't see you, you can't see them.

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<v Speaker 1>These thoughts all seemed feasible to me. I cannot describe

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<v Speaker 1>the creature's facial features because I saw only the profile.

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<v Speaker 1>I did not notice any bad odors, but I might

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<v Speaker 1>have been upwind. Nor did I hear any sounds other

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<v Speaker 1>than when it exited the clearing back into the brush.

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<v Speaker 1>Around two thousand and eight, I finally mentioned my experience

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<v Speaker 1>to my two sisters. I don't recall any reaction from

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<v Speaker 1>my younger sister, but my older sister responded by laughingly

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<v Speaker 1>saying that I must have seen a bear. I mentioned

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<v Speaker 1>this because I want others who have had been ridiculed

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<v Speaker 1>that I know how it feels. My advice is to

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<v Speaker 1>not worry worry about what others think. Trust yourself to

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<v Speaker 1>know what you saw. Well, it may seem incredible. I

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<v Speaker 1>do know what I saw. I grew up to be

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<v Speaker 1>a wife and a mother of three, a Girl Scout leader,

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<v Speaker 1>a Sunday school teacher and a Little League team mom,

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<v Speaker 1>a room mom at my kid's school, and a licensed,

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<v Speaker 1>successful self employed realtor in Houston, Texas. Then I returned

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<v Speaker 1>to university and became a registered nurse, and I retired

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<v Speaker 1>after twenty five years. I'm sixty three years old now

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<v Speaker 1>and enjoying my retirement in Costa Rica with my dear husband.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm not a believer in Sasquatch, i am an observer

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<v Speaker 1>of Sasquatch. And then she signs off, peace and love, Celeste.

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<v Speaker 1>It was a weekend of my wife's Baby Steps five

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<v Speaker 1>K Memorial Run at Tannehill State Park in Alabama. A

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<v Speaker 1>couple of our friends founded the run to raise money

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<v Speaker 1>for the Amelia Center division of Children's Hospital of Birmingham.

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<v Speaker 1>The Amelia Sinner helps grieving parents who have lost children

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<v Speaker 1>cope with the loss and learn how to go on

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<v Speaker 1>with their lives. Abby and I, unfortunately know firsthand how

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<v Speaker 1>consuming and unforgettable such a loss can be. We lost

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<v Speaker 1>our twin boys, Brady and Brody, to pre term labor

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<v Speaker 1>at five months. They weren't able to survive the delivery.

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<v Speaker 1>This is hard to type and even think about, even

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<v Speaker 1>thirteen years later, but God has blessed us with three

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<v Speaker 1>handsome and fun loving boys. Bryant is eight years old

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<v Speaker 1>we call him bub Bub. Barrett, who we call bear Bear,

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<v Speaker 1>is three, and our two year old, whose real name

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<v Speaker 1>is Brandon, we call Bobby. In addition to our sons,

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<v Speaker 1>my nephew Nick or Nick Nick has lived with us

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<v Speaker 1>as our own son all his life. I know what

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<v Speaker 1>you're thinking, why Bobby, Well, we thought it was because

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<v Speaker 1>Bear Bear, who was one when Bobby was born, was

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<v Speaker 1>trying to save baby when we realized he could save

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<v Speaker 1>baby just fine, So we figured we just wanted his

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<v Speaker 1>brother to be called Bobby, and we went with it.

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<v Speaker 1>We always stay in an old time cabin at Tannehill

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<v Speaker 1>for three or four days of the week of the

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<v Speaker 1>five k run, and this year was no different. We

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<v Speaker 1>loved being in nature, and we especially love hiking, so naturally,

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<v Speaker 1>after the run was over and Abby and the little

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<v Speaker 1>ones were taking a nap, Nick, Bryant and I grabbed

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<v Speaker 1>our walking sticks and we hit the trails. We had

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<v Speaker 1>previously asked the rangers and the other park employees which

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<v Speaker 1>trail would be the longest and least occupied. We'd been

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<v Speaker 1>coming here the same month every year for the past

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<v Speaker 1>eleven years, so we'd already been down roughly ninety percent

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<v Speaker 1>of the hiking trails. Everyone suggested the same trails we'd

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<v Speaker 1>already won, except for the maintenance man. He said we

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<v Speaker 1>should follow the creek that runs through most of the park,

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<v Speaker 1>but to be careful because it connected to privately owned

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<v Speaker 1>land that is nothing but acres and acres of woods.

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<v Speaker 1>The no trespassing signs have all fallen over the years,

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<v Speaker 1>but if we stayed with the creek, we would be okay.

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<v Speaker 1>We followed the maintenance man's instructions and had been walking

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<v Speaker 1>the creek bank for a little over two hours, stopping

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<v Speaker 1>to examine every bug, rock, and stick the boys found interesting.

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<v Speaker 1>When we came to a fork in the trail, we

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<v Speaker 1>stayed true to our course, but the creek trail soon ended.

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<v Speaker 1>We weren't willing to call it a day yet, so

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<v Speaker 1>we headed back to the fork and took the other

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<v Speaker 1>trail to see where it went. It led us uphill

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<v Speaker 1>away from the water, and we hiked another forty five

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<v Speaker 1>minutes when it brought us back down to what must

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<v Speaker 1>have been the wildest, deepest section of the creek. It

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<v Speaker 1>was a peaceful, serene southern landscape that made me want

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<v Speaker 1>to sit down on the bank and watch the clouds

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<v Speaker 1>as the setting sun turned the sky to evening hughes.

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<v Speaker 1>We were relaxing while I was letting Bryant beat me

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<v Speaker 1>at tic tac toe because I'm a dad and that's

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<v Speaker 1>what dads do. When Nick pointed out the fact that

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<v Speaker 1>everything had gone silent. There were no bugs chirping or

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<v Speaker 1>birds singing at all. Even the wind had gone silent,

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<v Speaker 1>secretly reveling in Bryant's glee at each momentary lack of

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<v Speaker 1>reason that would lead another victory for him. I glanced

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<v Speaker 1>over at Nick and realized he was sitting there frozen

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<v Speaker 1>in a shivering, frightened state. I jumped up and went

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<v Speaker 1>over to him, with Bryant holding onto my belt loop.

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<v Speaker 1>As we approached, we all saw movement in the thick

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<v Speaker 1>brush on the opposite side of the creek, and then

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<v Speaker 1>it happened, to our surprise, a massive rock the size

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<v Speaker 1>of two tree truck tires stacked together, came flying out

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<v Speaker 1>of that brush at an impossibly high arc and then

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<v Speaker 1>splashed down in the creek, sending water up in the

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<v Speaker 1>air like a geyser, with ripples in every direction. I

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<v Speaker 1>was stunned for a minute or so, but I managed

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<v Speaker 1>to come around, and then I grabbed Brian and literally

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<v Speaker 1>had to shake Nick back to reality. Nick, you take

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<v Speaker 1>the lead, I said, laying out our exit strategy. Bryan,

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<v Speaker 1>stay in the middle and hold Nick's walking stick in

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<v Speaker 1>one hand in mine in the other. I'll follow in

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<v Speaker 1>the rear, and that'll keep us joined together and still

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<v Speaker 1>give us room for fast walking. I had barely finished

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<v Speaker 1>my instructions when a rain of small rocks came flying

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<v Speaker 1>across the creek, some hitting the water, but most hitting

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<v Speaker 1>the bank at our feet. We didn't wait another minute.

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<v Speaker 1>We took off, heading towards the main trail and back

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<v Speaker 1>to our cabin. Once we made it out of the

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<v Speaker 1>woods and safely back to cabin, we sat on the

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<v Speaker 1>porch and pondered what had happened. Nick would not, actually

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<v Speaker 1>could not talk about what he saw that had frightened

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<v Speaker 1>him into a near catatonic state. Brian only saw the

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<v Speaker 1>rocks being thrown. I don't know what to think, but

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<v Speaker 1>I can assure you I didn't see a catapult set

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<v Speaker 1>up across the creek, nor any other mechanism that could

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<v Speaker 1>throw a two hundred pound rock that high and that far.

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<v Speaker 1>It made me think though about how far it could

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<v Speaker 1>throw me. I am one hundred and seventy five pounds,

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<v Speaker 1>so I know I could be thrown as far as

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<v Speaker 1>the rock, and Brian is only about sixty five pounds.

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<v Speaker 1>He'd land a mile away. It was eerie and weird,

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<v Speaker 1>and I replay it in my mind frequently. The scariest

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<v Speaker 1>thing to me was the lack of sound from the woods.

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<v Speaker 1>What would make birds, squirrels, deer, frogs, and even the

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<v Speaker 1>breeze stop. I'd love to hear your thought and the

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<v Speaker 1>thoughts of your other listeners. I still have trouble coming

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<v Speaker 1>to a conclusion about the events of that day. It's

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<v Speaker 1>like I know what it was, but my mind won't

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<v Speaker 1>accept it. Oh and by the way, on our way out,

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<v Speaker 1>we realize we'd strayed thirty minutes outside of the park's

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<v Speaker 1>borders into the neighboring woods. Well, Gary, first, let me

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<v Speaker 1>say I'm really sorry that you and your wife lost

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<v Speaker 1>your twin babies. That's heartbreaking. I've had some friends lose

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<v Speaker 1>some kids and and there's no way for any of

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<v Speaker 1>us who haven't to know how that feels. But all

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<v Speaker 1>we can do is have some sort of non experience

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<v Speaker 1>empathy for you. It just must be horrible, I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>good grief. I just lost a dog about a month

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<v Speaker 1>ago and it just kills me every day. But moving on,

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<v Speaker 1>What a great dad you are and mom, what great

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<v Speaker 1>parents you are to take your kids on these trips

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<v Speaker 1>and to organize that five k run. What a great

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<v Speaker 1>way to give back and use your path to do

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<v Speaker 1>something good with But taking your kids on hikes, man,

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<v Speaker 1>that's a great idea. These boys must be rare to

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<v Speaker 1>go all the time. And I don't really know what

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<v Speaker 1>to think about your experience. I mean, I cannot imagine

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<v Speaker 1>anything that's natural in the woods that could throw a

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<v Speaker 1>two hundred pound rock as big as two truck tires

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<v Speaker 1>off of a bank and into the middle of a

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<v Speaker 1>creek and blow water up in the air and then

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<v Speaker 1>throw rocks at you and things like that. Yeah, I

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<v Speaker 1>would have got out too, but I think if it

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<v Speaker 1>was me, I would have trouble accepting it too. But

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<v Speaker 1>you just have to realize that these things are probably there,

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<v Speaker 1>and they don't like us in their habitat. They've been

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<v Speaker 1>pushed out of so much habitat already, although we still

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<v Speaker 1>have millions and millions and millions of acres for these

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<v Speaker 1>things to live. I mean, if you travel across the

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<v Speaker 1>United States, we haven't encroached that much, at least with

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<v Speaker 1>urban development. Maybe with the farming and the agriculture we've ruined,

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<v Speaker 1>not really ruined, but we've transformed the land to suit

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<v Speaker 1>us and to benefit us and to provide for us,

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<v Speaker 1>and that does push them out. But you know, there

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<v Speaker 1>are so many sightings and so many experiences like this

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<v Speaker 1>that apparently the population is doing okay, because based on

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<v Speaker 1>the encounters, if you just took every story that I've

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<v Speaker 1>done up to this date and you counted in, assuming

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<v Speaker 1>every one of them is a separate entity or a

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<v Speaker 1>separate being or Bigfoot, We've got hundreds and hundreds of

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<v Speaker 1>these things in the United States and they're all over

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<v Speaker 1>the place. They're in Canada, Alaska, the continental United States.

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<v Speaker 1>Haven't heard anything from Hawaii yet, but even internationally, we've

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<v Speaker 1>got stories from Europe and different places, the Philippines and

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<v Speaker 1>Indonesia and different Australia is a place where we get

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of stories. And so, you know, I'm kind

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<v Speaker 1>of contradicting what I say. I don't know that that

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<v Speaker 1>encroachment on their habitat is that big a deal, because

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<v Speaker 1>there seems to be a lot I'm around. But again

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<v Speaker 1>I'm just rambling saying whatever comes to my mind. But Carrie,

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<v Speaker 1>I really appreciate the story, and again, best wishes to

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<v Speaker 1>your family and I appreciate what you're doing. Thanks Carrie.