March 30, 2011...
Once again into the woods with Stan. This time we were armed with his most sopisticated microphones and Nightshot video. The night was cold but very clear and as darkness settled around us the valley came alive with the sounds of owls and coyotes. We had high hopes after our last excursion.
As the coyotes yipped in the distance I was reminded of some of the recordings Stan's gotten in the past. Coyotes bark and something, something a little more gutteral, mimics them in reply. Stan's theory is that sasquatches are excellent mimics and often blend their "voices" into their natural surroundings. He has, in fact, recorded something answering his soundblasts in HIS voice. Intriguing.
The problem with Bigfoot is it's not a predictable beast and our vigil this night would, ultimately, be in vain. There was, as expected, no sighting and no odd sounds in the night. Still I enjoyed the night as talking theory with Stan is always a learning experiance.
At one point Belle the dog began to bark furiously and, while neither of us believed she had encountered Bigfoot, we wondered what she run up against. As we got in the car to leave it became quiet apparent...a skunk! Fun ride back to the house!
Of course I'll return but my work with the ghosts beckons this weekend so it won't be for a while. Better luck next time is, of course, our hope!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Messing With Sasquatch Part Deux
March 19 has always meant, to me anyway, the day Ozzy Osbourne's brilliant guitarist, Randy Rhoads, died. Last night the date took on new meaning. Last night I had, thanks to my friend Stan Courtney, my first encounter with what I believe to be Bigfoot.
It was the night of the "Super Moon" and I spent the afternoon at a paranormal discussion group. During the course of the day the discussion turned to the moon and many wondered if it's position, closest it's been to the Earth in 20 years, might have some affect on paranormal events. My friend Laura Richter and I decided we needed go investigate somewhere and see if activity was higher. But where?
Enter Stan...
Stan, as previously mentioned is a Sasquatch researcher who, over the years, has identified several hot spots for activity, one of which is withing driving distance for us. We asked if he was interested in taking a stroll through the woods. Of course he was and we made arrangements to meet him later.
The "Super Moon", sadly, was lost in thick cloud cover and, just before we got to Stan's house, it started to rain. Our night didn't look good but, undaunted, we donned rain gear and headed into the forest.
We spent approximately 2 hours in the deepest part of the woods and, mercifully, the rain stopped. It was a peaceful night and the sounds of frogs filled the night. East of us coyotes yipped but, otherwise, nothing caught our interest.
Finally we decided to change locations so that Stan could do some soundblasting. For those of you not familiar with the technique, Stan (armed with a megaphone) basically yells into the night and waits for a response. He has several locations where he's had results and we hoped tonight for similar responses. As we made our way out of the forest I decided to try banging sticks against trees, this is, according to researchers, a common method of communication among our giant, hairy friends and one Stan rarely does at the site.
All along the way out, about every five minutes, I smashed sticks into trees and nothing responded. Nothing, that is, until we hit path that would finally lead us to the car. Suddenly, to our right, something responded, smacking a stick loudly in response to my hitting a tree moments before. I was elated...Stan and Laura didn't hear it. A few minutes later, from our left...again in response to my smacking a tree, came a sound we all heard. An almost human "howl"...imaging the "ooooo" sound of every ghost you ever saw on Scooby-Doo...emitted from the woods; perhaps 100 yards out.
"They're escorting us out," Stan said. We waited a few minutes and discussed what the sound could have been. Having grown up in the woods; I am familiar with the sounds of the forest. This wasn't an owl or a coyote. It was almost the sound of a human voice imitating a coyote. That left, in my mind, two option. Either someone was in the woods with us at midnight or we may have encountered Bigfoot. We'd never be sure as whatever made the sound didn't come closer and never repeated it. I think it knew we were on the way out and it just wanted to hasten us along!
We drove to the first of the soundblasting locations with anticipation. Our first attempts brought no response. Stan figures if they don't respond after three attempts there's no need to keep trying so we drove to the second location; a location Stan's had excellent luck with in the past.
This spot is ideal. A clearing overlooks a valley with a wide path, about 100 yards long, running to the valley floor. Thick woods border the path. We stepped from the car and Stan bellowed into the megaphone. No response. Again. No response. Finally the third and final time. It was now nearing one A.M. and Stan let forth a roar which echoed through the valley. A few seconds later came the response. A howl, definitely not a coyote, followed quickly be five more howls that sounded like they were just down the hill...as if something was there watching us.
The sound was never repeated. Laura thought she may have seen movement down the path, just inside the tree line, but couldn't be sure. And while we waited there a little longer the sound was never repeated and we decided to call it a night.
I know, this doesn't constitute proof of anything. Stan may have recorded the sounds (as of this writing I haven't heard) but, whatever they were, they were not human, they were not coyotes. It was something I'd never heard before and, while I saw nothing, I'm inclined to believe we accomplished our goal of encountering Bigfoot.
I'll go back, hopefully when it's not raining, and I'll try the stick banging thing again. I'm not sure what I'd do if a Sasquatch emerged from the woods in response though. It would be the climax to a dream I've had since childhood (who hasn't wanted to see a Bigfoot?), then again it might help me break land speed records!
The quest continues...
It was the night of the "Super Moon" and I spent the afternoon at a paranormal discussion group. During the course of the day the discussion turned to the moon and many wondered if it's position, closest it's been to the Earth in 20 years, might have some affect on paranormal events. My friend Laura Richter and I decided we needed go investigate somewhere and see if activity was higher. But where?
Enter Stan...
Stan, as previously mentioned is a Sasquatch researcher who, over the years, has identified several hot spots for activity, one of which is withing driving distance for us. We asked if he was interested in taking a stroll through the woods. Of course he was and we made arrangements to meet him later.
The "Super Moon", sadly, was lost in thick cloud cover and, just before we got to Stan's house, it started to rain. Our night didn't look good but, undaunted, we donned rain gear and headed into the forest.
We spent approximately 2 hours in the deepest part of the woods and, mercifully, the rain stopped. It was a peaceful night and the sounds of frogs filled the night. East of us coyotes yipped but, otherwise, nothing caught our interest.
Finally we decided to change locations so that Stan could do some soundblasting. For those of you not familiar with the technique, Stan (armed with a megaphone) basically yells into the night and waits for a response. He has several locations where he's had results and we hoped tonight for similar responses. As we made our way out of the forest I decided to try banging sticks against trees, this is, according to researchers, a common method of communication among our giant, hairy friends and one Stan rarely does at the site.
All along the way out, about every five minutes, I smashed sticks into trees and nothing responded. Nothing, that is, until we hit path that would finally lead us to the car. Suddenly, to our right, something responded, smacking a stick loudly in response to my hitting a tree moments before. I was elated...Stan and Laura didn't hear it. A few minutes later, from our left...again in response to my smacking a tree, came a sound we all heard. An almost human "howl"...imaging the "ooooo" sound of every ghost you ever saw on Scooby-Doo...emitted from the woods; perhaps 100 yards out.
"They're escorting us out," Stan said. We waited a few minutes and discussed what the sound could have been. Having grown up in the woods; I am familiar with the sounds of the forest. This wasn't an owl or a coyote. It was almost the sound of a human voice imitating a coyote. That left, in my mind, two option. Either someone was in the woods with us at midnight or we may have encountered Bigfoot. We'd never be sure as whatever made the sound didn't come closer and never repeated it. I think it knew we were on the way out and it just wanted to hasten us along!
We drove to the first of the soundblasting locations with anticipation. Our first attempts brought no response. Stan figures if they don't respond after three attempts there's no need to keep trying so we drove to the second location; a location Stan's had excellent luck with in the past.
This spot is ideal. A clearing overlooks a valley with a wide path, about 100 yards long, running to the valley floor. Thick woods border the path. We stepped from the car and Stan bellowed into the megaphone. No response. Again. No response. Finally the third and final time. It was now nearing one A.M. and Stan let forth a roar which echoed through the valley. A few seconds later came the response. A howl, definitely not a coyote, followed quickly be five more howls that sounded like they were just down the hill...as if something was there watching us.
The sound was never repeated. Laura thought she may have seen movement down the path, just inside the tree line, but couldn't be sure. And while we waited there a little longer the sound was never repeated and we decided to call it a night.
I know, this doesn't constitute proof of anything. Stan may have recorded the sounds (as of this writing I haven't heard) but, whatever they were, they were not human, they were not coyotes. It was something I'd never heard before and, while I saw nothing, I'm inclined to believe we accomplished our goal of encountering Bigfoot.
I'll go back, hopefully when it's not raining, and I'll try the stick banging thing again. I'm not sure what I'd do if a Sasquatch emerged from the woods in response though. It would be the climax to a dream I've had since childhood (who hasn't wanted to see a Bigfoot?), then again it might help me break land speed records!
The quest continues...
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