Guest Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 rockie: I didn't say it was worthless. Don't twist my words. What I said was that, in my opinion, the value of the information is less than their asking price, especially in comparison to more practical and useful information. It's also absurd to compare an expert guided trip up a mountain to an "expert" guided trip on bigfootery. The mountaineering guide climbs mountains for a living (usually) and most guided trips are led by guides who have been up a route dozens if not a hundred times. A guy leading *any* bigfoot trip can not use his skills to summon a bigfoot to the middle of camp for pictures and other than people who claim habituation, I've never heard anyone who claimed to have dozens of encounters. Comparing the two types of guides isn't accurate. You do realize that you just did compare the two types of guides in terms of their value and determined that the worth of one is less than the other. In terms of their practical application how can you possible compare them? Value is relative to the persons level of interest. I only used a mountaineering guide to illustrate 2 points: 1) Fees for knowledge are common place in the expedition and guiding industry. 2) It is typical of most professional guiding organizations to not provide food or gear (except in extreme cases like Everest, etc) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ajciani Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 At $1300 for a six day climb, I would expect the guide service to provide at least some of the more "unique" equipment, such as the mountaineering tents, the high altitude cooking gear, the ropes, some of the other climbing gear, and maybe some of the "licensed" equipment which is required for the locale. I think most companies require that you have your own clothing, sleeping gear, and usually your own carabiners. For $1300, I might expect food be provided; preplanned and proportioned by the guide company, to assure proper nutrition. If you paid that much, and got any less, then you must have been using an experienced guide on an elite climb. For just being guided around the mountain side, I would expect about $300 to $500 for a 4 to 5 day hike, with you supplying all of your own equipment, and I mean a full 4 to 5 days. Now, for a bigfoot noob, the $300 for a BFRO expedition may be worth it. For the experienced bigfooter, it is far out of range. I have been to some very nice events, hosted by and attended by very experienced people, and they have never charged. Considering how poorly the BFRO people use their equipment in the Searching for Bigfoot series, and how opinionated they are about some of the bigfoot behavior, I would wonder if $300 is even worth their tutelage. BTW, unless something changed, being provided with equipment at a BFRO expedition is entirely dependent on another attendee lending it. If you want guaranteed access to a thermal imager, it needs to be your thermal imager. Individual experiences may vary, but in general, any equipment provided was lent by a BFRO member for the expedition, and the expedition fees may in no way compensate them for the loan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 The prices for alpine guiding do not typically include equipment or food other than ropes and creavasse rescue gear. Reference: www.rmi.com www.alpineascents.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Anybody other than BFRO offer guided Bf expeditions for fee? I was close to going on one but then the show came out and I decided to wait because if what they do on the show is a reasonable facsimile I didn’t feel it was worth it. The Gentleman (expedition leader) I spoke with on the phone seemed honest and passionate about BF but it was difficult to get a understanding of what I could expect other than good fellowship. I can see the appeal of the expeditions to a newbie suburbanite who hasn’t spent time in the woods but I’m looking for something substantive and I’m not sure the BFRO can deliver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Peter PM me is you want further info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 (edited) I met Matt for the first time in 2005. I had been researching for a few years in Oklahoma, and I was ready to meet others to compare notes with. BFRO was the only place doing the expeditions so I signed up. Started chatting with Matt almost daily on the phone, He was very interested in my research and what I had accomplished. I sent him my 400 dollars, and we continued to discuss everything bigfoot daily. The way the expeditions were set up then, ( and I don't know if it has changed or not because this was my last and only interaction with MM) The expedition locations were kept secret until just a few days out to keep a lid on it i guess. I was researching in and around Honobia Oklahoma from the beginning of my time in the field and told Matt everything about my search. I was still going to that area even while preparations were being made for the expedition, even though there was no announcement of a location yet. While out with a friend on a ridge south of Honobia I had worked for a while, we obtained a short video of a bigfoot at a distance coming up over a ridge behind our campsite, The video is called 'the ridgewalker video' We were so excited and I could not wait to tell Matt, since we had become friends over the phone. So I told Matt about the video, it's location and the circumstances as to how we obtained it.....the very next day splashed on the front page of the BFRO expedition information,was the words = That one of his researchers just got a video south of Honobia Oklahoma and that is where the BFRO expedition was to be held. I was shocked, First of all, I was never a BFRO researcher, I was not representing the BFRO in any way, I paid 400 dollars to go to an expedition that Matt chose based on MY research and MY location. I immediately confronted Matt on these issues. Told him That he LIED, and used ME to find a good spot to run his business. I told him I was not going to attend the expeditionb after being used in this manner. I requested my money back. Matt never replied to me, after speaking daily for weeks about research, he never contacted me again. I did not go to the expedition, and I never recieved a refund. I have befriended several BFRO people in my travels, and they are my friends, good people. Even Sate representatives for the BFRO who are my friend have talked to Matt about that time and the ethics of his choices. He claimed that I never asked for my money back. But even when discussing this matter with his people ( my friends), even if his claim of not knowing I wanted a refund, should have been clear after these later discussions about that time. My opinion of Matt has been from My own experience with him. Unfortunately the BFRO will suffer from that association. LIke this post or not, it is the truth. ...so...... I Guess I never really attended an expedition Edited February 22, 2012 by driveroperator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Anybody other than BFRO offer guided Bf expeditions for fee? On a regular basis, like the BFRO does, I am not aware of any. I know that the Olympic Project is having an open expedition for a fee similar in price to the BFRO's. But, as far as I know, this would be their first public expedition and it's only for the area in Washington where they've been researching the past several years. Most expeditions are private events where people are invited based on personal relationships and/or being part of a larger group (IE, joining the TBRC to take part in TBRC expeditions, etc.). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 what's TBRC ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 (edited) TBRC is short for the Texas Bigfoot Research Conservancy. Edited February 23, 2012 by Biggie -Removed TBRC link from post at Admin approval since they have no BFF reciprocal link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 They are a pro-kill group just so you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 http://www.sasquatchwatch.org/upcoming-events.html Billy Willard who is just a very nice gentleman, his group has outtings and I don't believe they charge. Not sure of the requirements tho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bipedalist Posted February 23, 2012 BFF Patron Share Posted February 23, 2012 ....... I never recieved a refund. Oh so predictable somehow......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 "they are pro-kill"...remember what you told me about not bashing others to promote yourself. Not that your bashing them but you defnintly didnt need to say that. Oh btw did you hear about the bfro got issued a ticket for not having a permit on their expedition. Well pruitt did. I wonder if moneymaker paid it or stuck him with it? you probly know though.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bipedalist Posted March 24, 2012 BFF Patron Share Posted March 24, 2012 (edited) Well I hope Pruitt didn't get stuck with it, but since I've got some familiarity with that kind of scenario from another expedition, all I can say is that maybe their days of flying under the radar are over...... I wonder if Interior would consider raising the ante if future repeat violations by the same organized group were to occur? Probably something people that care should kick around some I'd think. Edited March 24, 2012 by bipedalist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 http://blog.thenewstribune.com/adventure/2012/03/23/bigfoot-trip-leader-forgets-one-thing-a-park-permit/ i hope he didnt get stuck with it.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts