iacozizzle Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 Those trail zigzags are cool. You've noticed others like that leading away from clearings? Cooler still. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted August 11, 2015 Author Share Posted August 11, 2015 (edited) I've noticed them a lot, and very hard locate off main trails or clearings. In fact.......I have found many neat places to go over the years, and I took a page outta their book, and do the same thing to keep others from finding my choice spots. In addition to the early zig-zags, leave most of the living foliage intact at yours or BF's trail head, leaving only a crack to get through, which helps hide the entrance to these secret sub-trails. The best way to find them is to first know the area very well, then just bush-wack around with some type of purpose in the sense that it could lead somewhere, look for landmarks, such as big trees or rock formations......and the connecting trails to 'line up' through these landmarks......make since? Edited August 11, 2015 by Bigtex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted August 13, 2015 Author Share Posted August 13, 2015 It's just too dang hot out there right now, and has been over 100 degrees at my startin' time of 6:30......might have to wait a few weeks for some cooler weather. The BF's must have some type of subterranean retreat, otherwise it must be brutally hot for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted August 17, 2015 Author Share Posted August 17, 2015 (edited) Cooled off a bit, and was only 96 yesterday @ 6:30PM, so headed for the woods. I wanted to follow a particular alleged BF Trail, and try to get some pictures showing the zig-zag pattern they follow. I am hoping that the pics are in the same order posted, so you can follow the pathway, and are listed as pictures P1 thru P11-Pool. I picked up this particular trail yesterday heading away from town, high up on a ridge-line overlooking one of the main creeks from the hills west of town, that eventually flows into the Colorado River. As you look at the pictures, I marked the trail in red & off to one side so you can hopefully notice some of the track-ways & ground disturbances shown in some of them, as the trail is being used on a regular basis. This trail eventually leads into town going the other way from my starting point, and thru deep hidden ravines that finger throughout Lago Vista. I was heading the opposite direction, and it goes right through the beautiful pool that I have pictured many times before, and is where I ended following this trail yesterday. Here is a description of each picture, notice prints and/or ground disturbances in most of them; P1 - Entrance from a small clearing with immediate zig-zag to the left P2 - Close up of the entrance, and zig-zag hooking left P3 - Hooks again to the left a bit further down P4 - Trail straightens out a bit P5 - Continues, veers left at distinct looking tree P6 - Notice another 'Gate' thru two trees, this pattern is used frequently P7 - Another straightaway P8 - Continuing straight thru another 'Gate', which are easier to follow at night P9 - Follow the pups P10 - Almost to the pool P11 - Pool : The horizontal red lines at the bottom of the pic is where the main trail is running along the creek down low, used by all, and probably for 100's if not thousands of years......well traveled. This picture is looking back at the way I came, and notice that you can't hardly see the BF trail from the main trail, plus the pile of brush was deliberately placed there as to further obscure the entrance. Here's Bigfoot's Pool:) Edited August 17, 2015 by Bigtex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigTreeWalker Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 You mentioned that most of those trails are clear to head height. I know from personal experience that deer trails are lower than head high and I've had to crawl to follow some of them. Of course in the western PNW they usually end up in a blackberry patch. That would be something to find one swimming in the pool. Hiding the entrance to a trail with collected brush definitely shows intelligence. I also find it interesting that your wolf and dogs are following that trail out in front of you. So even they know where it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted August 17, 2015 Author Share Posted August 17, 2015 Now this is some very exciting news......and adds to a previous mystery! Back in the Fall of '14, and good buddy came to town with his Dad, a well respected outdoors man extraordinaire for sure, and both joined me to set up one of my home-made camera traps. We set out early afternoon, my 10 year old son too, and ended up stopping at this beautiful spot with a 3 level waterfall, and large pool underneath, picture below. We did some filming, and stayed there about 30 minutes. All of a sudden, we heard & saw a large 40'(ish) dead Maple fall over in the swampy area just below us, in fairly thick brush, and within 30 feet of us.......it definitely got our attention. My friends Dad took his Cannon Rebel EOS camera, held it over some brush over his head, pointed down in the swamp area, and took about 10 pics in a quick blast. No big deal, and we hiked over to the spot where I was gonna to set the camera, about a half mile away. You guys remember the rest, we set up the camera, and were supposed to stay near by all night, but decided to leave. It must have taken a picture, as the film canister had been tampered with, film removed, and the canister lip crushed, picture of the canister......the more detailed story is a ways back in this thread. I hadn't seen me buddy again until yesterday, and very sadly his Dad had passed about a month after our adventure. The last pic below is one that his Dad took that day, and my buddy not seeing it until recently. The dark mass area coming from the tree sides is NOT a natural feature on either tree, as I've been through there many times, plus you can see what looks like hair in the sun light........looks like two of the locals to me, and this area is also about a mile upstream from my sighting in December, a month or so after this picture was taken. My guess is they heard us, came to investigate, didn't like all the filming that was going on, and pushed the tree over. Maybe they followed us up the ravine, and were watching us set up the cameras too......just a guess of course. Pretty **** creepy to think something like this could get so close to you without being heard or detected. Also.......I got with BigTreeWalker, and am sending him the film canister......his excellent work in his thread about bite marks will come in handy, can't wait to get the results on that......BTW, will you post your findings here? Here's a picture of the bottom of the Tri-Falls, and where we were, the pic above is on top of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigTreeWalker Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 Interesting picture Bigtex. The parts that I can tell are branches look like bark. But that one area does look like fur. It's sure an odd shape. And yes I intend to do measurements and a side by side comparison and will post what I find here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zman1967 Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 BigTex, I really enjoy the thread. I think it is great you share with us your adventures. As for the pic. To me it is really hard to tell if it is fur. I think it is just camera blur as the camera focused on the closer objects. You can see the same 'fur" on the branch that is overhanging the object in question. Not sure what is in the picture though. Would it be possible to go back and try and find the same group of trees and snap a photo for comparision? Maybe you can get some sense of height? Thanks for the update and good hunting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted August 18, 2015 Author Share Posted August 18, 2015 (edited) Hey zman1967, I was thinking of taking another pic of the spot, but wanted to use the same kind of camera, and maybe wait until the same time of day & year. All of those things can make a difference, especially the light & angle of the light, plus the plants look different this time of year.......gotta set the re-pic exactly right. I've seen the area plenty, and none of the trees have the blobs around them. The original picture is a much larger file size, and with better & crisper detail, but was too large to post here. Anyone with some fancy-smancy photo enhancement capabilities please send me a private message. Edited August 18, 2015 by Bigtex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WSA Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 (edited) Deleted...already mentioned above. Edited August 18, 2015 by WSA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeafTalker Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 I see the hair, too. Doesn't look like camera blur, to me. I don't think you can have blur and spikes at the same time (the "spikes" being the hair). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted August 18, 2015 Author Share Posted August 18, 2015 I just wish you guys could see the 8MB version of this picture on a nice big HD screen! I will get some photos on my next hike with my normal camera, and will try again in mid November with a Cannon Rebel EOS for the official recreation. Also, there aren't any barky trees down in that swampy area, mostly Juniper & Maple, which have a different kind of bark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeafTalker Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 8 MB! That's a big file. Can you make a copy of the original photo and crop the copy such that it just shows a piece of the tree and the hair, so that you can see the significant section of the photo in all its glory, but with a smaller overall file size? Does that make any sense? Not that it matters (to me). I can see the hair just fine as it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted August 18, 2015 Author Share Posted August 18, 2015 Sorry guys......I'm technology challenged for sure, especially with digital pictures & video.......if someone could walk me through it:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeafTalker Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 Ha ha ha.... I am technology-challenged, too, but will PM you some ideas......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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