Going Squatching. Excited, Nervous, Endless Ideas... Sounds Like Im In Love :)

[Guest Kyle]

This summer a buddy and I (maybe plus one more if we can convince his wife lol) are going to Ape Canon out near Mt St Helens to look for big foot for 5-7 days. We are experienced hikers and have been out in the "bush" for trail hikes and what-not on a yearly bases.

 

I have been doing as much research as I can on the subject usually with youtube videos up while working or reading websites, indian legends are my favorite. and so has my buddy. (side note: Native American names for sasquatch are crazy translation http://www.sasquatchresearch.net/sassynames.html The Cannibal Demon!?!)

 

We are normal guys that like to goof around and were thinking about making a documentary maybe a kickstarter to try and get some funds to get better camera equipment. We want to do a bunch of interviews of people with sitings in the area and make the documentary about the journey of the "hunt" and of the people that have experienced something on our way out there. Of course we goof around on each other all the time so most likely it will be on the lighter side of bigfoot documentaries... ok here is a dumb video we put together. I know prbly bad idea to share on first post... but what the hell. http://youtu.be/pmyYAJKBJNc Its funny to me. and no its not how the documentary will be haha.. We are taking it serously but were not serious people so we will be having fun with things. and yes this is a bad video haha but we couldnt stop laughing at each other.

 

Anyway I am terrified from doing more and more research on the area. Like the only known deaths from bigfoot are in this area(from what I have found) or have you seen the video outside that guys tent? If i saw that I dont know if I would ever go back in the woods! I am still a slight skeptic, maybe because I havent experienced anything for myself, but we are going to spend 5 days deep in the woods looking for a smart monster that has a ton of sitings. Thats Terrifying! haha ah well.

 

Any pointers would be awesome. We have started a list of things we want to try while were out there to get some sightings. 

 

We could use help with:

1. Is there a place to rent good equipment like trail cams or other cameras and mics? We want to make the money stretch for best possible chance of sitings.
2. Ideas on how to get sitings (besides the simple things like tree knocking, leaving food out, or playing recordings. we already have plans for that    )
3. People in the area that we can interview (Near Denver, Salt Lake City, Ape Canon, Bend,or Portland)
4. Finding a full version copy of this https://openlibrary.org/books/OL14650749M/Washington_environmental_atlas

 

Excited to post in the forums and for the trip this July. I will click around and probably find what I am looking for but just wanted to share my story with the forum and couldnt wait.

 

Cheers,

Kyle

[chelefoot]

Hey Kyle, Welcome to the BFF!  Sounds like you guys are going to have fun!   I haven't had a chance to check out your video yet, but I will. I wouldn't worry too much about that "Tent Video".  It was filmed by the Bigfoot community's most notorious hoaxer.  Although, you never know what might happen out in the woods!

 

Look forward to hearing more about your adventures.

 

Enjoy the forums!

Ha! Just watched your video....

[NathanFooter]

  Hey Kyle,  it is cool to see others taking an interest in the subject , there is several threads in the ,, In The Field ,, section of the forums that have information on tested and untested gear ranging from thermal cameras to batteries { all manner of tech really } and links to where you can get them at a really good price.   One for example that may be of help to you is this thread.   http://bigfootforums.com/index.php/topic/36108-high-end-research-gear-and-equipment/

 

  As for tips for the field here are few of the important ones.  

 

 Avoid using white or bright light at night as much as possible, a creature with large eyes that is able to move around in complete blackness has sensitive eyes that adjust to light conditions, hitting them with light or even turning a light on to the ground nearby could keep them back and maybe even cause avoid you and your group. the reports reflect this as well , the spot light or headlamp came on and the activity was over.  Small camp fires in a pit do not seem to be as much of an issue.

 

 Be mentally prepared for a situation, out in the dark every sound can translate to sasquatch in your mind if you let your imagination take off, if something happens you need to remain calm and collective with your group and take a moment to think about what you may be experiencing. The mind is you biggest enemy and aid out in the dark forest being that it is instinctual to over react to situations out of self preservation { it is a survival mechanism } so just keep this in mind and do your best to be avoid jumping to conclusions.  Be skeptical of what you experience.

 

 Document everything,  I can't stress this point enough, many do not realize that recording data from the field is in a sense giving you the ability to go back over what you found or heard with a fine toothed comb and dissect the event to better learn from it, also it gives you the ability to share a sound or track photo so you have more than just a cool story.   The top 4 things you should record daily are audio, photos/video of anything noted of interest with measurements, environmental information and your groups activities. 

 

 Do not tell people in town or the area what you are doing or where, the last thing you want is to have some people out there helping you hear bigfoot calls LOL. 

 

  Be casual and interesting, tell jokes around the fire and roast hot dogs or what ever you think they would enjoy watching,  dressing up in camo and stalking around like a predator or hunter may put them on high alert and cause them to stay away.  Take into consideration how they view you and what you are doing.

 

 Give them the ground, when you position a camp make sure that you give them the advantage, do what ever you can to give them observation areas and escape routes.  Think like ,, if I wanted to sneak in and watch that campsite ,, how would I do it quietly and safely ??   Big stumps, trees, burms and dips in the terrain are great areas to peak over out from to watch campers.

 

 If you need any information on documentation such as data sheets, audio recorder or camera info feel free to PM me, I wish you good luck and I look forward to seeing your video/documentary.        

                                                                                                                         ,,,Nathan.

[Guest]

I'd love to do that.

 

Unfortunately I would have to take the wife so I'd need a remote wilderness location within 200 yards of a shoe shop and a cocktail bar.

 

ROD

[daveedoe]

Ape canyon area is beautiful.  A friend of mine who is an avid mountain biker told me it gets a lot of bikes during the summer days. A good hike would be the Lowit trail going west around the south side of Mt St Helens. Camping near climbers bivouac and butte camp might get you away from the crowds. There has been activity around those areas.

 

The south and west sides of Mt St helens were not effected much from the eruption in 1980. The Lowit trail goes around the mountain if its open and going around the west side into the land slide area and blast area is quite dramatic. 

 

Another side hike would be Castle lake formed by the land slide, I herd of activity around there and not many people due to access. No matter where you go good luck and have fun, I hope you see the big guy.

 

check out this thread

 

http://bigfootforums.com/index.php/topic/41791-gifford-pinchot-national-forestwashington-state-incedent/

[daveedoe]

I misspelled Loowit, remember camping in back country "leave no trace"

[Drew]

Oh, I thought the eruption wiped out all the Bigfoots in teh Mt. St. Helens area.

[Guest Kyle]

 Do not tell people in town or the area what you are doing or where, the last thing you want is to have some people out there helping you hear bigfoot calls LOL. 

 

HAHA we didnt even think of that! Too funny. I joke with Chad (my buddy coming with) that all wood knocking is, is other hunters knocking back to each other lol

 

Ape canyon area is beautiful.  A friend of mine who is an avid mountain biker told me it gets a lot of bikes during the summer days. A good hike would be the Lowit trail going west around the south side of Mt St Helens. Camping near climbers bivouac and butte camp might get you away from the crowds. There has been activity around those areas.

 

http://bigfootforums.com/index.php/topic/41791-gifford-pinchot-national-forestwashington-state-incedent/

 

remember camping in back country "leave no trace"

 

Thanks Wildman, 

 

We dont know the area well enough to avoid foot traffic. The canons and such we were looking at going seem to be lacking trails. hopefully that is the case but we will be getting some topo maps before the trip. We are very conscious not to leave our mess behind. 

 

 

Too Funny Detroit Soul!

 

 

Drew thats not what we have been finding. I will see what I can find on sitings after eruption. That would be a good thing to catch before heading out there!

Edited April 2, 2014 by Kyle

[Guest Kyle]

Man! thanks for all the links in the forum. I actually have to work today but plan on diving deep into them soon. 

[Guest]

Have a fun trip and be safe!

[salubrious]

If you want close up, you might be better off active at night without flashlights and sleeping during the day, assuming you are in position in a promising area. Trail cams seem to get you nothing- they act like repellant. There is a theory that they can see the IR light and avoid them, at any rate no-one has ever had success with them even though they otherwise have been having interaction. So don't bother with them.

 

Don't try to sneak around - Nathan's advice is good- they find you, you don't find them.

[Guest JiggyPotamus]

Do what I did for the trip when I had my sighting...tell everyone you're going camping. Or in your case, tell the wife you're going camping, hiking, or whatever. That seemed easier to me than to tell those who I wanted to go with me that I wanted to look for bigfoot.

[Guest]

Do what I did for the trip when I had my sighting...tell everyone you're going camping. Or in your case, tell the wife you're going camping, hiking, or whatever.

This is good safety advice. Tell someone close that you're going camping, approximately where at, and when you expect to return. That way if you have an accident in the woods people know where to look for you.

[MIB]

That's my general scheme though I take it a little further.   There's really only one person I trust with the specifics of my plans.   That person lives a ways away.   I create a folder in Google Earth, create placemarks for the key locations related to the trip with some explanation, use the measuring tool in path mode to draw out the routes I expect to use, save that off in a folder, and send it in an email along with a description of the trip (at least as planned) and what sort of things might lead me to deviate from plan and in what way.    If I don't come back, that friend, who is my check-in, can send that to law enforcement / search and rescue here when reporting me missing and they'll have as good an idea of what I was going to do as I did when I left the front door.  

 

Hope I never need it.  Hope if I do, I have a good story (and some pictures for my friend) to show for it.

 

MIB

[daveedoe]

here is a video of the Butte camp area more forest here, very beautiful.