Field trips 2.0

[norseman]

[NorCalWitness]

On 8/30/2024 at 8:10 PM, norseman said:

Took family up to Priest lake today. Ate pepper steak at Elkins resort…. My favorite.

 

And then took the grandkids swimming.

 

Patty style over the shoulder lookback. I like it. 

[Kiwakwe]

Found a relatively local spot with a sighting report and ongoing 'activity.' It's about 2 hours N of me at the S end of the North Maine Woods, timber co land with little access to campsites outside this one, which is on a small lake. First camp was back in May, had the recorder out, find on returning home, at 1:15am something tried my door handle on the Rover, I was sleeping in it and didn't wake, but the sound is distinct. No one else around, it was a Thursday night and I drove all the logging spurs in the vicinity to scope them out. The following week, Hiflier was at the same spot, he picked up 7 distinct percussive knocks on his recorder. I went back 3 more nights through the Summer, only staying in the lakeside camp one of those. Another was across the main logging road from lakeside camp and about 1/2 mile down a finger of land out into a bog, the location of a reported sighting. There was a cell trail cam there, which I was suspect of--as it seems the BF are too, given the lack of footage. No oddities picked up on the recorder there but did see a buck chased out of the woods, opposite side of the bog by a moose on its tail. Standard M.O. for these nights is a walkabout for a couple of miles down the spurs near camp from dusk til after dark, announcing a presence, as if needed, then back to camp for a sit and listen. No fire, to keep the night vision intact. 

 

Last weekend, camped about 3/4 mile from lake site, at the end of a logging spur in slash and near the 'beauty strip' of another small lake without access other than a bushwhack. Recorder out and picked up 11 knocks of varying intensity over a 2 hr period from about 10:30pm to 12:30am ish. Didn't know about them til home listening to the 8 hrs of recordings. I did hear one distinct knock, following morning about 6:45 am as I was strolling from camp with coffee. Originated from an unlogged, older stand of Hemlock and Birch, I crossed the slash field to investigate, if it was a Sasquatch, it disappeared like one. If all goes as planned I'll head back up this week for an all night vigil posted up by the above 'bushwhack' lake.

 

Bogside camp:

 

Misty morning:

Bushwhacking the stream feeding the lake:

Last weekend's 'Slash camp':

Heard 2 loud snaps back in the treeline, cow and calf strolled out within 5 min and gave me a stare:

Checking the nearby stream for prints, only moose:

I'd upload audio files to Soundcloud to post but the planned obsolescence has afflicted my machine, can no longer update nor access those things, nor even check UPS tracking on a perfectly serviceable unit, thanks Apple! 

 

 

Edited September 18 by Kiwakwe

[norseman]

2 hours ago, NorCalWitness said:

Patty style over the shoulder lookback. I like it. 

If it wasn’t for the Hawaiian shirt some redneck would have shot me for sure!🙈

1 hour ago, Kiwakwe said:

Found a relatively local spot with a sighting report and ongoing 'activity.' It's about 2 hours N of me at the S end of the North Maine Woods, timber co land with little access to campsites outside this one, which is on a small lake. First camp was back in May, had the recorder out, find on returning home, at 1:15am something tried my door handle on the Rover, I was sleeping in it and didn't wake, but the sound is distinct. No one else around, it was a Thursday night and I drove all the logging spurs in the vicinity to scope them out. The following week, Hiflier was at the same spot, he picked up 7 distinct percussive knocks on his recorder. I went back 3 more nights through the Summer, only staying in the lakeside camp one of those. Another was across the main logging road from lakeside camp and about 1/2 mile down a finger of land out into a bog, the location of a reported sighting. There was a cell trail cam there, which I was suspect of--as it seems the BF are too, given the lack of footage. No oddities picked up on the recorder there but did see a buck chased out of the woods, opposite side of the bog by a moose on its tail. Standard M.O. for these nights is a walkabout for a couple of miles down the spurs near camp from dusk til after dark, announcing a presence, as if needed, then back to camp for a sit and listen. No fire, to keep the night vision intact. 

 

Last weekend, camped about 3/4 mile from lake site, at the end of a logging spur in slash and near the 'beauty strip' of another small lake without access other than a bushwhack. Recorder out and picked up 11 knocks of varying intensity over a 2 hr period from about 10:30pm to 12:30am ish. Didn't know about them til home listening to the 8 hrs of recordings. I did hear one distinct knock, following morning about 6:45 am as I was strolling from camp with coffee. Originated from an unlogged, older stand of Hemlock and Birch, I crossed the slash field to investigate, if it was a Sasquatch, it disappeared like one. If all goes as planned I'll head back up this week for an all night vigil posted up by the above 'bushwhack' lake.

 

Bogside camp:

 

Misty morning:

Bushwhacking the stream feeding the lake:

Last weekend's 'Slash camp':

Heard 2 loud snaps back in the treeline, cow and calf strolled out within 5 min and gave me a stare:

Checking the nearby stream for prints, only moose:

I'd upload audio files to Soundcloud to post but the planned obsolescence has afflicted my machine, can no longer update nor access those things, nor even check UPS tracking on a perfectly serviceable unit, thanks Apple! 

 

 

Beautiful country!

[Catmandoo]

I have forgotten the details on the Land Rover. Is it diesel with a parking heater?

[BC witness]

Excellent report and photos, Kiwakwe, thank you. That is a good looking area, love the cow/calf pic.

[Kiwakwe]

16 hours ago, Catmandoo said:

I have forgotten the details on the Land Rover. Is it diesel with a parking heater?

Yes, with an Espar Airtronic

6 hours ago, BC witness said:

Excellent report and photos, Kiwakwe, thank you. That is a good looking area, love the cow/calf pic.

Thanks BC!

 

I only made it to 11:10 with my "all night vigil" last eve. Skipped out of work earlier than usual, ran around getting things together, made the 2 hr drive. Brought the chainsaw to clear a good sized Hemlock and Birch from across the 2 track spur that goes up to the ridge above "Bushwhack Lake," which is where I wanted to be. Finished clearing those out of the way just after dusk. Once up on the ridge, heard 1 distinct, loud knock as I was getting my 'dinner' of cheese and crackers together. Too dark to do a good survey of the ground around camp which was a bit unfortunate-- I had set an oil lantern out about 50' from the Rover on top of a white granite boulder, put there by an excavator by the looks of it, just in front of it was another, still buried in the ground but up about a foot and sloping to the former. I put the recorder on this one. Checking this am I see the buried boulder has 2 white marbles and 2 blue glass beads on it. I gather these were left by the ME BF crew that at times operates in the area and not a gift from the Sasquatch because I left a light on for them. I don't know if that crew comes up here but that makes most sense. Just in front of this set boulder was an old track that could be our quarry, looks good but too old to tell, possibly bear double step, IDK. See pic, next to my size 12 shoe. Also much fresher and right by this same boulder is what appears to be a bear scrape, heavy claw marks in the gravel, dust kicked up on plants, difficult to tell from pics but given the alignment of 'claws,' don't think it's turkey scratch. May have happened last night, will have to check recordings.

 

Booty:

To old to tell Track and only 1:

Bear? scrape:

Bushwhack lake and shoreline:

 

On the way back:

 

Edited September 20 by Kiwakwe

[BC witness]

Nice finds, and nice pics.

[BC witness]

I got out for the day with my daughter and some of the local sasquatch crew today. MagniAesir, Thomas, alohacop and his wife convoyed down to the Canadian end of Ross Lake, where we found the lake level so low that there's no water at all on the Canadian side of the border; you'd have to drag your boat about a km across weeds and logs on the US side to reach the actual lake right now.

We turned back north to an old standby rough campsite that we've used in the past, and spent the afternoon in our camp chairs in the sunshine, shooting the breeze for a few hours before heading home. We saw a fair number of grouse, fishermen on the Skagit, and mushroom pickers, but that was it for excitement. Still, it was my first outing in months, after a couple of medical adventures/hospital stays, so I was delighted to just make it out there!

 

In the first 2 photos, I'm standing on the International Boundary, looking south.

 

 

 

Edited September 22 by BC witness

[cmknight]

Next time you go out, gimme a call. Would love to go exploring with you.

[BC witness]

I'll remember to do that, Chris. This time it was one of the others that arranged the trip, so not my place to add anyone on. I've enjoyed our 1 or 2 past trips, and look forward to another.

[BC witness]

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/100050800213335/videos/pcb.1068255488211115/421255467645827

Here's a couple of short videos by Thomas Steenburg from today's trip.

 

Edited September 22 by BC witness

[Wolfjewel]

22 hours ago, BC witness said:

I got out for the day with my daughter and some of the local sasquatch crew today. MagniAesir, Thomas, alohacop and his wife convoyed down to the Canadian end of Ross Lake, where we found the lake level so low that there's no water at all on the Canadian side of the border; you'd have to drag your boat about a km across weeds and logs on the US side to reach the actual lake right now.

We turned back north to an old standby rough campsite that we've used in the past, and spent the afternoon in our camp chairs in the sunshine, shooting the breeze for a few hours before heading home. We saw a fair number of grouse, fishermen on the Skagit, and mushroom pickers, but that was it for excitement. Still, it was my first outing in months, after a couple of medical adventures/hospital stays, so I was delighted to just make it out there!

 

 

@BCWitness: Best description of the cameraderie and ethos of bigfooting or just getting out in nature with friends. Makes life worth living, whether you find lots of trackways or not. I like that expression “medical adventures” even for hospital stays.  Good attitude; life’s always an adventure.

[norseman]

My son’s steel head today! Clear water river Idaho.

[norseman]

My cousins Chinook.