My son Josh, two of his friends, and myself took an impromptu trip out to our research area one evening two Summers ago. Our plan was to hang out on a power line and observe any movement across the valley. This spot is in an area where we had some activity previously. We found that if we hung out in this area long enough, the local Squatch would come to us. They usually announced their presence by tossing a rock in our direction, stomping the ground, or knocking a tree over. The latter has happened 2 or 3 times and there was never any wind to explain it off and it always accompanied other suspected activity. This evening started with a scream that we all heard plain as day 3/4 of the way up the other side of this power line and probably a 1/4 mile to the right. That area is nasty and steep and the closest thing I can compare it to is the "Black Timber" in Colorado. I can only walk through it in the early Spring before green up. For the next hour or so there was really nothing going on and twilight was getting close.We were standing facing this same direction and snapping some pics of each other and enjoying each others company when I heard s stick or limb break in the wood line to the right and back of our position. I joked and said there he his guys. We all got a chuckle and kept chit chatting. Then another stick or limb broke. It wasn't the sound of someone or something walking and stepping on a stick but rather an intentional brake if that makes any sense. Again we still didn't process the fact that this could of been a Squatch. Don't ask because I don't know why. We joked again and started laughing kind of louder. Our laughter was short lived because whatever was in the woods wasn't amused and showed it by shaking a tree pretty dang aggressively! I looked at the others and mouthed, "That's a friggin Squatch"! So I did what any self respecting Squatcher would do, I sent one of the younger lads over to investigate...lol
This kid is a funny character. He's the type of kid that is always joking around and always saying and doing funny stuff. He had a small stick he found earlier and a water bottle with him when he started across the power line. It's dark by this time but being out in the open we could see his faint outline as he walked towards the woods. He started out being goofy, and he was making a monkey sound and tapping the empty water bottle as he walked. He kept up his routine till he got to within 15 or so yards from the woods until what sounded like an elephant went crashing through the dense brush. All joking went out the window and quite frankly the shit got real (excuse my French)! He high tailed it back to where the rest of us were standing on the power line and said, "your right that is a friggin Squatch"! So as we pondered what our next move should be, we hear heavy bi pedal foot steps coming back to the edge of the power line where it all started. I really could not believe it. So I did what any self respecting Squatcher would do, I sent the same lad back toward the sound and the wood line...lol
This time it took a little (a lot) of urging to get him to go. He finally agrees and heads towards the woods. He wasn't moving as fast as the first trip and he definitely wasn't making any monkey sounds. Again, he gets to within 15-20 yards from the noise maker and again it takes off like an elephant busting through the woods. But it doesn't run away. It runs about forty yards and stops. By this time I had snuck below and parallel to whatever the heck this thing was. I communicated to our friend to continue into the woods which he did begrudgingly. He advanced about 10-15 yards and this thing would take off for a distance and stop.It was like this thing was playing a game with us! Meanwhile I kept sneaking to cut it off but I think I came too close and it felt what I was trying to do and crashed away. I'm telling you as God as my witness, it was not a deer or bear! If it was a very large person, they would have to be able to see in the dark!
Above is the power line that we were standing on. The wood line that we have had a lot of activity in, and this incident took place in, is just out of view on the right. At the bottom of the hill you are looking at is a small stream that run from right to left and dumps into a larger stream. If you read my introductory post, " A Squatcher Is Born", this larger stream is where the two fellas had their encounter and cast a print. This valley is also where Cliff Barackman and Matt Moneymaker spent several days Squatchin in 2010. If you head down hill from here and wind your way to the right you will find several large rocks. I'm talking as big as small houses. The rocks are under cut on the back side and can be used as shelters by man or beast. Last Spring we found a boat load of small varmint skulls and bones around these rocks. Not saying they are Squatch kills but it looked like a grave yard of bones everywhere. This area during the summer gets overgrown and almost impenetrable and I'm sure the Squatch feel safe hanging out here during the day. They have food, water, and security. I'm not so sure the Squatch that we were playing with wasn't trying to lead us away from this area.
Above is one of the huge rocks where we found all the bones. I find it odd that these two trees just happened to fall in this manner. There are snapped saplings all over this hillside and I documented some of stick formations in an earlier post. This tree formation is just below the above picture. I have a bait site and trail camera set up next to this site right now.
Well I hope I painted somewhat of a picture of what went on that night. I am looking forward to this Summer when they come back to the area. I hope to be able to write some more exciting close encounters. Happy Squatchin....
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