Mt. Rainier and Lenticular Clouds - Dec. 2008 copyright: JMM

April 3, 2013

Cryptozoology

Cryptozoology is the study of mythical creatures and it fascinates the hell out of me, especially the Big Three:

Bigfoot

Loch Ness Monster (I was crushed to find out this picture had been faked).


And the Yeti.  Bumbles is so CUTE!


But Sasquatch/Bigfoot, that's my main cryptozoological interest.  Northern California and the Pacific Northwest have always been a hotbed of sightings, although all 50 states and Canadian provinces have reported sightings of a big, hairy apeman.

The above still photo of Bigfoot was taken from the famous Patterson/Gimlin film from 1967, shot at Bluff Creek, California.  When I was in 2nd or 3rd grade, I went to the movies with my friend Sheila for her birthday.  Back then, they used to show a film short prior to the main feature.  That was the first time I'd ever heard of Bigfoot, when the Patterson/Gimlin film was shown in the short.  I was fascinated from that point forward.

When we lived in California, the ex and I used to head north to Humboldt County, on 'Bigfoot Expeditions'.  They weren't real searches as we never got out of the car, and kind of hoped one might cross the road.  I know it seems unlikely that an unknown ancient apeman species has gone undetected but after seeing the dense woods, shown here at Berry Summit on the way to Willow Creek, I can believe it.

Plenty of woods in which to hide; plenty of salmon in the rivers...this is the Trinity River on the Hoopa Indian Reservation in Humboldt County.

This is Bluff Creek, although the actual location of the Patterson Gimlin film is quite a few miles away, deep in the woods.  I shot this from the road.

Bluff Creek

Of course the locals have capitalized on the phenomena.  Avenue of the Giants.

Willow Creek.

The local Hoopa, Yurok & Karuk tribes know the creature as the Oh Mah.  I remember asking the proprietor of the cottage we rented if she ever saw one.  She said no, she didn't, but her daughter had one cross the road in front of her, just east of town in the Trinity Alps.  She also told me that people in the area see them all the time, but don't report it for fear of ridicule by the outside world, but mostly to protect the creature from hunters.

Oregon & Washington State have laws on the books about the illegality of harassing or killing a Sasquatch.

This is the place we owned in Neilton, on the Olympic Peninsula.  It came with 7 acres of dense woods that backed up to the Quinault Indian Reservation.  I only spent one night here in the year we owned it, and I admit, I got the heebie jeebies about the possibility of a Sasquatch looking in the windows late at night.

 The truth is out there....

32 comments:

  1. we will never know..may be he exists, may be not...
    nice pictures of those places, I'd like to visit!

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  2. It's beautiful country out west...I miss it a lot.

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  3. You're photos made me smile. I love your sense of adventure. Nessie is my favorite. I love all the Irish folklore attached to her.

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  4. Do the people who live there think there's only one? He must be really old unless there's a whole family.Love your photos.
    Is Anyone There

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  5. Looks so pretty - there are so many places I need to visit

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  6. i believe there is a big foot :)

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  7. I love this stuff. You gave me chills thinking about -- what is out there.

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  8. Anonymous9:21 AM

    Let me know if you find him eh? :)

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  9. We have bunyips and Yowies in Australia and I "kind of hoped one might cross the road" too :)

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  10. Nice one JoJo! I am a huge fan of stuff like this...as you've probably guessed lol. Gorgeous country in those photos. If I were bigfoot I'd want to live there. :)

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  11. Yes, beautiful locales... I love the mountains, but I too would be spooked to live there.

    However, that being said, Bumbles ARE cute (and they bounce)!

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  12. Anonymous1:59 PM

    If they do exist, I hope they stay hidden 'cause 'civilisation' would surely f@!* things up for them

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  13. I used to live in the north woods in Michigan. We didn't have big food but we did have the mythic dog men that appeared every so often. I never saw one :)

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  14. I totally believe in Bigfoot. Not that I'd like to run into one or anything...the truth is definitely out there...

    Tina @ Life is Good
    Co-host, April 2013 A-Z Challenge Blog
    @TinaLifeisGood, #atozchallenge

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  15. Interesting and definitely a mystery!!

    Kathy
    http://gigglingtruckerswife.blogspot.com

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  16. I believe, he is out there too! Great photos.
    Valerie
    Everyday Inspired

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  17. Lovely pictures you took! I like cryptozoology, as well, although I like Nessie the best. And the other lake monsters!

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  18. Bev - Thanks! We have some lake monsters here, supposedly.

    Anne - LOL! No I think there'd have to be a Mrs. Bigfoot and some Little Bigfeet too.

    Baygirl - So many places to visit, so little cash!

    Lynn - I'm glad you do! Some of my friends think I'm nuts.

    Teresa - You want chills, go check out those remote woods....

    Fictiousamo - If I find one and take a good pic, I'll be sure to share it!

    Ida - I've not heard of those; I'll have to google them.

    Tracy - And they don't even have to pay property taxes!

    Maureen - I heart Bumbles!

    Diane - You're right, sadly.

    Kristin - I have heard of that dog man thing.... *shudder*

    Tina - I often wondered how I'd react if I really did see one *putting Depends on shopping list*

    Kathy - maybe you'll see one when you are camping. ;)

    Valerie - Thanks!

    Tama - There are supposedly lake monsters in North America but they don't get as much press as Nessie.

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  19. AWESOME "c" topic!!! I looove cryptozoology. Basis of my current novel.

    Happy A through Z blogging!
    http://pensuasion.blogspot.com/

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  20. Nice to see Bigfoot made your alpha list, JoJo. Did you see 'Harry and the Hendersons?'

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  21. ooo interesting - sadly it has been so long since the Loch Ness monster has been sighted he's almost certainly dead.

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  22. I am fascinated by the legends and the people who follow/believe them. A tv show even!

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  23. I'm open to all possibilities! But I agree with Diane. If they are real...They need to stay hidden for their own protection.

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  24. Love Cryptozoology! Willow Creek also has an awesome Bigfoot Museum, I just love that every business there is Bigfoot something... the one that cracks me up every time is "Bigfoot Podiatry". :)

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  25. Anonymous10:35 PM

    I wasn't familiar with the term, but many of those creatures are like old, fascinating friends! Cool topic for the A to Z!
    Jess Topper/Blogging on the Brink

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  26. Loch Ness always fascinated me too.

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  27. Love the photography, and wow .. a Bigfoot story. Was watching a program on Bigfoot recently, and while the leads and witness stories were highly believable ... nothing materialized out there in the woods. Of course, the season is not over, and now I wonder what the final episode holds.
    Silvia @ Silvia Writes

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  28. How weird! We went on a hike today and the subject of Nessie came up.

    I love your photos as always. Hope all is going your way.
    xo

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  29. I do write scary stories, but I'd be creeped out if ever I encounter those three. Yikes!

    Sonnia J. Kemmer

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  30. I wanna believe! I think. ;-)

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  31. I didn't know we had laws on the books about not harassing Sasquatch--fascinating!

    You might be interested in t-shirts my friend makes--many feature Bigfoot: http://littlebayroot.com/

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  32. OMG I LOVE IT! First I am from WA and have a cabin still on the backside of Rainer in Packwood! GORGEOUS photo. HE exists.. I SWEAR I have seen him. I Love your sense of humor it is great! Will be checking you out again during this challenge!! I love this challenge! #AtoZChallenge

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