Bigfoot, Jerry, and Patty

— A Klamath River Adventure 

In 1967, Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin filmed what appeared to be a female Sasquatch near Bluff Creek, in the Klamath River watershed. In many ways, the search for Squatch has never been the same.  

This is not the time or place to discuss whether the pictures are genuine or Bigfoot is real. I think the world is better off if Bigfoot exists. I met Bob Gimlin at a conference and won a poster he signed (and a cast of Bigfoot knuckles) at a conference. I’ve enjoyed some films, such as Letters from the Big Man. I’ve been to other important locations and was taken by an elder to see pictographs on Native land that depict the Hairy Man. Friends, those whom I otherwise trust who have encountered Squatch. So I suppose I have some bias.

However, I also have no interest in proving the matter. I do not speculate if Squatch is flesh and blood as we know it, a multi-dimensional being, or something else entirely. Can I prove Squatch any more than I can prove that there is a Trickster? Some people speak of the Phenomenon. Perhaps that is the best approach.

If a reputable observer sees Bigfoot entering a spaceship, as has happened, who am I to argue? At least there is a good story. I neither have to believe it nor disbelieve.

Even if you do not see Bigfoot, the Kath is an important area to explore. The river starts in Oregon and flows through Northern California to the ocean. In 2024, the largest dam removal in history was completed here. It again runs free.  The removal fundamentally transformed the watershed by reconnecting over 400 miles of historical spawning habitat that had been blocked for more than a century. 

The campaign to remove the dams was led by the Yurok, Karuk, Hoopa Valley, and Klamath nations. The dams had displaced the People from the river that had sustained them. The river itself had become toxic as algae spread from behind the dams. Removing them restored a sacred connection, and the Klamath responded with new signs of life. Salmon began returning to places they had not reached in modern times.

Perhaps the dam removal will bring new interest from the hairy ones. Or it could make no difference. In the end, I do not expect anything from Squatch.   It does not end my belief one way or the other.  After all, they have no heroes.

If Bigfoot does not exist, I might still think there are mysteries in the backcountry. Things that are just outside our everyday experience. I would hate to miss something because my eyes are closed to the possibility.

My Log

I have long thought about this cache, and after spending time at Prairie Creek State Park, we thought that if we were ever going to come this way, it was time to do it.

We could not have picked a better day. We camped at Aikens Creek and had the site all to ourselves. We were near a meadow and a beautiful creek. We decided to seek this cache before doing anything else.

The geocache was in great shape, but of course, the container is the least important thing. It seemed like an area that Bigfoot would visit, but what do I know? It is probably better to ask my friend Bud Flout (Bigfoot’s Trail), who has spent much more time with Squatch. I have not encountered Squatch, but the world is better with them around.

At some point, it’s a personal matter. An old friend of mine encountered a lame Squatch when hunting in the Sierras. It was accompanied by a mountain lion. They started tracking it and realized they were being tracked — my friend’s companion decided they should turn around. They weren’t supposed to be in the area, so he was hesitant to report it. He ended up describing it to a ranger who told him they knew about the two. They called it “ClubFoot” and occasionally left food for it. I have no reason to think he was not being honest, even if I have to file the story in its own category.

The same is true of the ancient tales.

A few years ago, a Tule River elder took my wife and me to see the ancient Hairy Man pictographs on tribal lands. Tribal members continue to see Squatch from time to time, so I did not discount what might be found here.

I looked around the site after finding the container and used two sticks to beat it together. I did not get a response, but I know from watching Letters from the Big Man that Squatch could have been watching without us seeing it. It is the master of social distancing. I considered leaving a food offering, but decided against it in case Squatch was elsewhere.

At camp, we listened to the river at night and looked out with night-vision gear. The next morning, we explored further around the area. If I were better able to hike, it would have been fun to track down where the Patterson-Gimlin film was shot. The wilderness has changed over time, and gives Bigfoot plenty of room.

I acknowledge that the Bluff Creek watershed is on ancestral Yurok land. The nation has traditions that include stories of O-mah, the boss of the mountains. There is much to learn here.

05/20/2023