| Bigfoot
Encounters True Story out of Pitt Lake, British Columbia Canada 1960 |
About mid-August 1960, I was asked by a good friend Barry to go on a two or three day camping trip to Pitt Lake. Barry's dad Vince Sr. had arranged a boat ride into an isolated beach at the mouth of Debeck Creek with his brother Joe who at the time owned and operated several big logging operations in the Pitt Lake region. We did the usual stuff that kids and dads do while camping: roasted wieners, went swimming in the lake, sat around and cooked over the camp fire, went on short hikes up the creek to try fishing, and generally had a bunch of fun. We did, however, do one thing that was a little different that may have played a part in what happened: while back at our hideout Barry and I had a long wolf howling contest on our first night there (until his dad told us to shut up and go to sleep). Although I can't for the life of me remember the sound that woke Barry and I up from a deep sleep under our log, I do recall that it was just beginning to break day. I also remember that we both jumped up out of our sleeping bags and headed for his dad at a real quick pace. Once Barry and I got over to where his dad was sitting with his .303 British army rifle clutched in his hands, we could plainly see he was rattled, shaking like a leaf, and as white as a ghost. Even though we were kids we both knew by looking at his dad's reaction and facial expressions that something was seriously wrong. Thinking back, when you see real fear in a grown person, it's little things like this that you can never forget. I remember that Barry and I were scared stiff after seeing his dad, but we did ask him what was wrong. He replied to us that he kept his loaded rifle aimed at a big black bear "walking continuously on its hind legs" that had been sniffing, pawing and circling around and around the log that Barry and I were sleeping under. Now even at this young age Barry and I were not stupid city slickers. We both came from hunting families and knew that bears don't remain on their hind legs while walking. I clearly remember that we gave each other a look and knew that his dad's story was pure bullshit (excuse my language). In any case, I also remember that as soon as we finished gulping down our breakfast the first thing that Barry and I did was casually wander back over to our log hideout to search the ground for tracks. I do remember finding some big tracks but all they really were was holes in the pea-gravel where something had gone around the big root-ball in circles. It might be of interest that in 2003 I was contacted by a Brad Hay from Abbotsford, BC, who reported seeing a Sasquatch not more than one mile from where we camped at the mouth of Debeck Creek. Also, John Green's report (page 19 Encounters with Bigfoot) of the two prospectors that encountered an estimated 12-15 foot Sasquatch that left 22 to 24 inch tracks was no more than five miles from this location. John Green also received a report from two men who in 1933 witnessed a Sasquatch eating berries about three miles from Debeck Creek. If I was ever going to get serious about finding Sasquatch — and had the time and means to do it — I wholeheartedly believe the place to do it would be up in the Boise Valley country northwest of the head of Pitt Lake. However, I would never consider going into the Boise Valley alone. Why? My own experiences and the following information (and good advice) from page 22 of John Green's book Encounters with Bigfoot: "The mountain country around the head of Pitt Lake is extremely rugged and quite a few people have gone in there and never come out. It is supposed to hold a lost gold lode of fabulous wealth, which is why some of the people have gone there, but whether or not the story of the gold is true the story of the missing people certainly is. I have noted the gradual increase in the total (note: the number missing people is now 22) during my years in the newspaper business. The terrain itself provides plenty of reasons why lone venturers might never be seen again, but there are persistent traditions that the sasquatch have something to do with it." Although John Green did not mention it (or didn't know it at the time of his report) the two prospectors that encountered an estimated 12-15 foot Sasquatch that left 22 to 24 inch tracks, were in the Boise Valley. The Boise has never been logged and has giant cedar and fir trees over 1000 years old. It is also the "only" valley at about the 4000 foot level northwest of Pitt Lake that contains small lakes. How do I know this stuff? When I had my guiding and wilderness adventure going I was deeply involved (and have the newspaper articles, maps and videos to prove it) in getting the Boise Valley set aside as part of a park in the Pinecone/Burke Wilderness Area. I was also "the only" person that supplied water and land transportation into the Boise Valley and upper Pitt River Valley.With permission copyright Ken Kristian, BC Canada Back to Stories? Portions of this website are reprinted and sometimes edited to fit the standards of this website |