1895 Encounter: Sasquatch on Mt. Rainier

In an eariler post,
Sasquatch Inside Mt. Shasta, I mentioned that I remembered reading about an explorer in the 1800s who had an encounter with Bigfoot in Mt. Shasta. I also remember posting about it on my other blog,
The OrangeOrb, but I couldn't find the item.

I found the original article, from the 2001 issue of FATE Magazine. I was wrong; it wasn't Mt. Shasta, it was on Mt. Rainier. The article, by Preston Dennett (UFOs Over California, and UFOs Over Topanga Canyon) entitled Early American Mountain Bigfoot, tells the tale of explorer Major E.S. Ingraham and his meeting of a Sasquatch.

Like Mt. Shasta, Mt. Rainier has its share of odd occurrences. Dennett writes that the first white men to summit the mountain, Stevens and Von Trump (in 1870) were intentionally led in the wrong direction by their Native American mountain guide in order to keep them away from the mountain. Kenneth Arnold's UFOs were seen over Mt. Rainier. There are numerous stories of Bigfoot type creatures seen on the mountain.

Major Ingraham had credentials: well known explorer, founder of the Washington Alpine Club; various parts of Mt. Rainier were named after him. He climbed Mt. Rainier several times during his career. Given his reputation and credibility, it must have been quite a risk for Ingraham to write The Old Man of the Crater, in which he writes about his encounters with a Bigfoot that includes, among other things, mysterious glows and telepathic communications with Sasquatch.

The Major encountered Sasquatch inside a cave in the mountain. This lends support to the theory that Bigfoot (and other cryptids and entities) live underground, using caverns and tunnels as routes to get from one place to another. He describes the creature:

The crown of its head was pointed, with bristled hair pointing in every direction."

Very close to the creature now, Ingrahm imitated the Bigfoots movements, which apparently resulted in telepathic communications between the two:

We were in communication. There, in that icy passage connecting the unknown interior of this earth with the exterior, by means of anew medium, or rather an old medium newly applied, tow intelligent beings of different races were enabled to communicate, imperfect at first of course, with each other.

He continued to have "impressions" from what he called The Old Man of the Crater. The creature tried to have Ingraham follow him, but he resisted; when Sasquatch turned to "descend to the hot interior of the earth," Ingraham turned and went back to his companions, who were sleeping all this time.

Ingraham insisted his encounter was true. Dennett wonders if Ingraham's motivations could have been "fanciful," or that he was "trying to perpetuate some of the Native American legends about evil sprits, or perhaps, as he insists, he really did encounter a Bigfoot creature."

We'll never know, and it could be that Ingraham was being merely "fanciful." But, as Dennett points out, Ingraham's encounter does jibe with other encounters of Bigfoot that contain strange lights, telepathy, meeting the creature on mountains (Mt. Shasta, Mt. Rainier,) and inside caverns.

There's another possibility that Dennett doesn't mention; that of the astral plane. Is it possible these kinds of encounters occur, not in concrete "reality" but within some other dimension, like the astral plane? This makes the experience no less real, not at all. It can be argued many UFO-alien encounters take place in this realm as well. Other Bigfoot witnesses have reported encountering Sasquatch in this way: Jack Kewaunee Lapseritis,
The Psychic Sasquatch and their UFO Connection Stan Johnson, Lisa Shiel, Backyard Bigfoot:The True Story of
Stick Signs, UFOs, and the Sasquatch,Sali Sheppard-Wolford, Valley of the Skookum to name a few. Possibly this is what happened on Mr. Rainier that day in 1895.


Source: Dennett, Preston, FATE Magazine May 2001, Early American Mountain Bigfoot: An Explorer's Account of Sasquatch on Mount Rainier.

Lisa Shiel: The Bigfoot-UFO Connection; An Explanation

Lisa Shiel has some interesting thoughts on the UFO-Bigfoot connection on her blog Bigfoot Quest. This is Part I; check her blog for the arrival of Part II .

Two things I liked about her item: 1), the comparison she makes seems so damn obvious, and yet it's escaped many, including myself. 2) She acknowledges that we don't know; we can only offer our own thoughts based on data.

Footage: Gimlin on 'Mysterious Wolrd'

Remember the telelvision program Mysterious World, with host science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke? Here's a bit of footage from that show with Gimlin talking about his footage of Bigfoot.

Sasquatch Inside Mt. Shasta

Taking I-5 down to California, I had the joy of passing Mt. Shasta; even just viewing it from the car, it was magnificant. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the time to stop; it was just a sightseeing event, seeing Mt. Shasta from the interstate, and at rest stops. But that was pretty cool, even that. A trip to Mt. Shasta is definitely in my future.

I picked up some maps and did some surfing on the internet, and one thing that struck me as interesting are the caverns inside Mt. Shasta. Certainly those caverns are home to Bigfoot and all kinds of entities, as a large body of lore suggests.

There are a lot of stories out there about UFOs, Bigfoot, and other anomalous events on Mt. Shasta; too many to repost here. A Goolge, etc. search will give you lots of links to follow on the subject.

However, here is an interesting account by a psychic on Sasquatch within Mt. Shasta from the Hollow Earth Insider website, here’s a snippet:

In April 1974, psychic Joyce Partise of Southern California held a sealed envelope in her hands. Unknown to her, that envelope contained a photograph of a Sasquatch footprint … [Ms Partise gave her feeling] “These things are coming from outer space – it’s an outer space war! The first area will be Portland, Oregon. There’s a mountain with a hole in it. Someone should investigate this mountain because they’re down in there already. You know those hairy things that run around, the ape-man? He’s not an ape. They’re underground in contact with outer space and their intentions toward mankind is total destruction!” . . .
“This gorilla man … their eyes are extremely light sensitive from being underground. These tunnels I’m seeing is part of their habitation. They’ve dug them. I think it may even go into California…” ~
Big Foot, the Abominable Sandman, Nessie and The People who live Under Mt. Shasta”; Hollow Earth Insider website)

And of course, Oregon resident Stan Johnson (deceased) one of the subjects in my book Two Oregon Tales: Bigfoot and UFOs in Oregon, (not yet released) visisted the inner world of Mt. Shasta with the Sasquatch:

My Star friends came for me last night. I was teleported to Mt. Shasta. I was taken to a big rock. Behind that big rock was a door. There was an arch over the door that was rainbow-colored. The door was an etheric door, opening the way into the inside of the mountain to those of higher consciousness. I believe the star people close that door after they enter, and to our third dimensional iyes, it becomes just another side of a cliff of the mountain.

Above the arch was a large eye. This eye was "looking" at me. It was approximately two feet long and it ws a beautiful blue color. I don't know what that eye was, but it seemed like it was alive. As we passed under it, I fel the eye following me. I wondered if this beautiful, blue eye might be symbolic of the third eye, the one eye of the unified vision of the soul, the seat of the inner vision of the higher consciousness. ~
Sasquatch and the Star People, on the White Wolf Gallery website)

On the Argonaut-Greywolf alienUFOart.com website, is a drawing of a Bigfoot and UFO, as seen by a witness who lived in the area, although the site makes clear the UFO and Bigfoot sighting did not occur at the same time. Scroll down a bit and it’s on the right.

Bigfoot Site: Friends of Sasquatch

Just found this website: Friends of Sasquatch. They're here in Oregon, down south in the Klamath area. Here's a bit from their introduction on their site:

What we’re doing deals with broadening our abilities to contact Sasquatch telepathically. The reason for this is that we live in the center of the Klamath National Forest, an area known for frequent Sasquatch sightings, yet it is hard to get people here to talk about what they’ve seen. Therefore we’ve realized that if we’re going to have a chance of finding Sasquatch in this huge forest, we need a competitive edge.

Developing psychic abilities is a way of making contact, and improving our chances of finding that needle in a haystack known as Sasquatch, in the middle of the Klamath National Forest. So most of our Sasquatch research activities this past year included attempts at perceptive communication, some of which were more successful than others.

A Jeer for Sasquatch Believers

In Jeers: Why do the Sasquatch believers keep on keeping on?

Last week, according to The Associated Press, about 45 members of the Bigfoot Field Research Organization spent two days in the Uintah Mountains of Utah searching for the legendary apelike critter, emphasis on "legendary."

They used sophisticated equipment such as parabolic microphones and night-vision goggles.

Here's a shocker: A Forest Service District Ranger there said he was not aware of any sighting and that campers should be more worried about bears. Nevertheless, there are apparent true believers, including Scott Taylor of Tacoma, who said he saw Bigfoot in 2005 while deer hunting on the Washington coast.

Funny, that despite the occasional "sightings" and despite all the digital and cell-phone cameras everyone seems to carry these days, no one ever gets a bona fide picture or video of Sasquatch.

First saw the link for this item in the Clark County, Washington’s The Columbian by way of Cryptomundo.

As with UFO investigations, you’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t, when it comes to skeptwoos. If BF researchers didn’t use equipment of any kind, they’d be chided for not being “scientific,” or serious, etc. When they do use equipment, they’re mocked. (well, either way, they’re mocked.)

Just the usual knee jerk skeptoid stuff, but I always wonder at the mindset that won’t allow for a witnesses’s experience; in this case, Scott Taylor. Does the reporter think Taylor is lying? Mentally ill? Simply mistaken? It’d be refreshing to see someone take responsibility for what they say; in this case, the reporter’s glib dismissal of the experience is an example. Say why you think it’s worth mocking.

There’s also the flawed reasoning that, since a ranger hasn’t heard any reports of a BF, then there aren’t any BF.

By the way, the Uintah region is well known for its history of UFO sightings, as well as Bigfoot type or “shape shifting” type creatures. Read Hunt for the Skinwalker: Science: Confronts the Unexplained at a Remote Ranch in Utah,
by Colm A. Kelleher and George Knapp, and The Utah UFO Display, by F.B. Salisbury. I believe the latter is out of print but you can find it on amazon.com, ebay, etc. That’s where I found my used copy. There’s also interesting material on Utah’s UFO Ranch.

Bigfoot Friendly Tom Synder Dies

Cryptomundo has an item about broadcast icon Tom Synder, who died yesterday at his home. Why does Cryptomundo have a story on Synder, you may wonder? Turns out Synder was "Bigfoot friendly."

I was a fan of Synder's and of course, many of us remember Dan Ackroyd's classic parody of Synder, with that laugh of his. I watched Snyder all the time in Los Angeles. I had an interesting experience watching Synder with guest Uri Geller; all about a watch and a clock, but that's for another time.

Here's to Tom Synder, a broadcast icon. Rest in peace.

On Cryptomundo: To Kill or Not to Kill?

Cryptomundo blog once again brings up the question of kill or no kill.

Agreed that only a dead body will satisfy science. The issue is, for myself, is one whether "cares" if science gets it or not. For those who have seen Bigfoot, they have proof. For others, it will have to remain a mystery, a question, and that's all right. I haven't seen a Bigfoot myself, so I can't say for a fact it exists. I don't have proof. I am of the opinion it exists, based on the data. If I'm wrong, then I'm wrong. If I'm right -- that being determined by my either seeing a Bigfoot with my own eyes, or, sadly, a dead body - then I'm right. (there is a third option; that of a witness very close to me, who had a Bigfoot encounter. Do you believe that person or not?)

As always, this discussion is interesting.

One Long Thread

It goes without saying that skeptwoos don't "believe" in Bigfoot; that BF doesn't exist. Paranormal or flesh and blood. So why has there been an active thread since July, 2005, about BF on the JREF (James Randi) forum? It boggles the mind. I don't have the patience or desire to get involved, but if you're so inclined, you can join the fray here.

Stick to Basics

Brian Gaugler has an article on UFO Digest: Bigfoot Research Shoiuld Stick to Basics.

Gaugler begins by agreeing with UFO and Fortean writer Nick Redfern that we shouldn't toss out data that seem at odds with our comfort zones. All those “cross over cases” are part of the data. He also says that a paranormal explanation isn’t the answer either; that we can’t give up on the idea that Bigfoot is a flesh and blood creature. And, of course, cryptozoology is a science. No room for orbs, UFOs and telepathy there.

While ultimately I disagree with Gaugler on his views regarding "paranormal" Bigfoot, he does make good points. For example, he writes that:

the number of cases in Bigfoot appears to be nothing more than a flesh and blood species completely outweigh the ones with a more paranormal bent. All of the major Bigfoot cases that are commonly cited in the literature, such as the Albert Ostman case and the Ape Canyon siege, both from 1924, contain no traces of any paranormal elements, but instead portray the Bigfoot as behaving more like regular animals. In addition, many of the paranormal Bigfoot cases don't hold up well to scrutiny, failing to provide any empirical evidence and appearing to be more likely hoaxes or just simple coincidences or misidentifications.

In cases where Bigfoot behaves more “animal” than supernatural, this is a good point. It’s also possible what we know of Bigfoot are two or more different types of creatures. And, or, that Bigfoot shifts between two worlds; flesh and blood, "paranormal."

I do question his assertion that the paranormal cases “don’t hold up to scrutiny” -- really, what paranormal event does? And I wouldn’t go so far as to say that those cases are hoaxes, “simple coincidences or misidentifications.”

There's just too much of that weird data out there concerning Bigfoot to warrant including it in our approach.

Lisa Shiel, of Bigfoot Quest blog and author of Backyard Bigfoot, has a good post on “Top 5 Best and Worst Ways to Hunt for Bigfoot.” As Lisa says, you don’t need a big expedition to look for Bigfoot:

If you want to look for Bigfoot, you need no expedition. You need no Bigfoot researcher to guide you. You need only your brain, your eyes, your ears, and your common sense.

Watching a lot of Bigfoot documentaries, with lots of people making all kinds of noise with all kinds of equipment seems self defeating, to me. Similar to ghost hunting; all those ghost hunters who insist on bringing in tons of equipment. Personally, I don’t think this is the way to go about finding Bigfoot, regardless if you think Bigfoot is more than merely “flesh and blood” or not. Anyway, good advice Lisa!

Atshenash: First Nations Bigfoot Legend

A First Nations account of a Bigfoot legend (Atshenash) by way of Cryptomundo blog and Kathy Strain (Allieance of Independent Bigfoot Researchers.)

The Lake Worth Monster: Frank Brooks for UFO Digest

Frank Brooks for UFO Digest on the Lake Worth monster a bigfoot like, or BHM (Big Hairy Monster) creature seen in Texas in the 1960s. The Lake Worth Monster. Among other things, the creature appeared to be a "white bigfoot" -- always an interesting category.

Shiel on Making Money

Lisa Shiel has an entry on making money from one's research and interest in Bigfoot: Selling Bigfoot,

I have no problem with somebody making money off Bigfoot. For me, problems arise when people turn their Bigfoot organizations into travel agencies, then continue to pass off their vacations as research. Call your fee-charging expedition a vacation and I will have no complaints. Call it a scientific endeavor, and I will have serious questions. Of course, my main issue with the BFRO expeditions stems from my opinion about expeditions in general—i.e. they don't work.

The same goes for making money on anything in the esoteric field; UFOs, etc. For some reason, critics attack writers for "making money" as if that has something to do with credibility.

On Cryptomundo: "Pygmies Belittled: Exhibited at Zoo

Again.
A very sad and disturbing story, that is sadly a true story, which inspires Coleman to ask us about Bigfoot and our relationship to it.
Pygmies Belittled: “Exhibited” At Zoo

This Day in Bigfoot History: "MoMo"

"MoMO" was one of those Out of Place (OOP) Fortean, anomalous creatures that monster lovers love to love. MoMo appeared on this day; a Bigfoot type creature of a paranormal nature. Read more on Cryptomundo.

Lisa Shiel on Synchronicity of Bigfoot and UFOs

Bigfoot researcher and author Lisa Shiel (Backyard Bigfoot) has a good post on the "synchronicity" of Bigfoot and UFO connection.

A Huge Amazon Monster Is Only a Myth. Or Is It?

By LARRY ROHTER
Published: July 8, 2007

RIO BRANCO, Brazil — Perhaps it is nothing more than a legend, as skeptics say. Or maybe it is real, as those who claim to have seen it avow. But the mere mention of the mapinguary, the giant slothlike monster of the Amazon, is enough to send shivers down the spines of almost all who dwell in the world’s largest rain forest.

This beast of lore and encounters is the "mapinguary" - ma-ping-wahr-EE - which means, according to the article, “the roaring animal” or “the fetid beast.”

For the rest of this article, which includes map and a photo, go here.

Tony Healy Interview on Binnall of America

You can listen to host Tim Binnall of Binnall of America interviewing Yowie researcher Tony Healy.

Healy is author of the book
THE YOWIE:
In Search of Australia's Bigfoot, with co-author Paul Cropper, and an introduction by Loren Coleman. Published by Anomalist Books.

Erik Beckjord Writes to Michigan Paper

Paranormal Bigfoot researcher Erik Beckjord writes a letter to the editor of the Michigan Daily Press on Bigfoot:

http://www.dailypress.net/stories/articles.asp?articleID=11858