Bigfoot Society - He Watched It Erase Its Tracks Before Leaving the River

Starting point is 00:00:00 And then when the creature went to move away from the water, it did so very carefully, and then it smoothed the sand to erase its tracks. In the mountains of Northern California, a hunter looked down from a ridge and watched something kneeling beside a river. What caught his attention wasn't simply what he saw. It was what the creature apparently did before it walked away. And I'm Jeremiah Byron, and this is Bigfoot Society. All right, Bigfoot Society.

Starting point is 00:00:27 Welcome back. Today we've got the privilege of talking to author Erica Canaveri today from Humboldt County, California. Welcome to the show. Erica. How are you doing? Thanks, Jeremiah. Good to be here with you. I'm doing well. Awesome. This is good to hear. I've read your book, The Carrying. I saw you post about it on Facebook because the algorithm gives me all the Bigfoot stuff right away, which is great. And I was just really, really, interested in it and I read it. I just want to talk about it for a minute. It's a great book. It is very obvious that you know your subject matter. And I don't want to, I don't want to spoil it, but it's like, so I would say, I'm going to say it is, it's a fiction book, right? It is. It's a fiction book, but it's very grounded. And you know, you know your subject matter, horse riding is prevalent in it. The Marble Mountain wilderness is prevalent in it too. And I believe you've actually spent time over the years as a horse rider in that area, correct?

Starting point is 00:01:40 I have, yes. Yeah. So you definitely know the area. Of course, listeners might recognize that area from the famous video back in the day of the youth group hanging out in the Marble Mountains. And you've got the the figure on top of the mountains and the tall figure kind of walking and all that stuff. I'll try to link that in the show notes because it's old. Maybe some listeners don't know what I'm talking about. Also, it's a very, it's a very cool way to present the Bigfoot topic. I would recommend listeners get the book.

Starting point is 00:02:17 You will, by the time that you have, by the time I have this out, you will have the audiobook version out as well, which is really cool. it's extremely well done i don't want to spoil anything about it uh even even the way it's written it's just take take my uh just get a copy of it it's worth it guys um it's it's very well done so bravo on that i've read a lot of uh things over the years and and that was um that was very uh enjoyable and um you know your stuff so i after after i read it uh i was like Man, I need to talk to Erica even more. We even have this interview set up.

Starting point is 00:02:59 But, you know, how did you get into the Bigfoot topic to begin with, Erica? Well, just growing up in Humboldt County, we are coastal Humboldt here in northern California, surrounded by the Redwood Forest. And it's just the, basically the epicenter of Bigfoot. We have Willow Creek to the east, which is where the Patterson-Gimlin film was taken. and, you know, footprints and all kinds of lore. We have native tribes here whose histories include Bigfoot, and, you know, he's just been here a long, long time.

Starting point is 00:03:38 And so, yeah, he's a local, I'm a local, and that's how I got introduced to the subject. I had several experiences in the woods that piqued my interest as a young person, and I just started reading and learning everything I could. And eventually I really got into a habit of listening to firsthand accounts. And I put a Craigslist ad up looking for locals who had had experiences and were willing to be interviewed. And that really cracked open a lot for me. It was fun.

Starting point is 00:04:12 Oh, my goodness. Did that work? It did work, yeah. I met some really neat people. I'm blown away by that. I never thought of doing that. That's amazing. that worked for you. Wow. It did. Yeah. Okay. Well, I know what I'm going to try to do.

Starting point is 00:04:30 Great. Yeah, we have a lot of wild country up here, you know, a lot of national and state parks. So there's a lot of just wilderness. And we also have a lot of water, big rivers and deep and fast rivers. And so a lot of the Bigfoot sightings and myths come from those sorts of areas. So we're just kind of ripe for it here. Oh, yeah. It is one of the areas. There are certain areas when people reach out from, and you know, whenever I get any Bigfoot report in the email, I'm like very like, oh yeah, let's check it out. Let's check it out.

Starting point is 00:05:16 But there are certain parts where it's like that is like a ding and humble. County is like, okay, it's on. The other would be certain areas in Oregon, of course. But my goodness, so would you be able to share? Would you mind sharing? What were the types of things that you experienced yourself to yourself in the woods? So I have not had a visual sighting, which I think I'm a little glad for because I think that would scare me a lot. But I have heard quite a few unidentifiable sounds. The most recent one was last year. I'm lucky enough to be friends with a few of the people

Starting point is 00:05:57 who travel around Humboldt County and measure the tallest redwoods in the world. And I was out with them on an expedition, and we were off of Metol Road in southern Humboldt, kind of near the Avenue of the Giants. And we were off trail, and this is a remote area that would be rare to see anybody. And we heard basically a stomp and a growl.

Starting point is 00:06:27 And my initial subconscious thought was someone's coming up the trail behind us with a dog. And then I remembered that we weren't anywhere where that would be fathomable. And so I turned around. and my friend who was ahead of me, he turned around, and I looked at him and the look on his face scared me so bad that my blood kind of ran cold. Like you could tell something had really caught both of our attention. And it sort of sounded. We hike a lot with the walking sticks to help

Starting point is 00:07:06 us get over boulders or big trees. And, you know, if you're walking along and you hit the end of your walking stick into a tree root under the ground, it can sometimes make that kind of, um, noise like that. And that's sort of what the stomp sounded like. And then it was accompanied with this weird growl. And this was mid-afternoon, you know, broad daylight. And it was just very strange.

Starting point is 00:07:33 But what corroborated it for me was the look on his face that I've never seen before he was really freaked. So we, uh, you know, huddled up and all got back to the vehicle and got out of there pretty quickly. And my other sighting was longer ago in about 2007 or something like that. And that was up off of Highway 299, which runs between Eureka and Redding, California, near an area called Berry Summit. And we were on private property, just kind of goofing around.

Starting point is 00:08:09 and my friend had a big four-wheel drive truck that we were out mobbing around in in the woods, and we stopped at this pond to kind of play around and fish, and we heard this strange knocking in the trees, and it was four knocks which coordinated with four people, and I didn't have any idea what it was. It was just weird. And then later, when we got back home,

Starting point is 00:08:38 you know, the Internet was. just sort of becoming popular and I got online and started looking up knocking and that's sort of what really spurred me that moment and finding other people that had witnessed and heard knocks and finding out that that was a behavior associated with Bigfoot was sort of my introduction to the whole the whole thing so that started at all. At that point you were probably stumbling upon, was it like forums you were finding this information then? Yes. Okay.

Starting point is 00:09:18 Yeah, that was sort of the format of the internet back then. Right. People writing. Yeah, there were a few, and think of a few Bigfoot forums back then. So, yeah, that definitely checks out. And then how much longer after that did you start, you know, it sounded like you started really digging into, trying to talk to different people in the area or your county that have had Bigfoot experiences and maybe getting that information?

Starting point is 00:09:53 Yeah, one thing that I'll mention about my life that's sort of given me a different perspective than most people is that I spend my life outside. I'm a ferrier, a horseshoer, and so I travel all around the county to private residences and I spend several hours in these folks' home on their property outside with their horses and, you know, they're there attending the animal while I work on it. And so you kind of have a captive audience. And sometimes I'm their captive audience and people tell you stories. And you just get into sort of a rhythm of sharing with these folks and develop a rapport with them over the years. And so really my first interviews started with my clients and just asking them,

Starting point is 00:10:39 hey, have you ever heard anything weird out here? Or a lot of them, of course, were equestrians. And so they spent time in the wilderness as well and packed into the backcountry. And so I heard a lot of really compelling stories. Not a lot of sightings. Sightings are rare, but people finding trees that were knocked over and like stepped into the mud with some. such a deep impression that it just couldn't have been, it took something very heavy, you know, to leave that mark, things like that, and certain smells associated.

Starting point is 00:11:16 Yeah, and a lot of it happened in the Marble Mountains, which is sort of the inspiration behind my book. I did not have any sightings or interactions in the Marble Mountains during my time there, but it's certainly something that's come up again and again in stories that I've been relayed. And ironically, you know, we're talking about the California redwoods and the big feet, a lot of times I hear people talk about how their fur looks like redwood bark. It's that red color, that shagginess.

Starting point is 00:11:48 And I think that that's a real sense of camouflage for them here. They're at home in the redwoods. Oh, that's a detail that comes up a lot in the witness accounts that you're hearing in Humble County. Yes, exactly. Interesting because I don't think I've ever actually, that is so cool. So you are getting these really awesome details because you're focusing on this one geographic area. I love that. Are there any names that keep up or have you noticed that the people that you're talking to,

Starting point is 00:12:20 they refer to the Bigfoot in a certain way, you know, certain geographic areas have almost regional names for the Bigfoot? No, not more specific than the Marble Mountains. I do have a lot of testimony that involves roadside crossings. So the highways are sort of another hot spot, it seems, these dark rural highways that surround me. Gotcha. I would imagine you're talking about like 299 and 96 101 maybe. Yes, and Highway 36 as well, which goes over to Red Bluff. Okay.

Starting point is 00:13:05 Oh, yeah, yeah, further south got it. Yep, down by like Fortuna and Dinsmore. I've gotten things from Dinsmore. Yep. Yes. Okay. Very interesting. So when you're talking to your clients, equestrian clients, does it ever come up where there have been strange,

Starting point is 00:13:28 things done to the horses and the clients are confused? No, that's something I've never heard of, honestly. And maybe to one version of what I might be referring to is like, hey, I'm going out to my horse and their mane is braided in a certain way and I don't braid the horse's mane that way. Does that ever come up? No, I've never heard that. That is really neat, though. Yeah, it can get very interesting.

Starting point is 00:13:58 It's quite the rabbit. Rabbit hole to go down. Very, very interesting. So when you are, you know, talking to all these people, are you writing things down or you're just kind of keeping a record in your head and making connections as you go along? Yes, of course. I'm a writer. So I take notes and I have a binder that I keep it all in. and it's just fascinating.

Starting point is 00:14:28 I think it deserves to be taken down and recorded. And once you start digging into the subject, you realize it just cracks wide open. There's just hundreds of thousands of sightings. I mean, and then once you start listening to them, if you have an open mind, you start hearing the same things over and over again, and you develop a pattern of behavior

Starting point is 00:14:51 that you can piece together for these creatures. And to me, that corroborates them, more than anything, people are experiencing the same things all over the United States and really all over the world. Yep. Yeah, you totally get it. What has been some of the most, is there an eye-opening detail about the Bigfoot that you've come to realize by hearing it over and over again in reports out of Humboldt County? Oh, not specifically out of Humboldt County, but I think that Bigfoot is quite magical, and I think that his magic is what makes him frightening to the American government. And I think that they refuse to acknowledge him because if they did, they would have to expose certain traits of our realm, so to speak, and they don't want people having that knowledge.

Starting point is 00:15:55 And so I think that the Bigfoot conspiracy is because he's sort of a remnant from the magic that we all used to enjoy and know dearly here living on Earth. And they don't want people to have that or know about it. Yeah, yeah, totally. I love it. What are some things, are there things that you've heard then that make you or made you realize that, that Bigfoot has a magical side to it and can you maybe go into detail about what that magical side might entail? Well, people talk about him disappearing right before their eyes. There's theories that he's interdimensional and when you start to study the facts and the way the world works,

Starting point is 00:16:45 we know we're dealing with an electrical vibrational realm here. And obviously, in my opinion, anyway, this creature, this bigfoot, he is perfectly adapted to this environment way more than the human beings are. And I just find that incredibly fascinating. He was meant to live here. He has the camouflage. He can hunt and gather. And, you know, he just kind of makes us look like aliens of our own kind. So I really think that he's the original inhabitant of Earth. And, you know, And he's perfectly suited with this magical place that we live. Fascinating. So have you heard specific accounts then in your area where, let's say, there's been things

Starting point is 00:17:35 like that entail, like maybe seeing one disappear or portal or things that would be more on the paranormal side of the accounts? I certainly have. And it's fun because once you kind of get a reputation as being a safe place, for people to share things, then everyone's knocking at your door and wants to share, and they have a weird story that they've never shared with anyone. And I get those kind of things a lot. And one of the more recent ones I had was a woman in town who I've known for about 10 years,

Starting point is 00:18:09 and she works at a local restaurant, and she contacted me and wanted to share her experience, which happened in a state park very near our capital of Humboldt is Eureka. And not far from there, she saw something. She was with her dog. And she saw this glowing, the word portal that you use is the perfect description. And they saw something walk into it and disappear. And she was just really looking for a safe place to share that information with. And I've never personally seen anything like that.

Starting point is 00:18:48 But I don't limit myself on what I'll. take in any information and add it to my collection, so to speak. And so for me, listening to her account was really fascinating, and I was happy that she shared that with me. That is, that's extremely fascinating. Do you have a account that stands out in your mind as maybe a favorite one that you've heard or something, one that you've learned the most from about, about the big. foot. I do. Yeah, one of our elders locally, he shared a story and he was hunting and he was up in the

Starting point is 00:19:34 mountains sort of north of Denny, California, very, very rural and he came up on a ridge top and he looked down below him at the river and there was a creature knelt down at the edge of the water cupping his hand to the water and bringing it to his mouth. And he watched the creature drink. And then when the creature went to move away from the water, it did so very carefully. And then it smoothed the sand to erase its tracks. And he watched that.

Starting point is 00:20:10 And just recounting that right now gives me the chills. It's just so neat. And I think conveys so much intelligence and so much more about, these creatures than just being some wild animal that i've never heard anything like that that is a game changer um that's some amazing information and it really if you've read your book then a lot of stuff makes sense because you're you're definitely like taking things you're learning from from these uh witness accounts and you kind of worked them right in which is great i mean you did a

Starting point is 00:20:46 great job um thank you uh you did a really good job on So when you say you've spent over a thousand hours researching, would you say most of those thousand hours then have been talking to witnesses? Mostly just listening. Oh, yeah, that's exactly it. And yeah, it's been so fun. And then to take all of that and all my equestrian experience and love and my life experiences and weaving that together into my book has really been a joy.

Starting point is 00:21:17 and I processed a lot of grief writing this book, and I think it's just a lovely, safe place for people to process some deep emotions and learn something new about something that's so curious and fun is Bigfoot and mysterious. It's an interesting conversation to have, because what you just mentioned, you processed a lot of grief writing it, grief is a big part of of the book as well um and so reading through the book and then looking back at the the contents of the book and you're like of course it made made perfect sense probably why this um this individual had happened what happened in the book because and i don't know if you've found this

Starting point is 00:22:16 in your listening to witnesses, but something that will come up over and over is I had this highly traumatic experience happening in my life, and then I felt drawn to go out into the woods, and that's when the encounter happened. And I've just found that come up over and over in the people I've talked to. Is that something you've noticed come up in your conversations as well, that those experience seem to be related or maybe that's not the case. I do, Jeremiah. I think there's a good point there.

Starting point is 00:22:53 And that is the premise of my book. And I have had people share that. And I'm sort of a fan of the saying, you don't find Bigfoot. Bigfoot finds you. And I think that, you know, as we were talking earlier, we live in an electrical realm and frequency is everything. And so these animals, you know, I work with the horse. every day and they can read our frequency from a hundred yards away they know what kind of day

Starting point is 00:23:19 you're having before you even step out of the truck and so I I understand that on such a deep level that the way we're feeling has far reaches and so I really do believe that the Bigfoot could be sensing something about these people that are going into the woods for soulless and for healing and he feels that heaviness that's on them. That's really well put. How much, if you were to look over, I mean, you've talked to so many people, I would imagine how many of those accounts have been people that are actually looking for the Bigfoot verse, a person who's just in the woods trying to experience nature

Starting point is 00:24:09 or something more similar to what we were just talking about? That is such a good question. I've never thought about that before now, but I have to say 100% of the ones I have heard, the first-hand witness testimony, are people that have just been in the woods and had something happen. They weren't out looking for Bigfoot or Sasquatch. Yeah, it really makes you, hopefully it makes listeners, take a few minutes and think about, how what my intention is when I'm going out, maybe I should just be going out for different reasons and not, you know, trying to track down Bigfoot or hunt them down. And yeah, it should also have you think about the people you're going out with and being aware of what their intentions are because that could lead to a totally different experience than maybe you're wanting to have something that you've. something that you mentioned actually hold on there's another thing that you

Starting point is 00:25:17 brought up and I wanted to dig into it because you had also kind of alluded to the government might know something about what's going on which I agree with you 100% I think that is the case but are there things that you've experienced

Starting point is 00:25:36 through accounts or yourself that make you think that the government might know something about what's going on with these Bigfoot? Oh, nothing really on the local accounts. Some of the other information that I've processed that came from the internet itself, there's definitely been really compelling stories told even about Navy bases and things like that. I remember one where some private was told to go out and hunt this chimp,

Starting point is 00:26:10 and he ended up shooting two big feet big foot and they were taken away in a helicopter and he was told that this never happened that's one that comes to mind but i have been watching these fires and i sort of wonder if the fires are meant to sort of squash the population or move them to different ground i'm concerned about that honestly i think a lot of our wild lands are being burned up and it's definitely going to impact the population of Sasquatch in some way. It's quite an interesting theory for sure. I've been looking into how how like animals or Bigfoot could be affected by certain regions burning through these huge fires in the Pacific north. That's in Northern California. And, and you, you, you know, you start to look at, you know, how these large places are burned, but then what are the places next to it that animals could go to like the elk? And then that could be a place where the Bigfoot start to congregate after their home. And I'm thinking of places like just west of Mount Hood recently.

Starting point is 00:27:39 And then, well, are they going to, or sorry, east of Mount Hood? are they going to more west of Mount Hood where already there's there's a lot of things going on. I don't know. Interesting stuff to look into. There was a phrase that kept coming up in your book that I thought was interesting. And I'm not going to be able to say the exact phrase, but I'll try to track it down in my memory. your main character there would be points when she would realize something is going on and then she would go to sleep and instead of fighting something that she would welcome it in and I thought hopefully you get what I'm referring to but I thought that was very very interesting did you have any any thoughts about what that particular what you were trying to get across with that particular phrase, how she kept, and, you know,

Starting point is 00:28:42 some people go out into the woods and something happens, they have a tree knock and they're like, oh, I'm going to freak out and get out of here. But instead, this main character is, you know, she's like, hey, whatever happens happens, I welcome it. And that just seems to be an interesting crossroads in the subject of Bigfoot, I think. Thank you so much for picking that out of the book. I think it's one of the more important themes in the book. and I went through my own profound loss and grief, which spurred me to write this book. And I think that for anyone who's been through that, you kind of get to a point where you just don't have any fight left in you, and you kind of become more attuned to a process of surrendering.

Starting point is 00:29:30 And I've had a lot of questions about that particular incident in the book and what happens to Nora and the decision she makes after the accident, I'll say. And so people who haven't experienced profound loss are like, why didn't she get the heck out of there? And for me, I'm like, well, if you've ever really been in somebody's shoes like that, then you understand why? And for me, I really think that my main character, Nora, was seeking connection, and she had received enough of it to know that the wilderness could provide that for her. And so her commitment to stay just sort of became her choosing to allow that to continue, despite the other issues going on in her life at the time. she was really reaching for that soulless and that sense of connection and she found it.

Starting point is 00:30:32 Oh, absolutely. Is that also based on anything that you've heard in witness accounts in the area over the years? That's a good question. No, I don't think so. Just my own life. Gotcha. Another thing, I would say another theme that comes up in the book is, the subject of gifting, which is really interesting, not to get a lot into it.

Starting point is 00:31:04 But was that something, I mean, obviously, the way it's written, like, you get how things progress. Is that also based on things that would come up in witness accounts? Or was that more out of your own research that you've done on maybe listening to shows and reading things on the internet? Surprisingly, neither. I've never written a novel before. This is my first one, and it was so interesting. I've been a fan of reading, obviously, my whole life, and I've always wondered if the authors put all these little details in the story,

Starting point is 00:31:46 or does the story sort of develop on its own as it's building. And I can say that it's both. And what I experienced was the book, sort of takes on a life and an energy of its own. And so those little details were just, they didn't, I don't even feel like they came from me. They just kind of came through me. And that was just the evolution of the story, which was very organic and sort of seemed to be its own being, almost that I just kind of helped bring through. Yeah. So how did you, how did you know that stuff?

Starting point is 00:32:26 About the gifting. Yeah, it sounds like you kind of just answered it, though. Yeah. I mean, obviously, I've heard reports of people going out and leaving apples or something. And as you know, the gifting that occurs in my book is much different than that. It is. And more tender and personal. So, yeah, I think I'm not really a fan of gifting.

Starting point is 00:32:48 I don't think that's really a great thing to do to go out and try to leave food for a big foot. But in the context of my story, the gifting is. a much different vibe. There's a different feeling and motivation behind it than just leaving food so that you might catch a sight of something. Okay. Were there other parts of the story as well that were, that kind of came across or came about organically and you're kind of like, I don't know really where that came from, but

Starting point is 00:33:23 here it is. Yeah. there's a scene in the end where, oh gosh, I just can't even really say anything about it without giving much away, I feel. Well, we can leave it at that. But yes, there definitely were other parts that evolved on their own. Yeah, the end gets pretty wild. You got to read the book. Okay, so that kind of gives me, I've read it.

Starting point is 00:33:47 So I can kind of be like, oh, I can ask you off air too. But I kind of get what you're referring to because it does get. it very interesting at the end. It's good stuff. It's good stuff. Thank you. Oh, do you, so when I, when I think of individuals that are in the, in the Humble County area that are, you know, reaching out to witnesses, giving witnesses a space to talk, now of course I'm going to talk, I'm going to think about you, Erica, but I'm also always thinking of my friend Eric at the museum in Willow Creek. Do you have, have you ever talked to them at that museum? Do you have any connections to them?

Starting point is 00:34:42 I do. I know Eric. He's read my book. And my book is actually for sale in the China Flat Bigfoot Museum in Willow Creek there, which is a real honor. And, yeah, it's just such a hot spot up there. And it's so fun just spending time in the museum because you never know who's going to come through and have a story.

Starting point is 00:35:00 I mean, it's just right off the highway there. And so travelers come through all the time. They also have quite the collection of artifacts. And then my favorite, of course, because I'm the writer, is their notebooks in the back room that anyone can write their encounters in. And so they're just these beautiful handwritten encounters in like a composition notebook and there's several volumes of them and I love to just hang out in

Starting point is 00:35:30 there and read some of these stories. Yeah, it's really fun. Oh, my goodness, that's, I got to go there. You do. You'll enjoy it. It's neat. And then even cooler for me in the very back, they have a blacksmith shop. So, yeah, that place is special to my heart for sure.

Starting point is 00:35:47 But now that I know that, so there is a history, a kept history of written, encounters and how many how many journals are are in that museum are quite a few of them I think at least two or three that's awesome okay that's really cool I got to check that museum out that would be great he he Eric's a great guy he will send every once in a while he'll send someone my way and I'll get a random email and be like hey Eric had Eric just having me reach out to you I've talked to really some really cool individuals even I want to say maybe even some tribal members from the area that way too have you had any uh it sounds like you've had at least one discussion with with tribal members

Starting point is 00:36:30 uh from the area i know you've got the hoopah tribe and you've got some other uh tribes in the area as well yes and um david pilates did the hoopa project up here um which is right outside of little creek is hoopah california where the indians live and they have um all kinds of lore about Sasquatch. I have talked to several tribal members. It was actually a tribal member of the Urock tribe who told me about seeing the tree, the laid down tree that had been pressed into the mud and how he and his cousin had tried to jump on it and couldn't get it to move. And so something very large and heavy had smashed that into the ground to leave that impression. That was on the Hoopa reservation where they saw that. And yeah, there's also all kinds of

Starting point is 00:37:21 of other lore. So when I put that ad out asking for Bigfoot sightings, I got so many more just random cryptid sightings and including some aquatic ones up in the Klamath River, which really wasn't at all on my radar, but it was really neat to hear. That's interesting. So can you walk me through how it literally was just a Craigless ad? I would imagine. And how did you kind of word that?

Starting point is 00:37:56 I'm really curious. Oh, gosh, it was the simplest thing in the world. I just said, I'm doing Bigfoot research and looking for people in the area who've had sightings. And, you know, I made one good friend out of that connection that I'm still friends with to this day. But it was as simple as some people would just write me a one-liner email saying I saw it with my cousin on the mountain and a short description. or they would launch into enough detail that would warrant a call with me and we could talk about what happened. And it was just such a wide variety of sightings that I got to hear because of that ad. I highly recommend it.

Starting point is 00:38:40 It worked well for me. And then eventually it was flagged after a few weeks, but it worked really well. And yeah, it was successful, I'd say. So they took it down? Yeah, they took it down. Oh, man, it's got too popular. People get threatened really easily. Or maybe someone, yeah, maybe someone got a little like, hey, we got to shut this down.

Starting point is 00:39:01 I never know. You never know. I'm curious about the stuff that you received that was not Bigfoot related since you brought it up. So you mentioned, so there's like water creatures that you were hearing about. Yeah, I can't remember the name of it. There's a mythical creature that lives in the river, kind of like a, I don't know, to describe it, it would be almost like a serpent, I guess, would be the word. And then I also got reports of sort of like a dogman type creature that was like the size of a deer but had a wolf head. And that was really intriguing and creepy.

Starting point is 00:39:48 Okay. Yeah. I'm not a fan of those, but I get them every once in a while. Yeah. So there's something out there. Yeah. When you get, looking, you know, remembering all your reports here, have you found that Bigfoot is always described physically a certain way, or are there outliers where you're like, oh, that's really weird how they described it this time? No, they're all very, very similar.

Starting point is 00:40:23 And I do want to mention one thing that you asking this just reminded me of. And David Pilates' book, The Hoopah Project, I thought it was so fascinating because he interviewed a bunch of folks up in the Hoopah area in the Valley there. And then he had them sign witness affidavits saying that it was the whole truth. and then he did sketches of these creatures. And then at the end, you can look through the witness accounts and the associated sketches, and you can almost pick out individuals in the tribe of Bigfoot of Sasquatch that have been witnessed by multiple people.

Starting point is 00:41:05 Just like there was one with long hair and one with the really certain shaped head and different physical attributes that you could go, that's the same one that that person saw. And I thought that that was just phenomenal and so interesting. I just really thank David for his work with that Hupa project book. That's just so cool. It's a fantastic book.

Starting point is 00:41:27 If people haven't tracked it down, I would recommend that you do. No matter how you feel about David, it is still a fascinating piece of work. And the work you put into documenting all that is incredible. there's been a few interesting outliers I've received over the years I'm wondering if you've ever heard anything that comes close. Do you ever get reports from this area where people will say, hey, it seems like they had almost dreadlocks. Is that anything you've ever gotten? No, I have not. Gotcha.

Starting point is 00:42:06 And then something that, and this is actually. this happened on the Hoopa Reservation. I got this report. Have you ever had anyone describe it like it was a, it looked almost like an orangutan? Yes, I have. It was a roadside crossing, and that's exactly how he described it, an orangutang.

Starting point is 00:42:34 And it jumped out in front of his car and paused in the middle of the road and then went off the other side. And he was another one. that describe the fur like redwood bark okay yeah then that would really line up with an orangutan type type figure for sure

Starting point is 00:42:52 are there any ones you've received where the witness talks about there was some kind of communication going on in some way yes one man I interviewed

Starting point is 00:43:13 he was running heavy equipment up in the in the mountains and he felt like he was surrounded by them and he was pretty freaked. We ended up meeting up in person and going for a little walk and he was telling me about his encounter and I just remember looking over at him at one point and seeing how visceral this memory was for him and that he was physically rattled just recounting it again and the fear. That's another thing when you just hear someone recount something that they, their nervous system goes back into that moment and they really, you can't fake that. I mean, it's, to me, it's very credible. Yeah, he, not so much like a mind speak or any kind of communication like that, but he definitely felt like they were wanting him to leave.

Starting point is 00:44:10 And that was very clear to him. Absolutely. Would you say that most of the reports you're getting from the area lean towards positive interactions or negative reactions or sorry, positive interactions or negative interactions or is it a mixture? It's a mixture. And I think a lot of the times from what I'm told, there isn't really much of an impression. It's just sort of almost like the Bigfoot doesn't even. know it's been seen or it's a roadside crossing and so there isn't much interaction happening. The one story that I recounted about the man who was like viscerally afraid, that's really the only one I've heard that left someone with that kind of a fear. But mostly there's sort of like a sense of awe that gets conveyed and just people feel like they've witnessed something truly magical.

Starting point is 00:45:16 Gotcha. Have there ever been any conversations you've had where it has been not just a, I saw one cross the road for two seconds, but we are having extended interactions year after year on my property, and it's more of a habituation type scenario. I have not, but I wish that would be a really fun one to talk to, yeah. Yeah, those are ones where you have to be, be ready, they get very, very interesting. And it is, it is a privilege to be able to talk to an individual that has those type of interactions.

Starting point is 00:46:00 Because a lot of times they're not necessarily, it just has to happen. And I hope it does happen to you, because I'm sure that there are individuals in the Humboldt County area that are having these year-long interactions. But what will sometimes happen is the connection that they get with the Bigfoot or the Sasquatch is so intense, it's so real that it ends up being a scenario where they are trying to really connect or, sorry, protect whatever is, protect these creatures, protect these individuals and more oftentimes and not other people aren't brought in I mean especially if you're if you're consider yourself a researcher you're not going to be brought into into this scenario it's more

Starting point is 00:46:55 individual that is letting witnesses talk and providing a safe space like you're doing out there in Humboldt County which is amazing how so first off you think thousand hours, how many different people would you estimate that you've talked to over the years? Oh my gosh. Well, between what I've personally been told and what I've read and spent hours listening to online, which has all been firsthand witness testimony, I would say maybe 1,500 people. Yeah, absolutely. How has this affected you personally after, especially, especially, especially, you know, talking to people directly yourself. How has that affected how you view the subject in general?

Starting point is 00:47:51 Well, it's a lot different when you have someone standing in front of you who says they've seen him. And that when that's a person that you've had years of trusted interaction with, it really gives that more weight than just listening to someone on a podcast, talk about something that may or may not be true, but when people that you respect and have prominence in your community can share things that really gives it a lot of weight. And so that's been a real joy for me. And I'm really kind of a kneecap-to-necap kind of person,

Starting point is 00:48:30 and I work with horses, so I read energy really well, and you can just tell when people are genuine and when they're sharing something that's special that happened to them. And I think it's just such a neat thing to be able to bear witness to others and to hold that space. Your main character, Nora, her, she was involved with, was it wilderness therapy? Is that right? That's right. Is that something you've also been involved with or is that just something that you found interesting and it seemed to fit?

Starting point is 00:49:07 the story that you were writing. Yeah, the second. It was just interesting and seemed to fit her and gave her a little bit of weight and credibility about her experience in the wilderness. Fascinating. Sometimes I'm talking really almost about, oh, I am talking about myself. You spend all this time talking to individuals and listening and making connections and having all these questions about what is it's going on. And then you find yourself

Starting point is 00:49:44 actually going out into these areas and trying to figure it out yourself. Is that something where you are doing that yourself or you have drawn a line much like the Bigfoot creature or much like the Bigfoot character in your book has that line as well? I do. I like to get out there, of course and you know I'm always looking for Bigfoot I do a lot of driving and traveling in northern California and so pretty much every time I get in the car to go on a trip I'm like oh this could be the day you know and one of my favorite things to do is to just hop in the car and go and drive around some of the places here that have been frequently areas where there's been sightings especially like you're talking about out near Dinsmore I've heard

Starting point is 00:50:35 heard enough testimony from that region that leads me to believe that that might be one of their crossings for their seasonal migration. And it's usually late fall, like this time, late September, October, where they'll be seen traveling in that area. And so I think that they do make transitions between the low country and the high country with the seasons. And that's a good opportunity, a good timing to be out there. That's very interesting. I have a, first off to the side, if you are not keeping a map for yourself, you can make a private map in Google Maps. This doesn't have to be a public thing. Start making the map. And you will start to find all these. That's just my recommendation. You'll start to be like, oh my goodness, it's all happening around here. That's what I do. But mine's public on bigfoot society podcast.com. Plug for myself.

Starting point is 00:51:35 If, uh, so for example, when I look at Dinsmore, uh, Buck Mountain Road, it talked to an individual where they're up at Buck Mountain Road near Dinsmore, episode 778, and they just had two different individuals howling back and forth from opposite ridge ends for six to eight hours. They're, they're by themselves at this cabin, super remote until people return. It's wild, wild stuff. But do you remember anything specific about things you've been told about the Dinsmore area over the years? There's a lot of food out there. We have a lot of deer, obviously, Buck Mountain, and there's a lot of acorns and things like that, a lot of fish.

Starting point is 00:52:24 So I think that that area is just very rich and sort of mild in climate. And so that might be a big draw. and also Highway 36 runs right through that area. So it sort of lends itself to be a perfect crossroads for sightings. Absolutely. I think 36 has got some. I've never been to Humboldt County. Man, I've only been to Oregon State, really just the Cascades a few times.

Starting point is 00:53:00 North Carolina is on the list. There's so much possibility. down there of things to check out. I really got to get down there. Has this, all this research and listening, does it affect you in the way that you go out into the outdoors? Are you like, I can't really go tent camping anymore because it's kind of weird me out? Or do you still do things like tent camping or things like that? I do. Yeah, I was tent camping earlier this year in July in Humboldt-Rubbid State Park, which is very near to where I had the stomp and the growl.

Starting point is 00:53:38 And I still love it all. You know, I'm definitely never going to stop going out there. And I just feel like, like we talked earlier, what you have in your heart is sort of what comes through. And I do believe that we are seen and witnessed by the forest. And I feel like the way that we approach the forest matters. So if you have goodness in your heart, you're probably going to have a good positive interaction. I agree with you 100%.

Starting point is 00:54:14 I think that is a very, very important way to think it is thought by more people than you would realize. I'll leave it at that. But once you start talking to certain people, that seems to always come out, unless the person is just not a good individual and it's just in it for the money or the fame, unfortunately. Yes, they know that too. They know it too. You're going to get chased out or you're not going to have anything happen.

Starting point is 00:54:44 Yeah. That's all it is. So there you go. But Erica, do you think there might be a second book someday? It kind of is left. I don't know. Do you have any thoughts about that? There could be a second part to Nora's story someday.

Starting point is 00:55:00 Absolutely. Yeah. People have already been asking for the sequel. And so I'm doing brainstorming right now. And I feel like that's definitely going to come to life. So I'm excited to share. And I also have a larger story that I'd like to write that sort of captures what I hinted at earlier with the bit of conspiracy around Bigfoot and the Bigfoot mystery. Oh, awesome.

Starting point is 00:55:23 And so I think that that could be really fun and a lot more expansive than just the short novel that I've written. I would love to read that too. That would be great. I'd say go for it. But Erica, I want to say thank you so much for spending some time on the show, sharing about your novel, The Carrying. And again, I want to make sure listeners know that links are going to be in the show notes. Where's the best place for people to pick up a copy of that, Erica?

Starting point is 00:55:57 The Carrying is available right on Amazon. If you type my name into the search box, that's the easiest way to get it to come up. And it's also on my website, which is www. nessentialadventure.com. And it comes in hardcover paperback. And I'm working on the audio book right now. I'm recording it myself. And then I also have it available on Kindle now. So it's really accessible.

Starting point is 00:56:29 Fantastic. If listeners are wanting to reach out to you directly, maybe about something that has happened in Humboldt County, is there like a way to contact you through the website or? There is. Yeah, that would be the best. Okay, perfect. So just look for the, uh, the usual contact area on websites. And that's how you can reach out to Erica if you have something specific to share. And of course, you can always reach out, uh, to myself, if you would prefer as well. But Erica's awesome because she gets your area because she lives there. And that is sometimes a huge deal for people that are just wanting someone to talk to about what has happened. So I love what you're doing, Erica. Keep it up.

Starting point is 00:57:20 And especially love how you are helping witnesses out there and also documenting. what has been going on. Thank you so much for coming on the show today. Thank you, Jeremiah. Thank you so much for reaching out. It's been a real pleasure to be here and talk about my book. I think my book has the capacity to help a lot of people who are seeking for connection and healing and looking for kind of a tender, uplifting story, especially as we're transitioning into fall and more rainy weather. My book can also make a really great gift. If there's someone in your life who's experienced loss, whether it be the loss of a spouse, like my main character, Nora loses her spouse, but even a close friend or a pet, and in those moments when we're just really

Starting point is 00:58:09 struggling with our grief and you can feel so scary to open up and share. And I feel like sharing my book with someone who's going through a loss can be sort of like throwing a life ring and just saying, I see you, I witness you, and it's doesn't have to be so direct as, you know, having a conversation, but it's just a sweet way to share that you understand the depth of that and that you care. Yeah, I think that that is a, as someone who's read the book, that's a perfect way to put it. I agree with you. 100%.

Starting point is 00:58:45 Definitely keep us up to date with what's going on out there in Humboldt County. Maybe we'll have to chat with you at a later time, Erica, but thank you so much for coming on the show. I would love that. Thank you, Jeremiah. A special thank you to Erica for coming on the show today. If you've had a Bigfoot encounter of your own, I would love to hear from you. You can send me an email with your encounter at Bigfoot Society at gmail.com. I've come out with a free report about the top 10 Bigfoot hotspots.

Starting point is 00:59:17 You can go over to bit.ly forward slash BFS report. I'm Jeremiah Byron. Thanks for listening to Bigfoot Society, and I'll see you in the woods. Thank you.

Bigfoot Society - He Watched It Erase Its Tracks Before Leaving the River

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