Sasquatch Chronicles - SC EP:333 Bob Gimlin Tribute

Episode Date: June 11, 2017

I will be welcoming Bob Gimlin and Russell Acord to the show. This will be a laid back conversation with Bob Gimlin about his life. I will be asking Bob how Roger Patterson would feel about the Sasquatch subject if he was alive today. I'll also see if Bob will talk about his time with Evil Kenevil, and about the different adventures he has experienced throughout his life. We will wrap up the conversation talking with Russell Acord about the International Bigfoot Conference 2017 (September 1-3 in Kennewick, Washington).   Check out the IBC website here  

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I couldn't believe what my eyeballs was showing me. I'll never forget how evil the eyes were. It was horrible. I mean, I've never seen nothing that evil. It ran towards me at a rate that I can't even explain, turned and stared at me, and this look of, I just want to kill you. I want to say it was human, but it wasn't.

He was yelling out, and he grabbed a gun. I was like, for what? He said, just grab a gun. And there's footprints all the way to the door of my house. It had went inside my garage all the way to the door. 911, what are you reporting? Jesus Christ, you better. Sure.

Get somebody out here. What's going on now, sir? That son of a bitch is about. Six foot, nine, I don't know. Do you see him now, sir? Yes, I'm looking right at him. You're listening to Sasquatch Chronicles. Check us out online at Sasquatch Chronicles.com.

If you've had an encounter, email me. My email address is Wes at Sasquatch Chronicles.com. When I'd go by there, if Roger was there, say hello to him, and he'd say, let me put my horse in the truck with you, and we'll go up and I'll ride with you. And I said, well, sure. come on. So, you know, around campfires at night, he played these little cassettes, you know, and he's a recorder is a battery-powered recorder about different testimonials that people

have talked to him about. And then he'd show me a plastered cast and say, you know, this is a, this is a big foot. Roger talked to me about it. And I said, well, Roger, you know, I'm kind of like old Harry Truman. I have to see, I have to see things to believe it. I never even heard the word Sasquatch before, you know. And I hadn't even heard anything about Bigfoot either. I don't remember exactly what day it was that Roger come in my driveway. Big eyes wide open. Bob, he said, we got to go to Northern California.

He said they found three different size of footprints around a piece of equipment that they'd put in there on a Friday. even before the Labor Day weekend. And then they come back on Tuesday to go to work, and these footprints are all around this piece of equipment. Went down there. Well, road, road, road, miles and miles and miles. My intent was to be able to see footprints in the soil. When I went down there, that's what I really wanted to see was footprints, evidence.

Well, it had rained all the way down. and down the west coast. So when we got there, you could see where there was things in the dirt, but they weren't what you'd call identifiable footprints. You could put a product in there and come out with a plaster, good plastered cast. So I was pretty disappointed about the whole trip right from the get-go. So then we just rode, row, row, row. We covered miles and miles and miles every day.

every day and nothing. I just was not that all happy about the whole thing, because start with, it was my truck, my expense, and Roger's brother-in-law was supposed to reimburse me for all of the expense going down there, because I guess he believed in Roger actually more than I did. We were only about three and a half, four miles away from where we camped and we'd come around up to Crick Bed.

to come around this big downfall tree, and that's when the creature was standing by the creek. I just turned the pack horse. It was because he was jerking and pulling on me, and I wanted to have a horse. I was setting on him, because Roger was probably 20 feet in front of me, and he was having a hard time with his horse. And he was getting off and grabbing his camera on the saddlebag, you know. I got to the barrow. I said, well, Roger was having problems with his horse to hold him and control him. And as quick as he got off, then he started to cross the creek.

Well, I was just there sitting on the horse trying to control my horse or was controlling my horse, watching him. When he got up to relocate, then he said to me, Bob, can you cover me? Because he was trying to get closer. He got up and ran at kind of at an angle where the creature was going up to opening there. And he was trying to get a little closer. So that's when I rode across the creek and got off. And so when I went across the creek and got off the horse, I knew if it came back that I could not get a shot at it,

sitting on the horse, and it jumped around. So that's why I got off the horse and just stood there. Well, I thought, God, they really. When I first saw the film two or three days after a couple days afterwards, I didn't think the film was that good. Then when the ridicule started, then I just, I thought, well, I, you know, I know, and I can, I don't like it, but I can handle it.

And so I just kind of brought up a duck, you know, not really. It, it bothered me a lot, bothered me a lot about a lot of this stuff, you know, and it still does. One time I was asked, Bob, would you do it again if you had a, opportunity to go back down there. And I said, no way, I wouldn't even think about going back down there again.

The thing is, there's been so many good people that I've met, after all, ridicule at the conventions that I've gone to, and people that have actually had sightings and had, you know, I had encounters with them

and evidence. Then I'm just, I feel like every time I talk to somebody. It's just a little more of a weight lifted off me. Of all the money that Roger and Al made, you can't buy the friends that I have acquired over this over the years. So I figure that I'm much richer than they are, and it isn't with me. I'm a happy man. I don't have nothing to hide or my conscience is clear. Welcome to the show, everyone. Thanks for being here tonight. That was from episode 90 when I interviewed Bob, and I know I talked about this show on Friday night and

Saturday night, and I thought what I'd do is just do a little tribute to Bob, maybe talk to him about his life. I know we covered the Patterson Gimlin film, and with the 50-year anniversary coming up, Bob will be at the International Bigfoot Conference. It's in Kennewick, Washington, September 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, and more than just Bob. There's a lot of speakers there, and Russell A. Chord puts on a great... conference. If you get a chance, I highly recommend going to that conference. But tonight, what I thought I'd do is just talk to Bob about his life and talk about what he's, you know, beyond the Patterson Gimlin film. Get to know Bob a little bit more for the audience out there. If you've had an encounter,

then you'd like to be on the show. Shoot me an email. My email address is Wes at Sasquatch Chronicles.com. And let's jump into it tonight. I want to welcome Russell Acord and Bob Gimlin to the show. How are you guys? Doing great. Hey, doing real good, Wes. Thank you. Yeah, it's good to hear from you guys. And I know I want to get into the International Bigfoot Conference. And for the audience, they can go to the International Bigfoot Conference.

com, get your tickets. If you go to Sasquatch Chronicles.com, there's a link there for you to purchase your tickets. And I recommend it. It's a great venue. It's a great conference that Russell puts on. Bob will be there. everyone loves to see Bob and I really appreciate you guys coming on

I wanted to ask you Bob a couple questions I wanted to ask you and I've always wondered if you've ever thought about this with regard to Roger Patterson how do you think he would feel if he was alive today to see the interest in your guys's film

because I know there was a lot of heartache and a lot of it was a pain and I know when I had you on the show you went through a lot of heartache with the film and you regretted it. And, you know, I'm sure that if Roger would have lived long enough, he would have gone through that same thing. But you knew the man really well, Bob. How do you think he would have thought today?

What would you think his thoughts would have been today with regard to how people are looking at the film now? Well, think about it frequently about which Roger is still alive. you know if Roger knew the magnitude of what's going on in this modern day he would have he'd had a smile he wouldn't have quit smiling uh roger would have said thank you folks thank you folks thank you folks because he put his heart and soul into that what what hours that i was able to be around roger and I'll tell you what, if he knew the magnitude of today of what's going on with people like Russell putting on conferences and the different ones that put on these conferences and the interest alone that I just get from different people from conferences and by mail alone, Roger would be a very, very happy man and I hope wherever he's at that he is a very happy man. Yeah, I appreciate the answer. I've always wondered that. I always wondered how he would have viewed what was going on today. I know when I had you on the show, you talked about you and Roger sent around the fire and him playing tapes of people talking about their encounters and, you know, with the podcast like Sasquatch Chronicles and some of the others where witnesses come forward and share. You get so much information from it. And I think he would have, I think you're right. I think he would have liked that. But I'm glad you're around. Bob. I'm glad you're able to see it and go through all the heartache and now you're

coming out of that. So I really appreciate it. Bigfoot aside, Bob, you want to tell us some evil-con-eval stories? Well, yes, I'll have to say Bob Knievel because he hadn't become evil-kenebel yet at that particular time. Well, we were racing around down at Kionabal, Benton and Sunnyside. You know, Bob Kniebel worked for Pomeroy down there in a motorcycle shot. And where I met him was at the different races that I used to go to. Most of them were in the spring of the year, you know, before the dust was too bad, right after we ride out in them Sagebrush Hills, cross-country races and so forth.

And so Bob Kenebel came up to me one time, and he said, Bob Gimlin, he said, I'm going to go daredevil racing and doing things. And he said, you're kind of a wild crazy guy like me. And I said, no, I'm not as bad as you. And he said, well, anyway, he said, you and I could make a lot of money. And I said, oh, Bob, I don't think so. Because I said, there's a friend of mine here in Yakima that's kind of an amateur doing that. And I said, I'm loaning him money just to buy his groceries with.

his name was Bob Keith. Anyway, and I said, besides, I got a family, and I just, and you know, Bob Coneville was quite a little bit younger than me. I was already probably 30, in my late 20s and early 30s, and Bob Coneville was probably 25, 26 years old at that time. And he's prime, strong man, you know, really strong. Bob Coneebel was as strong a man for his size that I ever encountered in my life, and I've run into some pretty skilcom guys, you know, over the years. But he was a guy that would take a dare any time and prove that he could do it. And then the next thing I knew, he was Bob, he was evil Coneble, you see,

and that's when he kept on doing the things as evil Coneville. But he picked that name up. He didn't tell me that that's what he was going to. going to pick up because we didn't have but just a short time to visit, you know, between races and stuff. And I wasn't a drinking man and Bob Knievel could, he could drink and race still do good. Well, I knew if I didn't drink anything, I wouldn't be able to race like he races. And so he was, I respected him very highly. And of course, when he became Bob Kene, evil can evil i i i tried to pick up on most of the things he was doing most a lot of the time i

didn't have that opportunity to do so but realized that that man made more money in the first year after he was evil can evil and i made the next five or six years but i never regretted uh ever going with him because he got broke up on motorcycles like i was kind of getting broke up training horses so i respect him very highly for many different things and the challenge is that he did and most of them he beat except of some broken bones and time in the hospital but we just look at that as experience and education a great guy in my opinion he's great and bobby when bobby was a little guy his son bobby caneval uh he was out there riding these little teeny motorcycle type things with the little wheels on and playing around

with the other guys uh the other kids uh like the palmeroy's kids uh he's kids and the ones that their dads were pretty special guys in the race business at that time. But anyway, he was a great guy, and I thought an awful lot of Bob Conevel as evil canable. Yeah, I always wondered what he was like in real life. That's not the right way to say it, but you know what I mean, what he was like in personally. Well, Wes, a lot of, not a lot of people. some people didn't like him because he seemed to be a bit arrogant he was he was confident very very confident and some people think that's being arrogant or uh uh you know and but but he was a guy that

if you challenge him for an arm wrestling contest he'd he'd arm wrestling and beat you and uh you know he was that kind of guy he just didn't back off from nothing and i admired a man like that because I was kind of a small sample of that myself. And so a guy like that to me, if he was arrogant, he earned it and he was worthy of it. So it had things against Bob Knievo as he became evil-kniebel. That's their problem as far as I'm concerned. Yeah, no, I couldn't agree more. I remember watching, I realize it's a Bigfoot show,

but I love talking to Bob and I love talking to you guys, Russ and Bob, and even if it's not Bigfoot related. But, you know, Evil Caneval, I kind of felt sorry for him when I watched the documentary. And this is later in life because he always had to outdo what he just did. And I could imagine being in that position and having this mindset, you're getting closer and closer and closer to death. And you kind of have to outdo what you just did. and so you kind of have to have a chip on your shoulder, I would imagine to even be in a position like that. If you didn't, you probably wouldn't live very long.

Well, West, the way I look at it, most of these guys that are grand champions and anything they do, they have some of that. You know, I could go right down the line and mention names of great athletes, and most of them did have a lot of that in them. And if they didn't have, they wouldn't become what they became. And the same thing with Evil Knievel.

If he hadn't had that, of course, money does a lot of things so, man. And sometimes, but Bob Knievel, he would have done it if he wasn't making big money as far as I believe that very strongly. But I'm sure the money helped a lot. Yeah, I love that story. I've never met anyone that actually knew the man. And I like your take on him, Bob. You know, the whole arrogance thing, I can get past the arrogance.

If a man's earned it, I can look past a lot of things. And arrogance is one of the things. If a man has earned it, I can put up with a guy with a chip on his shoulder, especially if he's, you know, jump in the Grand Canyon. I can put up with a little attitude from a guy. You know what I mean? Well, yeah, it takes a lot of brass balls to do that sort of thing. Oh, absolutely.

You know, and by golly, I'll tell you what. I just admire somebody that says, I'm going to do it and gets it done. Hey, Wes, I do want to throw something out there. As long as I've known Bob and I've heard his stories of the things that he's done on horseback, and I've told him this and you can attest for this, I've always called Bob the cowboy version of Evil Caneval. Because Bob, if you've listened to the stories of his broken bones and history, that sort of thing, he's actually done it all.

But when Bob was just talking just a second ago about, the arrogance and the what it takes that separates somebody who's just good at it to somebody who's absolutely a champion. We had this conversation the other day. Somebody that has that arrogance that will take it there that will just step up and do anything, anytime, any place, and that's Connor McGregor. And that's one of your favorite MMA guys. He's the, he's the MMA version of Evil Caneval. He definitely is. Conner Greger is my favorite UFC fighter just because he is like he is and he can prove what he is when he goes in the you know goes in that circle and and and proves it you see and and every time I see him come in there strutting like that I just

kind of smile I think there comes Connor and he knows what he can get done and he gets it done yeah I don't know if you guys are seen him when he was beat up so bad he looked like you he couldn't even get up and and go and he got up and knocked the guy out and won after He'd been beat, beat, beat by the kid from South America. He's a tough boy. He is really. When I was down in Vegas recently, I won't mention the UFC fighter. He's a pretty well-known.

Russell knows a guy. But I had asked about McGregor, and I'd ask, you know, is he really like that? And, you know, what was interesting is the answer was yes. and no, some of it's put on for the camera, but he does have a swagger about him, and he's very quick-witted, and he's actually a very funny guy. And so, you know, you got to have some of that. I like a little swagger. I like a little chip on someone's shoulder, especially if they have the goods to back it up. And he definitely has the goods to back it up. And you're right, Russell. I mean, going back to Bob, and Bob, I don't know if you want to tell this story. Again, it's not a

Bigfoot story, but you told it at Beachfoot. And when you told the story, I was just like, oh, and I think I almost rebroke your shoulder when I was slapping you on the shoulder. And I hadn't heard the story yet. So that's my easy out on doing that because I hadn't heard the story. But you had got knocked off your, go ahead and tell the story, Bob, when you had to crawl back up to the house and your wife had to, God bless her, she put towels up and gave you soup. And after like three, I think it was like three days, you were like, Like, well, I figured I wasn't dead yet, so I might as well go to the hospital. Would you mind telling that story?

Well, not at all, West. He planned on getting her entered in Syracuse. Her and my 60th and she was, I'd say the average guy. I'm not trying to say that I'm not average. But anyway, the average guy would have probably just said, first time put the saddle on her, said, she's way too bronchie for me. Well, you know, I'm kind of a guy that don't like to admit things like that. So I had just retired from one week from my job of driving truck, and I've been riding young horses all along,

but this guy brought me this big mare, and he said, he said she's a little, she's not hard-headed, but he said, she's a little tough. I said, oh, that's no problem. I think I can handle that. And I always say to pay attention, because over the years of different Bronchi horse, that I rode, things seem like they're going along fairly well. And that was the same case with this, same scenario with this big mare. She seemed like she was doing fairly well.

And so I was riding her in this 60 foot round pen on the backside and the neighbor's side, there was a lot of wild roses growing up there about around with those wild roses. And I don't know if a bird or something flew out there and spooked her. but she lit in to bucking with me and she'd bucked some before with me so i just threw my feet forward like i was riding the bronch right out of the shoots and leaned back and i figured a big gal give me the best shots you've got because you're not going to dump me off and so she shot me straight out over the back uh she was bucking that hard i went out over the back and in midair she kicked me right in the chest with both hind feet and I hit the ground and I couldn't get up right away

and she come back around and run right over instead of jumping over me she walked right over my body and I couldn't get up and walk I was hurting so bad and the blood coming out of my ears, nose and mouth and I started crawling for the house and I had about 200 feet to make it for the house my wife was at work. I finally got to the garage door and it was level with ground level and I could get that door open. Well, then when I try to make it up into the house, I had to take a step up to go into the kitchen.

That door went into the kitchen and then we had one in the back door. I knew I couldn't get to the back door. So I crawled up there and got that door open but kind of laying on it on. But my sternum was busted all the way down, and my neck was at vertebrae's bulk in my neck and my back and my ribs. And I couldn't turn over. I tried to push my elbow. I fell in face first on the kitchen floor. And I tried to turn over to get so I could crawl up to the phone.

The phone was on the countertop there, and I couldn't get turned. over because every time I'd push my elbow into the floor to turn over that it'd separate my stern on there and it just there's so much pain I couldn't stand it and I was bleeding really bad so I just to keep from the blood going down and drowning me and my old blood I just turned my head and let it bleed on the floor blood on the floor and me laying there she about had a heart attack I couldn't talk very loud so she said I'll call an ambulance I'm No, no, no, no, no, I don't want to die right here. So she got me up in a chair and tied towels around me.

Couldn't really sit there down on my chest because my neck was broke. And she'd lift my head up and pour hot broth and soup and tea down me. And it was Martin Luther King on a day on Monday. So she had Monday off. And she said, well, I'm going to, and this happened on Friday. Friday about to a way and take me into

you know how doctors are especially orthopedic doctors in emergency well why didn't you get into your own Friday because I'm much above a whisper

pretty tolerant she's went to an awful lot with me over the years of getting busted on horses and having broken legs and broken arms and whatever you know that you get

from dealing with the type of horses that I've dealt with for the last six 65 years, you know. And so, and I say 65 because I didn't do much of that in my younger years because I spent a lot of time in the service. But anyway, Wes, that's kind of the story on that one. And I hope I didn't leave out any of the really good detail stuff. No, it was kind of a... It's a terrible story. And you should have gone to the hospital, Bob, instead of dying with your cowboy boots on. But I'll tell you, Russell, so we're at Beachfoot.

And Bob's telling this story to Shane and my brother Woody. And he was telling him, hey, after I think it was like a year or two, Bob could hold up a glass of water. And he was kind of showing them, hey, I can actually hold up a glass of water. And like a numb nuts, I walk up and I'm like, hey, Bob, how are you? So, B, how are you? And I'm slapping him on the shoulder. I'm like, you're looking good. You're looking real good, old man.

You're looking great. And I'm just slapping them on the shoulder. and I look over at Woody and Shane and their mouths are dropped open and every time I slap Bob on the every time I slap Bob on the shoulder I see this glass of water is getting lower and lower and lower

and Bob's not saying anything he's not like hey idiot stop slapping me on the shoulder and the little time I'm like good to see you good to see how are you doing the SOB tough SOB how are you and then Bob walked off and Shane and Woody had

told me the story. And my heart sank. I was like, oh, my God. I, you know, I felt so terrible that whole trip. I think I apologized to you a hundred times, but I felt so terrible. You did, Wes. Yeah. But it was good to see you. I figured what pain I got out of that was well worth it. Well, what's funny, I'm listening to this story, and I'm picturing you doing that, and I don't know how many people know the size that you are, Wes, but you're a big stout boy. And I've met you shook your hands and you've slapped me on the shoulder and you don't do it like a little

petite girl. You have a good, solid manly handshake and pat on the back and I can just picture this. I was just hoping you didn't pat me one more time. But I wasn't going to say anything because it's sure good to see you, you know.

Good thing you didn't go up and do the old chest bump thing. Oh my God. I would have fell over backwards and probably died My booge. What did I tell you, though? Is this not the cowboy version of Evil Caneval? Oh, absolutely. Absolutely.

And Bob has so many of those stories. And if people, when they go to the International Bigfoot Conference, and you get a chance to meet Bob, which, Bob's, I mean, I can't say enough good things about Bob. But if you get a chance to meet Bob, Thank you, Wes. Outside of Bigfoot, ask him about, you know, his rodeo days. Ask him about, you know, go outside of Bigfoot. And Bob, your eyes.

light up. You have a true love of horses. You have a true love of the rodeo. You have a true love of, and I love talking to you because your eyes light up and you, and you start talking about horses and you start talking about all these. And you told many stories of that wasn't, that wasn't a one-off situation. I know you've been broken down before, whether it be the rodeo or with horses. And I would have given up the horses. I'd been like, I'll just keep dogs, get rid of these horses after something like that. I would have been done with them. Well, he'd have got bit. Let me just tell you a little story about a really good friend of mine. In fact, we became that day, we became friends and rode together for the next 10, 12 years.

I went to work for an outfit called Derek Pritlinz. And there was a young guy there about 23, 24 years old. He walked up to him and he says, sure a pleasure to meet you Bob he said my dad was in the sheriff's posse with you but he said I never really got a chance to meet you and he said I've heard some really some kind of wild stories about you and I said well like what and he said well the way you ride in the mountains and the way you do things and I said boy I don't do anything any different than what I want to do and he said well you go some really dangerous places I said no I don't go any place it's dangerous I just go where I want to go. And if it appears to be dangerous to somebody else, I said, then that's their take on it.

I don't think it's dangerous or wouldn't go there. I'm not that stupid. So he said, well, could I, he said, you know the mountains really well, the trails really well. And I said, well, I'm up there a lot. And he said, do you mind if I go with you next weekend? And I said, no, I don't mind. I'd like to have you along for company because I said, uh, he said, where are you going? I said, well, I haven't made up of my mind yet. I'm just going to get up there and ride. I want to go, I'm going to go. So we was up on a place called Section 3, and it was pretty steep. It was kind of a trail that the horse people used to ride on.

And I said, I'm going over there to McNeil, the mountain over there. And he said, well, you can't get there from here. I said, what do you mean I can't get there from here? I said, I'm going to get there from here. He said, that's going to be another half days ride all the way around. And I said, oh, no, no, no, no. So I just said, well, I've got, I'm going. And I bailed off the hill with my horse, and his back legs was sliding up underneath his nose going down the side of the mountain there.

And it was, it was pretty steep. He thought it was really steep. And I didn't know whether he was going to come with me or not come with me. So I just went on, and I didn't even look back to see if he was behind me. I got down there and I stopped at the bottom, and then I was going to start on over. and I heard something coming, and it was my friend. And he got down there, and back in those days, you know, whiskey, they had that gal, that real sexy-looking gal and black velvet.

You guys were probably too young to remember black velvet. But anyway, that was the cowboy whiskey back then before Pendleton came out. And Gordy opened his saddle bag and pulled a fifth of black velvet out, and he said, you want a snort of that? And I said, oh, yeah, might as well. So I took a drink and he took a drink And he looked at me and he kind of grin And he said all those stories I heard about you

He's true And I said well I don't know what stories you've heard about me But I said he said Ain't nobody in the right mind Would come off this hill like you came off And I said well I didn't say I was in the right mind I just said I go where I want to go And he said

You know something He said I was scared to death Go off there But he said I see you going off that hill. So he said, I just came behind you. And he said, by golly, I ain't scared of nothing now.

And so he said, I'll ride with you as long as you ever want me to. So he had children that was in the 4-H, him and his wife for 4-H leaders. So we did things with the kids and the 4-H fathers. And we had a Centennial, 1976 Centennial ride that was even more daring than that. Started out with 12 guys, ended up with 10. Some of them just couldn't take the pressure. And anyway, we had a white shirt and tie down in the little hand-dos, and I came off Rattlesnake Peaks right down into the little hand-dos,

and they had to have a white shirt and tie on to have dinner there, and Gordy was a good campaign. We had roasted corn, we had salad, we had everything, because we'd hauled in the saddlebags with dry ice, and I mean in the pack-out piss with dry ice in there, to keep everything cooling up. So the Washington Centennial in 1976, and so we was going to make a special ride out of a Centennial ride,

and we did. And we started out with 12 4-H fathers, and the time we got down in the little hand-dos, they'd either quit or couldn't take the... And when I bailed off the hill, they said, he'll never make it to the bottom alive while I got down to the bottom. And I took a pack horse down,

and I had Gordy's wife's back in my running the horses into trees flown down. I broke one piece of crystal. That was almost a record in itself, you know, as to not break up. But anyway, that's the story on that one. I just wanted to share that with you west because that was one for the records. Yeah, it sounds like it. It sounds like it. What was involved with being part of the sheriff's posse?

What kind of tasks were you assigned? Well, the sheriff posse, I was in search and rescue. one of the things that we did a lot of and we had a state convention every year and you competed in all kinds of events like trailer race, chariot race, of course I was only in the racing part of it and there was pistol shooting you know because I was also a reserve deputy at that time I had a commission from the surer as regular deputies but I didn't want to work like that, I wanted to work on my kind of jobs I was, you know. But anyway, I went to the academy and went to the academy and got a commission like a regular deputy.

So that if they needed us for backup for arrest insurance or anything like that, I was qualified and would be the county of Yakima County would be behind me as far as arrest insurance or anything. like that. Any kind of litigation would happen to come up about it. And we did parking at the fairs and I did pick up money at the booth to take to the office. But we were the only posse in the state of Washington that had the same equipment as a regular deputy. We had handguns that we used, same as a regular deputy. None of the other possees had. regular handguns, loaded handguns, and they were allowed to have that because we were the first posse in the state of Washington that was put together by a sheriff for the name of Burke Guns. And all that was to do is to assist the regular deputies if they needed it or to stand special guard detail for some kind of function that was happening.

Like we had celebrities come here for the fair. Well, then that was our job is to be around the celebrities and protect them. That gives me an opportunity to meet a lot of celebrities and being backstage with some of them at sometimes like John Cash and June and Helen Reddy and Barbara Mandrell and the list goes on and on and on of Ken Curtis and Vess Parker and Whalen Jennings and, you know, whatever celebrities they had come to the fair. So that was our job to protect or be around them so people wouldn't harm. So the sheriff's posse covered a lot of fields.

Like we had a state convention every year and it was held in different cities. And of course, we competed against each other like an Ellensburg at the Ellensburg Rodeo, top of this hill was a water tower. And they had the ceremony of the Indians riding off the hill because the Indians used, to ride off that hill in the early days and meet the white man down in there to do their trading down by the creek elmsburg rodeo posse i was doing a lot of flat racing uh pony express racing paton racing and things anything that had speed and and things like that and i was in the middle of it all the time so they come to me and they said well bob we need a little more excitement

would you mind running off that hill, racing off that hill with the group? And I said, not at all. I said, you know, I ride off steeper places and that every day. So some of the guys said, no, no, that's too steep. They wouldn't ride a horse running wide open off top of hill like that. And I said, well, that's not a problem. So we started that race. The other posse's course, the guys that had had enough nerve to run it went ahead,

and we competed on that race. well, I always did, but the sad part of it is, you know, there was injuries there, and the possibility of injuries, I'll put it that way. So there was one guy wanted to ride that race, and he couldn't ride a horse worth a hoot. And I know he couldn't ride a horse. I knew he couldn't ride a horse off that hill. Well, I had to go home and bail hay on Monday on Labor Day. I put a guy in charge, the lieutenant in charge.

and this guy talked to him into riding that race. Well, I always made sure that I had a cinch my saddle up good and had a breast collar on the horse, and I'd sit down at the bottom and wait until they'd get ready, and sometimes I'd even walk the horse up the hill and back around the cones that they had on top of the hill and back down. And most of the guys would go with me that was going to race against me. Well, this particular guy just sat down there,

They said I wasn't there. And he didn't get off and tighten his sense or anything. And I don't even know why they let him run, but they did. And they had swung a 16-foot-foot-powder river gait around the track where I used to race these horses around the track. And he borrowed a horse that I had been racing around the track. And when he started out with that horse, he started

everybody started up the hill and he tried to guide the horse up the hill and he couldn't get it to go and the saddle slipped sideways and he hit the potter river gate right in his chest and it drove a rib straight through his heart and killed him as something so they called me and told me about it

and I said geez why did you guys let him right that race are you out of your minds and the guy was married and had a family in so then we did a all we could for his family and now and so then they call me and they said well bob there are so many people that just held their breath when he hit that gate and he smacks some hard he said it just brought the rodeo to a dead stop and they said would you suggest that we don't run that race anymore and i said hell no are you guys crazy i said i started that race i said if a man got killed on a bull out

there would you stop bull riding oh no we couldn't do that i said well then you're not going to stop that hill race because I'm going to be running that hill race until I get too damn old to ride. And so I went ahead and run that hill race for about four more years or so, and then it was getting to the point where to be hard to get enough guys,

had enough nerve to ride it. So they slowed down with it, and then I got injured real bad and was out of riding commission for a year. And I don't know which, time it was. It might have been the time that I was telling you about the three days that I sat there. One of them times

anyway that I was in pretty bad shape. So they didn't run it that year because I wasn't there to push the thing going and then they just quit it all together. And now then they don't even do anything like they did back when I was pushing stuff because

I promoted a race from Ellsburg to Sela through the mountains through the Sagebrush Hills, a 25 mile race. and that one man there was another story you know about that that was kind of a wild story

but it worked out good and this was like five different possees come to enter the race and of course there's five guys running at one time and most of the distances were between a mile and two miles to run and that's through the Sagebrush Mountains there

and some of it pretty rough across the creek and around some down and steep bullies and up and things but you know I lived and breathed those challenges back then, and I liked it. And the guys that weren't able to do it, then they just didn't do it. And then I'd always recruit the ones that had enough nerve to ride that kind of stuff. And so for quite a few years, I was really having a good time doing that because I pony express race all the time.

Chariot raced and trailer raced. And one time they brought a llama on the field, spooked the horse that I was trying to get the head stall on. And he took off running around the track, and I wrapped both arms around his neck and hung on him running wide open. And my feet out in the way, and they kept holler and let go. Well, he was running so fast as if I had to let goy to run over the top of me. And I rode him all the way around the track. And to the backside, there's a place called Walla Walla, until he finally tired out with my weight up on top of his. neck and just quit running. So, you know, I just used to do things like that, Wes, and

wasn't that I was trying to prove anything. It was just that that's what I wanted to do. Yeah, I would imagine you would have to have a love for horses and a passion for that because, you know, I think of like the Bluff Creek incident when you guys were, you and Roger rode in, or when you go up in these back hills, you know, you get bucked off a horse or your horse get spooked and you get injured, you're in bed with it at that point. There's really no help that's going to come anytime soon. And so I would imagine you kind of have to trust your horse in those situations. Well, yeah, I've had two big horses up there one time, and the one that I didn't think would jump on me when we would jump across the creek, he jumped on me,

and broke my leg. And so I went down and talked to some people, was in the tent, woke them up, got them out of the tent and they got me a stick to walk with and got them down to where my packs and stuff were and asked them if they could put them on for me and they finally got the packs and stuff on for me and I rode out that seven or eight miles and got down there and I was sitting on my horse and some people drove up man and a woman drove up in a pickup and I said have you folks got any aspirins and they said yeah why and I said well I got a broken leg and the lady said you got a broken leg and I still sitting on the horse and she told her husband you get over there and help him and he come over he wanted to go fishing so he wasn't too much interested in old cowboy with a broken

leg so I had a Ford pickup with an automatic hand and he loaded my horses for him in I got in that pickup and the woman said we're going to follow you to the hospital and I said no just follow me out to the highway the main highway I'll be okay if I can get out there and she said well you must have a lot of pain. I said, well, yes, I have a lot of pain, but I'm not going to just stay up here. I'm going into the hospital. So, you know, I drove into Yakima to the emergency and I went hopping in there with a stick that I had broken for me to get off and on the horse with and told them what was wrong. And I said, you got to move that trailer where them horses ended out there. And I said, well, call my buddy to come and do it because you're going in to have a cast put on your leg.

I said, yeah, okay, yeah, it makes sense to me. So, you know, things like that, Wes, you got to do what you got to do at the time you do it. There, whatever happens to you, you got to do it. You know, you don't sit around and say, hey, or waiting for somebody to come and help me, you know. Yeah. Do they meet you at the hospital? Did they meet you at the hospital and say your usual room, Mr. Gimlin? Because you've been in and out of there so many times.

Well, one time I've been in there with the horse, kicked me in bags down. and I'm below zero, I was the elk camp. The time I got down to the hospital, it was like 45 miles down, riding in the pickup. My head warmed up and I'm bleeding again. So when I went into the hospital, they told me, go in this little room and wait, and the nurse stuck her head around the corner and says, Hi, Bob, what are you doing? Here on, I said, a horse kicked me back.

And I said, how did you know I was here? She said, I followed a blood trail, and I know it's elk season. And she said, they just said, cowboy coming in here with the back of his head kicked off and she said, I knew it had to be you. And so she said, I just come in here and just talk to you. Yeah, that's amazing. You know, you got to really love it to, I would imagine. Yeah, because if he didn't, you know, any other person, I think one injury, they would be done.

But you would imagine you have to have love for the horses. You have to have love for that lifestyle. because if you don't, if you don't have passion for it, you'd quit. Well, absolutely, Wes, you know, and it goes on and on and on. The last time it was two years ago, and Mr. Bob, there's going to be some new rules around this old cowboy camp. She said, you take any more of these people's funky outside horses. You just turn your key in and find you another place to live. I kind of like living here, so I haven't took any outside horses.

for two years. Yeah, that's a good, that's a good woman, man. You got a key, you got to keep her, Bob. You know, she's a good one. She's pretty bossy at times. Well, I've been together with her for 53 years. She's put up with an awful lot of broken bones and stuff. And haul my sorry ass to the hospital.

And, you know, did my chores for me when I couldn't able to carry bills for hay or, you know, or carry buckets of water or whatever. Because, you know, my horse population varied at different times, horses and mules, because I did lots of pack. And I actually packed, did some contracts for the Forest Service and packed mules. And I packed help buddies get into elk camps and stuff packing in. And, you know, I liked it and I did it. And it's just one of those things that a guy does, you know, you don't sit around all day and say, I wish I'd do this and I wish you'd do that. I was injured pretty bad in 72 with a horse rolling down the mountain on me and tore me up pretty bad.

And so I got patched up the best to could with the best orthopedic doctors they had here at the time. And by 1978, I was having trouble with my shoulders and bones and stuff that was busted, but I was using a hand truck haul and freight for a company. and so I asked them for a leave of absence, and I kind of planned on this, and I took a pack mule and a saddle horse and had my father-in-law hauled me down in California right at the Mexican border, and I rode three and a half months coming west, coming back to unpleasant events, met a lot of good people that helped me a lot in the desert in the Mojave Desert, and even up to the mountains, and it was a great summer. I lost a lot of mass off my body from that trip,

but I was down in such poor-looking shape, and my wife and my father-in-law come to pick, and I waved, I sat on a big old rock alongside the road where I knew they were coming in, and they just waved at me and went right on pass, and I waved at them, and they waved at me, and just went right on past. So where I told them I'd meet them was down there about 150 yards

by this little lake. So I walked down there, and I said, looked and they looked at me when I walked up like a deer in the headlights and I said why didn't you guys stop they said we didn't recognize you well I was I was black from going without my shirt and had a big old scar along my belly from the from the mule pulled back and rope burned man my hair was about 12 inches long down over my shoulders and uh and I was I was I was I'd lost 55 pounds or more. They just said, well, you look like a prisoner or a war, just come on a prison camp.

You were so skinny and look so mad. Somebody recognizes me. Maybe they recognize Russ. Well, I think you're going to live forever, Bob. And 53 years of marriage, it's too late to get out now, you know? To talk to you this morning. And by golly, sometime maybe you and I will sit down and visit some more. You know, Wes, I went through so many different things in life experiences, but, you know, I'm old.

So I had a lot of time to do that, you know, and things that Roger Patterson, right. What did she want, Wes? We're sitting in the Bigfoot truck for the International Bigfoot Conference, and this gal pulls up and wanted to talk to Bob and see if you were on the hunt for Bigfoot and had some information, but she said she'll come back later. Well, that's nice. Thank you. Thank you, young lady. Well, you know, and I want to get to the International Bigfoot Conference. Bob, I appreciate you sharing the stories.

You know, I love even non-Bigfoot stories. I love to hear them. And I know you've lived a long, full life. And like I said, I think after all the injuries and everything, you'll probably outlive me. But I want to talk about the International Bigfoot Conference. And, you know, Bob, one thing I've always appreciated of you is after 50 years, of this film. You know, I think I, and you don't have to answer this,

but I think I'd get burnout on talking about it. But you're always gracious to people who come up and talk to you guys, you know, who talk to you, Bob. You're always gracious and you always answer questions, and I'm sure you've answered the questions a million times over and over and over again. But you're very gracious with people. Tell us about the International Bigfoot Conference.

Well, hey, it's a great conference, and anybody that hasn't been there, I'd sure like to see them show up this year or any time this year or next year and the years after that. Because Russell does a great job on that down there, and he's always got some really good speakers, the very cream of the crop, as far as I'm concerned.

And if he could get John down there, John Benderackle, again, I don't know if John's been down there before, but if the missus feels able to, If John isn't able to drive, the missus is able to drive him down there, hey, I'll tell you, if you can hear John speak, but I'll tell you, folks, the place is really a great place to be. Job.

I'm proud to be able to go down there and be part of that. Well, I won't really be part of it, but I'll just come down and do whatever I can. And Wes, I tried to be nice of people or whatever you want to call it. You know, I believe in like to be treated myself. And I've been treated most of the time really fair and well. And there was a few years. I had some bad years, but that's gone. That's way back of me now.

I don't keep on thinking about bad things. I think about all the good people that I meet and visit with and have a chance to talk to as yourself, Wes, and Russell. And the list goes on and on and on. I couldn't even mention that 10th of the names of the wonderful people at conferences. You know, I never made money, much money like that was made by Roger and Al the athlete. But I said, I'm richer by four than either one of them. One's dead and the other isn't.

But by meeting all the wonderful people that I've met over the years at the conferences and had early in life, treat people just exactly like you like to be treated. why it's not an effort to treat people good. It's just, it's easier than being surly and nasty about it. And the Lord put us here to be brothers and sisters on this world, not to be arguing and fighting and disagree. And if there's somebody disagrees with them, I'll say, well, that's your opinion.

I've got a little different one, but that doesn't want to make us go to Fifth City or anything like that or be, not speak to each other. hey, if we got the differences, that's what makes things work. And so that's kind of the way I feel about it, Wes. No, I appreciate that. And Russell, tell us a little bit about the conference. What can people expect when they show up?

Well, the conference is going to be held in Kennewick, Washington over Labor Day weekend. That would be September 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. The venue we have picked out is the Three Rivers Convention Center, and it's right there pretty easy to find. is closer right next to the Toyota Center. So it's a pretty easy place to find. The speaker we have lined up. We have Dr. Jeff Mildrum.

We have Adam Davis. We have Mark Mersell. We've got David Floyd, David Ellis, Derek Randalls from the Olympic project. And the list goes on. We've got a heck of a lineup. But we also have a lot of the locals and people from far out that are bringing, setting up for vendor tables so that you guys have a lot of really cool interesting things to pick through while you're there. But it's a, it's a chance to celebrate a 50-year

anniversary of a film that really set things into motion on Bigfoot research and reality as far as it goes. It is still the most controversial piece of film to date and the largest piece of evidence that we've ever come across, the film that was filmed in 1967 by Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin. And to have Bob come to this conference and be able to meet and greet and shake hands with and that sort of thing, the guests that come there is just a great honor. Bob has not been to a whole lot of conferences this year. He's got a lot of things at home that he's taken care of and just slowing down a bit. for him to agree to come to this thing was just a great gift.

So anybody who has a chance to come and meet Bob, take that opportunity. This is an icon. This is 50 years of standing by it. You know, this guy has really got something to offer. So it's going to be a blast. West, this can be a whole lot of fun. And I know you're going to be there with your poker chips and cards. So I look forward to that.

Yeah, and Woody will be there. Woody's going to come with me. And I'm just looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to seeing you guys. And I know tickets are selling out for the audience. Go to the International Bigfoot Conference. Click on the tickets, get your tickets. And we'll have a blast out there.

Like I said, last year was a blast. I'm sure it's going to be 100 times better this year, just with the speakers and then Bob. And I just can't wait. I've been counting down the days. I know it's September 1st, second and third in Kennewick, Washington. And get your tickets now,

International Bigfootconference.com. And I know you guys are sitting in a hot truck, and I appreciate you guys coming on. Russell and Bob, thank you so much. And Bob, thank you for the stories. And I hope you guys have a great rest of the evening. Thank you, Wes. Thank you, Wes.

And the International Bigfoot Conference down there, Folks, I'm just a tip of the iceberg. Those wonderful speakers that Gloucester Scott lined up there, and I've always got to say something about Dr. Meldron. If any of you that are coming the first time, and I sure hope there's a lot of you coming, if you listen to Dr. Meldrum speak, not just picking out Dr. Meldron, they're all great speakers.

But if you've never heard Dr. Mellon, speak, it's worth making a long trip to just hear him speak. This man is incredible, and the rest of them will be too, but Dr. Meldrum is worth going a long distance just to hear him speak. He's very knowledgeable. He's been in it for a long, long time, and he was one of Dr. Grover Krantz's a few. If you know who I'm talking about, Dr. Grover Krantz over at Pullman, Washington. Dr. Meldrum started out as one of Dr. Krantz's students.

at one time. Thank you very much, Wes. Hope to see you down at the International Bigfoot Conference. Thanks, fellas. Thanks, Wes. And that's it for tonight, everyone. Remember, if you've had an encounter, shoot me an email. My email address is Wes at Sasquatch Chronicles.com. It was kind of fun to talk to Bob outside of Bigfoot. Just talk to him about his life. My little tribute to him. If you get a chance, go to the International Bigfootconference.com. Get your tickets. Bob will be out there. I'll be out there.

Not that that's relevant to anyone. But Russell, all the great speakers, definitely come and hang out with us. Hang out with a bunch of outlaws, renegades, and an old cowboy that's probably going to live forever. Until next time, everyone. Country faster than the coronavirus and wagering week is your antidote. I'm Tom Martin, and I'm a very vet. veteran sports analysts and respected sports handicapper who will help build ESPN's brand. I've been recognized and awarded by Pro Football Weekly and Gaming Today magazine as the honest

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