"I knew they were real but not that REAL!" A "Looking for Bigfoot" field trip in 2013.

Since 2013 I have taken elementary-aged children in October to go look for Bigfoot.  It took me 6 months of searching to find the ideal location for the first field trip.  Here in the Denver area we are very lucky to have several national forests, parks and open spaces within an hour but I had to find one such location that shows signs of Bigfoot and also fits the needs of the children.  Like bathrooms, covered eating area, terrain not too steep to navigate, bus parking and only about an hour from the school.  That was a tall order but I was able to locate a wonderful park in Jefferson County.  Let me tell you of our adventure.  I could not have asked for a better experience for the children and staff.

We arrive at the Jefferson County Open Space around 10:00 am.  There were only a couple of cars in the parking lot.  All were fishing at the pond.  Which we walked by but wasn't where we were going to look and focus our attention on.   I had the bus driver park to the side so the bus was facing the river.  I told  the driver, staff and children to open the windows and listen to me whoop and knock down by the river.  Which was in a secluded spot that I had found the month before when I had explored the park.  So I walked down to the river and faced the ravine and heavily forested area.  I did two very loud whoops and knocks.  Then I walked back up to the bus.  I was hoping I was loud enough for them to hear.  When I got to the bus, the staff, children and bus driver were all big eyed and watching me.  As I jumped into the bus I asked them if they heard my whoops.  They all nodded and said yes.  The bus driver said they heard THREE WHOOPS.  I said that I did two.  Then the bus driver asked if she could come with us.  LOL  I told her yes.  It was a good beginning.

We divided the children into 2 groups when we got off the bus.  One group was going with me and the other to do a scavenger hunt because they were not wanting to go looking.  Which was fine with me because I want all the children to enjoy the clean air and the outdoors without being scared or worried about Bigfoot.  We had a few who were uneasy about it so we let them decide which group.  So 9 did the scavenger hunt.  Most came with me.  I then talked about what to look for and that everything they see and hear is not Bigfoot unless you can rule out everything else.  I then taught them how to whoop.  I also told them that they are allowed to talk, whooped, laugh and have fun while out hiking and looking for Bigfoot.  I wanted as much loud happy children sounds all around hoping that the Bigfoot group there would come close enough to watch the children.  We were a loud, noisy group of 19 children, 2 staff, bus driver and myself.  All I could hear was laughter and whoops as we hiked around.  My heart was filled with joy.

I took them up a ravine with a year round stream.  It had a good trail that takes you up to Pike National Forest.  I wanted to show them a tree break and arch that I had found the month before.  As we were walking I spotted a teepee structure that was not there the month before.  It was by another ravine that came down to the one we were in.  I went up and looked at it and took some pictures.  There were 2 tree breaks ringing the teepee structure.  I wouldn't allow the children to climb up to it because it was very steep and had poison ivy all around it.  So they took pictures of it and then we went and looked at the tree break and arch.  We then started walking back down the ravine to go to another section of the park that I wanted to explore with the children.  I stopped at the other ravine by the teepee structures and noticed that there was a very nice pine tree.  So I asked the children if they wanted to do a wood knock with my wood knocker and they said yes.  So I had all 19 do a wood knock.  Then we all faced the ravine and did one whoop together.  We waited exactly one minute...

AND WE GOT A CALL BACK FROM ABOVE US!!!  Then one nine year old girl started to cry and hugged me.  She then said, "I knew they were real but not that real!"  All of us had heard the call.  You should have seen everyone.  All big eyed and excited.  Then we started back down so we can go to the other spot I wanted to see.  When we almost got to the bottom one of the older boys came up to me and asked if Bigfoot whistle.  I looked at him and said yes they do.  This young man has never shown any real interest or knowledge of Bigfoot before.  I asked him where he heard it and he pointed to the left and above us where there was some trees and brush.  So I told him to whistle back and then I did my special whistle I do when out in the field.  He said he did not hear it again when we left the ravine area.  Very interesting.  I have never talked about Bigfoot whistling.

I reminded the children that we are in a park and that other people use it too so any prints they find will most likely be human.  We get about halfway to the spot when one of the older boys raced up to me and said he found a print.  I again reminded him that it probably would be human but I will go look.  He said it was big and in a clothesline pattern.  That caught my attention.  He then pointed out the prints.  Yes, they were bigger than I expected and in a clothesline pattern!  We found about 5 prints.  I showed them how to measure and what a clothesline pattern looked like.  I then pointed out the differences in human versus Bigfoot.  The 2 main differences was how the toes are more straight across and a wide heel.

The prints were older but about 15 inches.  One had clear impression of toes.  We were so excited.  I had walked right by them without seeing them!  But one of my eagle-eyed boys spotted them.  They were to the right of the main trail.  Then I noticed the time and we had to go!  We ran out of time.  So we quickly hiked back to the bus.  The children excitedly told the others about our hike.  The next year we had 42 come and all went with me.  LOL

Another reason I had chosen this location was the knowledge of two sightings within 5-7 miles of this park.  2015 was our last year to go to this location.  We had a lot of fun there but I needed to find another location that was closer and maybe not as many people.  Since 2013 this park has been discovered by other people so it wasn't as secluded as I want for us to go exploring.  So I found another location in my county and much closer to the school.  It has several sightings within 7 miles and a news report about the 1954 Plum Creek Monster.  So cross your fingers and wish us luck that we find some prints next week.  If not that's OK.  It gets us out in mother nature and do some exploring.  So its still a win-win for us.

A secret weapon is having happy noisy children with you while exploring for Bigfoot.  For me that is priceless and heaven on earth. 

SO MY FRIENDS SQUATCH ON!

Who Would have Thought Marbles Would be Fun At Roo's Place?!?

After Labor Day weekend I wasn't able to get out there until the middle of September.   I wasn't sure what to expect.  I had left a gift of food but no marbles.  I forgot to pick up some before going.  LOL  So this trip I had brought some larger sized marbles to share with the group there.  Not too much happened there other than two sets of eye shine watching us while we sat around the campfire.  Roo was the one who was freaking out.  My husband and I now act like its normal for them to approach us and try not to react.  I was excited about them watching us because the eye shine seems to be something they do there more at the end of summer and in October.  The premise for this is what we have had experienced last year and then this year.  So far it seems to be a pattern.  We will see if that will continue next year.

I left some colorful marbles that were bigger than the others I have used in the past.  I would like for you to look carefully at how I put the marbles on the log and in what order.  I will share more later when I share the pictures from this past weekend.

So I went up to Roo's Place for only one night this past weekend.  It was cold and we took our tent heater with us.  Thank goodness because it was very cold.  I had 4 layers of clothing on and it was still cold sitting around the campfire.

Remember I had said we try to not react to stuff while sitting around the campfire at night?  It was really hard for me this weekend because of what I saw.  What I saw is in the top 3 of the best eye shine I have ever seen.  AND I have seen some great eye shine in other locations.  Some were written about in my earlier posts in this blog.  As we sat around the campfire, Roo was watching several spots.  She had at one moment before the eye shine did a little bark and tried to climb onto my husband's lap.  I don't know why I looked into the trees while sitting around the campfire.  It was in the general area of where I saw the dark one earlier this summer.  I saw a light that was not bright.  In fact I saw it move up and then it got brighter.  It kept changing colors from white to red to white to a greenish color and then red.  I saw one and then two.  It looked like it was moving its head and moving around the tree truck.  I called my husband over to see it.  As he was trying to see it, I saw it moved straight down and then disappear.  He never saw it.  I am positive it climbed into a tree to watch us and then moved around when it saw me watch it and then left when my husband got up to look from behind me.  I have no doubt of what I saw.  I have seen this type of eye shine in two other locations.  There was no way it was someone else or it was stars.  Why?  It was cloudy and there was no one there.  Just my husband and I.  Below I have taken a picture of where I saw the eye shine.  It was seen in the middle of the photo and half way up.  No, do not think there is a Bigfoot in the photo because I walked over right after I took some photos looking for prints.  I saw some impressions that could be feet and maybe a couple of knuckle prints but not sure.  So I will leave it at that.

I want you to see what I found when I checked where I had left the marbles in the middle of September.  At first I was disappointed until I looked closer.  The marbles were changed around!

So I changed them and added a twig to see what will happen when I go again.  Check below on how I moved them.  I can't wait to see what I will find next.  Probably what I am not expecting since they seemed to do that.

Between the amazing eye shine and the marbles it was a cool camping trip!!!  What was I expecting?  I have learn not to expect anything.  When it does, boy does it happen!!

I am hoping to get one maybe two more camping trips there.  It all depends on mother nature.  I am keeping my fingers crossed.

SQUATCH ON!  My friends, SQUATCH ON!!

 

Labor Day Weekend 2016 at Roo's Place

You cannot discover new oceans

unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore. 

~Andre Gibe~

My journey of discovery has been quite the journey.  I would have never guessed how it had actually unfolded and still continues to unfold.  The ups, downs, profound, highs, lows, unexplained, mistakes, friends and yes, people using me for their benefit but mostly the journey has been exhilarating and a bit scary at times.  Would I trade any of the experiences?  No, because it is my own and distinct journey.  I have some great friends locally and also from all over due to my journey.  I have been blessed having my husband on this journey with me too.  Not all the time but many times he has been with me.

I have not been at Roo's Place as much as I have wanted this summer.  My work, family, health and commitments have limited me there.  In fact the whole month of August I had not camped there and it had left a huge hole in my life.  I was determined to changed that so I invited my family and my friend Harriett to Roo's Place this past Labor Day Weekend.  I was blessed to have good friends and family to share in the experiences there this past weekend.  I wasn't sure if anything would happen because I haven't been there in a month.  Other than the winter time, I am there every weekend or almost every weekend.  I think my car can drive up there on auto-pilot.  LOL

Harriett followed me to Roo's Place on Friday and we arrived after dark.  My husband and one daughter got there almost the same time.  My other daughter with her husband was coming up much later.  We sat around the camp fire.  Off and on Roo would get anxious and even tried to climb unto my husband's lap or my daughter's.  Harriett went to bed and then my husband went up to the main forest road to wait for our daughter and son-n-law because they had no clue where we were and it was a hard place to find.  So my other daughter and I sat around the camp fire talking and reading.  I saw some eye shine directly across from where I was sitting.  Both of us heard some knocks and movements around us.  Roo keep doing her grumble/growl and was nervous.  Eventually she calmed down and laid by us.  My husband came back and told us he had seen some eye shine and it sounded like it was around the same time I did.  He then got in his car to find our daughter and husband who was lost and needed help finding us.  

Real late my husband with daughter and son-n-law in tow finally arrived.  We talked for a bit and then we all went to our tents to sleep.  Harriett was in her camper van and the rest of us was in 3 tents.  That whole night Roo woke me up with her growling, short barks, grumble/growls and moving around the tent.  The next morning Harriett told me she saw some red eye shine, heard Roo do a short bark and then shake her whole body.  I knew she did the shaking a couple of times since she woke me up when she did.  According to Harriett the eye shine was in the same spot her late husband Dick had seen last Labor Day.  Only with Harriett it was red eye shine.  I am thinking the 3 tents, late arrival, long absence and new people must have made the group there not sure of us.

My husband and the kids went kayaking on Saturday while Harriett and I explored close by and pretty much stayed around the camp site.  We went down to the structure to see if the food gifts were still there.  As we are walking down I was showing her where we usually find the marbles and where my husband had found the orange one the last time there.  As I was pointing it out I saw a blue marble!  I had left one on the log in front of the structure but that was a couple of months ago and it should have still been there.  There was no way it could have naturally made its way there.  We were up hill and many feet away.

It looked like it was pushed into the ground.

I took the marble and left them a feather and pretty cone that was different than the ones around that spot.  I pushed the feather's end into the ground so it wouldn't blow away.

Saturday night Roo wasn't as anxious and I was able to sleep.  Before going to sleep we were hearing knocks off and on all around us.  Then when we woke up on Sunday, my daughter told me she heard a couple of howls to the east of our camp site!  She had never heard or have any interest in Bigfoot before so she had no inkling of what howls were.  I would like to point out she does know the sounds of coyotes and other animals and she said it was not that or even hooting of an owl.

Sunday night we had a late dinner and this night as soon as it got dark Roo was anxious and watching all around us.  I did hear some knocks.  We had cooked some ribs on the camp fire and then sat down under our sunshade to eat.  Away from the camp fire.  Harriett and I continued to sit around the table talking while my daughter and husband went and sat by the camp fire.  While we were talking I heard and felt at the same time a sharp ping like a small rock hit my chair.  It seemed like it came from the trees to my right and forward a little.  I said, "did you hear that?"  To Harriett and she said yes she did and it sounded like a small rock.  My daughter then said she saw it come out of the trees in a line drive and then heard it hit my chair.  She said it was the size of a quarter.  She then said she heard several knocks just before it happened.  I checked the ground but found only pine cones and a small hard wood chip but no rock.  It was dark and we would have to check the next morning.  It could have been a hard small pine cone but my gut and the way it sounded when it hit and how it felt made me think a small rock!

The next morning my daughter found a small quarter-sized rock by where I had sat.

Harriett and I went down to the gifting structure to see if any of the gifts of food was eaten.  None was but I figured they wouldn't.  They seemed to eat when we leave.

We walked by where the blue marble was found and where I had left the feather but it was gone!  Plus we found an impression right by it.  They had moved the pretty cone and left another impression with toes by that!

The hard part was leaving to come home.  I am not sure what will happen next but if it does then it does.  I have decided not to expect anything there.  The marbles and prints are cool but having had 2 rocks thrown at me this year there is a bit unnerving.  Exhilarating but unnerving.  Not sure what to think.  So I hope you enjoyed my weekend like I did.  I am trying to make plans to go this weekend.  If not then the next.  I am going to try to find some unusual marbles and see what happens.

So until next time I wish you and yours a wonderful day and a bight tomorrow.

SQUATCH ON!   MY FRIENDS, SQUATCH ON!!

 

An In-between Trip in June

I am not sure if you are aware that I have several spots I go to investigate.  In my books you can't have too many.  LOL  I need to keep my eyes shut while driving or going with fellow investigators.  This one location happens to be one of my favorite spots.  It is called Central Colorado.  This is not one of my own locations but a friend's who has been going there for over 6 years.  He is gracious to share this place with me.  Which I am grateful.  It is where I camped for the first time while investigating.  This location is where I saw a brown 7 foot female Bigfoot a couple of years ago.  Oh!  The stories from this place!!!  I will try to share some more when I am unable to go to Roo's Place.  This place never lets me down.  A so-so camping trip there probably would be one many would die for.  I went there in-between 2 of my Roo's Place camping trips in June.  This place where I will not bring Roo.  Dogs have been killed there.  So I will not risk Roo or make the group there upset with me for taking her.  So I left her home with family.

We arrived there on Friday.  Set up camp and made our presence known to the group.  I told the guys I will sleep in the hot seat.  Usually if things are going to happen then that is the spot.  I will mention that I did put my cot about 1 1/2 feet from the wall of the tent.  What makes this tent interesting is that it is one of those outfitter's tent that does not have a floor and we do not tie down the bottom edges of the tent.  We do that on purpose.  This trip was the perfect example of why we do this.  I will go on record and state that I did sleep in the same spot on Saturday night, (I did place my camp chair between me and the wall of the tent though).   LOL  Also I would like to point out that in the past I was known for sleeping in the middle of tents for a reason.  Since being touched on the shoulder 2 years ago and this weekend kind of makes this mute and pointless for me.  If it happens, it happens.  My heart may need to pulled back into my chest again but I have moved on about worrying about being touched at night while sleeping. 

I had a hard time sleeping Friday night.  Stuff was being tossed at the sides of the tent.  Which is common to happen here at Central Colorado.  Not on the top of the tent but the sides by our heads.  I had finally fallen asleep with my back to the side of the tent.  Evidently I was talking in my sleep.  One of the guys said I had been talking a little bit before anything started to happen to me.  I don't remember that part except there was 3 Bigfoots in my dream.  Later when I was in that state where you are awake but you feel like its in a dream is when it happened.  I was laying there and I felt something touch the top of my head.  I had just the top of my head sticking out of my sleeping bag.  Then I felt 2 fingers move on my head and then pulled my hair!  I did a startled yelp and sat up.  I touched my head and found the strand of hair that was pulled out of my braid.  I told the guys that something touched my head and pulled my hair.  Then I showed them.  I did ask if I screamed but they said no.  It was a yelp and maybe a little high pitched.  LOL  Once I calmed down I laid back down.  We were all going back to sleep when something touched my back which was facing the tent!  I jumped up and told my husband to change places.  He did not want to.  So I just laid in my cot until it was light out and then fell back to sleep.

Whoever or whatever did this had to have long arms to reach me.  I was 1 1/2 feet away from the side of the tent the first time and then over 2 feet away the second time.  None of the guys were touched.  Only me.  I will admit that while this was happening I would not have minded if it was them and not me.  LOL

So my journey continues with many exciting and unexpected things.  Some maybe not what I would have preferred though.  Hopefully I will be camping at Roo's Place next weekend.  If not then I will share another story.  Maybe the first time camping at Central Colorado.  Hmmm...

SQUATCH ON my friends...

The 4th at Roo's Place

Collect

MOMENTS

Not Things

As I sit here thinking of my 4th of July weekend at Roo's Place, all I can think of is how my journey has blessed me with some good friends.  One such friend is Harriett McFeely.  She and her husband Dick had visited us at Roo's Place last Labor Day weekend.  My, how things have changed in such a short time.  Her husband Dick who saw eye shine for the first time there has recently passed away.  It was good to see her and share my time with her.  Let me tell you how we met.  LOL  It is always amazing how friends first meet:

I had gone to a Bigfoot Conference in 2014 in Honobia, Oklahoma.  Two of my fellow Sasquatch Investigators were speaking there and I had wanted to go and be there for it.  While there this older lady had approached me and introduced herself.  I then had talked to her for a few minutes.  I thought what a nice lady.  She then came up to me another time and wanted to ask me a question.  I told her "sure".  Harriett then asked if she could hire me to take her out Bigfooting.  I was very surprised.  I was not expecting that.  I told her "no" but I would love to take her out some time in Colorado.  I explained to her that this was a labor of love I was doing and I won't take her money.  So I invited her to a woman's campout in later on in the year I was hosting in Colorado for a few friends.  She was so excited and drove all by herself to Colorado to the campout.  That was how our friendship had started.  I now have a wonderful friend who is brave, curious and intelligent.

I had talked to Harriett and invited her out to Roo's Place for the 4th of July weekend.  She came and stayed with us for the weekend there.  It was a great time.

I have stated in my earlier posts how we don't have things going on every time we go.  This weekend was one of those.  I did have something walk up to the tent right by my head and stand there.  Also we had small pebbles and cones thrown at the tent all night long on Friday night.  Other than that not much else.

We had rain the whole weekend.  Only on Monday, July 4th did we have clear skies.  So it was a very wet and cool weekend.  I think everyone including our forest friends stayed out of the rain.  It was a weekend of friendship and enjoying nature while trying to keep dry.

I was able to take Harriett out on Saturday morning before it started to rain again to show her how to tell the difference between naturally made tree structures and purposely made tree structures.  That to me is very important because if you don't know the difference then everything is Bigfoot related.  Which in fact it is the opposite.  It is a naturally made tree structure until you cannot figure out how it was done AND maybe it can be Bigfoot related.  That is a big difference.

So my friends I am sorry there is not much in regards to our forest friends in this post but I will have times where there is not much.  I would like to dedicate 2016 year to Dick McFeely here at Roo's Place.  Before he had passed away he was so excited about seeing eye shine here at Roo's Place.  He had shared this "Aha" moment with all until he died.  

"Think of all the beauty still left around you

and be happy"  ~Anne Frank~

So my friends until we meet again...

SQUATCH ON!   

What a Great Way to End June at Roo's Place

Back in the beginning of 2011, I had no idea that I would take a journey of discovery about Bigfoot.  It has opened my eyes to our world we call earth.  Which is still filled with many mysteries and wonders just waiting for us to discover.  My one regret was not doing this sooner but maybe I wasn't ready until now.  Even now I still marvel at how my journey continues to change and expand.  A year ago I would not have thought I would be writing about this spot called Roo's Place.  I truly believe certain things happen for a reason.

One major aspect I have learn in this endeavor was to not expect anything.  Just go out there and enjoy yourself.  The second thing is to be patient and low key.  This species as a whole I would consider shy and elusive.  I truly believe they have adapted to stay away from us.  Is it a total success?  No.  The reports and stories we have that has been shared for hundreds of years tell us they are not quite perfect in this endeavor.  Why couldn't they be?  I think because they are primates.  Primates are curious, inventive, and very adaptive.  So why should we be surprised they have been able to hide in plain sight here in North America?  In Colorado?

I wanted to go back to Roo's Place ASAP after the last weekend we had there.  I had to wait until this weekend to go back.  I went to another location last week with some close friends so this weekend was first time back.  I was able to get off of work early and go up on Friday.  The weather this whole weekend was unpredictable and we had a lot of storms roll through.  When I got there I had to wait for the weather to clear to put the tent up.  I brought extra tarps and our sunshade just in case.  I am glad I did.  Once it cleared up I started to put the tent up.  After I had made my whistle call that I usually use, Roo ran back to the car.  I then let her relax in the car while I put the tent up.  I think she has learned that the whistle means they are coming.  So I rather have her feel secure while I am busy setting up the camping equipment then to have her all anxious following me around.  I did hear a knock to my left, then one in front of me, then one to my right.  Then one from the left again.  It seemed to me they were knocking and answering each other.  At this point I suspect there were 3 close by.  I continued to put the camp together.  Once I did I let Roo out and she looked around and kept close to me.  It started to storm again so I went and sat in my car to wait it out.  Then my husband arrived and we had a campfire.  Nothing really happened other than Roo watching certain spots and then do her talk.  She wasn't upset but more watchful.

The next morning, we decided to explore the ridge back behind the camp.  I suspect they come up through there to watch us.  Roo seems to watch that area the most.  Plus that is where I have found most of the prints.  We found a cool X at the top of the ridge almost exactly straight behind our camp spot.

We found some more structures but had to get back before the weather hit.  We made it back in time.  We sat in our tent and watched the weather.  With the sunshade shielding the front of the tent we were able to watch the storm.  A little while after the storm ended while sitting in the tent and looking out, I saw a very dark upright shape watching us.  I asked my husband if he had his binoculars in the tent because mine was in the car in my backpack.  He said yes.  I told him to get it out but I was going to keep my eye on the shape.  While he was getting it out I glanced to my cot and then looked back.  It was gone!  I looked through the binoculars but all I saw was the tree it was standing in front of.  My husband said I should have showed him the dark shape first so he could have had his first sighting!  I told him I was sorry that I didn't think of that.  I then showed him where it was standing.  Then he went out and went to the spot.  He yelled if it was his size and I said he was way smaller!  He then raised his arm and it was about the height.  I then used the range finder for the distance.  It was 66 yards away.  When he walked back we measured his arm raised.  It was about 7 feet tall!  We then walked back there to look for prints.  We found none.  We did have some knocks off and on the rest of Saturday but nothing more except for the small print I found by my car.  I suspect it was a juvenile since it was about 10 inches.  You could see the toes in the print.  It was coming up from the ravine to the right of the camping spot.  It had stepped in the soft area by my car.  This happened sometime on Saturday.  It was not there on Saturday morning.

Sunday morning after we had packed the cars we walked down to the structure where we leave gifts of food.  I had left some bacon and a hot dog for them on Saturday night.  I also left a blue marble for them in the log in front of the structure.  We noticed that most of the bacon, the hot dog and the marble was still there.  It did looked like some of the bacon was taken though.  We heard a rustle and then a knock to our left.  It was pretty close.  We decided to leave and was walking back up when my husband noticed a ORANGE MARBLE on the ground!!!!!!!  If you have read any of the previous posts you will know about the marble thing and also previously one of them was orange.  This is my second orange marble from them.  I have my guesses about this orange marble but I or my husband was not expecting to find another marble AND for it to be orange. 

So I took the orange marble and thanked them for the gift.  Now I am wondering if one was watching to see if we would find the marble.  I am sure it saw our reaction.  I don't know who was more surprised or excited about the marble.  Me or my husband.  Normally he is very low key and had questions about me finding marbles there.  Now he was the first one to spot this one and it made him think about the other times I had found the marbles.  Hmmm.... 

So I am done with this chapter of my adventure.  I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.  I am not sure what to expect the next time I go there.  That is what makes it so addicting.  Its those unexpected and head scratching things that happen that make you want more.

SQUATCH ON MY FRIENDS...   

 

     

 

  

June 2016 at Roo's Place

I do want to say that not every time I go to this location I have exciting things happen.  I want to point out that I know not to expect something "exciting" to happen every time.  Its not being realistic.  I have learned over the last 5 years to not expect anything.  Only go and enjoy being out in the woods.  Putting myself in an active Bigfoot location and camping with family and friends is great.  Having something tall and hairy coming for a visit just makes it even more special.  Its those extra things that make me go more and more.

I went to Roo's Place twice in May.  There was still snow on the ground and very cold.  I had some knocks, found a print and maybe seen something that could be them but since I am not sure.   It could be anything.  So I will leave it at that. 

I have just got back from camping this weekend.  I am still trying to wrap my thoughts around what happened while there.  What I will say is that June is much warmer and a more active month than May.   I think from now on I will be patient and start camping there in June.

Before I go into the details of my weekend,  I would like to point out some things about my dog Roo.  She has been camping with me now for almost a year.  Many times she also has gone out in the field with me in active Bigfoot areas.  A highlight of a few things that has happened with Roo: I saw this huge dark upright shape run right in front of Roo and I.  It was 15 feet away!  We also had one run right by the tent one night.  How do I know it was one?  I saw the shadow of it running.  We also had 2 talking right behind the tent.  It sounded like a conversation in Japanese.  This was all in the state of Washington last July.  Here in Colorado Roo was with me when I saw a reddish brown one watch us from a ravine in a clump of trees about 75 yards away.  Roo was freaking out on me until I calmed her down.  Then I saw it.  Then there is Roo's Place.  So this dog is familiar with our forest friends.  I have taught her not to chase things in the woods and no barking.  So now when there is one close by she tells me by her body language (tail/head down and ears back), sometime a quiet growl-woof and then most of the time she does this quiet grumble growl.  She will also turn around and watch when we are around a campfire or just reading at the campsite.  When she is nervous she tries to climb in our laps or does her quiet grumble growl.  She is not being aggressive, just telling me that there is one close by and she is not happy about it.  Could it be other wildlife?  She ignores them or we have taught her to ignore them.  So if you come to our camping spot you will not hear a dog barking or chasing wildlife.  I thought it was important to teach her to be respectful and not to be a problem.  It was either doing this or leave her at home.  Our forest friends have been known to kill dogs here in Colorado.  Also I would like to point out that she does not go to all my locations.  Mostly at Roo's Place because she was with us when it all started. 

Now on with my weekend...

I got off of work early on Friday morning.  Since it was early, I decided to go camping at Roo's Place.  Either alone with Roo or maybe my husband will join me for part of the weekend.  I had texted my husband and he said he would come up after work.  I arrived at Roo's Place around 2:20.  As I got out I noticed that some weather was coming my way.  Roo got out of the car and like the last 2 times camping she was nervous and wanted to go back in the car.  I told her no.  While I was trying to put the tent up before the storm hit, Roo was acting all nervous and seemed like she would bolt.  So I put her on her cable tie-out to keep her with me.  I was thinking the storm was making her nervous.  Now I am not so sure.  You see normally she is not on a leash or tied up while we are camping.  I only put her on a leash at night.  Remember this little bit of information.

When I go to Roo's Place I usually do a whoop and my whistle.  Just to announce my presence.  Much like we do when we ring someone doorbell when we go to someone house.  I like to let them know when I am there but I am pretty sure they already know.  What was special about this time was I got a return call.  In fact several calls back that I would say were whoops.  I put the tent up in time before the weather hit.  It was close.  So I sat in my car for a bit and then later in the tent.  It decided to storm off and on until Jon got there just before it got dark.  We ate and then went to bed.  We did not want to chance a campfire.

Around 5:00 am, my husband went back home to volunteer with the sheriff's department.  He was coming back late afternoon.  He loves to camp as much as me.  He was willing to drive 2 hours both ways.  I truly expected to be camping by myself this weekend.  It was nice he could spend part of it with me.

Approximately around 11:30 while I was reading there was a series of knocks.  It came from where we had heard the rhythmic knocking that first night the year before.  It stopped and started up again and then suddenly stopped.  I was getting ready to turn my camera on to video to record some of it but it stopped before I could do this.

Maybe 1 1/2-2 hours later I had moved my chair to stay in the shade.  I was facing my tent.  Then I heard something walk up towards the back of the tent.  Then I heard what I thought was clicking but soon realize it sounded more like small sticks being hit together.  This went on for at least a minute.  Both Roo and I was watching the tent intently.  I fully expected to see someone's head or someone walk around the tent.  Then I heard a yell to my left and glanced over there.  Then everything got quiet.  I got up and walked over to the spot behind the tent.  I searched for prints but only found 2 sticks that were not there the day before.  In fact the sticks were not pine but some type of shrub that did not grow right there.  I also noticed the ends of both of the sticks looked like they were hit.  So I picked them up and hit them together.  One of the ends broke right away.  See photos:

 

I decided to walk from the tree line to the tent and it was what I heard.  When I had hit the sticks together it was what I heard.  Also I noticed the tent window was close to the corner.  During this whole time both Roo and I just sat, listened and watched.  It kind of reminded me of when one walked up to the tent while Roo and I was in it after a storm.  It had left a 16 inch impression on my tarp.  That incident I had talked about last year in an earlier posting in the blog.

I sat down and was reading again.  A while later I could hear movements behind me.  My back was to the ravine.  Roo was acting nervous and then started to do her grumble growl.  Then she watched behind me.  She was using her nose, ears and eyes and was watching something.  I could hear it.  She was nervous so I decided to put her leash on her because she looked ready to bolt.  I then was hearing voices or something like that.  I kept looking but saw nothing.  At one point I decided to move my chair so I was able to watch the spot and it wasn't behind me.  Roo then laid down and continue to watch but seemed more relaxed but alert.  Then I was hearing the movements all around me.  All my senses except my eyes were telling me there were several around me.  I had decided to continue to read.  I was keeping my cool and see what will happen next.

Later on I had decided to get up and do some cleaning.  This place has some broken glass from careless people.  They were broken years ago.  There was moss and dirt built up around the broken glass.  I knew this spot has not been used except by us.  We leave a sign at the camp spot and it has never been moved.  I won't go into any details about it but it is safe to say if you use this spot the signs would be moved.  I used the box that our tent came in to put the glass.  I went down closer to one of the structures.  As I was putting glass in the box I noticed that Roo was in the trees looking nervous.  I continued to put the glass in the box when suddenly a small rock hit the side of the box.  I quickly looked up and noticed Roo was much closer to the tent and ready to run.  I looked around and did not see anything but I knew a small rock hit the box.  There was a small dent in the side where I heard the rock hit the box.  I laughed and said I was trying to clean up the glass so no one gets hurt.  I then walked back to the camp site.

Probably an hour later my husband gets back.  I told him what had happened while he was gone.  He looked at the sticks and also noticed how the ends looked like they were hit.  I showed him the box and the dent.  I told him everything.  We then started a camp fire.  We noticed that the weather was getting stormy again.  We ended up eating in the rain and then going to bed early.  We had severe thunder storms for 2 hours.  We went outside later and there was pea-sized hail.  Nothing else happened as far as we know.  I slept the whole night.  Then we got up, packed and came home.

I almost forgot!  I found 2 old prints on Saturday:

So I had a pretty good weekend there at Roo's Place.  It was a good beginning for this year.  I hope to continue to explore and become familiar with the group there.  I love this place!

So my friends...

SQUATCH ON!