Uncharted Thoughts.

Big foot is without doubt one of the greatest mysteries on planet earth. It is the the gateway drug of conspiracies theories, the intriguing path towards the ‘what if?’, the start of many souls who leave the highway of normality and venture to the achieves of the obscure.

Of course, Big foot is not the only doorway to this realm of unlimited possibilities. The Lock Ness monster, UFO’s and Alex Jones are other avenues along this weird wakey road. But Big Foot, is the most iconic when it comes to the stereotype of tinfoil hat types. So much so, that it is no longer a belief that is held purely by them.

This article will dive into the mystery of the Bigfoot. To explore the ‘evidence’. From footage and first hand accounts to archaeological proof of this larger than life being, that roams the Americas.

What is a bigfoot?

A Bigfoot is a large bipedal, ape like creature that is rumoured to hide in the forests, swamps and mountains of North America. It is a cryptid, meaning its existence is up for debate, much like Aliens or Ghosts or the survival of the Megalodon.

A Bigfoot, to my understanding is not a Yeti. Although the two are somewhat connected in appearance. A Yeti, otherwise known as an abominable snowman, is also a bipedal, ape like creature. However it roams the Himalayan mountain range in Asia.

A Bigfoot is described to look like a primate. Standing between 6-12 feet tall, hairy and with large feet. Some reports claim that the Bigfoot measure similarly to human gender, that the males are considerably larger than the females. Some claim that the heads of these creatures are enormous, and cone shaped. Others state that the eyes of the Bigfoot glow yellow or red. One thing is for certain, these mysterious beings are humanoids in almost all depictions.

Where did the story of bigfoot begin?

The story of the Bigfoot, or Sasquatch, is a tale far older than most of us realise. Although written accounts of the Bigfoot start around 1811, with the arrival of the white man, and the frontiersman. Until then, most stories of the Bigfoot are passed down by oral accounts from indigenous tribes. At least that is what we are told.

While there are accounts of indigenous peoples talking about how much the Bigfoot is imprinted in their culture. There is little evidence of this.

“Here in the Northwest, and west of the Rockies generally, Indian people regard Bigfoot with great respect. He is seen as a special kind of being, because of his obvious close relationship with humans. Some elders regard him as standing on the “border” between animal-style consciousness and human-style consciousness, which gives him a special kind of power.” – Originally printed in the Western Bigfoot Society Newsletter “The Track Record”. Excerpted from “Legends Beyond Psychology”, by Henry James Franzoni III

There are no accounts that I can find that are dated from the 17 or 18 hundreds that suggest a existence of Bigfoot within the indigenous communities. Only since the turn of the 19th century did the indigenous communities begin to come forward with stories of their ‘close’ relationship with this creature.

Of course, I have not read every account of every book and diary from the men and woman who lived among the tribes of the indigenous people. I have not gone to these tribes and asked their stories, so there may well be a long lasting relationship with these communities and Bigfoot. However, the internet suggest a different narrative.

I think this speaks volumes on another issue within indigenous culture. Since the destruction of their culture, their language, their art and history. They now cling to any cultural, spiritual or mystical elements of the land they live on. To try and forge any element of community or culture they can, even if it means compromising the integrity of whatever remains of their disappearing customs.

The first written account of the ‘Bigfoot’, was by David Thompson in 1811. David was a surveyor/trader/hunter and explorer in the BC area (British Columbia). He noted down in hit diary while trekking through ‘Howes Pass’:

“We came on the track of a large animal, the snow about six inches deep on the ice; I measured it; four large toes each of four inches in length; to each a short claw; the ball of the foot sunk three inches lower than the toes, the hinder part of the foot did not mark well, the length fourteen inches, by eight inches in breadth, walking from north to south, and having passed about six hours.  We were in no humour to follow him; the Men and Indians would have it to be a young mammoth and I held it to be the track of a large old grizzled bear; yet the shortness of the nails, the ball of the foot, and its great size was not that of a Bear, otherwise that of a very large old Bear, his claws worn away; this the Indians would not allow“

Evolution arguement

There is a lot of mysticism surrounding the Bigfoot. That Bigfoot is a time traveller, a being that can shift between realms and plains of existence. That they are the omen of death or life, depending on the person and belief. These theories have somewhat diluted the argument for bigfoots existence. Perhaps before the idea of a time travelling ape came into being (probably around the 60s/70s when the hippie culture came into the pubic consciousness) the idea of Bigfoot was not so… weird.

The existence of an ape like mammal living in North America isn’t a massive jump from the world of one without it. Gorilla’s were not discovered by the white man until late 1850s. New animals are discovered every year. Just last last year new snakes, spiders and aquatic fish were added to a growing list of species we didn’t know about.

So, is an 6-12 ft ape like creature really that far from reality? Well, no, and yes. The confirmation in a new species of snake does not confirm that there are monstrous apes roaming the land. Neither does it bring it anymore probable. However it does lead us to wonder what has yet to be discovered.

I think, out of all the cryptids that exists. Bigfoot isn’t too far into the realms of the unknown. As stated before, the gorilla was no more than a rumour 200 years ago. An ape known as the gigantopithecus roamed the earth for a debated period of time. This behemoth creature would have stood at roughly 9 feet tall according to biologist who have studied a part of its jaw bone found in South China.

The evolution argument for Bigfoots existence is that there are apes already, and there have been gigantic apes before. This is all well and good, and with this logic, yes, non time travelling interdimensional porthole creating Bigfoot is more than likely a possibility. However, there are some issues with its existence from a biological perspective.

Firstly, the food chain in North America would provide evidence of the Bigfoots existence. A fully grown eastern lowland gorilla (largest primate in existence today) eats roughly 18kg a day. Now, according to the average Bigfoot sighing, they are almost double a lowland gorillas height, and would weigh almost triple. Meaning that a Bigfoot would have to consume between 45-50kg of food a day. Being that there is only one carnivorous primate known, these Bigfoot would more than likely eat 50kg of vegetation a day.

After exploring all the mappings, photos, films and evidence of the Bigfoot, there have been no sightings of large foraged areas, or dung that matches the description of anything that size or diet.

Finally, there is one other element of Bigfoots existence that I think is vital in overturning the evolution argument. That is… It’s size. Bigfoot is impractical for the real world. Being large 1 million years ago was practical. Food was abundant, predators were many, land was vast and there wasn’t a hominoid predator far more deadly than any other species on the planet walking around with tools and brains far more superior than any other lifeform before it.

Being large in the 21st century is not good. It means you can not hide, you are trackable and above all you leave large ecological footprints of your existence. Of course there is the Gorilla not being discovered till 1850s. But in truth, the local people of those areas knew of its existence way before it was ‘discovered’ and they actually took people to see them, rather than make up stories about them and show no one.

The evidence

Now, we have spoken a lot about video evidence, photographic evidence, DNA and mapping. Lets explore some of these and see if the evidence of bigfoot out weighs my limited biological knowledge.

Lets look at the Patterson – Gimlin footage. The most iconic footage of ‘Bigfoot’ in existence. The footage was captured in 1967, in Buffcreek northern California.

To me, this footage is clearly fake. Although a great attempt for its time. The movement, demeanour and behaviour of this man in a suit, is nothing more than that. There is no animalistic subtilties here at all. It just looks like a guy walking to the pub on Halloween.

Patterson himself was a fan of the Bigfoot, and according to sources became somewhat obsessed with its existence after reading a magazine by a Ivan T. Sanderson. A zoologist who wrote articles such as ‘What piolets UFO’s’ and ‘Abdominal Snowman, who also claims he was attacked by a ‘olitiau’ (cryptid bat). He also endorsed the likelihood of the ‘giant penguins’ in Florida in 1940s, which turned out to be completely false and a hoax.

This does not damage the footage itself, even though it is clearly a man in a suit, however it does damage the credibility of the footage taken by Patterson.

3/10.

The next piece of evidence supplied by Bigfoot believers is Bigfoots, Bigfoot.

Above is the picture of the footprints found by Earle Shipton in Nepal. This is a Yeti print, and by far the most convincing of the bunch. However, we are discussing North American Bigfoot. Not the Yeti.

The vast majority of footprints I have seen of the bigfoot are poorly executed by their makers at best. Most resemble a human foot, large imprint of the sole with small toes, something I hardly imagine a 8-12 foot being could have balance from. I am no podiatrist (foot doctor), but I struggle to find any possibility of evolution leading to the perfect large human foot on an ape like creature. Specially one the size of a tree.

2/10

The Bigfoot mapping project.

I think the idea of a interactive map of Bigfoot sightings is great. It can help people who are looking for the creature to locate its most recent spots and help geologists, biologist and journalists investigate the truth behind Bigfoots existence. However, giving people the ability to put anything down at all (just as I have above) doesn’t provide proof of the Bigfoots existence. Once again, it kind of dilutes the possibilities and credibility of any ‘actual’ sightings.

Again, it is a great tool, but 10,000 sightings by random people without much evidence except some grainy photos and videos on 1% of them doesn’t help prove the existence of the large beast.

2/10

Video and Photo “evidence”.

Going back to video evidence, I am going to rank below the ‘top 10’ videos of Bigfoot according to Outside. Please rate the reality of these sightings yourself and let me know in the comments what you think.

1. Mable Mountain Bigfoot sighting Here. 2/10 (Just a dude)
2. Eric Shipmans footprint Here. 6/10 (Yeti, not Bigfoot)
3. Independence Day Bigfoot Here. 3/10 (Guy in a costume)
4. Provo Canyon Bigfoot Here. 1/10 (Could be anything)
5. Allegheny Bigfoot Here. 3/10 (Bear)
6. Johnstown’s Smelly Bigfoot 4/10 (Hard to say with the lack of background, but at least it isn’t a human footprint)
7. Washington’s Blue Mountain Bigfoot Sighting Here. 5/10 (This is the ONLY footage I have seen that puts me on the edge of belief. The size of the ‘thing’ is convincing)
8. Mississippi Bigfoot Here. 3/10 (Black Bear)
9. Provo Bigfoot Number 2 Here. -/10 (Can’t make it out)
10. Roger Patterson Bigfoot Here. 3/10

Perhaps we will never know the truth about Bigfoot. Perhaps it is a hoax, men in gorilla suits and strangers with odd hobbies and hitting trees with sticks in the middle of the night, just to get a fix out of other peoples mesmerisation. Perhaps Bigfoot is real, and all the sighting are true, just maybe their are time travelling beasts that bring luck or death.

One thing is for sure. Bigfoot symbolises the ancient need for mystery in our lives. Perhaps what drives those to believe in the sasquatch is the same as the one that drives us to believe in God. A need for something greater, for there to be unknowns and a for use to feel a sense of… a sense of something. Excitement, adventure… anything. Something to bring us back to that very human state of mysticism and the need to have unknown elements of the universe.

Perhaps it is best if we never know. Perhaps it is best to keep the fires of Bigfoot aflame, and rather than look at those who believe with judgement in our eyes, we should look at them with admiration and envy. For they are still living in a world of magic.