Bigfoot, Sasquatch Is Dead!

In 1967 I was 7 years old and playing with my green army men in the living room while my Mom was watching the nightly news and a story and a video caught her attention. I remember her saying "Kurt, you might be interested in this." I was mesmerized with the video and the little kid in me wanted to believe in such things as "Bigfoot". I have included the video below for your viewing knowing full well if you are over the age of 40 you have probably seen this video an abundant times in your life.

Over the course of my life I have followed the story of "Bigfoot" since the first time I saw the Patterson film and during my trips to the Colorado Rocky Mountains which has been countless I have always secretly wanted to actually run across one in the wild. The little boy in me, now an adult yearned for the adventure.

Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest use to tell stories of “wild men”. I always ponder the thought that these might be some early accounts of “Bigfoot or Sasquatch.” Depending on the version and more likely who was telling the tale, these tales (Tall Tales?) ranged the gauntlet between harmless giants to cannibalistic ogres.

Of course the true believers of "Bigfoot" will also point to the stories and tales across the world not just in North America. These tales of half man and half ape have been handed down for generations across the globe. In the Himalayas, it’s the Yeti. (Bigfoot distant cousin?) In North America, Canada it is "Sasquatch" and in the United States “Bigfoot”. Descriptions of “Bigfoot” vary from who is telling them, but it is usually a creature between 6 and 8 feet tall that walks upright like a man with a crested head somewhat like a gorilla’s.

It was not until 1958 in North America when the legend of "Bigfoot" really took hold. A story published in the Humboldt Times in that year was picked up by the Associated Press and went nationwide and also garnered international attention as well. A man working a construction site in California named Gerald Crew near his jobsite located what he thought was a startling discover of great importance of huge animal tracks what would be later called "Bigfoot" tracks. Gerald would later the same day make some plaster casts of the "Bigfoot" tracks.

Patterson-Gimlin footage is probably the most famous film ever taken of a supposed "Bigfoot" the filmmakers were Roger Patterson (February 14, 1933 – January 15, 1972) and Robert "Bob" Gimlin (born October 18, 1931). Roger was a avid "Bigfoot" hunter and had spent thousands in his search for the elusive beast prior to this film.

It should be noted here that Patterson in the summer of 1967 (The Bigfoot film was shot in October of 1967) acquired $700 from an investor to shoot a documentary about “Bigfoot”, but was unsuccessful in attracting any other investors to help finance his “Bigfoot” documentary. He however did succeed in copyrighting the term “Bigfoot’

On Friday, October 20, Patterson and Patterson and Gimlin were riding on horseback along the east bank of Bluff Creek. During the afternoon the pair came to an overturned tree with a large root system at a turn in the creek. When they rounded it, is when they spotted large shadowy figure behind crouching beside the creek to their left. Gimlin later described himself as in shock after first seeing the figure.

Patterson guessed he was about 25 ft away from the creature. Patterson said that his horse reared upon detecting the figure, and he spent several seconds disentangling himself from the saddle and getting his camera from a saddlebag. Upon gaining access to his camera he was able to film it as the creature had walked away from them. The entire “Bigfoot” encounter had lasted less than two minutes. Patterson-Gimlin would also make plaster cast of prints left by the "Bigfoot" creature.

The Prank

In 1998 television special World's Greatest Hoaxes: Secrets Finally Revealed, Bob Heironimus claims to have been the figure wearing the gorilla suit in the Patterson film. Heironimus says he had not previously openly discuss his role in the hoax because he hoped to be repaid eventually and was fearful of being charged with fraud had he admitted his part in the hoax. After speaking with his lawyer he was told that since he had not been paid for his involvement in the hoax that he could not be held accountable.

The Ruse

In 2002, Philip Morris owner of Morris Costumes came forward with the claim that he made a gorilla outfit that was used in the Patterson film. Morris said that he sold an ape suit to Patterson via mail-order in 1967. After the original sale, Morris said that Patterson telephoned him asking how to make the "shoulders more massive and the arms longer."

The Swindle

In 2002, a man named Ray Wallace died. After his death the family of Wallace went public with claims that he had started the Bigfoot phenomenon with fake footprints (made from poorly made wooden foot-shaped cutout) left at the California sites in 1958. It just happens that Ray’s brother was the foreman at the original construction site in California that Gerald Crew found his “Bigfoot” tracks.

Wallace was quoted several times that "'Roger Patterson came dozens of times pumping me on this Bigfoot” It was also rumored that Ray Wallace was the one who told Patterson were to go and look for his “Bigfoot”

The Hoax

Roger Patterson or Robert "Bob" Gimlin every admitted that the "Bigfoot" film was a hoax. After my research I am in the belief that Robert "Bob" Gimlin was used as a patsy in the hoax and he never really did know it was a hoax that was carried out by Roger Patterson and Ray Wallace. Robert "Bob" Gimlin was to be the one witness that you could not trip up because he truly believed what he saw.

I know that the true believers in “Bigfoot” will attack this article with all the vigor with explanations and recent sightings and all the stated facts that they want to believe is true. The simple fact is that science and technology do not support their claims.

In this advance day of age with all the advance modern technology such as satellite imaging, cam trail cameras, night vision goggles, heat seeking sonar, and the big one of almost everyone nowadays has a video recorder and camera built into their phone, why has not one none grainy photograph ever been taken of a “Bigfoot”? Why have no “Bigfoot” bodies every, been located in the wild?

The modern day “Bigfoot” died the day that both Roger Patterson and Ray Wallace died.

It is difficult for me to believe that “Bigfoot” is in fact real. The little kid in me says, “Say it ain’t so!”