Today in Bigfoot History | JAN 27, 1976 | 5 Tracks Cast Near Snoqualmie River in WA

A portion of the Snoqualmie River in Washington State

We are big fans of the TV series Twin Peaks. So to find out that there was any activity in the Snoqualmie/North Bend area, where Twin Peaks was filmed, perked our interest.

And just like Twin Peaks this mystery was not what it seems from the outset. Read the original reporting by the Lewiston Tribune below where a man claims to have cast five Bigfoot prints.

Footprints of 'Bigfoot' reported

Lewiston Tribune

NORTH BEND, Wash. -

Jim French says he was skeptical of reports about Bigfoot, the Northwest's legendary ape-man, until he and a companion discovered 18-inch long footprints Sunday in a river sandbank.

"I always believed it was a bunch of bunk," French, 38, said Monday after he and Joseph Langston, 33, found the four-toed, 8 1/2-inch wide indentions near the south fork of the Snoqualmie River.

French estimated the creature weighed about 400 pounds because of the depth of its prints in the sand when compared with his own. French said he weighs about 180.

The animal's size has not been verified by the scientific community, however.

French said he made five plaster casts of the footprints and he and Langston found hair on some tree limbs along the creature's path.

The hair was found about five or six feet off the ground, he said.

French said he intended to contact University of Washington scientists and let them analyze his findings.

His first reaction Sunday, French said, was that the prints were a hoax.

"I could not believe what I saw," said the veteran outdoorsman. "There was no evidence of any four-footed marks anywhere."

French and Langston consulted three other outdoorsmen. They concluded the prints were authentic.

"No man helped me make those tracks," he said. "Whatever made them, made them by themselves."

French first noted the tracks in hard sand. He could see only the toe marks and thought they were from a club-footed elk.

They tracked the creature for a quarter of a mile before losing it amongst loam and leaves and then pasture land where prints of horses and dogs could be seen.

The creature was moving east to west French said, adding that all the tracks matched the terrain.

Slide marks appeared when the animal was going downhill and deep indentations were found when it dug in going up a slope, French said. The stride lengthened when it loped across flat ground.

French, a self-employed subcontractor, and Langston, a lumbermill employe [sic], were using a metal detector to search for items of value along the river when they found the prints.

Not everybody was convinced of the evidence. Peter Byrne thought that a movie about Bigfoot playing in the same area was to coincidental. Check out the clip below.

From the Spokane Daily Chronicle - Jan 29, 1976 (click to enlarge)

Joe Beelart Reviews Peter Byrne's "The Monster Trilogy Guidebook"

Cover art for Peter Byrne's Monster Trilogy Guidebook

For Bigfoot insiders Joe Beelart needs no introduction. Cliff Barackman has referred to him as "The King of Clackamas," a title earned by Joe's extensive research of Bigfoot encounters in the Oregon's Clackamas region.

Today he reviews Peter Byrnes new book "Monster Trilogy Guidebook". Peter Byrne also needs no introduction as he is a pioneer in Bigfoot research. He has been committed to the search for unrecognized creatures for over 50 years. Peter has led expeditions in the Himalayas to search for the yeti, and then pioneered Sasquatch research in North America. He is recognized as one of the four men of sasquatchery, a title of distinction for a generation of pioneers in Sasquatch research that includes John Green, Rene Dehinden and Dr. Grover Krantz.

Please read Joe Beelart's complete review below:

Review of Peter’s new book by Joe Beelart:   July 2013

Peter Byrne’s new book The Monster Trilogy Guidebook is exactly what it should be; a foundation stone of Bigfoot literature based on six decades of well-funded field work in the Himalaya, Pacific Northwest, and Scotland.  In it, Byrne straightforwardly tells the reader he has never seen one of his monsters; but he assures us they live!  And, he encourages the peaceful pursuit of proving their existence.

Serious researchers should purchase a copy and study it.  Probably, this is not a book for casual or new aspirants in the subjects for Byrne does not delve deep into history, list tables of sightings, tell tales of times past and grandiose expectations for the future, etc.  Rather, he tells the serious enthusiast how to go about field research with the reasons for his suggestions based on what is possibly the most field time ever accumulated by one man in any outdoor pursuit.  In short, Byrne shares hard earned experience; researchers should heed his words.

While Byrne barely comments on it, the theme of this memoir is conservation.  Only in passing does he mention the great White Grass Plains Wildlife Reserve he established in southwest Nepal under the auspices of the International Wildlife Conservation Society, and the patronage of the Nepalese royal family.   In conservation circles, the White Grass Plains is widely recognized as one of the most important achievements of the last half of the twentieth century.  For his work Byrne was honored with awards by the Royal Geographic Society, London and the Explorer’s Club of New York, among other high profile groups.

When Byrne encourages ready-at-hand still and video cameras to capture and prove the reality of Bigfoot, the Yeti, and the Loch Ness monster; instead of shooting them with a powerful rifle, we see his concern for the creatures and their future.  He also stresses practicing with a camera until its operation is second nature, for an encounter of a lifetime may last only seconds, or if lucky, minutes, and from experience as an investigator Byrne tells us when that encounter occurs, in all likelihood the witness will be shaken.

With those brief notes I assessed the general value of this book, established the principles of the book, and offered a snippet of the many suggestions Byrne makes on conducting field research.  Now, a few observations about how it is written.  Byrne is an expert writer and story teller.  I own at least seven of his books which include Himalayan and Indian history, novels, and his early Bigfoot book.  I have enjoyed every one.  So when I say I feel there is a hint of disdain in The Monster Trilogy Guidebook toward our favorite monster – Bigfoot – I have a basis for my remark.

Or, perhaps it is more accurate to say Byrne may hold a bit of derision toward a segment of Bigfoot “researchers” and enthusiasts who maybe an audience for this book; the gee-whiz folks.  Make no mistake; in the sixteen (16) chapters he devotes to the subject, he professionally covers a lot of ground fast, possibly to the point of being brusque.  But, there seems to be a lack of liveliness, understated humor and attraction to the subject which is so prevalent in his other works.

It is as if Byrne knows he must address a topic, does so, and then goes on to the next.  A telling hint is the title of Chapter 16:  “Go Get ‘Em.”   Why not use a little more encouraging title like “Onward?”  Maybe it’s because Byrne has spoken so many times to so many people that don’t read, have not gone into the hills and, even if they can, never will.  Maybe he is tired of people, who in the American way, want superficial entertainment from Bigfoot talks and films.

There is a decided change in attitude when Byrne writes about the Yeti.  Again there are sixteen (16) short chapters, but these are filled with wonder and humor and technical tips beyond compare or imagination.  Truly, Byrne’s love of the Himalaya shines in this wonderful section.  It is contagious.  And in the Himalaya, I’m quite sure Byrne did not speak to crowds; or perhaps hold back information due to contract constraints as may have been required in his Bigfoot research.

Finally Byrne talks about the Loch Ness Monster.  This section will make you smile.  For certain, Byrne was on a hillman’s holiday as he rode boats, glassed Loch Ness waters, and enjoyed pleasant hospitality searching for one of the most celebrated monsters in the world.  And in this section, in quiet ways, Byrne pays both tribute and respect to the rich men who funded his expeditions.  For those rich men knew, when they wrote the checks, that they were engaging a personable, honest, fit, quietly eloquent man who would represent their interests and names in impeccable fashion.  Thank those men, and the man who lived their dreams, and maybe yours, for this fine book.

________________________________________

Hancock House Publishers 2013:  trade paperback 8.5”x5.5” with 176 pages and 116 photographs and illustrations:  US $19.95:  HancockHouse.com or 1.800.938.1114

Today in Bigfoot History | July 2 1995 | John Green Calls Peter Byrne a Fraud

John Green (left) Peter Byrne (right) are pioneers of Bigfoot research.

"Peter Byrne is a fraud. He tells the public that Sasquatch is near human because that's what they like to hear." --John Green;  in a 1995 Chicago Tribune Article

In an article almost two decades old we see some of the same divisive debates that still plague the modern Bigfoot community. Ape vs. human. Kill vs. No-kill.

The excerpt further below is from the July 2, 1995 Chicago Tribune article. In the article you will read opinions of Peter Byrne from Grover Krantz and John Green. 

At the time Mr. Byrne was investigating the Bigfoot mystery under a grant from the Academy of Applied Science. A former Big Game Hunter, he was initially involved in the search for the Himalyan Yeti in the 1950's in the Slick expedition. 

Grover Krantz was a professor of physical anthropology at Washington State University, perhaps most famous to the general public as one of the few scientists not only to research Bigfoot, but also to express his belief in the cryptid's existence. 

Finally John Green is Canadian retired journalist and first began investigating Sasquatch sightings and track finds in 1957 after meeting René Dahinden. 

Time was running out.

But then, in 1992, good luck struck. Byrne received from Boston's Academy of Applied Science a very generous five-year grant. It provided enough money to found the Bigfoot Research Project, and to hire two assistants to help him launch the most high-tech monster search the world has ever seen--a search that relies on police gear, wildlife research equipment, a Jeep, a video camera, and, above all, a phone line. Byrne has a toll-free number, 1-800-BIGFOOT, and a dozen or so people call in every month to report sightings. The old hunter takes notes and then, if a sighting sounds promising, he rushes off to investigate- -to peruse the crushed twigs or watch witnesses imitate the horrible scream. Every detail is logged onto computers. Eventually, if all goes as planned, Sasquatch's migrational patterns will become clear, and Byrne can jump into a helicopter.

There are, on standby, two Bell 206 choppers equipped with the infared sensors used to track prison escapees. These would zero in on the beast, and Byrne would shoot a small dart. The dart would loop into the Sasquatch's flesh, extracting a small bit of tissue--enough to fill up, say, one tiny test tube--and ultimately the creature would lope off, unharmed. And the cameras would whir: You know the tabloids would be there. Indeed, they can't wait. Last year, the crew of "Unsolved Mysteries," an independent syndicated TV show, spent a week with Byrne filming a mock Bigfoot hunt that was replete with a Hollywood stunt man wearing oversized shoes.

Byrne has also been covered by "Ancient Mysteries," "Sightings," and the Australian Broadcast Corporation, and newspapers ranging from The Hood River News to The New York Times.

There critics are out there.

With all the fame has come criticism. For instance, Grover Krantz, a Bigfoot believer who teaches anthropology at Washington State University, argues that Byrne is "a sham, a fake." Krantz takes issue mainly with Byrne's opposition to killing, which evolved after decades of watching bumbling tourists murder Nepalese tigers. "I argue for humane treatment too," says Krantz. "But in order to attain protection for the Sasquatch, we have to prove they exist. And Peter knows that the only way we can do that is by bringing in a body." John Green, a retired Canadian journalist who has written several books on Bigfoot, is even more critical. "Peter Byrne is a fraud," Green says. "He tells the public that Sasquatch is near human because that's what they like to hear."

Green is certain that, "if Sasquatch is real, he's just an animal." But Byrne feels the truth is far more complex: He likes to think of the creature as a convict. "As a child," he explains, "we played a game called Convict 99. One person was the fugitive. Others were the police; they tried to put themselves in the mind of a fugitive. Now we're trying to do the same thing. Bigfoot is out there, but where? Where is he hiding?" It's a vast question and, trying to answer it, Byrne has forded an icy, chest-deep stream on snowshoes and slept out on winter nights with nothing but a small fire to warm him. He says, "It's like we're trying to find a needle in a haystack and the needle is moving and it doesn't want to be found."

You can read the full article titled, "ON THE TRAIL OF BIGFOOT," at Bigfoot Encounters

Peter Byrne to Publish 13th Book Titled, "Monster Trilogy"

After 50-plus years Peter Byrne continues to search for Bigfoot 

“The wonderful thing about Bigfoot is that anybody can go after it. Take a weekend. Drive into the mountains. Take a chance.” Peter Byrne, 2013

Peter Byrne needs no introduction in the world of Bigfooting. He has been committed to the search for unrecognized creatures for over 50 years. Peter has led expeditions in the Himalayas to search for the yeti, and then pioneered Sasquatch research in North America. He is recognized as one of the four men of sasquatchery, a title of distinction for a generation of pioneers in Sasquatch research that includes John Green, Rene Dehinden and Dr. Grover Krantz.

An article from the Dalles Chronicle announced Peter Byrne's anticipated 13th book, "The Monster Trilogy Guidebook: How to find a Bigfoot, a Yeti and a Loch Ness Monster." 

Front and back cover of The Monster Trilogy Guidebook (Click to enlarge)

The book is now available for purchase at the Hancock House. You can also read a sample chapter and see the table of contents.

Monster Trilogy Synopsis

Focusing on what he considers to be the last three great, unsolved mysteries (the Sasquatch or Bigfoot of the Pacific Northwest of North America; the yeti or abominable snowmen, of the Himalaya; and the prehistoric monsters of Loch Ness in Scotland) he shares with his readers his decades of experience searching for definitive proof of their existence.

But the heart of this book is the wealth of detailed information the author provides on planning large or small expeditions into remote areas, including habitat, pinpointing search areas, obtaining permits and permissions, what staff is needed, travel logistics, general and essential equipment and food, safety tips, and what to do if/when contact is made with the creature.

Whether you are a general researcher with an interest in exploring the wilderness or a dedicated monster hunter, this book is both an interesting read and an essential reference. The book is full color throughout and includes many never-before published photographs.

The Dalles Chronicle article

Saturday April 6 -- Peter Byrne has been engaged in what he describes as the “Big Searches” for almost his entire life; his Bigfoot search alone has spanned 50 years.

His first experience was in the 1960s, working in northern California.

Later, he was drawn back to California by the well-known 1967 film made by Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin outside Orleans, Calif. It is purported to be the most credible evidence of Bigfoot’s existence. While skeptics have dismissed the film, Byrne finds it credible.

“Gimlin is still living in Yakima and he is regarded as a man of great integrity,” Byrne said. “Lots of people have tried to discount it, but it could be real.”

Today, Byrne continues his quest to find Bigfoot.

“I do two things,” he said. “I write. I’ve published 13 books.”

The 13th book is coming out in a few weeks, called “Monster Trilogy,” a three-part guide book on how to find Bigfoot, Yeti and the Loch Ness Monster. He has been in searches for all three.

He also works with a loose-knit group of people on the Oregon Coast, all interested in sighting Bigfoot.

Byrne said in his writings that technology would one day allow the world to verify the existence of Bigfoot and his group uses motion-sensor cameras set up in areas of what Byrne describes as credible sightings in the Coast Range. So far, the cameras have yielded images of other wildlife, but no Bigfoot.

He also researches recent and historical sighting reports. The last credible report from where the researchers were looking was in 2006, Byrne said.

Interest in finding Bigfoot has resurfaced, he said.

"There is tremendous interest — something like 30 websites, lots of letters, but there are no other organized projects at this time,” he said. “There was a group in the Olympic Peninsula, but they were all working guys … and there was a group in Kentucky, but that fizzled out.”

Despite man’s encroachment on the wilderness areas of the Pacific Northwest, Byrne isn’t surprised that the creatures remain largely elusive.

“It’s an enormous area — a huge area,” he said. “There’s an official Federal Aviation Administration figure about planes lost in the Pacific Northwest since World War two. Of 52 planes that crashed, 20 probably went into the ocean, 32 are still not found in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and Alaska. One has a senator’s body aboard, also representatives from Alaska. The families are still looking for the plane … We’re not talking about Rhode Island. This area is three times the length of the Himalayas.”

Asked why his search for Bigfoot has endured so long, Byrne said, “I’m still fascinated by the possibility of there being an unidentified primate living out there.” Native American history, old records, letters by missionaries and miners, “sightings by thoroughly dependable people,” all support the idea, he said.

And when asked why he thinks others continue to take up the quest, he talked about the last great mysteries of the world.

“The wonderful thing about Bigfoot is that anybody can go after it,” he said. “Take a weekend. Drive into the mountains. Take a chance.”

SRC: Dallas Chronicle

See Bigfoot Legend Peter Byrne at 2012 Ohio Bigfoot Conference

Bigfoot research legend Peter Byrne will be a
special guest at the Ohio Bigfoot Conference

The ManfieldNewsJournal.com reminds us that one of the original four horsemen of Sasquatchery, Peter Byrne, will be a special guest this coming Sunday at the Ohio Bigfoot Conference. You can buy tickets at the door.

Read the article below and then the details of the event after the article.

CAMBRIDGE -- Peter Byrne -- a legendary adventurer, big game guide turned conservationist and seeker of bigfoot -- will be the special guest at the Ohio Bigfoot Conference at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Pritchard Laughlin Civic Center.

Byrne, who served for the British in World War II, made India his home for decades and developed an interest in the yeti. This interest culminated in a multi-year expedition in the Himalayas financed by Texas oil baron Tom Slick, who eventually convinced Byrne to organize an expedition to seek the sasquatch in the Pacific Northwest.

Byrne is founder of the International Wildlife Conservation Society. Other speakers at the event will include wildlife biologist John Bindernagel, surveillance and technology expert Bill Dranginis, and Believe It Tour sponsor Mike Esordi.
Tickets are available at the door for $10 ($4 children 12 and under). Civic center doors will open at 11 a.m.

Bigfoot related merchandise will be for sale and attendees will be entered for door prize drawings.

About The Event

Featured Speakers and Appearances Confirmed as of 3/06/2012

Mr. Peter Byrne - Special Guest

Dr. John Bindernagel - Speaker

A Special Mystery Keynote Speaker

Mike Esordi - Speaker

Bill Dranginis - Speaker

Date: April 29, 2012

Time: 1:00 p.m. to about 6:00 p.m. - Doors will open at 11 a.m..

Location: Prichard Lauglin Civic Center, Cambridge, OhioGeneral Admission Tickets (Up to 400 tickets available at the door) - $10 for adults,  $4 for children age 12 and under.

VIP Packages are limited to a few possible non-pays, you can be added to a waiting list.

An educational gathering of everyone from the devoted bigfoot researcher, to the novice and even the mildly curious. Hear from established national and local speakers, share ideas with those interested in the enigma of bigfoot, see old friends and make new ones,  or learn how to become involved in a family friendly, healthy outdoor hobby. There will be a vendor area for books, clothes and everything bigfoot.

With the recent explosion of bigfoot in pop culture, we will be setting aside time and a special seminar specifically for those that are new to the field and want to learn more.

On Saturday, 4/28/2012 a Bigfoot Festival will be held.  There are more details on the Activities and Schedule page.

 

History

 For over 20 years, Don Keating has been organizing and hosting a bigfoot conference in an area he has named the Sasquatch Triangle. It has grown to be the marquee bigfoot related event east of the Mississippi, boasting attendance in excess of 400 enthusiasts and consistent praise from those in attendance. The 2012 edition of the Ohio Bigfoot Conference is a transitional year as he entrusts this event to other respected and long-time Ohio bigfooters who have committed to continue the tradition of a quality bigfoot focused conference in the Sasquatch Triangle.  The Ohio Bigfoot Organization (OBO), led by Marc DeWerth,  is the host group for the conference.

BBC News: Pangboche Finger is Human, not Yeti

DNA tests support Pangboche finger is human

If you stayed up late last night (or actually early this morning)  you could hear the conclusion of the DNA test on the Pangboche Finger. As we announced yesterday on our post BBC Radio 4: Full Results of Pangboche Yeti Finger Test the Pangboche Finger was an artifact that was stolen from the Pangboche Monastery and believed to belong to a Yeti.

Below is an Excerpt from the a BBC article that followed the broadcast of the Radio show. The article confirms the results that support the finger is, indeed, human.

Yeti expeditionProfessor Hill's notes recorded that the finger had been brought to him by Peter Byrne, a former explorer and mountaineer. 

Mr Byrne is now 85, and living in the United States, I discovered. When he recently visited London, I arranged to meet him. 

He did indeed bring the yeti's finger to London, he explained. His story began in 1958, when he was a member of an expedition sent to the Himalayas, to look for evidence of the legendary Abominable Snowman. 

"We found ourselves one day camped at a temple called Pangboche," Mr Byrne told me. 

Peter Byrne was photographed in 1958/9 with the head lama at Pangboche monastery

"The temple had a number of Sherpa custodians. I heard one of them speaking Nepalese, which I speak.  

"He told me that they had in the temple the hand of a yeti which had been there for many years. 

"It looked like a large human hand. It was covered with crusted black, broken skin. 

"It was very oily from the candles and the oil lamps in the temple. The fingers were hooked and curled." 

"Osmond Hill said, 'You have got to get this hand. We've got to see it. We want to examine it.' But I had already asked the lamas there if I could have the hand and they said no, it would bring bad luck, disaster to the temple if it was taken away."Prof Hill and Mr Slick asked Mr Byrne to go back and at least try to get one finger with permission from the temple's custodians. 

The plan was to replace the missing finger with a human finger. Prof Hill then brought out a brown paper bag and tipped out a human hand onto the table."It was several months old and dried. I never asked him where he got it from."Returning to the temple, he gave a donation in return for the finger, and then wired the human finger onto the relic. 

The expedition sponsor Tom Slick helped ensure the finger would reach London safely with the help of his friend, the Hollywood actor James Stewart and his wife Gloria who were in India at the time. 

They were to meet in the Grand Hotel in Calcutta, said Mr Byrne.Continue reading the main story"They were a little bit worried about customs, so Gloria hid it in her lingerie case and they got out of India no trouble." 

"They arrived at Heathrow, but the lingerie case was missing," 

A few days later, a customs official returned the case to the Hollywood couple, reassuring Gloria that a British customs officer would "never open a lady's lingerie case." 

The finger was handed over to Prof Hill after which, Mr Byrne explained, he lost contact with him. 

DNA testBut could this finger really have come from a yeti? 

The Royal College of Surgeons granted a request for a DNA test to be carried out on a tiny sliver of the finger. 

The finger is of human origin, according to Dr Rob Jones, senior scientist at the Zoological Society of Scotland. 

"We have got a very, very strong match to a number of existing reference sequences on human DNA databases. 

"It's very similar to existing human sequences from China and that region of Asia but we don't have enough resolution to be confident of a racial identification."

Src: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16264752 

Want to listen to the conclusion? Matthew Hill presents Yeti's Finger on BBC Radio 4.