By Erika Kar
By the time you read this, the Methow Conservancy’s program, “Sasquatch: Man-Ape or Myth?” will have already occurred, and those that attended are now better armed with scientific facts to support their opinion. As I mentioned in last week’s column, I know of someone that has seen two, yes two, Bigfoot-ish creatures. I’m coming clean here, it was me. And before I say anything more about it, I have some disclaimers:
• My family would all like you to know that they think I am funny and not serious. They do not believe. Emphasis on the not.
• I was not a believer or nonbeliever before this happened. Completely neutral.
• I had not been drinking, eating mushrooms, licking toads or in a sweathouse on this day.
On Nov. 9, 2011, I was driving eastbound on the North Cascades Highway with my kids. It was twilight and just at freezing. The highway was deserted. We had driven about 50 miles without seeing a soul, just the three of us rambling along at a quick, but safe, pace. We were admiring the changing leaves and wondering if it was going to begin snowing. Okay, I was admiring the leaves. The kids were bickering and touching each other.
While we were driving near Rainy Pass, and I was scanning the road for deer, I saw something that struck me as abnormal. It was about ¼-mile up the highway on the left side of the road. At first, I thought that perhaps it was a large man wearing dark winter clothing. As I got closer though, I could tell that it clearly was not a man — too big and not human-like. But just before I got a better look, it slipped down the side of the road into the ravine.
And that was when I knew what I had just seen.
The way it moved was sylph-like, almost as if it shimmered away, moving like an otter or penguin moves in the water. It was much too graceful to have been a bear. I looked back to where it had been, and it had completely disappeared.
So, what was it?
Bigfoot. Or Sasquatch, if you prefer.
Now, if that isn’t enough for you, there’s more.
About 2 miles further, I saw another. It was a little smaller, but moved in the same graceful manner as it also quickly went down the side of the ravine out of my view. But the leaves on the tree that it had been next to still gently shook as I drove by.
I reported what I had seen to the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization. After speaking by telephone to an investigator, my sighting was categorized as a Class B Sighting and remains on their website as a sighting in Skagit County. Do I believe that I saw Bigfoot? I don’t know. But I know what I saw wasn’t normal. I think if anything, I believe in the possibility of what I saw.
Now to news of something we can all believe in — love.
Sarah Stephens and Max Thomas of Lost River just got back from two weeks in Bali, where they became engaged. Max presented Sarah with a ring that had polished sand from the San Juan Islands (where Sarah came of age), Duluth, Minnesota, (where Max grew up), and Bali (where they agreed to come together in marriage). Pretty sweet and meaningful.
There is an unbelievable part of their trip though. While they were in Shanghai on a stopover, they were having dinner at a restaurant and whom do they see? Sylvie LeDuc! What are the odds? Crazy!
Sarah and Max may like to get the secrets of a long-lasting marriage from Loy and Ken Young who live by Goat Creek. According to my source, Nancy Kuta, they recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Congratulations!
