Sandy River Project
Site #1
(SRP1)
Click here for recent
activity on the property.
A satellite photo containing SRP1
A bigfooter friend of mine was telling me about an area close to my home that has a history of bigfoot related activity. Shortly after touring the area with this friend, I started picking up stories and even a few reports from that general area.
The area of interest is bordered by the Columbia River to the north, and the Sandy River to the the west. To the east there are no boundaries at all, only vast green forest dotted with homesteads. To the south is the Bull Run watershed, the water supply for nearby Portland, OR. Human traffic is not allowed in the area, with only employees of the Portland Water Bureau having access.
I recently befriended a property owner (TR) who owns two five-acre parcels on a plateau above the Sandy River. This is referred to as Site #1, while the other, newer property is Site #2. The owner wishes to remain anonymous, so both properties' specific locations will be kept confidential.
Terrain
The Sandy River area is excellent habitat for sasquatches. There is plenty of cover, farmlands brimming with food, abundant wildlife. It is not hard to imagine the needs of several sasquatches being met by the resources found in the surrounding area.
The Sandy River is frequented by fisherman, though the highest density of fishermen is below Oxbow Park. Rafters use the waters in the warmest months of the year. Parking is heavily restricted in several areas from May 1st to November 1st. Private property makes it difficult to navigate without trespassing.
Possible bigfoot activity from the surrounding area:
There are many stories from the area, as well as a few reports that were investigated. I'm even aware of a property that was sold because the owners thought it was haunted. Howls, screams, and pounding were occasionally heard, and objects seemingly moved around the yard overnight. Weird stuff was happening which the owners couldn't explain, so they left. The City of Portland eagerly bought the property and moved the boundary of the Bull Run Watershed back to encompass the land.
The property is just a few miles from the location of the sighting report I investigated for the BFRO above. It is in a wooded area above a small creek that eventually flows into the Sandy River a short distance away. Farms and homesteads dot the landscape, most of which are between five and forty acres in size.
In early April 2009, fishermen on the west bank of the Sandy River saw a large rock fall from a great height, splashing into the water nearby them. Not believing in bigfoots, their only explanation is that someone was dropping rocks out of planes. If it wasn't that, then somebody threw a large rock in a great arc from the opposite side of the river, which couldn't be done. (Could they be underestimating the 'squatch?) No sasquatch was seen, but this occurred within a mile of the sighting location from July 2008.
A pond containing carp, trout,
geese, frogs,
and other tasty morsels.
Strange things have occurred on the property, possibly indicating the occasional presence of sasquatches:
In August of 2008 while having a cigarette on the balcony, TR's girlfriend saw something dimly glimmering in the woods followed by a large shadow darting from the woods to behind the pond area. The shadow was upright and estimated at over seven feet tall.
Coyotes, deer, and other mammals frequently visit the property, and any passing animal catches the attention of the several dogs that live there. Every once in a while, the dogs act nervous about whatever is outside. This occurred in the fall of 2008, and TR found himself outside with a gun in his hand, convinced that there was a trespasser "messing with" him.
In late March, 2009, TR was up late working, as he often does. He got quite a start when he heard a loud thump "like a sledgehammer" hitting the outside of the house. TR said it was loud, and that "there was no mistaking it." TR went outside to find the tree or giant limb that he thought had fallen on his home, possibly damaging it, but nothing was found. The air was still and quiet and no source was ever detected.
In April of 2009, a goose and its clutch of eggs went missing. It is uncertain what the predator is that claimed these prizes, but it seems worth mentioning.
On the night of May 7, 2009, the property owner's girlfriend was alone at the house, smoking a cigarette on the porch when she heard what sounded like children playing in the creek ravine that borders the property. It was about 12:30 am, so she thought it was strange. Soon, the playing noises turned into a wailing scream that repeated itself for nearly two minutes. I have spoken to TR, and we agreed to obtain a digital recording device to have on the property at all times.
Steps to gather data:
This property has had trail cameras deployed nearly continuously since the fall of 2008. While no sasquatch photographs have yet been obtained, the effort continues. Luckily, TR is aware that this is a long-term project potentially taking years to get results (if ever), and has agreed to help in any way he can.
I have attempted to place my cameras in locations that are man-made, yet part of the landscape. Interestingly, most of the wildlife caught on film seem to be paying attention to the camera.
The "tire-cam" was obvious to all animals.
Steps have been taken to reach out to the community in an effort to gather more information about the local sasquatches. This page will be updated as needed.
Some trail camera results:
What you can do:
It is my belief that properties are visited by sasquatches more often than most might think. These animals move stealthily under the cover of darkness, and probably drop by rural properties and raid obvious food supplies on an occasional, yet regular basis. Small amounts of food can be stolen without drawing the attention of the property owners. More often than not, a property owner in this situation would blame the other, more common wildlife for the theft.
Property owners who think they are experiencing visits from a sasquatch can take steps to obtain data that would be useful for those studying these animals. If you think that you have a nocturnal visitor, or are experiencing strange things on and around your property, I'd be interested in hearing about it. Perhaps I can help you obtain compelling evidence for the existence of the sasquatch.
Rest assured, I do not wish to harm a sasquatch in any way. I only use passive techniques for bigfooting. All witness identities will be withheld from reports.
Feel free to contact me using the "contact/volunteer" link to the left.