1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,000 On this episode of Expedition X. 2 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:08,000 That canyon looks exceptionally dangerous. 3 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:14,000 Something has been reported stocking the slopes of Mount St. Helens for a century. 4 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:19,000 The night of the attack, creatures are trying to beat their way in and they started shooting. 5 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:22,000 Could it be an undiscovered primate? 6 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:26,000 Something dug out the earth marking its territory. 7 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:29,000 With ferocious strength. 8 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:34,000 Something had grabbed the fur and just kind of ripped it off. 9 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:37,000 We recruit renowned cryptid hunters. 10 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:39,000 Let's see if we can hear something out back. 11 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:41,000 Woo! 12 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:45,000 And a reconnaissance vehicle with all the bells and whistles. 13 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:50,000 We have a turret up top with a thermal imaging system, the equivalent of the military Black Hawk helicopter. 14 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:52,000 To unearth the truth. 15 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:54,000 There's something right there. 16 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:56,000 Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah! 17 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:57,000 Oh, f***! 18 00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:59,000 Okay. 19 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:01,000 Hidden. 20 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:03,000 We're not alone. 21 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:05,000 In the Canyon of the Apes. 22 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:08,000 My name is Josh Gates. 23 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:15,000 In my travels, I've experienced strange things that defy logic and made me question everything. 24 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:17,000 Oh my god. 25 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:22,000 Now, I've put together a team to investigate the stranger side of the unknown. 26 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:24,000 Let's go! 27 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:28,000 Michael Torres is a scientist who hunts for rational explanations. 28 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:31,000 This is the corner for naturally found snowstorms. 29 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:36,000 Jessica Chobot's paranormal research has made her a true believer. 30 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:37,000 Bill, do you see that? 31 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:39,000 I just saw some papers across. 32 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:46,000 Together, we're searching for answers to the world's most extraordinary mysteries. 33 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:49,000 This is Expedition X. 34 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:58,000 Okay, so when you think of famous American monsters, what do you think of? 35 00:01:58,000 --> 00:01:59,000 Mothman. 36 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:00,000 Harrier. 37 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:01,000 Eww. 38 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:03,000 I'm guessing we're talking about Bigfoot here. 39 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:04,000 We are! 40 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:05,000 Come on, get excited, Phil. 41 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:09,000 We're talking Bigfoot, Sasquatch, the king of the American cryptids, 42 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:14,000 and much of that fame is due to a single piece of film. 43 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:19,000 The Patterson-Gimlin film, which was shot in 1967 in Northern California. 44 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:23,000 And even today, more than half a century later, it still reigns supreme 45 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:27,000 as one of the most compelling and controversial pieces of evidence out there. 46 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:30,000 Still, for my money, is a guy in an eight-man costume. 47 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:31,000 It's never been fully debunked. 48 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:35,000 Okay, so whatever the truth is, most people do think of that film 49 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:38,000 as the thing that put Bigfoot on the map of American folklore. 50 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:43,000 But it is far from the first reported encounter to make headline news. 51 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:44,000 Check this out. 52 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:48,000 Nearly a hundred years ago, on the slopes of Mount St. Helens, 53 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:52,000 in Washington State, something really, really bizarre happened. 54 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:53,000 These are actual headlines. 55 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:58,000 Trappers' Cabin Bombarded at Night by Ape Men Eight Feet Tall. 56 00:02:58,000 --> 00:02:59,000 Ooh, I like mine. 57 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:02,000 Expedition ready to begin hunt for mountain devils. 58 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:03,000 Yeah. 59 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:06,000 How about strange beasts attack miners? 60 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:08,000 Whatever it was that happened to these miners happened a long time 61 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:11,000 before the term Bigfoot was ever coined. 62 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:17,000 According to locals in Washington State, these creatures may still be up there. 63 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:22,000 1924, gold prospectors flocked to the slopes of Mount St. Helens 64 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:24,000 hoping to strike it rich. 65 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:29,000 But a few of them encounter something else hidden in the volcano's thick forest. 66 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:34,000 According to reports, five men find a promising spot along a treacherous slope 67 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:39,000 where they build a cabin and establish a small gold mining operation. 68 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:44,000 But one day, they claim to spot a frightening figure across the canyon, 69 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:48,000 standing at nearly seven feet tall with blackish-brown hair. 70 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:54,000 The men shoot at the creature, but it disappears into the woods. 71 00:03:54,000 --> 00:04:00,000 The miners are so unnerved by what they see, they agree to abandon the cabin at first light. 72 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:07,000 But in the dead of night, the cabin reportedly comes under siege, bombarded by rocks. 73 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:14,000 The miners catch a glimpse of their attackers, which appear to be large, bipedal primates. 74 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:20,000 The miners shoot in defense, but the assault rages on through the night. 75 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:24,000 At first light, the five men flee the cabin. 76 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:28,000 But legend says one of the creatures follows in pursuit. 77 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:33,000 It is said one miner gets off a shot, sending it toppling to the ground. 78 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:37,000 Back in town, their story becomes front-page news, 79 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:43,000 and the remote gorge where the incident allegedly took place becomes known as Eight Canyon. 80 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:49,000 Expeditions are soon launched into the wilderness for evidence of the beasts, but little is found. 81 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:56,000 However, in the ensuing century, sightings in this region have not only continued, but increased. 82 00:04:56,000 --> 00:05:02,000 Blood-curdling howls and large footprints are consistently reported along the Eight Canyon Trail 83 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:05,000 that winds through old growth forest. 84 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:09,000 Locals regularly find mutilated deer in the area. 85 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:11,000 The skull has been crushed. 86 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:18,000 And hikers recently reported seeing three hulking primates and claimed to capture them on video, 87 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:24,000 with modern sightings on the rise and an alleged cabin attack stretching back nearly a century. 88 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:30,000 Believers contend that Eight Canyon is ground zero for the American Sasquatch. 89 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:34,000 Are these stories just local folklore or something real? 90 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:40,000 To believers, this area marks the true origin of the creature we now call Bigfoot. 91 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:45,000 So what do you think? 92 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:50,000 Just the history alone of what the miners went through and their story to me is super compelling. 93 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:52,000 I just think it sounds like a perfect story to tell over campfire. 94 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:54,000 Well, a couple things to remember. 95 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:58,000 First off, these five miners, they didn't seem to profit off this in any way. 96 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:02,000 They were ridiculed in the press and they stuck to their story. 97 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:06,000 And according to authorities, we're genuinely terrified by whatever they encountered. 98 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:10,000 And I think that's an excellent point because why make up a story like this for no reason? 99 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:15,000 Well, I don't know the answer to that, but what evidence do we really have that this even happened at all? 100 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:17,000 We don't. And that's where you come in, right? 101 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:23,000 If this isn't made up, if this isn't a yarn, this would be a really compelling and important mass sighting. 102 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:24,000 Got a whole group of people here. 103 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:27,000 But the fact is we don't even know if the cabin is real. 104 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:31,000 We find out where these men were, find the remains of that cabin. 105 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:34,000 That would go a long way to at least putting some meat on the bone here. 106 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:36,000 Plus, what about all those recent reports too? 107 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:37,000 Exactly. 108 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:41,000 So I want you guys to dig in and see what you can make of all of this. 109 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:44,000 And to give you some help, I'm going to link you up with Matt Moneymaker, 110 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:46,000 the lead investigator of the Finding Bigfoot team. 111 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:50,000 Nobody knows more about Bigfoot stories than him. 112 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:52,000 I love Moneymaker. I've actually worked with them before in the past. 113 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:53,000 Happy squatching. 114 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:54,000 Awesome. 115 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:55,000 Let's do this. 116 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:59,000 The team flies cross country from New York to Portland, Oregon, 117 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:03,000 just across the Washington border from Mount St. Helens, 118 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:06,000 and the gorge known as Ape Canyon. 119 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:11,000 Ooh, it's pretty out here. 120 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:12,000 So amazing. 121 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:18,000 To me as a biologist, what I think is the coolest thing about Mount St. Helens is that it has been studied extensively. 122 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:25,000 It was so destroyed that scientists were able to measure and observe how it came back to life. 123 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:33,000 In 1980, a magnitude 5.1 earthquake triggered the most destructive volcanic eruption in U.S. history. 124 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:39,000 The lateral blast from Mount St. Helens scorched 230 square miles of forest 125 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:44,000 and spewed 900,000 tons of ash 12 miles high. 126 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:48,000 57 people lost their lives along with thousands of animals. 127 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:52,000 The devastation hit the northern slopes of the mountain hardest, 128 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:58,000 but much of the old growth forest to the south and east, including Ape Canyon, was spared. 129 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:04,000 So in theory, if an undiscovered species really has lived in that area for nearly 100 years, 130 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:10,000 it's possible they survived the eruption and even thrived in the remote wilderness ever since. 131 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:20,000 So let me ask you, as a biologist and a scientist, is there anything out here that could explain these sightings? 132 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:23,000 Bears. It matches the description so well. 133 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:27,000 Washington State is home to upwards of 30,000 American black bears. 134 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:33,000 Hikers often spot bears along trails in this area, sometimes even standing up right on their hind legs. 135 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:38,000 If I had to bet, many of the alleged Bigfoot sightings could just be smoky the bear. 136 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:44,000 I know you're a skeptic, but this is the perfect habitat for a Bigfoot. 137 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:47,000 Because this stuff is thick and vast. 138 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:50,000 I feel like we could have this conversation a million times, Jess, 139 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:53,000 but there's one conversation I feel like we need to have. 140 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:54,000 What? 141 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:56,000 You're really sticking to that hat? 142 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:58,000 What are you talking about? 143 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:03,000 Are you trying to, like, if a Bigfoot sees you, then it'll recognize you as one of its kind? 144 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:11,000 No, I just don't understand why I can't also be fashionable while finding a Bigfoot. 145 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:18,000 Phil, Jess, and the furry hat arrive at the North American Bigfoot Center. 146 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:24,000 It's not exactly the Museum of Natural History, but it is one of the largest Sasquatch museums in the world. 147 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:25,000 Hello. 148 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:26,000 Cool. 149 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:27,000 Look at this. 150 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:29,000 Wow. 151 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:30,000 This is cool. 152 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:37,000 The exhibit houses an impressive collection of mysterious primate footprint casts collected in the region. 153 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:42,000 There's even a life-size display of Bigfoot that's anatomically accurate. 154 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:44,000 Well, supposedly. 155 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:45,000 And? 156 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:46,000 I checked. 157 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:47,000 It's got big feet. 158 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:49,000 That's what you checked, huh? 159 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:54,000 While Phil deals with his foot envy, we meet up with my old friend, Matt Moneymaker. 160 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:55,000 Hello. 161 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:56,000 Hello. 162 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:57,000 How are you? 163 00:09:57,000 --> 00:09:58,000 Good. 164 00:09:58,000 --> 00:09:59,000 How are you doing? 165 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:00,000 Very good. 166 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:01,000 It's been a while. 167 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:02,000 Yeah, I know. 168 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:08,000 I joined Matt several years ago, searching for Sasquatch near Shaver Lake, California. 169 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:14,000 He's a legend in the world of Bigfoot exploration and founded the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization. 170 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:15,000 And this is Mark Mircelle. 171 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:18,000 He's the eight-canyon expert for the area. 172 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:19,000 Wow. 173 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:20,000 Perfect. 174 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:24,000 Mark Mircelle has spent decades researching and writing about unexplained historical events, 175 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:30,000 and his fascination began after his extensive study of the 1924 eight-canyon attack. 176 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:35,000 I've never heard of attacks that hardcore before, so that's not normal. 177 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:37,000 No, that's unusual. 178 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:40,000 Have people actually found the cabin that they claimed they stayed in? 179 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:41,000 No. 180 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:46,000 Because my thing is, like, if we can't actually find the cabin or evidence of the cabin, 181 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:50,000 then how do we even know that this happened at all? 182 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:53,000 What we have is a basket full of clues. 183 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:58,000 Right after the attack, two or three journalists actually went up to the cabin site. 184 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:01,000 One journalist was a guy named Jack Gregory. 185 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:10,000 He gave us in his articles sort of a narrative of how he traveled enough to get us in the right location to at least start looking. 186 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:17,000 On July 20th, 1924, journalist Jack Gregory publishes an article about an expedition to not only find the cabin, 187 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:20,000 but also, as he puts it, wild apes. 188 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:28,000 He details his journey down a sharp cliff face into eight canyon and claimed to find the cabin site on a flat ledge about 700 feet down. 189 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:31,000 Well, we want to get to eight canyon. 190 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:33,000 We want to see if the cabin is there. 191 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:40,000 But it sounds like this cabin place, if it exists at all, is going to be pretty high up of volcano. 192 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:42,000 But we've got a plan. 193 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:55,000 Phil and I have arranged a chopper to take us, Matt and Mark, along the steep slopes of Mount St. Helens to attempt to identify the location of the fabled cabin site. 194 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:03,000 With recent Bigfoot sightings and eight canyon, if we can find proof of the cabin's existence, 195 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:07,000 the site would not only mark the first documented report of a sasquatch, 196 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:14,000 but also help prove that these creatures have inhabited the forests around Mount St. Helens for nearly a century. 197 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:25,000 That is if the high winds stop banging us around. 198 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:42,000 That's a choppy air. 199 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:44,000 Get ready for fun rides, Matt. 200 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:46,000 Whoa, f***! 201 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:48,000 How are the conditions looking? 202 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:50,000 A little bit shaky. 203 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:52,000 Yeah, you can say that. 204 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:56,000 Hey Jess, if you're going to puke, puke out the window, please. 205 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:58,000 Oh gosh! 206 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:02,000 Alright, eight canyon on the left. 207 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:04,000 We've got eight canyon! 208 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:06,000 Whoa, whoa, whoa! 209 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:07,000 Wow! 210 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:10,000 That canyon looks exceptionally dangerous. 211 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:17,000 Eight canyon is a steep walled gorge that plunges two and a half miles down the southeast shoulder of Mount St. Helens. 212 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:20,000 So where do we think the cabin would be? 213 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:25,000 On the left-hand side of this of our deep canyon, that's where we need to be looking for the cabin right now. 214 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:28,000 Hmm, this side is steep. 215 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:38,000 According to one journalist who claimed to visit the cabin site in 1924, the cabin was located down the side of the canyon about 700 feet from the top. 216 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:48,000 But I can't exactly by that miners were attacked by Sasquatches at their cabin unless we find actual evidence that this place even existed in the first place. 217 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:50,000 Well, you know, they didn't have access to dynamite. 218 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:57,000 They were using it mainly to blast out the mine itself, but they would have also used it to make the cabin look like it was a cave. 219 00:13:57,000 --> 00:14:03,000 But they would have also used it to blast out an area to the side of the hill to have a flat space to be able to build the cabin. 220 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:07,000 Okay, so we should be looking for a flat area. 221 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:12,000 At first glance, a cabin has no business being hidden along this steep canyon. 222 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:14,000 But this might have been strategic. 223 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:24,000 In 1891, German immigrants discovered extensive deposits of precious metals on the slopes of Mount St. Helens, sparking a wave of gold fever. 224 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:35,000 Over the next several decades, thousands of miners poured into the area, forcing many prospectors to climb higher up the steep slopes of the mountain to stake a claim of their own. 225 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:38,000 Are you seeing anything yet? 226 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:39,000 Nothing yet. 227 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:44,000 I don't see anything. 228 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:46,000 Wait, look right there. 229 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:51,000 So I see a little flat area, a flat ish area. 230 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:52,000 Oh yeah, I do. 231 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:55,000 Maybe it's this area right here, anywhere along that ridge. 232 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:57,000 That's about 700 feet. 233 00:14:57,000 --> 00:15:01,000 Well, obviously there's nowhere to put a chopper down on that ridge. 234 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:06,000 The area we've identified matches the only description of the cabin site ever documented. 235 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:11,000 It's hard to get a sense of how big that shelf is from the air, but I'm determined to find out firsthand. 236 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:16,000 I want to get on the ground to see if we can find any evidence of the cabin, because I've not seen anything from up here. 237 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:20,000 Maybe me and Mark could hike up, and then you guys could tackle from down below. 238 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:21,000 Yeah, that works. 239 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:22,000 Yep. 240 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:24,000 I like that plan. 241 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:27,000 Back on the ground, we'll split up to maximize our efforts. 242 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:34,000 Jess and Matt will head into the valley of Ape Canyon at a lower elevation to start hunting for any evidence of Bigfoot in the area. 243 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:43,000 Meanwhile, Mark and I have a very long hike, 4,000 feet up the mountain to reach the coordinates of the potential cabin site we spotted from the air. 244 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:48,000 And the whole way, we need to keep an eye out for bears, cougars, and these guys. 245 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:50,000 Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, look at that. 246 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:51,000 Look what we got. 247 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:53,000 We got two mountain goats ahead of us. 248 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:55,000 Yep, keep your distance. 249 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:59,000 Last year here in Washington, just north of here, a hiker was hiking. 250 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:01,000 The goat didn't want them there, and the goat killed him. 251 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:02,000 Oh boy. 252 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:07,000 When we walk through here, we need to keep one eye on the trail and one eye on those goats. 253 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:08,000 Okay. 254 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:16,000 As we gain elevation, we've hit a dense, old growth forest filled with towering trees. 255 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:25,000 Many of these massive timbers are over 500 years old, so it's clear this thick forest was spared from the catastrophic eruption in 1980. 256 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:31,000 We are going higher and higher up here. 257 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:32,000 How much higher we got? 258 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:34,000 Probably another 600 feet. 259 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:39,000 After hiking for hours, we reach a dangerous dead end. 260 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:42,000 Whoa. 261 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:43,000 Check this out. 262 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:44,000 Whoa. 263 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:46,000 This is a canyon fill. 264 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:47,000 We've arrived. 265 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:48,000 Wow. 266 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:50,000 We are in the clouds up here. 267 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:53,000 We're at about 4,000 foot elevation right now. 268 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:57,000 So you think somewhere down there is where the cabin was? 269 00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:59,000 Hopefully, and that's why we're here. 270 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:00,000 All right. 271 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:04,000 With darkness nearly upon us, it's too dangerous to repel down into the canyon tonight. 272 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:05,000 What do you say? 273 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:06,000 Let's set up tents. 274 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:07,000 Maybe we get a fire going. 275 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:11,000 So Mark and I will establish a base camp and contact Jess and Matt. 276 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:20,000 Okay, so Ape Canyon is kind of across and to the right. 277 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:26,000 After an hour of hiking, Matt and I are finally in position at the bottom of Ape Canyon after dark. 278 00:17:26,000 --> 00:17:31,000 Approximately 2,500 feet directly below Phil and Mark's position. 279 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:37,000 And based on recent reports, this is the prime location to investigate. 280 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:38,000 Should we bust out the fliers? 281 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:40,000 That might be a good idea. 282 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:45,000 So I'm busting out the FLIR camera to help identify any heat signatures moving in the brush. 283 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:51,000 Phil, you copy? 284 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:53,000 You ever hear of you? 285 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:54,000 Awesome. 286 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:57,000 Okay, well we're in position, so we're ready to get started. 287 00:17:57,000 --> 00:17:58,000 Perfect. 288 00:17:58,000 --> 00:17:59,000 So, what you guys plan? 289 00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:02,000 We're going to kick off some howls here on our end. 290 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:05,000 And I want you to let us know if you hear anything reply. 291 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:06,000 Copy that. 292 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:07,000 All right. 293 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:08,000 We'll be listening. 294 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:10,000 Sounds good. 295 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:11,000 Here we go. 296 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:17,000 Matt is literally mimicking what he believes is the sound of a big foot howl. 297 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:23,000 He thinks these creatures communicate with one another over great distances, much like a coyote pack. 298 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:30,000 I'm keeping my eye on the FLIR to see if these calls draw anything in. 299 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:35,000 That sounded fantastic. 300 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:37,000 Yeah, the echoing's real good. 301 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:39,000 So it's going to carry a long way around. 302 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:42,000 Phil, did you hear Matt's howl up there? 303 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:43,000 But we hear you. 304 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:44,000 Okay, cool. 305 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:56,000 Have you guys heard anything respond? 306 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:00,000 You hear anything? 307 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:02,000 No. 308 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:03,000 Nothing yet. 309 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:05,000 I think we should just give it another shot. 310 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:06,000 Do you mind if I try? 311 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:07,000 It's been a while. 312 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:08,000 Okay. 313 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:13,000 Okay, Phil, Jess is going to do one of her screams. 314 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:14,000 Copy that. 315 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:15,000 We'll be listening for it. 316 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:16,000 Okay. 317 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:26,000 I heard it. 318 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:27,000 I heard it. 319 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:29,000 That was crazy. 320 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:31,000 What did we just hear? 321 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:32,000 I don't know. 322 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:33,000 Perhaps coyotes. 323 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:35,000 You think this I am? 324 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:37,000 That's a good point. 325 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:38,000 I don't know. 326 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:39,000 Maybe not. 327 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:40,000 I don't know. 328 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:50,000 Oh, I just saw something move. 329 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:54,000 We're not alone. 330 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:04,000 We're moving. 331 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:08,000 What did you see? 332 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:09,000 I don't know. 333 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:10,000 It just moved from right to left. 334 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:12,000 It just kind of like went across. 335 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:15,000 It was right coming through here. 336 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:21,000 Oh, look, look, look. 337 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:26,000 Oh, where did it go? 338 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:28,000 Damn it. 339 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:32,000 Phil and Mark are near what could be the location of the cabin, 340 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:37,000 where the first alleged Bigfoot sighting was reported in 1924. 341 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:42,000 Jess and Matt are 2,500 feet below them in the valley of Ape Canyon, 342 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:45,000 a hotbed for recent Sasquatch sightings. 343 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:51,000 That hurts rock. 344 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:58,000 Well, let's just see what it was. 345 00:20:58,000 --> 00:20:59,000 Hang on. 346 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:01,000 Look at that. 347 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:02,000 Oh, yeah. 348 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:04,000 That is fresh scat. 349 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:06,000 Look at this. 350 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:13,000 And look, almost looks like something dug out the earth. 351 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:17,000 It seems like something was marking its territory with this scat. 352 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:18,000 What's your guess? 353 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:19,000 Is it herbivore? 354 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:22,000 It's pellity like a deer, I know. 355 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:24,000 It is a little pellity. 356 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:27,000 Look, we got real pellet scat right here. 357 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:28,000 Yeah. 358 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:29,000 This is something different. 359 00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:31,000 This almost seems more omnivore. 360 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:36,000 Hey, guys, we got something up here. 361 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:42,000 Very, very fresh scat with some like scratch markings right below it. 362 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:45,000 Of course Phil would find the Pope. 363 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:48,000 We have a sample that we could send back to analyze 364 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:50,000 and just at least see what it is. 365 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:53,000 Whatever left this scat behind could still be in the area. 366 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:55,000 So after collecting our sample, 367 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:58,000 Mark and I continue searching for anything out of the ordinary. 368 00:21:58,000 --> 00:21:59,000 All right, let's keep it going. 369 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:00,000 All right. 370 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:05,000 After another hour of investigating, the forest has gone quiet. 371 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:07,000 I'm not seeing anything. 372 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:12,000 Before calling it a night, I set up a few trap cameras. 373 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:16,000 Maybe whatever I picked up on thermal will come out of the area. 374 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:20,000 As the sun rises on the next day, Mark and I set off to investigate a flat area 375 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:24,000 along the sheer ape canyon cliff that we discovered from the air. 376 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:26,000 Oh, wow. 377 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:29,000 We're searching for any physical evidence of a cabin 378 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:32,000 that was supposedly abandoned by a group of miners 379 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:34,000 who claimed they were attacked by Sasquatches. 380 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:36,000 I know Jess is already a believer, 381 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:38,000 but if I can find proof, I can find out. 382 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:41,000 I'm not sure if I can find any evidence of any of this. 383 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:42,000 I'm not sure. 384 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:43,000 I don't know. 385 00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:45,000 I know Jess is already a believer, 386 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:47,000 but if I can find proof the cabin was down there, 387 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:51,000 it would help convince me that this whole story isn't just another tall tale. 388 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:53,000 That is steep down there. 389 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:54,000 Yeah. 390 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:55,000 All right, let's get to it. 391 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:56,000 Let's go. 392 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:01,000 With Mark acting as my safety from above, 393 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:05,000 I'm starting my descent into ape canyon to search for the lost cabin. 394 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:08,000 It might not look like an ideal place for a gold mining venture, 395 00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:12,000 but throughout history, men have put their lives on the line, 396 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:15,000 blasting tunnels and trails into sheer mountain sides 397 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:18,000 with hopes of finding a potential fortune hidden in the earth. 398 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:26,000 This is a crazy story about miners being in here, 399 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:28,000 being attacked by Sasquatches, 400 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:34,000 but I think the craziest part is this damn descent into this canyon. 401 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:36,000 I mean, what were these people thinking? 402 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:38,000 This cabin better be here. 403 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:45,000 Okay, feeling good. 404 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:48,000 Just got like 200 more feet to go. 405 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:01,000 That's what I get for trying to calm down all fancy. 406 00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:06,000 At the bottom of my 700 foot descent, 407 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:11,000 there appears to be a small flat area hidden by a cluster of heavily leafed trees, 408 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:14,000 which explains why we couldn't see it from the helicopter. 409 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:20,000 Okay, well, I gotta admit this place doesn't look like much, 410 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:25,000 but it is at least flat, and especially flat for ape canyon. 411 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:31,000 So if these miners were to have a place to work to build a cabin, 412 00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:33,000 I mean, I feel like this gotta be it. 413 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:35,000 According to news articles, 414 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:40,000 the cabin was located on such a steep cliff that you needed a rope to get to it. 415 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:43,000 This location definitely lines up with that description. 416 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:46,000 We also know that it was a small basic cabin 417 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:49,000 made with logs, some wood planks, and building paper. 418 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:53,000 There's been countless snowstorms and windstorms and rainstorms, 419 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:57,000 but maybe there's something left behind that we could find. 420 00:24:57,000 --> 00:25:02,000 There'll be a bit of evidence to say at least some of that ape canyon story is true. 421 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:05,000 So let's get started. 422 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:09,000 Wood planks from the cabin are most certainly rotted away from the cold and damp climate here, 423 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:13,000 but there would have been nails or other metal hardware from the cabin. 424 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:17,000 On top of that, the miners would have been using metal sifting pans, hammers, 425 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:19,000 and other mining equipment here. 426 00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:25,000 So I'm going to use a metal detector to see if anything like that may have been left behind. 427 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:28,000 God, what's not something here? 428 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:32,000 Oh! 429 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:37,000 Okay, got something here. 430 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:41,000 What the hell? 431 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:49,000 Phil is in ape canyon on the eastern slopes of Mount St. Helens. 432 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:53,000 Oh! 433 00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:58,000 Okay, got something here. 434 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:06,000 Searching for evidence and investigating the 100-year-old legend of the first reported Bigfoot attack. 435 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:08,000 Oh! 436 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:13,000 That's a rock. 437 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:20,000 That's another rock. 438 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:25,000 Hold up! 439 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:27,000 Oh my God, look at that! 440 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:31,000 That is 100% man-made. 441 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:36,000 Now you can see there'd be nails going in this side, there'd probably be nails going in this side. 442 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:42,000 This is a bracket that would hold pieces of wood together, pieces of wood like you would use to build a cabin. 443 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:44,000 And it is old! 444 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:46,000 Look at all that corrosion that we're getting here. 445 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:50,000 This thing is easily 50 to 100 years old. 446 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:56,000 The condition of this bracket makes it hard to date, but the one attached nail offers a clue. 447 00:26:56,000 --> 00:27:00,000 Because the material and the shapes of nails have changed over time, 448 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:05,000 archaeologists often will use a technique called nail chronology to date historical structures. 449 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:10,000 So there's a chance I'll be able to see just how old this really is. 450 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:14,000 And after finding the bracket, the floodgates open. 451 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:16,000 Wow! 452 00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:20,000 I find several more pieces of metal all very weathered and old. 453 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:27,000 I'll send all of these samples out for analysis to see if they date back to the same time as the alleged Bigfoot attack in 1924. 454 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:39,000 There's no way that it is just a coincidence that all of these really, really old pieces of metal ended up in this flat spot where purportedly there was a cat. 455 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:46,000 Now I'm not saying that that means Bigfoot is real and that they were attacked by Bigfoot, but something might have happened to them. 456 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:50,000 And we are in the right spot to figure out what it was. 457 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:56,000 Let me see what else I could find before I have to climb back up that cliff to then hike back down this volcano. 458 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:03,000 Phil's discovered potential evidence that there could have been a cabin in Ape Canyon, 459 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:09,000 which in my mind only corroborates the story of the Sasquatch attack in 1924. 460 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:13,000 Last night, we heard strange howls in the same canyon. 461 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:18,000 And I managed to capture something on thermal in the valley of Ape Canyon, 462 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:23,000 the same area where locals have reported large bipedal creatures. 463 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:27,000 We need to hit that location again even harder tonight. 464 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:33,000 But in such dense forest, we'll need even more surveillance tech and vehicles to navigate that terrain. 465 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:38,000 So we're hoping Josh can hook us up with the gear we need to finally get video evidence of these animals 466 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:43,000 to prove that they've been living in Ape Canyon since they were first reported a century ago. 467 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:13,000 The only other weird thing that happened to us Josh, you're gonna love this, I got some scat heading your way. 468 00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:18,000 Phil's been on the road for a while now, and I'm sure you'll be able to see it. 469 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:22,000 I'm not sure if you've heard of it, but I'm sure you've heard of it. 470 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:24,000 I'm sure you've heard of it. 471 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:26,000 I'm sure you've heard of it. 472 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:28,000 I'm sure you've heard of it. 473 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:30,000 I'm sure you've heard of it. 474 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:32,000 I'm sure you've heard of it. 475 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:34,000 I'm sure you've heard of it. 476 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:38,000 Josh, you're gonna love this, I got some scat heading your way. 477 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:40,000 Phil, why are you always mailing me sh**? 478 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:44,000 You know, if I find some mystery scat, I gotta throw it in a bag Josh. 479 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:48,000 Share the smell of the adventure a little bit. 480 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:51,000 Okay, well we'll send it to the lab and we'll see if we can idea it. 481 00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:57,000 I mean the bottom line is that we need to get back out to that spot with some upgraded tech as soon as possible. 482 00:29:57,000 --> 00:30:01,000 That way we can get a clean photo of whatever we saw and heard while it's still in the area. 483 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:03,000 Yeah, we could use all the backup we could get. 484 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:06,000 There's a guy up there I would love for you to link up with. 485 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:11,000 His name is Joe Bangeavani, not John Bonjovi, very easy to confuse. 486 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:15,000 This guy is like the Mount St. Helens Bigfoot authority. 487 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:19,000 He has been up there for years, he knows all the back country up there, 488 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:22,000 he has a huge array of investigation equipment. 489 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:25,000 I think meeting up with him could be invaluable for the next investigation. 490 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:26,000 Yeah, for sure. 491 00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:29,000 Okay, I'm gonna text you his info, good luck and stay safe out there, alright? 492 00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:30,000 We will. 493 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:31,000 You got it. 494 00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:32,000 Happy hunting. 495 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:39,000 With the team heading back to the valley of Ape Canyon where they already encountered something the other night. 496 00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:46,000 I'm calling in some backup that have designed state of the art tech specifically designed to search for Bigfoot. 497 00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:47,000 Well hello there. 498 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:48,000 Welcome. 499 00:30:48,000 --> 00:30:53,000 John Bangeavani, founder of the Cascade Sasquatch Research Organization, 500 00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:59,000 has been hunting Bigfoot since he claimed to have encountered one near Mount St. Helens in the year 2000. 501 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:09,000 And along with his colleague Jim Snodgrass built a custom Humvee equipped with over $120,000 worth of state of the art military grade, 502 00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:11,000 search and reconnaissance gear. 503 00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:17,000 It's the perfect vehicle for tracking at night when the majority of sightings take place. 504 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:22,000 Well I'm looking at this and I'm seeing a lot of things that do not look like typical modifications on a Humvee. 505 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:23,000 What do you set up here? 506 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:30,000 So one of the things that we've been doing looking for Bigfoot is to try and make us as not noticeable as possible. 507 00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:33,000 And the best way to do that is to not use any light. 508 00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:39,000 We have a turret up top with a thermal imaging system, the equivalent of a military Blackhawk helicopter. 509 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:42,000 And then there's an IR illumination system on it. 510 00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:45,000 We use this to look 360 degrees. 511 00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:51,000 The idea is that if we see something on thermal the operator can turn on an IR spotlight and light that target. 512 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:59,000 Most of the time we use that to eliminate the variables and say this wasn't a Bigfoot, this was something more common in life. 513 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:03,000 And then I drive using night vision equipment, all IR illumination. 514 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:05,000 So here's the plan for tonight. 515 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:11,000 We're targeting the area where I captured the large heat signature in the Valley of Ape Canyon. 516 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:16,000 I'll be on patrol in the tricked out Humvee to stay mobile in case we need to move fast. 517 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:22,000 If they manage to scare something up in the Humvee, I might be able to see it from my position. 518 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:30,000 I'll be surveilling the area from 100 feet over the forest floor in a tree stand in the middle of our search zone. 519 00:32:30,000 --> 00:32:32,000 This is pretty high. 520 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:39,000 Any big animal that's down below, when they're looking for any threats or any prey, they're going to be looking to the left and to the right. 521 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:42,000 They're not necessarily going to be looking up. 522 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:45,000 That's where I'll be if I can get there. 523 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:55,000 I'll also be equipped with a thermal camera to help me see anything that might be lurking below in the dark. 524 00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:57,000 Alright Jess, I'm up. 525 00:32:57,000 --> 00:33:00,000 Really, really good view up here. 526 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:04,000 If anything's moving down below here, I think I'm for sure going to get on the thermal. 527 00:33:04,000 --> 00:33:11,000 With our eye in the sky in place and the Humvee in stealth mode, we start our patrol. 528 00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:16,000 You can see that road real good, I hope. 529 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:18,000 I can see it perfectly. 530 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:27,000 And along with the Humvee's mounted thermal camera, we have multiple handheld thermal and IR cameras to help us spot anything hiding in the forest. 531 00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:29,000 Alright Phil, how you doing up there? 532 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:35,000 Alright, I'm settled. It is dark, it is time, but I got the fleer going. 533 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:43,000 We have all of our equipment running, so we're going to see what we can pick up. 534 00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:45,000 Alright, good luck. 535 00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:47,000 Thanks you too. 536 00:33:51,000 --> 00:33:53,000 Let's see what we got. 537 00:33:55,000 --> 00:34:01,000 This is trickier than it seems because I can't actually see where the edge of this platform is. 538 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:08,000 Because it's completely dark out here, this is the only light I have, so here's to not fall off the edge. 539 00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:14,000 I'm hoping we spot a big animal. 540 00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:17,000 Did you guys get any on your side? 541 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:20,000 I don't see anything ahead on Mayfusion. 542 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:22,000 Nothing yet here. 543 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:26,000 How about you Matt, are you getting anything on your end? 544 00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:28,000 Nothing over there. 545 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:32,000 Is that a...wait hang on, I think I saw something over there. 546 00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:34,000 Stop. 547 00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:47,000 Whatever Jim saw, we can't get a visual on it, so we're going to send out some calls and hopefully draw it out of hiding. 548 00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:50,000 Okay, let's see if we can hear something out back on us. 549 00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:54,000 You ready Jim and Joe? 550 00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:03,000 Oh, lots of echoes. 551 00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:15,000 Do you hear that? 552 00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:17,000 Something up the canyon. 553 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:18,000 Yeah. 554 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:19,000 Yeah. 555 00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:22,000 There's something right there. 556 00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:36,000 When the Ape Canyon story made headlines back in 1924, newspapers called the mysterious creature Ape Men, Beasts and even Mountain Devils. 557 00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:41,000 Because, well, the iconic name Bigfoot wouldn't be coined for another three decades. 558 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:49,000 In 1958, Jerry Crue, a bulldozer operator for a logging company, made a shocking discovery in Northern California. 559 00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:53,000 Unusually large human-like footprints in the mud. 560 00:35:53,000 --> 00:35:57,000 The Humboldt Times picked up the story and ran it on October 5, 1958. 561 00:35:57,000 --> 00:36:02,000 But it was the first time the name Bigfoot was officially put in print. 562 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:05,000 And so began a worldwide phenomenon. 563 00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:12,000 Sure, it was revealed in 2002 that hoaxers made those prints by walking around in oversized feet carved out of wood. 564 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:16,000 But hey, one fake event doesn't diminish a genius bit of branding. 565 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:19,000 So sorry, Mountain Devils, you got the boot. 566 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:21,000 Bigfoot is here to stay. 567 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:28,000 What the f*** is this? 568 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:30,000 There's something right there. 569 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:35,000 The team is searching for the truth behind sightings of Bigfoot in the shadow of Mount St. Helens. 570 00:36:35,000 --> 00:36:37,000 And the hunt is heating up. 571 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:39,000 Right there. 572 00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:40,000 Oh, yeah? 573 00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:41,000 Yeah. 574 00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:44,000 There's two. There's two. There's two. There's two. 575 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:48,000 There's that one that's big and there's one over here. 576 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:52,000 Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. 577 00:36:52,000 --> 00:36:53,000 Yup. 578 00:36:53,000 --> 00:37:05,000 I can't see it at all now. I think it took off. It's not there anymore. 579 00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:10,000 The two anomalous heat signatures are nowhere to be found. 580 00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:15,000 It's like they were watching us and once they realized we had eyes on them, they disappeared. 581 00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:18,000 The question is, where did they go? 582 00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:22,000 Nothing so far. 583 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:29,000 Oh, f***. 584 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:31,000 I think we got something. 585 00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:36,000 Is it moving though? Is the question... 586 00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:38,000 Yeah, I think it's moving. 587 00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:43,000 Oh, f***, we got something. What is that? 588 00:37:44,000 --> 00:37:51,000 Okay, I just heard Jess and Money Maker call the distance. 589 00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:53,000 I want to see if this thing reacts. 590 00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:56,000 Oh, it's changing directions. 591 00:37:57,000 --> 00:37:59,000 This is definitely an animal. 592 00:37:59,000 --> 00:38:03,000 F***, it's going behind this branch. 593 00:38:04,000 --> 00:38:05,000 Hang on. 594 00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:09,000 Try to... how do you stand on this thing? 595 00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:14,000 Come on. 596 00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:17,000 Okay. 597 00:38:17,000 --> 00:38:18,000 Okay. 598 00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:20,000 I think we'll stay low. 599 00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:22,000 From here on out. 600 00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:25,000 But I got it. 601 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:31,000 F***. 602 00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:36,000 Dammit. 603 00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:37,000 Come on, come on. 604 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:42,000 That slip may have cost me a chance to get a full picture of what's lurking around Ape Canyon. 605 00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:44,000 I don't know what this thing went. 606 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:47,000 Dammit, I think I lost it. 607 00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:59,000 If there were Sasquatches in the area, I think after they got a look at us, they moved on. 608 00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:01,000 That's so frustrating. 609 00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:10,000 We send out calls and continue to patrol the area into the early morning, but with no luck. 610 00:39:10,000 --> 00:39:13,000 Whatever was out here is long gone. 611 00:39:21,000 --> 00:39:22,000 You having fun, Phil? 612 00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:24,000 Not really. 613 00:39:24,000 --> 00:39:26,000 You guys, tree platform. 614 00:39:26,000 --> 00:39:28,000 That's a serious thing right there. 615 00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:29,000 Yes, it is. 616 00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:33,000 After a long, exhausting night, we call it quits. 617 00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:37,000 So we reconnect with Phil and head back to civilization. 618 00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:43,000 How did I have it in front of me and yet it still manages to get away? 619 00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:45,000 It's so frustrating. 620 00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:47,000 Welcome to Bigfoot. 621 00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:48,000 Right? 622 00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:56,000 For many people of the Pacific Northwest, the legend of Bigfoot is all too real. 623 00:39:57,000 --> 00:40:05,000 But is Ape Canyon, along the slopes of Mount St. Helens, truly ground zero for the origin story of the elusive creature 624 00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:07,000 known as Sasquatch? 625 00:40:11,000 --> 00:40:15,000 The team did capture multiple unidentified heat signatures on thermal cameras, 626 00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:20,000 but are they truly legendary beasts or just a known species? 627 00:40:21,000 --> 00:40:27,000 After lab analysis, the scat sample that Phil recovered turned out to be from a bear. 628 00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:33,000 However, after wildlife experts analyzed the strange sounds recorded in Ape Canyon, 629 00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:39,000 they could not be identified as a bear, wolf or coyote. 630 00:40:42,000 --> 00:40:47,000 In addition, the nail and metal fragments Phil discovered at the alleged cabin site 631 00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:52,000 all date back to late turn of the century, between 1900 and 1930. 632 00:40:52,000 --> 00:40:55,000 That is 100% man-made. 633 00:40:55,000 --> 00:41:02,000 This suggests the cabin did exist and miners were likely in this area at the time of the reported attack. 634 00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:07,000 This adds credibility to their story, but it doesn't close the case. 635 00:41:08,000 --> 00:41:13,000 However, the trap cameras just set up are still rolling right now. 636 00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:20,000 With all of the strange activity the team experienced in the area, something unknown could be out there. 637 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:28,000 So if a strange animal does inhabit Ape Canyon, we may be just one snap away from proving it.