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Pinnacles National Monument → Felton → Glendale 423 mi (680.8 km) |
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Ram ho bä rü khä hü, everyone!
That means “Hi, how’s it going?” in Bigfootese. I hope. We’ll ask Scott Nelson when his book is published. Anyway… Way up in the redwoods north of Santa Cruz, past the point where some mysterious interference causes the GPS to direct me two ways down the same, nonexistent road at once (spooky!), there sits a tiny shack on the side of the highway called the Bigfoot Discovery Museum. In it resides a treasure trove of Bigfoot paraphernalia from across time and space, including its very own Bigfoot soundtrack! What’s most unique and special about it, however, is the curator, Mike Rugg, a man as full of surprises as the creature he studies. (He plays the dulcimer, of all things!)
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In my two-hour conversation with Stanford-educated Mike, I learned more about the people involved in the search for Bigfoot than I did about the ape creature itself. For instance, it’s not so easy to divide people along the lines of believers and non-believers. There are scientists, capitalists, hoaxers, and antagonists (one step beyond skeptics). These latter characters have hand-delivered epithets, accusations of being part of a cult, and several hoax attempts to humiliate poor Mike, who traded in a cushy job in Silicon Valley to follow his passion! I think that’s just mean. Nonetheless, Mike hasn’t fallen for any hoaxes, and he’s become sort of a counselor for other researchers, warning them if he suspects fraud involved with their leads. Though met with mixed reactions, he persists in his research with a tenacity as long as his hair, which he is growing until Bigfoot is officially discovered. It’s pretty long!
Mike says the question now is not a matter of whether Bigfoot exists, but rather how many species there are, what their range is, and how they have managed to stay hidden for all this time. He brought up some points I had not considered before, such as how Patty (you’ve seen her; she’s the most famous Bigfoot of all!) moves across Bluff Creek in such a manner that defies costume technology of the late 60s, when the Patterson-Gimlin film was shot. He pointed out the flexing calves and triceps, even the gluteus maximus, all without a hint of creasing fabric! He showed me the remains of a molar the size of a penny when it was whole! It got broken, though, when he sent it to a scientist in Texas for DNA testing. It turns out, she’s decided her discovery, if any, should belong to her alone, so she’s requiring all sample submitters to sign a contract forfeiting their proprietary rights to their samples! Apparently, the showdown for Bigfoot won’t even take place in the woods!
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Sadly, there isn’t a lot of money to be made at a Bigfoot museum, and Mike isn’t sure he’ll still be in business by this time next year. He’s been duped by people claiming to be fundraisers, he’s lost his house, and soon enough, he may have nothing but his van. I like to think that, when he moves out into the forest, that’s when the Bigfeet will come forward and say “Hey! What took you so long?” but who is to say for sure? Should you find yourself in the Santa Cruz area and don’t want to fight the crowds at the Mystery Spot, go pay Mike a visit. Regardless of your beliefs, you’ll learn a lot. Admission is free, but for Bigfoot’s sake, help a guy out!
Into the woods!
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Total Ground Covered: 687 mi (1,105.7 km) |
More 2011 Adventures |