September 2009 Camping Trip - 1

This particular camping trip will always be remembered because of its "uniqueness". Perhaps it was the morning sky that first foretold of this impending adventure... but one doesn't really know for sure.

*** Click on the pictures to make them larger for viewing ***

Red Sky at morning... Campers take Warning!

Let's just say that a chance encounter, will help to carry on a long time Pacific Northwest mystery in its own right, which is known by the name of Yeti, Sasquatch, or Bigfoot. For those of you who are skeptical or less adventurous, you may stop reading now. For those of you who love "Excitement", the trill of the "Unknown", and story's of "Legends" and "Tall Tales"... then continue reading at your own peril, you have been Warned!

Bigfoot Sighting!!!

Our trip started off as most normally do, except for the fact that we were joining our daughter and her husband (Kelly & Jeremy), on their 8th Wedding Anniversary outing. Karen was actually suppose to be working during this time, but she was able to find a couple of people to cover for her on her shift, so we were able to join Kelly & Jeremy on their camping trip to our favorite campground... Fisherman's Bend.

Jeremy & Kelly at their campsite 7A

Our Campsite 7B


The backside of site 7B

As I stated earlier, this is our favorite local area campground to stay at. Not only are the campsites huge (complete with Full-Hookups), there are several miles of nature trails for hiking on, which are full of wild flowers in the Spring. Of course for Abby, the North Santiam River is available for swimming in as well.

One of the many trails...


Kelly & Jeremy stop for a photo along the way


And there are raised boardwalks and bridges for the wetter areas

The North Santaim river flows right beside the campground, and is a favorite fishing area for trout, salmon, and steelhead. Abby could care less about all of that though... just as long as she can swim for a stick.

Heaven at last...


Come on... throw it some more!


Here it comes...

Karen and I took along a bottle of Champagne to celebrate with Kelly & Jeremy, and we toasted to their marriage, good life & happiness, and many long years to come.

A toast...

In the evenings we made a fire and talked, and for one after-dinner-dessert, we actually made SMORES! Yummmmmmmmm!!! It had been a long time since Karen and I enjoyed smores, but I don't think we'll be waiting as long for the next ones.

Both our campsites were located together in a Pull-Through site. However, the brush is so thick, that you can't even see the site of the person next to you. And when the morning and afternoon light comes down through the trees, it makes the Vine Maples trees light up.

Bright green leaves on the Vine Maple trees

We also discovered an interesting looking fungus. It almost looks as if they're "Toasted Marshmallows". Although... I don't think they'd taste like one.

Fungus growing on a piece of wood

But the most interesting thing we saw (and the reason for this story), was a notice placed all around the Fisherman's Bend campground. It appears that "Bigfoot" is in this area, and that it had been sighted many times during the Summer. They wanted to make sure that all the campers were aware of the situation, and posted the following bulletin everywhere within the campground:

*** Posted Notice all around the Campground ***

Although we never actually met this mythical creature in person... one always had the feeling that something was there watching you though the thickness of the forest. Then at night, those strange grunting and howling noises penetrated the silence (especially at the darkest hours). And while making smores by the campfire at night... one could almost make-out the glowing eyes of some large bipedal creature in the blackness. This was all enough to give you chills and make the hair stand up on the back of your neck and arms. Had our son Kevin been along on this camping trip... every night would have been filled with terror and sleeplessness.

With all of the story's from hundreds of years of Native American legends, and the more recent and countless sightings (including grainy movies and pictures, and a little Photoshop trickery), one has to stop and really ask this question... "Where does Bigfoot sleep?"

In all honesty, I can tell you he doesn't sleep in a NuWa HitchHiker trailer (although some may argue about that)! :-)

Happy trails...

-Gary & Karen-