Have you ever been hiking out away from civilization and had the eerie feeling that you are being watched? The hairs stand up on the back of your neck, there is a too-calm silence in the surrounding area. Something is out there. Something is watching. Some would say it is probably just in your head, others might say it is maybe a predator like a lion or bear nearby. But in Utah mountains, it could be something else…Big Foot! You might think it a farce or the imagination of some who aren’t all there. Those who have experienced these things are 100% sure that they have seen or encountered the creature. Do you believe?

The interesting thing about Big Foot experiences is that those who have seen them are often timid about retelling because they don’t want to seem crazy. The fear they experienced in their encounters is palpable in their retelling, you can feel it. The following are Big Foot stories retold by those who have had them. They are local big foot experiences from Utah. I am only using first names in the stories to keep it simple and protect identities. Many of these stories came from an interview I had with local Big Foot enthusiast, Dave Carver, and some videos he produced on YouTube called Dave’s Bigfoot Show, look it up if you would like more information.

The Sightings

Scare Canyon:

Bob, an avid hunter, was ironically returning back to camp after deer hunting in a locally monitored area, Scare Canyon. He was standing on the edge of a deep ravine and was looking across for a barbed wire fence that would give him bearing for his return. Out of his peripheral vision, he saw a creature coming up a path out of the ravine. He stared, being very familiar with animals of all sorts having encountered many things while out hunting, his brain could not register what he was seeing. It walked up the path out of the ravine not realizing Bob was there. When it got to the top the creature turned and looked at him, took off running about 10 paces and stopped and looked again. It was very tall and chestnut in color and as Bob describes it, graceful. It was only about 75-80 yards away. After looking at Bob, this Big Foot then took off running again and when it came to the fence, its stride nor gait changed, it just ran and passed over that fence like it wasn’t there. It ran about 200 yards straight away and then turned and went over a hill and into the trees. Bob has spent a lot of time in the mountains and has never seen anything like it before nor since.

Layton:

A quick search online, reveals quite a few videos from local locations all along the Wasatch Front. One is a video shot from a rooftop in Layton. The man was looking for deer and saw something strange. He quickly turned on his recorder to watch a large humanoid walking across an open section of the hillside. It appears to take large steps and though size cannot be determined, when the video zooms out for a minute, you can see how large the creature is from a distance. It stands out quite clearly. Is it Big Foot?

North Ogden Divide:

Driving from the Ogden Valley over the North Ogden Divide one night, David, Jamie and Nick saw something crossing the road ahead of them. It was very tall and hairy and appeared to be Big Foot. Nick who was driving thought someone had to be playing pranks on the road so he rolled down his window and hollered at the person to “Get Out Of The Road!” At which point the creature turned and looked at them and everything went silent. Jamie said the hair on the back of her neck went up and David seeing it from the back seat, said it was dark, hairy and very tall. The natural look of the hair and body meant it was not a costume. They were in such shock by the encounter that they didn’t even talk the rest of the way down the mountain, just cold, dead silence. They even struggled to talk about the incident afterwards.

Logan Canyon:

In 1990, Dusty, Kurt and Clint decided to go visit Utah State in Logan from the Ogden Valley. They drove around the back and down through Logan Canyon. Near the top of the mountain, Kurt needed to relieve himself quite badly and so they pulled over to go to the bathroom in the woods. The group spread out to do their business. Kurt had a nervous stutter when in a stressful situation. He started to loudly stutter, “Bi-bi.bi.big…” The other two followed in the direction of his pointed finger and up on the hillside a ways off among the scattered pines was a large, two legged, tall, hairy and brown man-like figure walking along. They watched the creature for 5 minutes in complete awe and silence. They didn’t feel fear because they were far enough away to not worry but it was mid day and in a secluded part of the canyon.

Local legends or a real Sasquatch? I don’t know. It is still unclear. I have to agree with some doubters who ask, why haven’t we seen the bones of the dead? While I also have to acknowledge when I hear these stories, many from very sane and respected individuals from the community, there is a consensus to be reached that Big Foot may just be out there lurking in the dark, watching us in the silent areas of the woods. With the advancement in video technology and the nearly universal ownership of smartphones, I am excited for the day when Big Foot runs across someone with a 4K capable video camera that can put this whole thing to rest. Until then, if you see monsters this October, they are likely just kids in costumes. However, if you spend some time in the mountains …