A Very Queer Roadtrip
I disappeared from the Bay Area for four days this week. This was desperately needed, as I noticed how much I was retreating into myself. And that’s no good! There was something bothering me and I needed to get out of my current element to figure this out.
This culminated into a trip into the woods of Northern California. And for a couple of reasons. Both are spiritual in nature, though by definition very different. I’ve recently become a Norse Pagan and am still exploring that. The other reason: finding the location of the Patterson-Gimlin Bigfoot reel.
Now, I apologize for being all over the place. Putting religion and Bigfoot into the same subject? What the heck is this person thinking?! (I imagine you, dear reader, asking yourself) I have ADHD, and often times have a difficult time separating certain subjects. After all, this exploration of the internal and external happened in a rush of four days! And I have so much footage to share in a vlog soon. But in the meantime, I have pictures of the Bigfoot memorabilia.
Norse Paganism
For the longest time I thought I knew the answers: organized religion isn’t for me. And I was satisfied with that answer. I called myself an atheist. But since moving to the Bay Area, I wasn’t satisfied with that answer. The phrase “if you aren’t growing you’re dying” has been zooming through my head, and I wanted change. I’ve explored being non-binary and other aspects of myself; I know that this is an ever-evolving part of my nature and will always change. But religion?
Talking to my cousin had brought me to discussions of Asatru. If you aren’t familiar, Asatru is a religion which involves the worship of ancient Germanic and Scandinavian Viking spirits and gods (as defined by Wikipedia). I’m 90% Irish and Scandinavian, so I owed it to myself to explore this side of myself.
There is a YouTube channel that is linked in the Pop Culture section that I found enlightening called Genetically Grown Skeptic. In a recent video, he discusses the differences between atheism and anti theism. The differences are subtle, but important. Many people, including myself, have pushed away from Christianity, believing there is no other option in religions. We are taught there is only one God — but that god simply didn’t want his followers to follow anyone else. There is a lot to unpack here, but I am merely introducing them. I would like to talk more about all of this in future posts.
So here I am, thinking about these fun differences in the middle of the woods. The Redwoods to be specific. Those wooden giants that tower over you. I was in awe of their power, presence, and magnitude. I said some prayers in the middle of the woods. It wasn’t organized, but it didn’t need to be. I have time to figure this religion thing out. When I exited the woods and headed back to my car, I heard crows calling from up above. I took that as a sign from Odin. I thanked him and went on my way.
A Word on Redwoods
When Redwoods were first spoken about, over a hundred years ago, people thought they were exaggerating or making them up. Kinda like how many of us think of gods of yore. For example:
How could these giant trees exist? I’ve never seen evidence of such things. And the proof you brought could clearly be faked (though how I couldn’t say). There is no scientific basis for such giant trees. I will do everything in my (biased) power to prove they don’t exist. We need visual proof!
Now switch Redwoods/giant trees for gods. One definition of faith is, “firm belief, even in the absence of proof.” I think it’s time to put a belief in something again.
Bigfoot Location
The external part of this trip was Bigfoot-related. I’m a cryptid enthusiast, with Bigfoot being one of the greats. I have favorite cryptids like some people have favorite true-crime podcasts. There is no known origin of this woodland cryptid, but there is alleged video of such a creature from 1967! So I wanted to find that place.
I stayed at the Bigfoot Motel in Willow Creek, CA, where I quickly learned that I was only 30 miles from the original Patterson-Gimlin film location. So I drove up in search of the location.
In my enthusiasm, I realized a few things.
1) I had not seen the film in a very long time. I was going about this on memory.
2) Safety is always important, especially if you’re going about this alone, which I won’t do again. That wasn’t smart. What if I had tripped and broken an ankle?
3) Geo-coordinates aren’t useful on Apple Maps — my primary map. I need to use Google or another map engine to find the precise location for next time. I was given the coordinates, but Apple Maps keeps you on the road.
4) Even more than finding the general area, I want to find the exact spot where they filmed it. I love seeing photos of a by-gone era and the background being the current state of affairs.
Did I find the exact location? No, but I believe I was close. If I had given myself more than an hour or so, and if I had cell service, I would’ve been able to locate the exact spot. What does this mean? I need to go back, with a travel buddy, and search again.
Think of this as a Part 1, and that I must continue this search for cryptid origins in a future post and vlog. Because I documented this experience, and want to share this withe everyone. In the meantime, enjoy my gallery of Bigfoot memorabilia found alongside Highway 101, on the Avenue of the Giants.
