By: Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County TimesIf there is any place on earth with enough unspoiled wilderness for something like a Sasquatch to exist, it’s probably Alaska. With millions of acres of uninhabited land, it’s easier to imagine an undiscovered species of ape here than it is in most areas of the United States and Canada, where even the densest of wilderness might lie within an hour or so of a town or city and be regularly hiked, fished, hunted, and logged.
In Alaska, that isn’t the case. But, it has its own issues. While the landscape is wide, wild, and rich in game, it’s also brutally cold in winter. Bears, a large omnivore similar in size to reports of Bigfoot, thrive there on the abundant seasonal berries, salmon, and other calorie dense foods. But bears also hibernate through the most intense part of winter. That isn’t something that any species of primate are known to do. Wolves do stay awake through the winter, as do their herbivorous prey. But for a large omnivorous primate, this could be a lean time indeed.
But there are folks who thinks it’s possible, given the microclimates associated with coastal areas and the type of forests encountered there, especially in the southern and southeastern portions of the State.
While exploring the possibility of Bigfoot in Alaska in their latest film, On the Trail of Bigfoot: The Last Frontier, the crew at Small Town Monster’s confront these issues with the probability of Bigfoot surviving in Alaska, along with others, while discussing encounters with researchers and witnesses who know what they saw – no matter what anyone else can believe.
Elizabeth Cook, for instance, a Native Alaskan who shared the story of her 1969 encounter in southwestern Alaska, one of those less than ideal habitats, with what the people in the area called “the outside man.” One lady left food scraps out for him, she said, and saw him regularly, but others were afraid to go out and pick the abundant berries for fear of encountering him. They would see him peering down at them when they took garbage to the dump as well, she told filmmakers Seth Breedlove and Heather Moser.
When she had her encounter she and the children had gone to stay with a friend while their husbands were out crab fishing. Shortly after arriving at the home they heard a noise outside, like the cry of a baby, and when she looked up she saw the creature peering in the window. Because of the height of the windows, which were placed high on the wall to guard against heavy winds, she guessed his height was just around or over 8 feet tall – consistent with the reports of others in the Settlement.
They moved the children into an interior room, out of fear it might try to break in through one of the windows. They also knocked on the walls to alert a neighbor and call for aid, but he was too afraid to answer their pleas. Their fear proved unfounded though, as rather than trying to break in, she said, it simply turned and returned to the mountains.
Her detailed description of the face – particularly the eyes – are a compelling part of the story, one you have to hear yourself to appreciate the impact it had on Cook.
The film, the latest in a series of On the Trail of Bigfoot features that started with a mini-series before shifting to feature length documentaries, seems to mark a subtle turning point in Breedlove’s approach to Bigfoot in particular.
The legendary ape man has been of interest to Breedlove since his first film, The Minerva Monster, explored that eastern Ohio legend and jumpstarted his career. Since then his skepticism has waned, starting with an experience in the Ouachita Mountains during the filming of the original On the Trail of Bigfoot series.
Since then Breedlove has reported his own sighting, near a research area in his native Ohio – an incident he alludes to while discussing the likelihood of interior sightings with a former parks service employee. But while Breedlove may now express an open belief in the reality of Sasquatch, that hasn’t changed the quality of his craft or the talents of his crew.
The Last Frontier might be the most tightly produced, and account packed film to date from Small Town Monsters. With the picturesque Alaskan landscape, and crisp cinematography, it’s undeniably the most beautiful to date.
If you’ve watched the other films in the series, you do not want to miss The Last Frontier. If you haven’t, they’re worth checking out, but you don’t need to watch the others to appreciate On the Trail of Bigfoot: The Last Frontier. It’s a completely self-contained and complete film in its own right, and a great jumping on point for new fans of the filmmaker.
You can pre-order the film online at SmallTownMonsters.com, or stream it through your favorite streaming platforms when it released later this month. You can also check out the Small Town Monsters YouTube channel and the Monsteropolis podcast for more information on Breedlove’s sighting, and free videos on Bigfoot and other cryptids.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com