Sunday, July 28, 2013

Travel tip 22: ALL GOOD STORIES DESERVE EMBELISHMENT - HENCE BIGFOOT!

 After a thousand miles of motorcycle riding and one sleepless night in a tent clenching a flashlight my Hunt for the ever elusive Bigfoot has come to an end. Three days of riding through the forest and visiting with the locals of Humboldt County has led to nothing less than an excellent adventure and one tired explorer.
Evening turns down the lights as we ride towards willow creek



Upon arrival in the sleepy little town of Willow creek, (which was nestled well within the emerald triangle in Humboldt County) We made our way directly to the Bigfoot Museum where we had arranged a meeting with one of the worlds foremost experts on Bigfoot, Her name is Peggy McWilliams, a life long native to the area. Although she admittedly has not seen the furry giant herself, Peggy has heard almost every tale and been witness to many persons who have had a close encounter. She 100% believes in the creatures existence and hopes to one day come face to face or foot to foot with a genuine Sasquatch. She donates her time to working at the Museum so that others can believe like she does.
Peggy McWilliams - Bigfoot historian
Peggy told us many things about Bigfoot including his many other various names, and spotting throughout the world. She told us about how we could attract a bigfoot, by leaving out chicken or Hot Dogs, or by whistling in the woods. We were told to keep an ear out durring the night as often Bigfoot will throw rocks at your tent or scream through the forest night. She told us to treat the Bigfoot with respect, and told us to heed the stories of the native Americans who claim the Bigfoot anciently worked side by side to garden and harvest crops with the natives. Peggy regaled us with several encounter stories, all of which made me nervous for camping latter that night.

Perhaps the greatest thing that Peggy told us in her interview was this: Who are they to tell us he (Bigfoot) doesn't exist, simply because they have never seen or heared one, although there are many who have....... If they have never come to look for themselves, or attempted to feel its presence, how could they ever know. THEY CAN'T!


Searching for the Sasquatch along the mountain roads.

After Purchasing a Map with over 400 spotting locations plotted on it, and a field guide on how to observe a Bigfoot - we headed out to get some supplies and grab a bite to eat. At the Bigfoot restaurant we found a hearty meal and had a chance to read through our books and map. The waitress who took our order reluctantly told us the story of when she as a little girl came face to face with the Bigfoot, and how Human it looked, she told us the encounter meant nothing to her until she latter grew up and realized what had
The areas with circles and numbers illustrate credible sightings of Bigfoot. 
happened. She told us she doesn't talk about it much because she is afraid people will think less of her. It left me thinking how much in this world might go unsaid simply because of fear.

We then drove out to the areas on the map where there had been the highest concentration of sightings and spent the day searching the mountain road looking for any sign of the bigfoot. Although we saw now sure signs during the day, there was an eery feeling persistent through the day no bought spurned on by the stories we had heard earlier in the day.

The beautiful Klamath River by which I made my camp
When it came time to set up camp, we drove down to the Kalamath River where there was both water and food sources ( Berry Bushes) that might be used by the Sasquatch people durring the night. My travel buddy Jeremy was not feeling well (Heat Exhaustion) and so after taking a dip in the river and playing his flute in hopes of calling  in a sasquatch (Peggy had told us this might work) Jeremy returned to Willow Creek to get a hotel room, leaving me alone by the fire. As Jeremy drove away I walked around and set out some hot dogs ( a recommendation by Peggy) in hopes of baiting in a bigfoot.


Jeremy attempting to call in the Bigfoot with his flute playing. 

At first my resolve to stay out alone was strong, but as the sun drew further behind the mountains and the buzz of the insects died away leaving only the sounds of darkness, My mind went into alert mode. I kept the fire burning for hours trying to convince myself that nothing was out there, I even tried listening to songs on my Iphone, but nothing could calm my nerves. It was pure mental punishment camping alone alongside the river with no-one but a 500 pound furry myth to hear my cries. I had built my fear up so much that I couldn't even bring myself to look up at the skies and enjoy the stars. Eventually I crawled inside my tent and attempted to sleep, but it would not come easy, not that night.
My campfire was the only thing keeping me from total fear. 

As pure exhaustion was about to overcome me and perhaps give me a chance to sleep, I heard something move out in the bushes..... My entire body went rigid and still. I could swear I had heard something.. right? Then I heard it again.... My thoughts raced but I could not move an inch..... and then ...... THUMP ..... CRACK....against what seemed the side of my tent.  I tore out of the tent screaming and hollering I suppose at that moment it was fight rather than flight.... The sounds I made I hadn't heard since Basic training for the army. I grabbed for my flashlight and looked around frantic and fearful for what I might see.

The beam of my light searched and searched and then from nowhere but everywhere I heard a voice.... Hey You alright?..... It was a mans voice, not a monster. My Beam came down on a thirty something man in the bushes, who looked just as scarred as I was. I had apparently scared him while he was out taking care of nature.  Another camper just like me out in the woods. We both laughed and I appologized and went back to bed, greatful not to be so alone in the woods.

The scat I found around my campsite 
In the morning I woke Up an looked around ..... I found Scat of some sort, full of berry, and several of my hot dogs were gone....... Bigfoot????? probably just a bear right - But who am I to say - I've never seen him.

Today's travel tip might seem dishonest, but lets face it, History is made by those who write the novels! No matter what you believe about this story, the only thing I want anyone to believe is how much fun it was to spend a weekend searching for Bigfoot and having a Gullible adventure. So before you pass this off as a ridiculous event, ask yourself: What did I do last weekend?


Friday, July 26, 2013

Day 1 : Bigfoot expedition update

Today out little expedition headed out across the deserts of Nevada and high into the mountains of the sierras in search or a ferocious grande sized monster - Bigfoot. We braved the blazing heat and bitter cold to reach this point in our adventure.

So far today we have traveled through Susanville and across highway 44 on into Redding where we at camped out and preparing for the next leg of our journey. We are well equipped for our mission. We have all the essential Bigfoot related search items including plenty of cameras and Oreo cookies. At tonight's campfire we have been testing our equipment and preparing for our entry into Bigfoot territory. Along our route today we a countered fantastic roads, some great wildlife and we even got off the highway and into the dirt.


Yesterday evening while doing some pre trip maintenance I found that a mode had been living under my motorcycle seat and I immediately was reminded of a book I read in elementary school - the mouse and the motorcycle.

My travel companion Jeremy has been very helpful in planning this trip and I have to say this trip would not be nearly as fun without. Today we agrees he would adopt a new travel name - Hobo Joe - due to the way hey has packed everything he owns onto the back of his motorcycle and can now go hither where he wants making camp anywhere and everywhere.

Tomorrow we will enter into willow creek and set up out Bigfoot traps!

Wish us luck

Gullible

I apologize for the low quality pics - ill post Better pics on Sunday.




















Thursday, July 25, 2013

Hunting for Bigfoot!

Are you Gullible....?   I am, if by gullible you mean willing to go out on a limb and try something out for the first time in the hopes of discovering a new sensation or event, or at-least having a ton of fun time with a buddy over the weekend while seeking an adventure. To me being gullible is about seeing the world through a pair of fresh lenses and finding happiness through discovery.

So this weekend its official...... BIG FOOT HUNTING TIME! ....... Let me explain.

Last year on a 4,000 mile ride across the country on my way to Sturgis for the motorcycle rally, A buddy and I rode through northern California through a town called Willow Creek where we found a very interesting culture. The entire town was centered around BIG FOOT, the mythical size 22 shoe furry creature legend to dwell in the high mountains of the west. Besides this being the home for the most famous Bigfoot sighting known to man, the town has really taken the legend to heart. Each year the town holds a parade in honor of Mr. Bigfoot, they even named him the honorary Mayor of their little town. They even have a museum dedicated to the myth which we intend to visit. here is a link:  http://bigfootcountry.net/bigfoot-exhibit

Big Foot museum and statue from our ride last year
Big Foot Parade - Annual event


Just in the hour we spent passing through we were truly mesmerized not only the natural area around us but also the people who lived there, and so we vowed that someday we would return to hunt for Bigfoot.

I have some extra motive for the trip however, I have finally perfected a new windshield for my adventure touring motorcycle, the V-Strom DL 1000, a bike I plan to ride to Paraguay in the next couple of years. The new shield is mounted to the bike via a set of MADS TAD brackets and has a re-curve at the top which stops the buffeting and turbulence caused at high speeds. I am also hoping this is a good opportunity to get this bike into the dirt a bit and get more comfortable traveling on the gravel roads on anything other than a dirt bike.

We plan on making a video this trip that highlights our adventure, and who knows.... It might even end up here on the blog. We hope to interview people who have actually seen the BIG FOOT in person and if we are very lucky we might even see the furry Goliath ourselves. This trip promises awesome motorcycle roads through the feather river, excellent scenery and a great opportunity to get away from the concrete jungle.


Wish Me Luck -

Gullible

The new windshield I am going to test on the V-strom

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Do it while you still can! - DADDY DAUGHTER DATE!

Today's post today is going to be a short one, but I think the topic is an important point that anyone with family can appreciate.

This last week my travels took me down to LA where I have traveled many times, but what made this trip special is that I was able to let my little two year old daughter tag along with me. The idea was for her to go visit grandma in San Diego and I would get my work done and then spend Friday afternoon on a daddy daughter date.

I really enjoyed my trip, mostly because it was an opportunity to be alone with my little girl and to have her all to my self. In contrast to normal weeks where she might only see me 2 of the 7 days of the week while I travel. She and I spent time together almost every day last week while on the road, we went to Sea World in San Diego, we rode a bike around the boardwalk, we sang songs in the car and we bonded closer than we had been in the past.

The importance of this weekend did not hit me until we were driving home in the car from sea world and I  overheard my daughter repeat over and over - "I like STINKY BOYS" I like "STINKY BOYS" - I laughed at first but in the moments to follow my mind was ablaze with thought a quandary. This little two year old girl is going to change into a MONSTER of a teenager, and no matter how I try I can not stop time from eventually stealing her from me. I thought to myself how important it is to cherish the time we have with our kids, how important it is to make time count towards our memories.

I want this post to be dedicated the the memory of my little girl and this trip she took with her daddy - knowing full well that someday she will like stinky boys more than her good ole dad!

- Again, no amount of success in the workplace can compensate for failure in the home. For if you have failed at home you have failed eternally. - David O. McKay

Rules for dating my daughter -





Having some fun at Scheels on the way home.

We stopped to see the church where Daddy and Mommy were maried, she thought it was a castle and wanted to go inside.

Lorelai outside her princess castle
800 miles is a long drive to stay awake for.


I converted one of my old army bags into a diaper bag just for this trip, it worked great so I think my next business is going to be called DAD BAGZ!




The blue horizons show at Sea World


Saturday, July 20, 2013

Planning for adventure - GULLIBLE STYLE!

So every now and then I get to take a trip that is just for me, an unabashed weekend or a few days where I go where I want to go and do just what I want to! 

Coming up next weekend I will have just this opportunity. My wife and daughter are headed to Washington state to visit friends and I have the whole week to myself.  So my plan is simple, as soon as the whistle blows on Friday I am out the door on my motorcycle to a destination unknown - a weekend of discovery and adventure, however at this point the question arises - where will I go? What will I do... what do I hope to find? 

In my opinion there the two best parts of and adventure are divided in two parts: The adventure its self and all the work that goes into planning it! The following information is part of what I use to plan my trips and is based off of what I learned about planning while in the military.

HOW TO PLAN FOR AN ADVENTURE - GULLIBLE STYLE

1. FIND YOUR DESIRE (OBJECTIVE) - THEN WRITE IT DOWN!


Make a list of your greatest desires in life - This can be a simple list or a long list, but the purpose is to find purpose for your adventure. It needs to be something with meaning to you so that you can wrap your desires in the satisfaction of accomplishment. Once you have made your list of desires, try to pick a few of them off you list that you think could be fulfilled via your travels. The driving force behind any good adventure is the satisfactory fulfillment of dreams and passions!

Examples: Face jump from a building or bridge, eat at the Eiffel tower, fall in love in Rome, discover ancient ruins, learn guitar from a Spaniard.


2. STUDY, STUDY, STUDY 


Find destinations, activities and meaningfully unique or historicaly significant places that you can add to your destination list. The areas of study should have basis in allowing you to understand and complete your desires in a way that gives meaning and purpose to your adventurous soul.

3. MAKE A BUDGET 


Although there are some people with unlimited funds for adventure, many of us have to limit our selves due to the constraints of the pocketbook or the reality of our lives. Set a budget for your adventure so that you can set realistic goals and expectations.

4. DEVELOP AN ITINERARY


In the beginning you simply need a map with destinations and way-points, but at some point you need to develop a realistic timeline to go along with your adventure. A timeline combined with destinations and goals is absolutely necessary for the successful implementation of an adventure. Although during your trip this time line is bound to change, be cut in half or all together dismissed its good to have a solid well though out plan based on where you plan to go an what you want to accomplish.Based on your studies you will know when and where to go for your adventures.


5. DECISIONS AND ARRANGEMENTS


There is a lot to be considered depending on how you want to fulfill your desires, you might choose to travel by Plane, Train or automobile but anyway you go you have to make a judgement call about how you will do it and why you chose to travel that way. Often I travel by motorcycle when I could go by car, but the adventure is totally different each way I do it. Part of what makes this part of the process fun is finding deals or researching the places you will stay. The one suggestion I have for this portion of your planning is to leave things open enough that a reservation can be canceled, or a flight missed without major financial loss. Often while adventuring I find that my plans change and its nice to be able to abort a specific moment of the trip to accomplish a new or changed plan. DON'T BE HELD CAPTIVE BY YOUR RESERVATIONS.

6. MAKE A PACKING LIST


This is one of my favorite steps simply because I love gear and equipment. Depending on your adventure you may need to bring roller skates or ice climbing spikes, but no matter what you do - you have to plan your equipment needs wisely. Properly planning a packing list includes being aware of what you can travel with, what you can get at your destination and understanding the real needs of your adventure. Many times I have made the mistake of over-packing and other times under-packing, but more often than not when I make and follow through with a packing list I travel with a well balanced pack and have what I need. I often find it necessary to contact someone who has been on a similar trip before to ask them what they wish they had taken and what they wish they had left behind. If you know a pro in your adventure genre its probably a good idea to take them out to dinner and ask them all about their trip and what they liked the most about it, its often very exciting to hear other peoples stories knowing you will soon be traveling on your own towards an adventure.

7. EXECUTE THE PLAN!

This is the last step but perhaps the most important. There are lots of things that can get in the way of your dreams, it seems like there is always something to get in the way of a good adventure. If you fail to go on your adventure because you lack the courage, or you let regular life get in the way of your adventures, then you are missing out on your dreams, desires and passions.  just remember -