photos from the Oregon Sasquatch Symposium 2011

(the sign says it all... site of the 2011 Oregon Sasquatch Symposium.)


I was able to make a quick trip to central Oregon last Friday to attend this year's Oregon Sasquatch Symposium. It was well worth the 1,200 miles there and back to get together with friends both old and new.


This year's event was held in the Willamette National Forest high in the Cascade Mountains near the Mackenzie River. Camp White Branch is a summer camp that's been there for years run by the Church of God on land leased from the national forest. A perfect setting in bigfoot country.



(the view of Camp White Branch as I arrived on Friday afternoon...)


(NOTE: as with every photo on this site, left click for a larger image. Back arrow to return to the post.)



Friday evening featured dinner and entertainment...bigfoot songs! Toby Johnson performed as "Bipedal Neil" (Diamond) with his sasquatch-interpretted lyrics to Neil Diamond songs - hilarious (and he can sing just like Neil Diamond!)


("Bipedal Neil" covers the classics such as "Calling in a D'sonoqua".)





My after-dinner performance included "Bigfoot-The Living Legend", "The Skookum Cast", "The Ballad of Albert O." and "Jerry Crew (He Knew What To Do)" - it was a great setting for the songs, too! Thanks to Steven Streufert for taking photos with my camera!!







(the scene from above on Friday evening.)

After that, eyewitness Jeff Boiler detailed his encounter in the 1990s with a huge bigfoot in the Cascade Mountains.


(Eyewitness Jeff Boiler speaks after dinner on Friday.)



(Hangin' with friends at the Oregon Sasquatch Symposium...)


We then had a "meet & greet" over by the bonfire below the meeting hall. The guitars were present there as well with Thom Powell, Ron Morehead and others sitting to strum those strings. It couldn't have been a better setting as we then headed a few hundred yards into the woods behind the cabins to experience the forest at night.



(playing guitars by the campfire with Ron Morehead and Thom Powell. Had to have one photo for posterity...)




(this is about as good as it gets... quiet time in the campfire's glow out in the woods after midnight.)




(the Meeting Hall at Camp White Branch - Saturday morning getting started...)



Saturday was a full schedule of talks that started right after breakfast and ended at dinner time. Cliff Barackman gave us a "behind-the-scenes" look at the TV show "Finding Bigfoot" that included photographs and explanations of some of the best evidence they have encountered. Dr. Matthew Johnson spoke about his encouter at the Oregon Caves National Monument in July 2000. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was discussed and how it may effect eyewitnesses of a bigfoot - especially if the encounter is stressful and emotional like his was. Ron Morehead presented his account of the Sierra Sounds recordings in great detail. He also offered his insights into what they are and how to approach research in a passive manner.




(Cliff Barackman speaking about his experiences making the TV show "Finding Bigfoot" - a behing the scenes view of the Georgia dash cam video in this photo.)



(Beth Heikkinen speaking about her experiences in "bigfooting" - she's been there and done that on many occasions living on Washington's Olympic Peninsula.)



Afternoon talks featured Thom Powell, Beth Heikkinen and Henry Franzoni. They all have experienced a side of bigfoot activity and research that introduces a much different perspective on what these creatures might actually be - and be capable of.
All of the presentations were well done and enjoyable - a full six hours of talk occurred on Saturday. After dinner there was a philosophical round-table discussion featuring some of the speakers with Lee Trippett.



(the round-table discussion with Lee Trippett and others - a nice setting in front of the hearth.)


A light rain kept the fireside music inside that night but it was a sing-a-long to remember. One for the ages that rivaled the Ohio fireplace lobby jam of 2010. :-)



(a few hours later, we were posing after the music session at the other end of the meeting hall. A somewhat different angle on things with the camera in the hands of Steven Streufert!)




("Joisey" Gene Romo meets "New York Tommy" Yamarone...finally met up in Oregon!)




(view from the meeting hall... a sledding slope in winter became the camping area for the symposium.)




(the forest behind the cabins where we would go at night...beautiful in the morning when retriving my audio recorder.)


A stop at Ike's Pizza on the way home for lunch was a MUST!!


(stopping by Ike's Pizza along the Mackenzie River, Hwy 126 on the way home... the gathering spot for the monthly "Bigfoot and Beer" night.)



(bigfoot model in Ike's Pizza created by Toby Johnson - one of the best I've ever seen!)




(the gang's all here... Jerry Hein, Toby Johnson, Gene Romo, Robert White and John from Ike's - bigfoot enthusiasts indeed!)



Hope you enjoyed the photos! I'm glad to be home...



(Mount Shasta on the way home yesterday...as seen from I-5 near Weed, California.)

Seeing Mount Shasta both days traveling to and from the symposium was very special. I haven't had time to gather my thoughts and post something about my great friend Shasta Bates who passed away on May 27th in Nashville... soon, though. This view reminds me of him. Please keep him and his family in your thoughts...




"He was a friend of mine..."

"The Ballad of John Green" - Sasquatch Summit video finally uploaded!

It was a highlight of the weekend in British Columbia to perform this song with Mary-Anne McTrowe... playing for John Green, his family, friends and all the sasquatch researchers and enthusiasts in attendance. Couldn't have asked for a better setting...


(Here's a view of the scene including Mary-Anne McTrowe on ukulele.)


The Ballad of John Green
by Tom Yamarone
copyright 2005


Back in the Fall of ‘58
Harrison Hot Springs was hot with debate,
Sasquatch, you see, was back on the scene,
An’ it caught the attention of John Green.

The more he heard, the more it rang true,
With each story investigated his interest grew,
The evidence was compelling up on Ruby Creek,
He knew something was out there and was determined to seek.

He came to California when he saw Jerry Crew,
Holding his foot cast and then he just knew,
That finding this creature was becoming his mission,
So they got Tom Slick to fund a bigfoot expedition.

(chorus)
Oh, he was out seeking Sasquatch, wasn’t seeking no glory,
He was the one documenting the story,
Yes, who was always one of the first on the scene?
If a sasquatch had been there, so had John Green.

Throughout the 60s he stayed on the track,
He collected the reports and sorted the facts,
His database of sightings and evidence increased,
But he never could catch a glimpse of this beast.
(He was just hoping some evidence would be obtained of this beast)

He was there when they screened the film from Bluff Creek,
He’d been down there that summer, found tracks above Blue Creek,
Seemed like he answer to this riddle was close yet so fleeting,
Like the creature itself, but John was never retreating.

(chorus)

He published some books to disperse what he’d learned,
A reputation for thoroughness and logic earned,
He wanted science to address this mystery,
But much to his dismay this was never to be.

To this day he’s still looking an’ offering advice,
His passion to resolve this has become his vice,
He has no regrets, he’d like only to be,
To be there when we finally solve this mystery.

(chorus)
Oh, he was out seeking Sasquatch, wasn’t seeking no glory,
Investigating an' documenting the story,
Who was always one of the first on the scene?
If a sasquatch had been there, so had John Green.

Memorable Day at Muir Woods National Monument

Redwood forests are magical places... The few ancient trees that remain are scattered along the west coast from Big Sur to Crescent City, California (yeah, and a few up into southern Oregon - but the California parks have the best groves.)




One park I had never seen is the most popular and closest to San Francisco - namely, Marin County's Muir Woods. It is a tourist destination to be certain - but one that stands out as some of the best big trees to see despite the crowds. And it IS crowded - the Disneyland of redwood parks.



(wooden walkways provide access for the masses in the central part of Muir Woods along Redwood Creek.)





We went there to celebrate my birthday with a walk in the woods and were treated to some amazing sights - including a long observation of a spotted owl roosting along Fern Creek. Here are some photos from our day at Muir Woods. Until the next bigfoot outing, enjoy the mighty redwoods!


(Burls of all shapes and sizes cover the trunk of this redwood.)



(Some passers-by said there was a spotted owl up the trail along Fern Creek. It was still roosting there for us to enjoy.)



(Spotted Owl in a redwood tree - a big one at that! what a treat to see it up close.)





(the cathedral canopy soars skyward.)



(looking up in an old growth redwood forest.)