; Phantoms and Monsters: Pulse of the Paranormal

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Wood Knocks in the Foothills


I recently received the following account:

10 April 2016

I am writing to you today to report an unexplained incident I experienced recently in southern Colorado. I have tried to provide accurate details of the experience in hopes that maybe you could help explain or at least maybe provide some possibilities at to what I experienced.

My wife and I have a small cabin (25’ x 25’) in the foothills outside of Aguilar, Co nestled on 35 acres. It is a remote area with few neighbors. Our cabin is small and rustic with no electricity or running water. We have a wood stove for heat and use solar lights for lighting. We built the cabin ourselves about 16 years ago and visit there regularly for overnighters and short getaways. The cabin is located on a ridge with a small canyon on one side and a creek on the other. It is mostly wooded with various pines and cedars.

On 28Mar16 I was at the cabin with one of our dogs, Hanna. We had arrived late afternoon, a day or two after a good snow. On the drive in I noticed more wildlife than usual including many deer and elk. You could tell the area had received a good snow but it was sunny so the snow was melting quickly. Our drive has a decent slope and with the snow and mud, I had to work at getting to the cabin. I also noticed there were no other tire tracks in the snow. Although the area is remote, we usually see someone’s tracks on the main road.

After settling in and having had dinner, I read a bit. Before going to bed at around 12:30, I stepped out to do my usual... look at the stars, listen to the night sounds and pee. Hanna decided her bed was too comfortable to join me so I was alone outside. I noticed it was a still, very quiet evening and the stars did not disappoint. While taking care of business I heard something that I could not identify. Off in the distance, about 100 yards or so, I heard what sounded like two logs being hit together once. It sounded like it was coming from above the ground maybe 50’ so my first thought was maybe a bird. The sound was so unique I was totally focused on where it came from and listened hoping to hear it again. Within about 2 to 3 seconds, I heard the same sound but it had moved quickly about 300 yards to the north. Then after another 2 to 3 seconds I heard the sound again. It had moved again about the same distance and direction.

As I stated, I first thought it was a bird given the altitude the sound seemed to be coming from and the rate and direction of travel. I have always been an outdoors person and prefer being in the woods and wilderness so I do have a lot of experience in that environment. We do have deer, elk, bear, wild turkeys and other wildlife and I am familiar with the sounds they make. The sounds I heard were unlike anything I have heard before. The sound was rather loud and had a low resonance to it and like I stated earlier, sounded like two logs (firewood size) being hit together. It did not sound like any bird or other creature I have ever heard.

I was startled and waited to hear more but after 15-20 minutes the cold and silence drove me in. I didn’t think much more of it, other than I wanted to get my wife’s opinion on what it may have been as she is even more outdoorsy and in tune with nature than I am.

Hanna and I drove home the following day. Once I was home I started telling my wife what had happened. As I started telling her about the events, she was noticeably shocked by what I was telling her. When I finished she explained her shock... the experience I was describing closely matched so many of the stories of sasquatch she had read about or seen. She asked me if I had to say what it was, what would it be? The best answer I could come up with is either a squatch that flies or a pterodactyl. It is worth noting that my wife is interested in sasquatch but not necessarily a believer. I am not sure what to believe, especially now.

Before submitting this I wanted to ensure that I did not hear some nocturnal bird so I researched and listened to the calls of the nocturnal birds of Colorado. None of their sounds came close to what I heard. I have no clue what it may have been. One thing I wished I would have done is go looking for tracks that following day but it did not even cross my mind at the time. We live about 4 hours away and I am eager to go back and see if I can find any tracks or anything else that may help to identify what I heard. Below are two images created in Google Earth. The first shows our cabin location near Aguilar, Co. The second shows the location of the sounds relative to where I was standing in front of the cabin.

Figure 1 - Cabin Located about 4 miles WNW of Aguilar, CO

Figure 2 - Location of sounds relative to cabin (I was standing exactly where the “Cabin” pin is located)

As I stated at the beginning, I have tried to be as accurate in my description of what happened. If you would like any additional details or have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me. Also you would be welcome to a site visit any time. I would appreciate any ideas you may have about what I experienced.

Thank you for your time.

SD

NOTE: I believe this was a Sasquatch group keeping tabs on each other through wood knocking. Hitting a tall tree with a log with considerable force can generated a sound that seems to travel up a tree. Atmospheric conditions may have also played a role in the 'high' sound. As well, the witness seemed to believe that he was approximately 100 yds from the initial sound and coming from a lower elevation. I'm interested in what the readers think. Lon

Stalked! My Encounter with a Colorado Bigfoot

Rusty Wilson's More Bigfoot Campfire Stories

Weird Canyon

Rocky Mountain Sasquatch: Cultural Locations