Sasquatch Chronicles – SC EP:1163 “Not A Bear”
Date: June 15, 2025
Host: Wes
Theme: Witnesses from across generations share cryptic, unnerving, and sometimes unexplained experiences with large, hairy, upright beings in remote American forests—encounters that defy easy explanation and continually raise the question: If it’s not a bear, then what is it?
Overview
This episode brings together three generations of one family—parents Tim and Linda, their son Austin, and separately, teenager Wyatt—to share firsthand sightings and weird wilderness encounters from Oregon and Michigan. Each retells events that straddle the boundary of the believable, probing the mystery of Sasquatch. The conversation focuses not just on the details of each episode but also the emotional aftermath and ever-present uncertainty.
Key Segments & Discussions
1. Quickfire Sightings and Audio Samples
Notable intro witness highlights
- [00:03–01:24] Austin and others recall moments that instantly dismiss the idea of mistaking a Sasquatch for a bear. One says: “They don’t make people that big.” Another stresses upright, gliding movement and vocalizations that sounded like a language:
“They were screaming at each other in gibberish...no way on this planet that what I saw were bears.” (Unknown Witness, 00:31)
2. Wyatt’s Michigan Encounter
[03:54–11:04]
Wyatt (15, from Michigan) recounts a harrowing, formative encounter at age 14 while riding four-wheelers on his grandmother’s rural property.
Witness Account:
- Out with his cousin; found a secluded spot, heard heavy movement in the woods.
- Heard “tree knocks” and increasingly loud stomping.
- Spotted a huge, hairy figure holding a branch; extremely muscular and over 6 ft tall.
- No vocalizations, observing them from about 50–70 yards.
- Immediate fear, fled the area.
Decoding the Experience:
- Wyatt initially thought it was a person; shifted after noting the hair coverage, size, and isolation.
- “I didn’t really believe in them until I’d seen it.” (Wyatt, 06:49)
- Felt it was more curious than aggressive, “just minding its own.”
- Never returned to the site; moved away shortly after.
Host’s Reflection:
- Wes frames Wyatt’s experience as the archetype of many adolescent encounters; disbelief followed by transformative realization.
- “There’s nothing about it that sounds like a man to me.” – (Wes, 07:24)
3. Tim’s Oregon Trask Mountain Sighting (ca. 1974)
[11:16–19:04]
Setting:
Tim (Austin’s dad) describes a winter trip into the remote Trask Mountains of the Tillamook Forest, Oregon. Ice storm strands him and friends, forcing a night ride out on dirt bikes.
The Encounter:
- While waiting for friends in darkness, Tim sees a large upright figure cross the road in 2–3 steps, then vanish up a steep bank.
- No details visible due to poor light, but size and motion clearly not human.
- “No way. No…too big of steps and too bulky to be just some guy.” (Tim, 17:01)
- Dismissed as either bear or man due to size, gait, location, and extreme weather.
Reflections:
- As a scientist/engineer, Tim seeks evidence but admits: “I don’t know what I saw either, but I know I saw it. There’s no doubt.”
- The episode cements in his memory for 50 years.
4. Linda’s Experiences at Flying M Ranch, Oregon
[19:14–35:43]
Teenage Years:
Linda (Austin’s mom) spent summers at the Flying M Ranch in the Oregon coastal range as a teenager:
- Driving alone in a Volkswagen at night to recover hidden beer, she spots a large, dark upright figure on the side of the road, which “in one or two steps” crosses the road and disappears.
- “It wasn’t a bear…it moved like it was fluid…so tall and purposeful.” (Linda, 26:35)
- Fear paralyzes her; she hides in her car, later refusing to go out at night.
Other Incidents:
- Recalls another night thinking she saw “someone looking in” the cabin window; paralyzed by fear, can’t confirm.
- Instances when her horse senses something unseen, becoming spooked in the woods.
Emotional Aftermath:
- Linda tells very few people, except her brother (who dismisses it as a deer).
- Kept experience quiet to “protect the kids,” only discussing it much later in life.
- “My kids call me Mimi Squatch.” (34:32)
5. Austin’s Recent Encounters (2020s, Cascades/Oregon)
[36:03–53:55]
A. Hills Creek Reservoir: The Sasquatch Shadows
- Camping with a friend in Oak Ridge, Oregon, Austin witnesses two jet-black figures cross a logging road, upright, extremely fast:
“The whole situation happened so fast…it was literally a blur…they were vertical, 6 to 7 feet tall.”
(Austin, 41:52) - At first assumes bears, but later realizes the posture and speed don’t match any natural animal he knows.
- Friend driving fails to notice; by the time Austin investigates, the area is silent except for “plants still moving.”
B. Paranormal Interlude: The Strange Lake Creature
- Near Olallie Lake (Mount Jefferson, OR), Austin and family encounter a bizarre phenomenon in a small remote lake:
- Vertical log in water, when pressed down springs back.
- Log suddenly plunges underwater—followed by a massive, dark, orb-shaped creature (~3–4 ft wide) that seems to swim below the surface directly at Austin’s cousin, then vanishes.
- “There’s nothing natural…no sturgeon, nothing that wide, nothing that fits…It was so strange.” (Austin, 48:59)
- Cousin escapes, family dismisses the experience.
Belief and Reflection
- Austin: “There’s too much consistency…and too many people can’t be making this up.” (Austin, 50:44)
- Feels the Sasquatch phenomenon is physical and global, likely a lost hominid or primate, perhaps with variants.
Theory and Speculation
[49:46–53:55]
What Is Sasquatch?
- Linda: Hopes Sasquatch is a hidden, intelligent species—“maybe a species of us before.”
- Austin: Leans toward relic hominid/primate hybrid, but stumped by worldwide distribution and size variations.
- Tim (previously): Remains open but cautious, seeking evidence (scientist’s perspective).
“There’s too much going on globally… even if 1 in 100 [encounters] are real, it’s still one too many.” (Austin, 52:44)
Notable Quotes & Moments
- “They don’t make people that big.” (Austin, 00:24)
- “There is no way on this planet what I saw were bears.” (Unknown Witness, 00:31)
- “I didn’t really believe in them until I’d seen it.” (Wyatt, 06:49)
- “Too big…too bulky to be just some guy out there walking around.” (Tim, 17:01)
- “It moved like it was fluid…and in just two steps, gone.” (Linda, 26:35)
- “It was literally a blur…not a bear, I think I saw Sasquatch or something supernatural.” (Austin, 41:52)
- “Even if 1 in 100 are real, that’s still too many.” (Austin, 52:44)
Conclusion
Sasquatch Chronicles: “Not A Bear” brings together generations of unconnected but hauntingly similar encounters, all with a sense of fearful awe and lingering uncertainty. Each guest affirms: What they saw was not a bear, nor a human, but something in between—something that remains, for now, a mystery wandering the edges of human understanding.
Referenced Encounters (By Timestamp)
- [00:03–01:24] Opening witness montage
- [03:54–11:04] Wyatt’s Michigan encounter
- [11:16–19:04] Tim’s 1974 Trask Mountain, Oregon sighting
- [19:14–35:43] Linda’s Flying M Ranch encounters (Oregon)
- [36:03–53:55] Austin’s Cascades encounters (Oregon)
- [49:46–53:55] Family reflection on “What is Sasquatch?”
For more episodes and exclusive content, visit SasquatchChronicles.com.