Cisco Grove Encounter: California, 1964

Summary

Podcast Summary: Sightings – Cisco Grove Encounter: California, 1964

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Podcast Information:

• Title: Sightings
• Host/Author: REVERB | QCODE
• Episode: Cisco Grove Encounter: California, 1964
• Release Date: January 6, 2025

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Introduction

In the episode titled "Cisco Grove Encounter: California, 1964," hosts McLeod Andrews and Brian Sigley delve into one of the most enigmatic supernatural events recorded in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The episode promises a gripping narrative followed by an insightful discussion that challenges listeners to ponder the boundaries between reality and the unexplained.

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Main Story: The Cisco Grove Encounter

Narrator: Donald Trump
Timestamp: [07:23] – [26:48]

Donald Trump narrates the harrowing experience of Donald Shrum, a defense contractor and bow hunter, who encountered otherworldly beings during a hunting trip in Cisco Grove, California, in 1964.

Setting the Scene

• Location: Tahoe National Forest, near Cisco Grove, California.
• Time: Labor Day weekend, 1964.
• Participants: Donald Shrum and two colleagues from his defense contractor job.

Key Moments:

1. Initial Expedition:

   • The trio ventured into the pristine wilderness, lauding the area's ample deer population and serene environment.

2. Becoming Lost:

   • Shrum loses his way, finding himself on a cliff with diminishing daylight and minimal equipment.

   “I knew I had wandered too far from familiar ground.”
   — Donald Trump [09:15]

3. The Encounter Begins:

   • While seeking refuge in a sturdy tree to evade what he initially believes to be a bear, Shrum witnesses unexplainable phenomena.

4. UFO Appearance:

   • A silent, dome-shaped craft with two smaller objects approaches, halting eerily without any audible signs.

   “And as it grew closer, I realized this was no ordinary searchlight.”
   — Donald Trump [12:45]

5. Alien Interaction:

   • Two silver-clad beings emerge, exhibiting bizarre behavior that resembles futile attempts to climb the tree. Their mechanical companion further intensifies the threat by emitting toxic gas.

6. Defensive Measures:

   • Armed with his bow and determination, Shrum engages in a desperate struggle, utilizing flaming clothing to deter the extraterrestrial beings.

   “I fired off a signal flare and started waving it over my head like a madman.”
   — Donald Trump [16:23]

7. Climactic Confrontation:

   • Despite his efforts, Shrum is subjected to multiple gas attacks until dawn brings the abrupt disappearance of the alien entities.

8. Aftermath:

   • Exhausted and traumatized, Shrum reunites with his colleague Vincent, who corroborates the bizarre encounter by reporting similar UFO sightings.

   “I knew my life would never be the same.”
   — Donald Trump [26:00]

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Post-Story Discussion

Participants: McLeod Andrews (Ryan Reynolds persona) and Brian Sigley
Timestamp: [27:00] – [42:37]

After recounting the chilling narrative, the hosts engage in a comprehensive analysis of the Cisco Grove Encounter.

Key Discussion Points:

1. Authenticity and Motives:

   • Brian Sigley: Emphasizes that the story's details are directly sourced from Donald Shrum's account without embellishment.
   • Ryan Reynolds: Questions the credibility of the alien beings' motives, pondering why technologically advanced entities would exhibit such incompetence.

   “Your work has been set.”
   — Brian Sigley [02:48]

2. Possible Explanations:

   • Military Involvement: The Air Force's swift intervention and confiscation of evidence (the arrow with unusual aluminum) raise suspicions of a cover-up.
   • Psychological Factors: Considering the era (1960s) and potential exposure to chemicals at Shrum's workplace, the discussion explores the possibility of hallucinations or neurochemical imbalances causing misinterpretations of events.
   • UFO Phenomenon: The correlation between uranium deposits in Cisco Grove and global UFO sightings is highlighted, suggesting a possible resource-driven motive for extraterrestrial interest.

3. Comparative Analysis:

   • Brian Sigley: References other UFO incidents involving robotic beings, noting a trend of aliens deploying mechanized entities during encounters.
   • Ryan Reynolds: Draws parallels to popular culture, envisioning the scenario as a cross between "Predator" and "Men in Black."

4. Psychological Trauma:

   • Brian Sigley: Discusses the long-term emotional effects on Shrum and his family, including severe anxiety and recurring nightmares.
   • Ryan Reynolds: Speculates on the delayed revelation of the story, questioning the motivations behind sharing such a traumatic experience after 41 years.

Notable Quotes:

“If you’re stuck in a tree and aliens show up, you’re unlikely to get any practical survival tips.”
— Brian Sigley [37:34]

“I think it's the ambiguity of the purpose of the aliens.”
— Ryan Reynolds [40:07]

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Conclusion

The "Cisco Grove Encounter" episode of Sightings encapsulates a compelling blend of firsthand supernatural experience and analytical discourse. By presenting Shrum's unsettling encounter alongside a thoughtful examination of its plausibility and implications, the hosts invite listeners to contemplate the mysteries that lurk beyond our understanding. Whether viewed as a genuine extraterrestrial event or a case of misinterpreted natural phenomena, the story undoubtedly cements its place in the annals of unexplained mysteries.

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Looking Ahead

In the concluding segments, McLeod and Brian tease the next episode set in Hawaii, hinting at new supernatural tales that promise to be just as intriguing and spine-chilling as the Cisco Grove Encounter.

“Palm trees, Mai tais, and presumably something absolutely horrible.”
— Ryan Reynolds [42:05]

Stay tuned for more thrilling stories on Sightings, where the line between reality and the paranormal continues to blur.

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Additional Resources:

• For more information and sources related to this episode, visit sightingspodcast.com.
• Engage with the hosts and share your supernatural experiences on their Instagram or email them at [e-mail].

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Produced by:
McLeod Andrews and Brian Sigley
Presented by: Reverb and QCODE

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Transcript

[Ryan Reynolds]

Hey there, Ryan Reynolds here. It's a new year and you know what that means. No, not the diet resolutions.

[Brian Sigley]

A way for us all to try and do a little bit better than we did last year. And my resolution, unlike big wireless, is.

[Ryan Reynolds]

To not be a raging and raise.

[Brian Sigley]

The price of wireless on you every chance I get. Give it a [e-mail] Switch $45 upfront payment required, equivalent to $15 per month. New customers on first 3 month plan only. Taxes and fees. Extra speed slower above 40 GB on unlimited. See mintmobile.com for details. When Ryan was 12 years old, he saw something in the sky that he couldn't explain. And he's been searching for answers ever since. And now he wants you to join his search on the Somewhere in the Skies podcast. On Somewhere in the Skies, Ryan sits down with leading scientists, academics, philosophers, and people in all walks of Life to discuss UFOs, the paranormal, and some of the most profound questions of our lifetime. Like in my favorite episode called I worked at Area 51 and Skinwalker Ranch, where Ryan interviews a former Air Force serviceman who worked at both the secretive air base and the notorious paranormal ranch. Find out what happened to this guy and maybe some answers to mysteries of your own on Somewhere in the Skies. New episodes every Monday on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. To learn more, visit somewhereintheskies.com Somewhere in the Skies is a production of the Lionsgate Sound Network.

[Donald Trump]

Every hunter knows there are unspoken rules in the wilderness. Stay alert, trust your instincts, and when darkness falls, make sure you have a safe place to bed down for the night. But what happens when you realize something has intruded on your sanctuary? Something watching from the darkness, waiting to make contact whether you're ready or not. Welcome to Sightings, the series that takes you inside the world's most mysterious supernatural events.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I'm McLeod.

[Brian Sigley]

And I'm Brian. And look at us. McLeod. First episode of 2025.

[Ryan Reynolds]

That's right. The show's been such a hit thanks to all of you, that we're gonna just keep on going, bringing new stories of the supernatural to you each and every week.

[Brian Sigley]

McLeod, you have to tell me if there's one story that you're just itching to do this year.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Ooh, gosh, that's a great question. I think I love ancient stuff, old stuff. So I think, like, NAZCA lines kind.

[Donald Trump]

Of blow my mind.

[Brian Sigley]

Oh, yeah, okay, that's interesting because I'm gonna have to find a story for that one. Cause all I really know is that there's these lines in the desert, but.

[Donald Trump]

That'S all I know, too.

[Brian Sigley]

Yeah. Huh. All right. A challenge.

[Ryan Reynolds]

The gauntlet has been thrown. Your work has been set.

[Brian Sigley]

Thank you. Well, we've also gotten a ton of great listener suggestions of some really cool sightings that I haven't even heard of before. So thank you for those, and keep them coming, you guys. We really, really appreciate it.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And speaking of listener submissions, we've also had a ton of amazing listener stories sent our way, plus some really cool theories, which we love having those discussions with you. We haven't had a chance to reply to all of you yet, but don't worry. We will. We promise.

[Brian Sigley]

And for those of you new to the show here in 2025, welcome. On each and every episode a season sightings, we're gonna bring you a thrilling story of an infamous supernatural encounter, followed by a discussion of the accounts that inspired the story. You know, we aren't trying to prove that these things are real or not. We're just trying to find out what makes these stories so fun and mysterious and exciting that they've become part of the cultural lexicon over the years. And, you know, we'll also give our gut take on things once in a while as well.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yes, yes. And I know that I do tend to be a tough critic.

[Donald Trump]

They're skept.

[Brian Sigley]

Gecko.

[Donald Trump]

Gecko is strong with this one.

[Ryan Reynolds]

You know, Yoda kind of looks like a gecko a little bit. But I thought it would be fun to bring a new player to our discussion. You know, someone who can bring balance to the skeptical gecko. Oh, man, I'm going full Star wars with this analogy, aren't I?

[Brian Sigley]

Are you saying that we need a Luke Skywalker to balance the skeptical gecko's Darth Vader ness?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yes, I am. I mean, I would say I don't know why the skeptical gecko's gotta be Darth Vader, but, you know, fine.

[Brian Sigley]

All right, well, let's. What do we have that's opposite of skeptical?

[Ryan Reynolds]

We got skeptical credibility. Credulous. What's a animal credulous?

[Brian Sigley]

Capybara.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Capybara? That's the animal you come with.

[Brian Sigley]

I don't know. I'm sorry. All right, what else is there? Like chameleon maybe?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Chameleon. But that's too much like the gecko. Like a convinced. A convinced chameleon.

[Donald Trump]

Bee liever.

[Brian Sigley]

Ooh.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Like, I'm a believer. I'm a skeptic, and I'm a believer. Beaver.

[Brian Sigley]

Yes, beaver.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Believer beaver.

[Brian Sigley]

I love it.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I got it.

[Brian Sigley]

Believer. Beaver and skeptical gecko. We need to get those on some T shirts.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Oh, absolutely.

[Donald Trump]

But.

[Ryan Reynolds]

All right, wait. That's enough housekeeping for the new year. We're so glad that you are here with us and excited to dive into today's supernatural story. That's what you came here for. Where are we going, Brian?

[Brian Sigley]

We are heading into the Sierra Nevada Mountains in 1964, where one bow hunter in the wrong place at the wrong time is about to become the one who's hunted.

[Donald Trump]

Ooh.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So get ready for UFOs, bulging eyes, poison gas, and one night stuck in.

[Donald Trump]

A tree that you will never forget.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Coming up on this episode of Sightings.

[Brian Sigley]

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Sightings. Super fans, it's a new year, and I have a question for you. What do you want your 2025 story to be? New adventures, new challenges.

[Brian Sigley]

Here at Sightings, we know how powerful stories can be. We bring you some pretty cool ones every week.

[Ryan Reynolds]

That's right.

[Brian Sigley]

But even in a world with monsters and mysteries, the most important story of all is your own.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Maybe you're ready for a plot twist. Or maybe there's a part of your story that you've been wanting to revise or revisit. So if you want to pick up the pen and become the author of your own life, there's no better part than the therapists at Better Help.

[Brian Sigley]

Better Help is fully online, making therapy affordable and convenient. And look, you don't have to have been abducted by aliens or terrorized by a creature in your closet to benefit from talking to someone.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Maybe you want to learn positive coping skills, because I know there's a lot going on right now.

[Brian Sigley]

Or maybe you want to be the best version of yourself.

[Ryan Reynolds]

You know, whatever your goal, BetterHelp has a diverse network of over 30,000 credentialed therapists with a wide range of specialties. And you can easily switch therapists anytime at no extra. So write your story with BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com sightings to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelpH. E L-P.com sightings Thanks, BetterHelp, for sponsoring this episode.

[Brian Sigley]

And now onto our story.

[Donald Trump]

My name is Donald Trump, but folks around here just call me Don. I'm a defense contractor by trade, but a bow hunter at heart. Or at least I was until Labor Day weekend back in 64. Because that weekend. Well, that weekend changed just about everything I'd come to think about. Well, just about everything. See, I've always been a straight shooter, a meat and potatoes man. Who's never had much truck with tall tales or flights of fancy. Working in missile defense teaches you that kind of thinking. You learn to trust your instruments to believe that every blip on the radar means something real. That's what I always told my crew. If something shows up on your screens, you better believe it's there. There's no room for imagination in this line of work. But let me tell you something. There are things flying around in our atmosphere that no radar is ever going to pick up. Things that don't want to be found. And I learned that the hard way out there in Cisco Grove. It was one of those clear California days when the air's just starting to get that autumn snap to it. Two fellows from work had invited me out to Tahoe National Forest, about 70 miles northwest up Route 40, a spot near Cisco Grove. I'd never hunted that area before, but they swore by it. Said the deer up there grew big as horses, and the woods were so quiet you could hear a pine needle drop. We hit the road early and made it just as the sun was peeking over the Sierras. And the place was everything they'd promised. Pristine wood stretching as far as the eye could see, with crystal lakes scattered between huge granite outcrops. Paradise, plain and simple. So we set up base camp, strapped on our gear, and headed out. Now, I may not have known these specific trails, but I'd been hunting since I could walk. Had my trusty bow, a quiver of arrows, and enough wood sense to track a ghost. Or so I thought. Because what happened to me in those woods, I don't think any wilderness experience or know how would have helped me one bit. It's funny how the forest can turn on you sometimes. One minute you're following deer sign, confident as can be, and the next. Well, the next minute, you're realizing that every tree looks exactly like the last one. And that sinking feeling hits your gut when you know you've wandered too far from familiar ground. And that's exactly where I found myself at the end of the day. Lost. The kind of lost where you think back on stories of folks who wander into the woods and never walk out. But I tried to keep a level head and followed a ridge line, figuring it would lead me back to somewhere I recognized. Instead, it led me straight to a cliff edge with nothing but air between me and a river far below. By then, the sun was starting to dip below the horizon, and I didn't have a flashlight, just my bow, three arrows, and the clothes on my back. Now, the smart thing to do would have been to stay put till daylight. But I was too dang stubborn to cave that easily. So I cautiously made my way back the direction I came, clinging to the last remnants of dusk. And eventually found myself in a yawning canyon dotted with boulders and pines. And that's when I heard it. The unmistakable sound of something big thrashing around in the brush nearby. My first thought was bear. Had to be, since nothing else out here made that kind of racket. And let me tell you, facing down a bear with just a bow and arrow, that's not exactly a fair fight. So I did what any sensible man would. I climbed the sturdiest tree I could find. A 30 foot pine with a trunk as big as a barrel. And even though the thing didn't have any branches in its lowest 12ft, it's amazing what you can manage with a bear breathing down your neck. So I scrambled up the bark fast as I could and settled onto the first stable branches I could find. Then scanned the darkness for any sign of the bear. But of course, by then the woods had gone eerily quiet. And after a few more minutes passed with no further disturbance, I finally started to relax a bit. Maybe I'd spooked the bear and it had run off. Or hell, maybe there never was a bear and my panic stricken brain had conjured the whole thing up. Either way, I wasn't about to climb back down and find out. So I resigned myself to a long cold night. In the tree, I found a semi comfortable spot where I could keep watch without risking a fall if I dozed off. And I couldn't stop thinking about Judy and our little girl back home, since they were probably worried sick by now. But at least I was safe, right? Ha. It must have been a half hour or so later when I first noticed the light. At first it was just a white glow weaving through the distant trees. And it made sense that it'd be my bodies searching with lanterns or maybe even a rescue crew. But then I saw it sail clean over a tree and my brain shifted to thinking helicopter. Had to be. Who else would be out searching at night? So I jumped up, fired off a signal flare and started waving it over my head like a madman. And that got the light's attention alright. And as it beelined towards me, I remembered thinking, thank God they've spotted me. But as it grew closer, I realized this was no ordinary searchlight. And it wasn't attached to any helicopter or vehicle I'd ever seen either. No, this was something else entirely. And it came to A dead stop about 150ft away from me, and hovered there in complete silence. No engine noise, no whirring blades, nothing. And I could see now it had two smaller, darker objects circling around it like planets orbiting a star. And all three of them began circling my tree, slow and deliberate, like they were looking. Looking, of course, for me. So I pressed myself as close to the tree as I could, because now I most certainly did not want to be found. But before I could figure out if I'd actually been spotted or not, there was this massive flash of light, and I swear I spotted a huge dome shaped craft hovering off in the distance as those two smaller objects dropped straight down into the woods nearby. And I raised my bow as quiet as I could, ready for whatever might come walking out of the brush. And sure enough, a rustling sound came from those woods. And then a pair of ferns parted and, well, what stepped out was no animal. It was something else entirely. The thing was about five and a half feet tall and dressed head to toe in this silver suit that reminded me of the heat resistant coatings we use on certain components at work. But this fabric seemed impossibly smooth, except at the joints. And while the thing had two legs and two arms, there was no neck, just this seamless continuation of a torso into a head with horrifying, bulgy eyes. I couldn't tell if they were some kind of goggles or if the eyes just bulged, unnatural from the head. Either way, I'd never seen anything like it. The thing started inspecting the nearby plants like it was taking samples or something, and I prayed it hadn't noticed me or had just forgotten I was in the tree. But then a second creature showed up, identical to the first, and they started communicating, making me these weird cooing sounds, kind of like owls, but mechanical almost. And I felt this surreal sense of detachment as I watched them, almost like I was watching some bizarre nature documentary. Then, of course, they looked up, those dark, bulbous eyes locked on mine, and I swear my blood ran to ice. And those two things came right up to the base of my tree and started pushing on it with their spindly gloved fingers like they were trying to test its structural integrity. And I debated shooting them, of course I debated shooting them. But all of a sudden they stopped touching the tree and just stood there, staring up at me. But not just staring. Menacing, like they were trying to will me down with the sheer intensity of their gaze. And I thought maybe, just maybe, I could wait them out, that I might be saved. Because these things clearly had no earthly idea how to climb a tree. But it turns out, I thought too soon. Because right then, I heard a mechanical humming like a generator and something crashing from the brush the same way the creatures came from. But what emerged from the woods was no creature. This thing was bulkier and boxier in shape, With a square head and glowing eyes the color of hot coals. It moved with the stiff, mechanical gait. And when it unhinged its mouth, the bottom half of its. Its face fell away entirely. I realized then I was looking at some kind of robot, A nightmarish version of the things I'd seen in science fiction pictures. Except this was real. This was happening. As all three of them, the silver creature and mechanical friend, stared up at me, I realized they had one goal and one goal only. They were hell bent on getting me out of that tree. So there I was, stuck in a tree and staring at three entities from outer space who wanted me on the ground. I'd like to say I faced this nightmare scenario with courage and dignity, but the truth is, I was scared out of my mind and desperate to put as much space between myself and these things as possible, I shimmied further up the tree until I found myself 20ft up and perched on the sturdiest branch I could reach. And what happened next? Well, it would have been almost comical if it wasn't so terrifying. The silver creatures tried boosting each other up the tree. Problem was, their bodies weren't built for climbing. They were too stiff and awkward, and they kept sliding off like sad sacks of potatoes. This went on repeat for a good time. Boost, fall, try again, Repeat, repeat, repeat. And all the while, the big robot thing just stood there, staring at me while the silver creatures kept hooting at one another like demented owls. And even though they weren't making any progress, I wasn't about to wait around to see if they eventually figured it out. So I knocked one of my three remaining arrows and let fly. The arrow struck the robot square in the chest, sending sparks flying. Seriously, it was like I'd hit it with a live wire instead of an arrowhead. And I thought the thing just might go down as it stumbled backward. But it regained its footing and stared back up at me, defiant as ever. So I fired my last two arrows as fast as I could at the silver creatures, but they scattered quickly, and the shots went wide. And though it seemed to put a damper on their climbing enthusiasm, it didn't stop them one bit. They just decided to change tactics. The silver beings made a new bird like Sound and the robot stepped forward, staring up at me with its dead eyes. Its jaw dropped open and this white smoke started pouring out and drifting up towards me. The smell arrived first, chemical and bracing, before the effect hit me like a punch to the gut. The world spun, and the next thing I knew, I was slumped over with one arm and both legs dangling from the branch. It's pure dumb luck that the sturdy limb kept me from pitching right into the creature's waiting arms. But now I knew their tactic and I wouldn't let it work on me again. So I shimmied further up the tree until the trunk was barely 4 inches around and used my belt to strap myself to it. If I passed out again, at least I wouldn't fall into the clutches of those things. And thank God I did, because that robot kept trying to gas me while the silver jerks paced around below. I ought to stop for a second and address the fact that this sounds crazy. And it's true. It is crazy. My mind was racing, and I knew that unless I came up with some kind of plan, I'd end up out of the tree and hauled away to that dome shaped ship I'd seen. So it was right about then, strapped to the tree after being gassed for the third or fourth time, that I realized I needed to fight back. And you know what? I did it. Using the clothes on my very back, I started with my hunting cap. Yanking it off my head, I fumbled for my matches. My hair oil made the fabric light easily, and I dropped the flaming bundle down onto those silvery heads below. The bulging eyed ones instantly scattered, clearly spooked. I noticed the robot thing even recoiled from the flames. So my plan was working. Now I just needed to hit that robot and hopefully catch it on fire. So I stripped off my jacket and started tearing it into strips. Meanwhile, the robot belched another cloud of that noxious gas. This went on and on for hours, with me waking up after each attack to rain fire from above. As the night went on, I started getting colds from the lack of proper clothing and sick from the repeated gas attacks. I even started to lose my sense of time, my entire worldview narrowing to that tree, the creatures, and the flames. But I kept at it. And finally, finally, I hit that robot square in its gaping, hinged mouth with a flaming scrap of sock. As soon as the flames made contact, the robot hissed a sound unlike anything I'd ever heard in my life, Like a mechanical squeal that came from hell itself. And it flailed, trying to unhinge its mouth and dislodge the flaming scrap of fabric. As below, the two silver creatures ran around in a panic. And as I watched the chaos unfold, I thought maybe, just maybe, they'd leave me alone for good. But that thought, of course, was far too naive, because the robot extinguished the flames in its mouth, and then it glared up at me with what had to be hate in its cold red eyes. So I reached to light another scrap of clothing, but realized I was out of matches. So I threw my bow at the thing, then my canteen, the loose change from my pockets, and even some choice insults. But the robot didn't budge. Nor did the two silver guys. They weren't giving up easily and kept trying to gas me. And after another hour of futile attempts to knock me out of the the tree, their plan was beginning to work. I was tired, sick, and out of ways to fight back. And just when I thought I couldn't take anymore, when I was sure I'd either fall or simply give up, I saw the first hints of dawn peeking over the horizon. Relief coursed through me. Surely these creatures were nocturnal. Surely they'd retreat with the coming of the sun. But they didn't. No, that would have been too easy, because instead of retreating, they were joined by a second robot who came bounding out of the trees. And it settled next to the other robot, and they faced each other. And as those horrifying eyes turned to me, some kind of electrical current started arcing between their barrel chests. And I knew it was going to be bad, because the two silver creatures backed off, watching this transpire from a safe distance. And those arcs of electricity built and built until the very air around my tree felt charged. And as the energy coalesced, a pulsing, writhing mass of vapor materialized and rose straight towards me. And I think I might have screamed right then, thrashed like a madman against the belt tethering me to the tree. But it was no use. The vapor enveloped me, cold and sickening, and though I tried to hold my breath, the edges of my vision dimmed and narrowed to a point. Then the whole world blinked out of existence. And the last thing I remember thinking was, this is it. They finally got me. I don't know how long I was out, but when I came to, I was still in the tree. Still strapped to the thin trunk that had had saved my life so far. But when I looked down with bleary eyes, expecting the worst, I realized my attackers were gone. All of them. The robots, the silver men, the distant dome shaped craft had vanished like a bad dream. But this was no dream, of course. My torn clothes, my missing gear, and the horrible feeling in my gut proved it was all too real. I was sick, freezing, and probably in shock. But I was alive. After an hour or so of waiting to make sure they didn't come back, I managed to unfasten myself from the tree and climb down on shaky legs. I half expected those creatures to jump out of the bushes and grab me as soon as I hit the ground. But the woods were peaceful. Birds were singing, and if you didn't know otherwise, you'd never assume anything had ever happened here at all. I started walking, though I had no idea where I was going. I just knew I had to get away from that tree. But I didn't make it far before my legs gave out and I collapsed to the ground. And there, with my face pressed to cold mud, I heard the most amazing sound of salvation. The sound of whistling. Human whistling. So I mustered all the strength I had and pushed myself to my feet and shouted as loud as I could. And after a few moments, my buddy Vincent came running out of the brush. I'd never been so happy to see another human being in my life. And I blabbed out my story as fast as I could about the silver men and their pet robots trying to snatch me out of the tree. And I fully expected him to think I'd lost my mind. But Vincent just listened quietly, with a strange look on his face. And when I finished, he told me something that made my blood run cold. He'd seen something, too. A huge object hovering in the sky the night before. And as he watched, a smaller craft detached from it and zoomed off in the direction I said I'd come from. I reckon that was the moment that I knew with 100% certainty that I wasn't crazy. That what happened out there in those woods was real. More real than anything I experienced before or since. Vincent and I made our way back to camp in silence, both lost in our own thoughts. I was grateful beyond words to be safe to be found. But I knew my life would never be the same. How could it be, knowing what's really out there? Sometimes, late at night, I'll be working the radar systems, tracking normal aircraft through our skies. And every now and then, something will show up on our screens that moves in ways nothing should be able to move. And when that happens, I think about those silver beings, those robot companions, and that dome shaped craft, and I wonder just how many other things are up there, just beyond the edge of what our instruments can detect. How Many other entities are studying us, testing us, trying to understand us. Just like those beings were trying to understand how to climb a tree. I don't have answers to any of those questions, of course. But I do know one thing for certain. I've never looked at the night sky the same way again. And neither would you if you'd spent a night in Cisco Grove.

[Brian Sigley]

Sightings will be back just after this.

[Donald Trump]

Welcome back to Sightings, where we're about.

[Ryan Reynolds]

To unpack that wild story I just narrated. I have to say the whole thing felt like some kind of twisted survival video game. Like guys stuck in a tree fighting off aliens with arrows and flaming clothing while trying not to get gassed by robots.

[Brian Sigley]

That is a great way to describe it. I should say, though, before we even do anything, that I didn't embellish any of those details.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Really.

[Brian Sigley]

Yeah, everything in the story came directly from Donald Shrum's account of what happened to him that night in 1964.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Even the part where these supposedly advanced aliens couldn't figure out how to climb a tree.

[Brian Sigley]

Kind of bizarre, isn't it? But regardless of these aliens ineptitude, it still had to have been a harrowing encounter.

[Donald Trump]

No doubt, no doubt.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I mean, we've got lights in the sky, bug eyed humanoids, two robots, toxic.

[Brian Sigley]

Gas, and a hunter who became the hunted. Which is what stood out to me when I first heard this story. Because it felt almost like something out of a Predator movie. Albeit one with decidedly dumber aliens.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Could you imagine a Predator movie like this? It's like Predator with Adam Sim.

[Brian Sigley]

Oh my God.

[Ryan Reynolds]

But no, before I go cracking jokes, I want context, I want facts. So enlighten me, Brian, because I've never heard of this before.

[Brian Sigley]

All right, well, like I said, I didn't really have to invent anything for this. You know, I did streamline a few elements. For example, Donald built some signal fires in the night before the alien encounter instead of having a flare. And he also turned out to be less of a radar engineer or an analyst, you know, with privy to all this top secret knowledge than a tradesman who was welding and painting these top secret rockets for Minuteman missiles and the Titan program for space.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So a bit more blue collar than in this story and his hunting companions. Did they work at the same company?

[Brian Sigley]

They did. So we have three guys all working on these top secret missile projects heading out into the wilderness to go bow hunting. And the place they went, Cisco Grove. Well, it looks remote. Now I have to imagine that in 1964 it was in the middle of Nowhere. It's kind of in the Sierra Nevada mountains west of Lake Tahoe. And despite its remoteness, it certainly seems scenic.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So it's, of course, a great place for aliens to take a vacation.

[Brian Sigley]

You know, it's interesting you should say that because apparently there are uranium deposits in the area, and it hasn't really come up in any of our other episodes before, but UFO researchers have noted a pretty profound connection between uranium deposits and UFO sightings around the world.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Juicy. All right, now we're talking. Fascinating. Actually, it makes sense because in the story, Donald saw the aliens inspecting the ground and, like, plants and stuff. So maybe they were taking test samples or something and he just happened to get in their way.

[Brian Sigley]

Yeah, that's kind of what it seems like to me. And these aliens, they just seem like these little scientists in lab suits with their googly eyes walking along on the forest floor.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I don't think anything.

[Brian Sigley]

Oh, gosh, my mind just went to minions too. It's worth noting that Donald said he later saw more than the two that were just attacking the tree. He saw as many as six at one point, but only two of them ever actually acknowledged him. So that leaves me to kind of wonder if it's possible that this entire encounter was not an effort to, you know, attack or capture Donald, but, you know, an effort to keep him occupied, almost, you know, to deflect his attention away from whatever the rest of the aliens might have been doing, you know, just over the ridge or whatever.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Oh, that could explain why their gas didn't kill him. But on the other hand, it could just be that they wanted a pristine specimen to abduct.

[Brian Sigley]

Yeah, but if they were the abducting types, I have to wonder if they.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Where's their tractor beam?

[Brian Sigley]

Like, they have no other skills to speak of.

[Donald Trump]

Right, right, right.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Very, very little ability to mechanically function in a physical world with any kind of athleticism or competency.

[Donald Trump]

I.

[Ryan Reynolds]

You know what, I've never. Other than, like in sci fi movies and stuff where you're already in space, I don't think I've ever heard of an alien sighting that involved robots.

[Brian Sigley]

There's been a few sightings that actually have ro. Robotic beings. In 1962 in Argentina, there was a couple that reported that they saw a UFO and then a robot came out of it. But the moment that the robot saw the couple, it got scared and ran back into the UFO and flew away.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I just had an R2D2 like.

[Brian Sigley]

Yeah, yep, yep. And then in 1972 in Australia, six teenagers allegedly saw a 10 foot robot, and it attacked their car and caught it on fire, and then it disappeared without a trace.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Right.

[Brian Sigley]

It seems very strange to me, though, because if they built these robots to presumably do something beyond just gas people, they don't seem like the robots don't seem to have any skills either.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Gosh, this is so horrifying. If I'm putting myself in Donald's shoes, it's just bonkers. I don't even know. Did he have a family?

[Brian Sigley]

He did. He had a wife and a new daughter.

[Ryan Reynolds]

A new daughter. Oh, my gosh. No wonder he was just fighting for his life, because, man. But you imagine that you're gonna get attacked by a bear or something when you're out in the woods. Not a trash can releasing noxious gas and little alien scientists and spaceships. I mean, this is earth shattering. I mean, like, what did. How was he after this?

[Brian Sigley]

He was messed up for a long time. His wife has written about him having severe emotional trauma for years. You know, horrible dreams, overwhelming anxiety, fear that the creatures would come back for him again. Weird things, too. Like the sound of owls. Remember in the story how.

[Donald Trump]

Oh, right, right, right, right.

[Brian Sigley]

The sound of owls would disturb Donald and he would wake up screaming. Those eyes. Those eyes. You know, because these aliens had these weird goggly eyes.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So, I mean, like, he must have told someone, like, other than his wife.

[Brian Sigley]

Here's his dilemma. He worked for a top secret defense contractor.

[Donald Trump]

Right.

[Brian Sigley]

He couldn't afford the scrutiny or the risk of losing his job, it seems so. You know, for 40 years, basically, this story stayed mostly in the dark.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Wait a second. Why you just said mostly in the dark? Was there something behind that?

[Brian Sigley]

Well, sort of. They didn't go public with this. Understandably so. But Donald and his wife reached out to one other person outside of their family, and that was the head of the astronomical observatory of their local college in Sacramento, California. And this guy, the first thing that this guy does after being contacted by Donald and his wife is calls the Air Force.

[Donald Trump]

Oh, no.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So I feel like every time the Air Force gets involved with these sightings, it's never good. Is that our Project Blue Book fellows?

[Brian Sigley]

I don't know if they were Project Blue Book or not, but what ended up happening was two officers came to meet with Donald, and they ended up taking one of the arrows that Donald had shot at the robot because Donald collected them before going home. And of note, the arrowhead allegedly had this aluminum, like, kind of melted metal on it. So even though it hit the robot and bounced right off, it clearly did some Kind of damage.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Collected something from the alien.

[Brian Sigley]

Yeah. And then, of course, the Air Force collected it from Donald, and Donald never saw it again. And during the discussion with these two Air Force officers, these guys tried to tell Donald that. No, no, no, no, no. What you saw was not aliens. It was one of three things. It was either one, the Japanese, or it was a group of teenagers or what, wearing armor, wearing robot suits, or it was a bunch of Air Force trainees who were doing some kind of operation.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Gotcha. Well, I do know that in many aspects of the military, whether it's Navy or Air Force. Air Force especially, you do kind of training for survival.

[Brian Sigley]

Yeah. You parachute into somewhere and then you have to make your way out.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Exactly. Or your plane crashes. So you gotta be able to sustain yourself.

[Brian Sigley]

So despite all of their efforts to obscure or deflect from aliens or something like that, and saying, no, no, this was nothing. This was a big nothing burger. A few weeks after the event, Donald and Vincent, who was the co worker, they went back to Cisco Grove and found that tree. And wouldn't you know it, someone had already been there and combed the area, picking up any shreds of evidence and even raking the ground to cover up and obscure any footprints.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Ooh, that's suspicious. So aside from that missing arrowhead. Okay, so there's the missing arrowhead, but there's. There's no other physical evidence.

[Brian Sigley]

I guess not. We got nothing until 2005, 41 years after the incident, when Donald and his wife showed up at a MUFON meeting. Now, MUFON's another UFO advocacy or investigative group, and they shared their story with the world after 41 years.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Hmm.

[Brian Sigley]

Do I see a skeptical gecko coming out?

[Ryan Reynolds]

I mean, he's always in there scuttling around, you know, so 41 years, I always kind of. I wonder, what's the motivation? Because a lot of these stories, it's just a person saying, this thing happened to me, and that's all you got. And so after. Why suddenly, in 41 years, does he come out with a story? On the other hand, it's compelling that he kept it under wraps for 41 years anyway. I always also struggle a little bit with, like, alien motive. With a lot of these sightings, like in our Kelly Hopkinsville, it's like, what are they doing down there? What is this? Advanced species came across the galaxy to do what? Harass some farmers and, like, chase a guy up a tree? The uranium is a new thing. I had never heard the uranium thing, that sightings tend to happen around uranium. So I guess my believer beaver brain starts kind of going like, okay, well maybe they need uranium for fuel and they're just need to mine. This is how it goes. They gotta mine uranium and he just happened to be there. And like, these robots or whatever, like, weirdly, I find it kind of compelling that they're inept and, like, kind of think about our own drones and mechanisms, like bumping into walls and like, falling downstairs. Like, you know, robots kind of lack contextual understanding and especially when you're on an alien planet. So the fact that they're kind of bumbling, I kind of find compelling because it's less harrowing if you're telling a story about a sighting, it's to have them just goofy.

[Brian Sigley]

That's a really astute observation. Because if he's gonna make this up, you know, from whole cloth, you would think that he would make these aliens seem intimidating, like he defeated a nemesis. Yeah, so my mind's kind of divided here because. Pardon me, I don't think there's any incentive for him to have made this up. And like we just discussed, there doesn't seem to be a motive to make it up in the way that he did. So.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So if he did, other than people enjoy telling stories, that's also the attention.

[Brian Sigley]

That comes exactly point in case the show. But, you know, if he did actually see something, I'm wondering what it could have been. You know, if he didn't encounter actual aliens who were looking for uranium with robots, I wonder, did he misinterpret an actual military operation? Were those Air Force guys right? Could it have been some kind of neurochemical imbalance of some kind? Like, for instance, Donald was exposed to chemicals at the company he worked at, including one which was later proven to be a carcinogen, and it caused death for a lot of workers. And Donald's son said that this chemical would just seep out of him through his sweat, which sounds horrifying, but I wonder if enough exposure to something like that makes you go. Makes you see things that aren't there.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Necessarily, or maybe are there any reports of this chemical creating, like, hallucinations or.

[Brian Sigley]

Not that I could find. I'm grasping straws here, but, you know, just trying to figure out, like, what could this have been if this guy didn't actually see what he says he saw?

[Ryan Reynolds]

It's the 60s, right?

[Brian Sigley]

It is the 60s.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And he went out into the woods with his buddies in the 60s, like, they might have just, like, dropped some acid, taken some shrooms, like, I can 100%. Imagine like a dude dropping some acid, having a bad trip and winding up spending the night in a tree.

[Brian Sigley]

I can see that as well. And I'm imagining little raccoons or something at the base of the tree. And he's imagining them are actually to be something far more nefarious. Right, but why don't you give us a believer beaver take on this one, McLeod? I want you to stretch your horizons here a little bit.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Sure. Yeah, no, it's fun. I mean, honestly, I think Bliever beaver might be a really fun new character for me. I mean, if it's real. I think it's the ambiguity of the purpose of the aliens. And again, like I mentioned, the bumblingness of them kind of resonates with me. Like the truth sometimes is just kind of bumbling and hard to grasp. Like there's no clear cut reason for them being there. And their modes of violence were somewhat indirect. Like they had no missiles or projectiles, which speaks to me maybe of a truly an alien culture that just does not approach things the same way as us. Does not go in there, pew, pew, trying to like bust things up. And they were just very befuddled by what they found on Earth. And they're like, our gas, our gas isn't working. The gas always works. Why isn't the gas working? You know, the weirdness of it somehow lends plausibility in my mind. And then also, you know this. If I'm to believe that he actually had an arrow to begin with that had some weird aluminum on it, that it was taken and not given back to him, that's pretty creepy. If I'm to believe that they went back and actually the land had been, you know, scoured depending on how long it was. Cause also that could have just been like clearance. Sorry, the skeptical gecko is working its.

[Donald Trump]

Way into my beaver.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Get out of here. Anyway, listeners, you tell us what you think. We love discussing this stuff and hearing your ideas about what might be going on here. So hit us up on socials sightingspod.

[Brian Sigley]

And we are still looking for incredible stories of your own encounters with the supernatural. So find us on Instagram or email [e-mail] yes.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Where are we headed next week, Brian?

[Brian Sigley]

Well, we are going to one of my favorite places. Hawaii.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Heck yeah. Ah, palm trees, Mai tais, and presumably something absolutely horrible.

[Brian Sigley]

Any guesses?

[Ryan Reynolds]

I don't know any Hawaiian creatures, so I'm going to have to go with ghosts. Like Hawaii is a spiritual place, like a demon, something related to nature. I bet we're in for a killer ghost story.

[Brian Sigley]

Well, you're gonna have to wait to find out. Same time, same place, next week here on Sightings. See you then.

[Ryan Reynolds]

See you then.

[Brian Sigley]

Sightings is hosted by McLeod Andrews and Brian Sigley. Produced by Brian Sigley, Chase Kinzer, and McLeod Andrews. Written by Brian Sigley. Series music by Mitch Bain. Story music by Mitch Bain and Madison James Smith. Mixing and master mastering by Pat Kickleiter of Sundial Media. Artwork by Nuno Cernatos. For a list of this episode's sources, check out our [e-mail] Sightings is presented by Reverb and Q Code. If you like the show, be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you're first to hear new episodes every week. And if you know other Supernatural fans, tell them about us. We'd really appreciate it.