Sightings: "Under Siege"
Podcast: Sightings (REVERB | QCODE)
Episode: Under Siege
Date: September 15, 2025
Hosts: McLeod Andrews & Brian Sigley

Episode Overview

In this episode, "Under Siege," Sightings plunges listeners into one of the most iconic and harrowing American cryptid encounters: the Battle of Ape Canyon. The hosts dramatize a first-hand account from Fred Beck, a gold prospector, who—alongside four companions—claims to have survived a night-long siege by mysterious, towering, hairy creatures near Mount St. Helens in 1924. After the dramatized retelling, McLeod and Brian unpack the original story, examine evidence, alternative theories, local folklore, and the place of this event in Bigfoot mythology. The result is a gripping blend of supernatural storytelling and skeptical discussion, all delivered with the hosts’ signature approachable banter.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Storytelling: The Battle of Ape Canyon

[04:49–23:44]

• Dramatic Reenactment: The episode devotes nearly 20 minutes to an atmospheric narration as Fred Beck.
  • Five prospectors working a gold claim become unnerved by gigantic, human-like tracks (up to 19 inches).
  • Strange whistling and hollow thumping sounds begin at dusk.
  • Beck and Marion Smith spot a massive, hairy figure: not quite ape, not quite man.
  • They fire rifles at it; later, during the night, their cabin is violently besieged by multiple such beings they dub "mountain devils."
  • The attack escalates: rocks hurled onto the roof, arms reaching into the cabin, desperate return fire, and ultimately daylight delivering a tense, battered exodus.
  • The next morning, Beck claims to shoot another creature, which falls into the canyon. The men flee, vowing silence that quickly dissolves.
• Atmosphere: The segment leans into classic campfire horror, emphasizing mounting dread, primal survival, and a deep sense of the unknown.

Notable Quote:

“If a man is bound to carry a thing, he may as well set it down plain… but what happened to me and my partners this past July in the shadow of Mount St. Helens… I didn’t know these mountains quite as well as I thought I did.”
— Fred Beck (Narration), [04:49]

Memorable Moment:

“If you ever find yourself in those mountains and hear a strange whistling from the ridges, then, friend, you’d best head back the way you came. And whatever you do, don’t wait until dark.”
— Fred Beck, [23:42]

2. Historical Context & Fact-Checking

[25:26–27:45]

• Era & Place: The real encounter occurred in July 1924, near Mount St. Helens, Washington, before the volcano’s famous eruption.
  • The group came from Kelso—a rough logging and mining town.
  • The name “Ape Canyon” and the association with “apes” or Bigfoot emerged after the fact; Beck and the others called them “mountain devils.”
• Newspaper & Ranger Reports: After the prospectors’ account, park rangers and journalists visited the site and confirmed:
  • A cabin badly damaged (holes, rocks, broken furniture)
  • Large footprints around the area
  • Yet, rangers remained skeptical and suggested the miners could have staged the scene (“made those prints with their knuckles and palm”), fueling suspicion of a hoax.

Notable Quote:

“These rangers thought it was kind of bunk… They said it looked like they were able to make those kind of prints with their knuckles and palm.”
— Brian, [29:13]

3. Theories: Bigfoot, Hoax, or Hoaxers?

[27:45–37:09]

• Skeptical Takes:
  • Did prospectors stage the cabin attack themselves to cover up a failed claim or other misadventures?
  • A 1950s claim by former YMCA campers purported that they, as children, threw rocks at the cabin—an explanation dismissed for the scale and violence described.
  • Rangers alleged the miners were “all drunk,” further suggesting unreliable perception.
• Fred Beck’s Perspective:
  • Beck never recanted, publishing pamphlets throughout his life.
  • He became known for proposing the creatures were “interdimensional beings,” linking the Pacific Northwest’s hairy monsters with yetis and global legends.
• Hoax Motivation:
  • No clear personal gain, as the men neither profited nor sought fame.
  • Discussion around the lack of evidence for outright fabrication.

Notable Quote:

“He also became relatively infamous for evangelizing the idea that these creatures… were interdimensional beings.”
— Brian, [31:11]

• The “Scooby Doo” Theory:
  • Alternative: min ers attacked by pranksters in costume or as a practical joke—a possible but undercut explanation given the physical damage.

4. Local Legends & Cultural Roots

[34:55–36:41]

• Native American Lore:
  • Regional tribes’ stories of the “Siatco,” described as tall, hairy beings with magical powers—hypnosis, animal mimicry, nocturnal hunting.
  • Legends hold that the Siatco had mostly “gone extinct” by the early 20th century, though some link this lore to the supposed events at Ape Canyon.
• Aftermath and Modern Bigfoot Culture:
  • A “Bigfoot body” allegedly found after the 1980s Mount St. Helens eruption (unconfirmed), stoking ongoing regional legend.
  • Reports of similar encounters in the Pacific Northwest remain an enduring facet of American cryptid folklore.

Notable Quote:

“Among tribes in the Pacific Northwest, a lot of them have stories about this strange race of hairy beings… the Siatco… between 7 and 8 feet tall with bodies covered in hair, which admittedly sounds a lot like a Bigfoot. However, these Bigfoots had magical powers.”
— Brian, [35:20]

5. Evidence & Legacy

[27:45–33:40]; [39:20–end]

• Physical Evidence:
  • Grou nd impressions, “weird-shaped” footprints up to 19 inches found and cast by rangers.
  • Episode image of one such print posted to the podcast Instagram.
  • However, hosts and investigators note the ambiguous, non-diagnostic shape—neither proof nor disproof of cryptid activity.
• Enduring Mystery:
  • The “Battle of Ape Canyon” remains one of the most well-publicized historical Bigfoot accounts, referenced in pop culture and paranormal lore.
  • No further, similar documented attacks in the area and no creatures found.

Host Reflections:

“I think at the end of the day on this one, I think I’m coming away as like the agnostic narwhal… Because there’s the footprints, and there doesn’t seem to be much motive to lie about this.”
— McLeod, [38:19]

“This is different than a lot of the Bigfoot stories… This is a group of aggressive beings attacking some guys. It kind of reminds me of the Kelly Hopkinsville encounter that we talked about.”
— Brian, [37:46]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Fred Beck Warning the Listener:

  “If you ever find yourself in those mountains and hear a strange whistling from the ridges, then, friend, you’d best head back the way you came. And whatever you do, don’t wait until dark.”
  — [23:42]

• Bigfoot’s Place in Lore:

  “Bigfoot wasn’t really in the cultural lexicon at the time. And the cabin was devastated, apparently… The rangers did take impressions of all the footprints.”
  — Brian, [28:33–28:45]

• Skepticism and Fun:

  “It doesn’t fully quite align with kids throwing rocks, but maybe… it could have been terrifying, and especially if they were drunk.”
  — McLeod, [33:40]

• Cultural Synthesis:

  “If I were to go all in on Bigfoot, I would say the Pacific Northwest would be the place for it to happen… That’s where most of the lore is.”
  — Brian, [36:27]

• Encouraging Listener Engagement:

  “If you guys are believer beavers on this one, we’d love to hear why… or leave us a comment on Spotify or Instagram.”
  — Brian, [38:56]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 04:49 — Dramatized account by "Fred Beck" begins
• 13:07 — Intense cabin siege and survival details
• 23:42 — Beck’s advice to future wanderers
• 25:26 — Discussion: historical background & reporting
• 27:45 — Footprints, cabin evidence, and investigation
• 30:58 — Beck’s life after the event, pamphlets, Bigfoot theory
• 32:19 — The "interdimensional" theory
• 33:09 — Alternative theories (YMCA prank/confession, miner hoax, etc.)
• 34:55 — Mount St. Helens, missing hiker, legend connections
• 35:20 — Pacific Northwest Native American “Siatco” legends
• 36:41 — Extinction and plausibility of a hidden species
• 37:46 — Full-circle on motive, substance, and impact of the incident
• 38:19 — McLeod’s “agnostic narwhal” conclusion

Conclusion & Next Episode Tease

The episode blends immersive storytelling with a thoughtful, investigative companion discussion. The hosts highlight the enduring ambiguity and atmospheric allure of the Battle of Ape Canyon—was it myth, misperception, prank, or primal encounter with the unknown? They invite listeners to weigh in, and tease a future episode set in Brazil, promising another twist on true crime and the supernatural.

Tone:
Conversational, slightly irreverent, deeply curious—balancing skepticism and open-mindedness, always inviting the audience to join the investigation.