More on Giants in the Mountains

Posted by: Craig Woolheater on October 4th, 2007

Giants in the Mountains

Bigfoot adds to attraction of forest

Sasquatch believers, nonbelievers and the many of us still not persuaded one way or the other should find a yearlong exhibit that opens at the State Capital Museum on Saturday informative and entertaining.

“Giants in the Mountains: The Search for Sasquatch,” is an exhibit that explores what we know and don’t know about the hairy, half-human, half-ape creature that has stimulated so much discussion, debate, storytelling and expeditions across cultures and across time.

Come to the exhibit, and you’ll see:

• Never-before-seen foot and hand casts collected by anatomy and anthropology professor Jeffery Meldrum of Idaho State University, a Discovery Channel regular and Bigfoot author.

• Artifacts and artwork that clearly show how larger-than-life creatures are embedded in the cultures and forest landscapes of Northwest tribes. Particularly impressive is a prehistoric, ape-like stonehead found in the Columbia Basin and on loan to the museum from the Maryhill Museum of Art.

• Physical evidence gathered in the field by Washington State University anthropologist Grover Krantz, who concluded that Sasquatch was a form of Gigantopithecus, a giant ape believed to have gone extinct more than 200,000 years ago.

• Supposed hoaxes and some examples of how the lure of Sasquatch permeates society, everything from Bigfoot Ale brewed by Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. to photographs of “Squatch” the Seattle SuperSonics team mascot who is in danger of going extinct if something doesn’t happen fast to keep the NBA team’s new owners from moving the franchise to Oklahoma City.

As I toured the exhibit last week during the last minute hustle and bustle of getting the exhibits in place, museum manager Susan Rohrer talked about the decision to commit so much energy and time to the exhibit.

“It’s a classic Northwest story with roots in Northwest culture and history,” she said. “It’s the type of exhibit that lends itself to anthropological research and environmental science of the Pacific Northwest.”

Look a little closer at the exhibit and you notice it is just as much about the old-growth forests that Sasquatch — fact or fiction — calls home as it is anything else.

Robert Michael Pyle, noted naturalist, author and resident of Grays River in southwest Washington, sums up the theme behind the exhibit best with these words from his book, “Where Bigfoot Walks: Crossing the Dark Divide.”

“If we manage to hang on to a sizeable chunk of Bigfoot habitat, we will at least have a fragment of the greatest green treasure the temperate world has ever known. If we do not, Bigfoot, real or imagined, will vanish; and with its shadow will flee the others who dwell in that world …”

Pyle, Meldrum and Peter Byrne of Bigfoot expedition fame will be there Saturday for a free public opening of the exhibit. Also scheduled are hands-on activities for children, a chance to shake hands with the Sonics’ Squatch and native storytelling with Harvest Moon of the Quinault Indian Tribe.

Back to Sasquatch. Whether he exists will remain an open question without some hard physical evidence such as a skull or skeletal remains or evidence of an irrefutable encounter. Short of that, I remain firmly in the camp of those open to persuasion, but not yet convinced.

In many ways, I’d just as soon Sasquatch remain an unsolved mystery. I don’t need, or want, a scientific explanation for every big, or little, thing.

•More information: For the full schedule of Saturday events from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., go to www.wshs.org/wscm or call the State Capital Museum and Outreach Center at 360-753-2580.

•Address: Lord Mansion, 211 21st Ave. S.W., Olympia, seven blocks south of the Capitol Campus.

•Cost: Admission Saturday is free, but normal prices are $5 family, $2 adults, $1.75 seniors, $1 kids 6-18, free kids younger than 6.

•Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Closed Sunday through Tuesday.John Dodge
The Olympian

About Craig Woolheater
Co-founder of Cryptomundo in 2005. I have appeared in or contributed to the following TV programs, documentaries and films: OLN's Mysterious Encounters: "Caddo Critter", Southern Fried Bigfoot, Travel Channel's Weird Travels: "Bigfoot", History Channel's MonsterQuest: "Swamp Stalker", The Wild Man of the Navidad, Destination America's Monsters and Mysteries in America: Texas Terror - Lake Worth Monster, Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot: Return to Boggy Creek and Beast of the Bayou.


4 Responses to “More on Giants in the Mountains”

  1. 3tIeNnE responds:

    How i wished there were such exhibits closer to where i live (QC, Canada)… Looks very interesting.

  2. DARHOP responds:

    That was the article in last Sunday’s paper I’m pretty sure. From The Olympian. 3 more days, I can’t wait. Hope the little woman doesn’t get to upset with me for hanging out there all day. I need to make myself a note. (DON’T FORGET CAMERA)

    This should be a very kool exhibit. I sure hope so anyway. I’m totally excited about these unseen cast by Dr. Meldrum. I hope they let me take photos.

  3. DARHOP responds:

    In many ways, I’d just as soon Sasquatch remain an unsolved mystery. I don’t need, or want, a scientific explanation for every big, or little, thing.

    I don’t need a scientific explanation either. It sure would be nice to see a Big One at least once in my life though. That would be scientific enough for me. Doesn’t have to be explained, just seen and I would be happy.

  4. bill green responds:

    hey everyone wow this is great new update article about bigfoot. thanks bill

Sorry. Comments have been closed.

|Top | Content|


Connect with Cryptomundo

Cryptomundo FaceBook Cryptomundo Twitter Cryptomundo Instagram Cryptomundo Pinterest

Advertisers



Creatureplica Fouke Monster Sybilla Irwin



Advertisement

|Top | FarBar|



Attention: This is the end of the usable page!
The images below are preloaded standbys only.
This is helpful to those with slower Internet connections.