Post by johnv on Dec 11, 2017 16:39:20 GMT -6
The following is a report on two separate trips to Longpool Recreational Area near Dover Arkansas in October 2015 and October 2017. I’ve added it to the Open Investigations section because we are planning to return in October 2018. It’s a bit lengthy so strap in.
LONGPOOL
In early 2015 I got the idea to write a novel based on Sasquatch. I started researching the subject because I wanted it to be as realistic as possible. At this time I was a firm skeptic but had an open mind on the subject. I found a Sasquatch podcast that had some very compelling encounter stories and got hooked. Then there was a dust up when it was discovered that the shows two main hosts very scary encounter story that was impedes for the show didn’t fit with meteorological records and moon phases of the night in question. Many of you have probably guessed what podcast I’m referring to. As usual when there’s a meltdown in the Bigfoot community this thing got ugly early.
Being new to the subject matter I was confused at first as to what to do. Many were calling for the hosts head and just as many were calling for the heads of anyone who questioned the host. I hung around for a couple of days but then I noticed that anybody who was not 100 percent on-board with the hosts were being beat down in an internet purse fight. There was a guy opening a new fourm called Talk Bigfoot. So tiring of the fight I left the other forum and podcast behind and headed to TBF. Needless to say by doing so I felt I also had picked a side and would never be welcome again at the original forum and podcasts. In fact we jokingly referred to ourselves as refugees in the TBF forums.
With the refugee atomosphere it was easy to quickly make friends at TBF and I was lucky enough to make a few friends and one very good friend from Ohio. A member of TBF who was from Arkansas had been hearing stories about a couple of guys who had been camping in the area in or around Longpool and had been run out of camp by something growling and throwing logs and rocks into their camp. We started talking about a trip there to find out for ourselves. Well this was something I just couldn’t pass up so I decided to meet a couple of other embers there for a weeknd research trip. Two of my sons as well as the husband of a woman I work with came along with me.
Quick word about my two sons, it was my second oldest and my youngest son that accompanied me to Longpool. Little did I know that one would have a hand in finding some very good evidence and then along with his older brother just about blow the whole trip that Saturday night. Thomas the older of the two is an Iraqi war vet who did two tours and lost both legs in 2007. He brought along a track chair to get around a bit in the terrain but he was still very limited in what he could participate in. His younger brother Trevor was 24 at the time was a big help for both of us on the trip. Especially for his older brother who decided Saturday a road trip looking for a strip bar was in order. That is for later in the story.
We left Brashear Texas at about 5:00 am Friday morning October 23rd 2015 and got to Longpool a little after noon. We met up with Paul who was a member of TBF and the one that put the trip together. Along with Paul was another member Joe who had driven all the way down from Ohio. Little did I know how fortunate Joe was there, we’ve become great friends since that first trip. It was overcast when we arrived but still absolutely beautiful. Even though it was a bit on the warm side, the fall colors were in full display in the Ozarks.
One of the first pictures I took upon arriving.
I remember we hadn’t been there but a few minutes and were talking with Joe and Paul. I looked across the wide creek at the opposite bank and told my son Trevor. “If I was a Sasquatch I’d be hanging out on that sandbar over there.” I was skeptical about all this but something about the sandbar caught my attention. After a bit the last member of the trip arrived my nephew Wes who was also a member of TBF and lives in Arkansas less than two hours from where we were camping.
We decided to pile into Thomas' truck and Joe's jeep and head up into the small mountains at our back and to our right. We spent a couple of hours running up and down the logging roads occasionally stopping to checkout a creek or an overlook.
Thomas Trevor Bobby and Joe taking in the sights from an overlook.
Photo taken from the top of a ridge looking down towards our camp area.
After a couple of hours we decoded to head back and get our camp setup before dark. Once back at the camp everyone was busy getting their tents up and sleeping areas arranged. Myself and Bobby who came along with my sons and I were trying to get a fire started and fighting the wet wood with little success. At one point I heard walking across the creek. This was the heavy bi-pedal sound I’d heard people talk about countless times on different podcasts. I stopped what I was doing and listened a bit more intently but it had stopped. I kind of laughed at myself and went back to working on the fire. As I did the footsteps started again across the creek only louder. I look towards Bobby and his eyes are huge and his mouth is hanging open and I said. “You hear it too, don’t you?” He nods his head and we call for everyone to stop talking for a moment. The sounds had stopped again, but they would come back sporadically from time to time the rest of the night. Joe who had arrived the night before and camped alone mentioned he had heard it going on most of the night before and at one point people at another camp sight about 70 yards away got up in the middle of the night and just left. The sounds would return over and over the rest of the night sometimes right outside our camp. We were never able to catch anything in a flashlight beam though.
Campfire looking across to the other side of the creek where we first heard the heavy walking.
After a fitful night of trying to identify footfalls but worse of all a warm front was hanging over the area causing it to be warm and muggy that night meant none of us slept very well. We got up cooked some breakfast and started trying to figure out what we wanted to accomplish that day. Early on trevor and I decided to cross the creek and check out an are Northwest of the camp. A funny thing happened right off the bat. We were about to cross the creek when we got a loud woodknock from the other side. Now I’m still not buying this and I jokingly tell my son. “Let’s go Trevor they’re waiting on us.” We get halfway across the creek and there’s another wood knock from the same area. As soon as Trevor stepped on the opposite bank there was another.
Area where Trevor and I first crossed the creek.
As we get on the other side we find the going very rough with a lot of thick brush making it very slow and tedious. Trevor finds a game trail about 50 yards in and it's massive. It's almost like a tunnel and way above my head. I'm trying to figure out why the game trail has so much head room. I decide there has to be a very good explanation and really don't give it a second thought. Then Trevor points out a huge pile of muscle shells from the creek and asks. "What do you think that means?" I just replied something was hungry thinking it was the work of a raccoon. We went as far as we could before running into a cliff face and decided to get back across the creek as we could go no further.
Cliff face.
After lunch most of the guys went back up the mountain four wheeling while my sons and I stayed behind at camp. Trevor and I decided we would cross the river to our left this time and check out the sand bar. We left Thomas by the fire and relaxing while we waded across. it was much easier to cross in this area as it was very shallow. Trevor of course benefiting from his youth got across much quicker than I did.
Once on the other side Trevor took a right turn and began walking down the creek bank as he neared the sand bar he shouted for me to come look at this track he found.
Once I got over to him I looked at what he came across and decided it was a bear track. I'd never seen a bear track before, we don't have bear in Texas. He agreed it was possibly a bear track, but he wanted to know why it had the odd heel looking area. I told him i thought maybe a deer or something else walked across the same area and just happened to make it look like it had a heel.
He found other prints where the animal had stepped into softer drier sand. They too had the same odd heel print and he said he didn't think a deer would match the tracks step for step giving each print the same shape. The prints in the dry sand where not as distinct but they were made by the same animal.
The prints were roughly seven and a half inches long so I'm confused but I'm not thinking Sasquatch.
Then he finds a print or depression that has the classic Sasquatch shape and measuring 14 inches in length except again the same weird heel pattern. This print was in hard packed ground but still made an impression though it didn't turn up good in the picture below.
While i'm pondering this print he walks another 15 feet or so away and asks.. What did this pointing out all the unusual rock stacks. Now I'm not saying sasquatch did this, but I decided to get pictures then thought we might need to get back across the creek and check on Thomas.
I will continue this later, there is still much to add.
LONGPOOL
In early 2015 I got the idea to write a novel based on Sasquatch. I started researching the subject because I wanted it to be as realistic as possible. At this time I was a firm skeptic but had an open mind on the subject. I found a Sasquatch podcast that had some very compelling encounter stories and got hooked. Then there was a dust up when it was discovered that the shows two main hosts very scary encounter story that was impedes for the show didn’t fit with meteorological records and moon phases of the night in question. Many of you have probably guessed what podcast I’m referring to. As usual when there’s a meltdown in the Bigfoot community this thing got ugly early.
Being new to the subject matter I was confused at first as to what to do. Many were calling for the hosts head and just as many were calling for the heads of anyone who questioned the host. I hung around for a couple of days but then I noticed that anybody who was not 100 percent on-board with the hosts were being beat down in an internet purse fight. There was a guy opening a new fourm called Talk Bigfoot. So tiring of the fight I left the other forum and podcast behind and headed to TBF. Needless to say by doing so I felt I also had picked a side and would never be welcome again at the original forum and podcasts. In fact we jokingly referred to ourselves as refugees in the TBF forums.
With the refugee atomosphere it was easy to quickly make friends at TBF and I was lucky enough to make a few friends and one very good friend from Ohio. A member of TBF who was from Arkansas had been hearing stories about a couple of guys who had been camping in the area in or around Longpool and had been run out of camp by something growling and throwing logs and rocks into their camp. We started talking about a trip there to find out for ourselves. Well this was something I just couldn’t pass up so I decided to meet a couple of other embers there for a weeknd research trip. Two of my sons as well as the husband of a woman I work with came along with me.
Quick word about my two sons, it was my second oldest and my youngest son that accompanied me to Longpool. Little did I know that one would have a hand in finding some very good evidence and then along with his older brother just about blow the whole trip that Saturday night. Thomas the older of the two is an Iraqi war vet who did two tours and lost both legs in 2007. He brought along a track chair to get around a bit in the terrain but he was still very limited in what he could participate in. His younger brother Trevor was 24 at the time was a big help for both of us on the trip. Especially for his older brother who decided Saturday a road trip looking for a strip bar was in order. That is for later in the story.
We left Brashear Texas at about 5:00 am Friday morning October 23rd 2015 and got to Longpool a little after noon. We met up with Paul who was a member of TBF and the one that put the trip together. Along with Paul was another member Joe who had driven all the way down from Ohio. Little did I know how fortunate Joe was there, we’ve become great friends since that first trip. It was overcast when we arrived but still absolutely beautiful. Even though it was a bit on the warm side, the fall colors were in full display in the Ozarks.
One of the first pictures I took upon arriving.
I remember we hadn’t been there but a few minutes and were talking with Joe and Paul. I looked across the wide creek at the opposite bank and told my son Trevor. “If I was a Sasquatch I’d be hanging out on that sandbar over there.” I was skeptical about all this but something about the sandbar caught my attention. After a bit the last member of the trip arrived my nephew Wes who was also a member of TBF and lives in Arkansas less than two hours from where we were camping.
We decided to pile into Thomas' truck and Joe's jeep and head up into the small mountains at our back and to our right. We spent a couple of hours running up and down the logging roads occasionally stopping to checkout a creek or an overlook.
Thomas Trevor Bobby and Joe taking in the sights from an overlook.
Photo taken from the top of a ridge looking down towards our camp area.
After a couple of hours we decoded to head back and get our camp setup before dark. Once back at the camp everyone was busy getting their tents up and sleeping areas arranged. Myself and Bobby who came along with my sons and I were trying to get a fire started and fighting the wet wood with little success. At one point I heard walking across the creek. This was the heavy bi-pedal sound I’d heard people talk about countless times on different podcasts. I stopped what I was doing and listened a bit more intently but it had stopped. I kind of laughed at myself and went back to working on the fire. As I did the footsteps started again across the creek only louder. I look towards Bobby and his eyes are huge and his mouth is hanging open and I said. “You hear it too, don’t you?” He nods his head and we call for everyone to stop talking for a moment. The sounds had stopped again, but they would come back sporadically from time to time the rest of the night. Joe who had arrived the night before and camped alone mentioned he had heard it going on most of the night before and at one point people at another camp sight about 70 yards away got up in the middle of the night and just left. The sounds would return over and over the rest of the night sometimes right outside our camp. We were never able to catch anything in a flashlight beam though.
Campfire looking across to the other side of the creek where we first heard the heavy walking.
After a fitful night of trying to identify footfalls but worse of all a warm front was hanging over the area causing it to be warm and muggy that night meant none of us slept very well. We got up cooked some breakfast and started trying to figure out what we wanted to accomplish that day. Early on trevor and I decided to cross the creek and check out an are Northwest of the camp. A funny thing happened right off the bat. We were about to cross the creek when we got a loud woodknock from the other side. Now I’m still not buying this and I jokingly tell my son. “Let’s go Trevor they’re waiting on us.” We get halfway across the creek and there’s another wood knock from the same area. As soon as Trevor stepped on the opposite bank there was another.
Area where Trevor and I first crossed the creek.
As we get on the other side we find the going very rough with a lot of thick brush making it very slow and tedious. Trevor finds a game trail about 50 yards in and it's massive. It's almost like a tunnel and way above my head. I'm trying to figure out why the game trail has so much head room. I decide there has to be a very good explanation and really don't give it a second thought. Then Trevor points out a huge pile of muscle shells from the creek and asks. "What do you think that means?" I just replied something was hungry thinking it was the work of a raccoon. We went as far as we could before running into a cliff face and decided to get back across the creek as we could go no further.
Cliff face.
After lunch most of the guys went back up the mountain four wheeling while my sons and I stayed behind at camp. Trevor and I decided we would cross the river to our left this time and check out the sand bar. We left Thomas by the fire and relaxing while we waded across. it was much easier to cross in this area as it was very shallow. Trevor of course benefiting from his youth got across much quicker than I did.
Once on the other side Trevor took a right turn and began walking down the creek bank as he neared the sand bar he shouted for me to come look at this track he found.
Once I got over to him I looked at what he came across and decided it was a bear track. I'd never seen a bear track before, we don't have bear in Texas. He agreed it was possibly a bear track, but he wanted to know why it had the odd heel looking area. I told him i thought maybe a deer or something else walked across the same area and just happened to make it look like it had a heel.
He found other prints where the animal had stepped into softer drier sand. They too had the same odd heel print and he said he didn't think a deer would match the tracks step for step giving each print the same shape. The prints in the dry sand where not as distinct but they were made by the same animal.
The prints were roughly seven and a half inches long so I'm confused but I'm not thinking Sasquatch.
Then he finds a print or depression that has the classic Sasquatch shape and measuring 14 inches in length except again the same weird heel pattern. This print was in hard packed ground but still made an impression though it didn't turn up good in the picture below.
While i'm pondering this print he walks another 15 feet or so away and asks.. What did this pointing out all the unusual rock stacks. Now I'm not saying sasquatch did this, but I decided to get pictures then thought we might need to get back across the creek and check on Thomas.
I will continue this later, there is still much to add.