« Have you found it yet?… | Home | Eyes in the Darkness… »
A night of throwing…
By Moose Magnet | August 17, 2009
Kind of strange but this was our first trip in Utah without being on a BFRO Expedition. I was looking forward to this new area we call Prime Rib because of how much activity we have been hearing about this place. This was a larger group than normal. Boogeyman brought his entire family with him this time and then there was my Mother in Law who came with us along with GITD, Skoo, EJ, Spartan117, Lucky Charms, Slugger, Ninja Boy and myself. This was last weekend (August 14-16, 2009).
Friday night we got there and our spot was taken so we went to our back up place which was open. We then got busy setting up our camp. We had five tents to set up. As we were getting started Boogeyman showed up with his family. He then started his routine. Come to find out that his vehicle had a flat tire and he was going to have to change it.
We got everything set up, threw up a tarp and started dinner. We had Bratwurst, hotdogs, potato salad and veggies. Ninja Boy really liked my Mother In Laws potato salad. He snarfed a ton then I know he had a bunch later. It all got eaten by the next days lunch. Very good. We then broke out the Smores and cooked some up. We were having a good time chatting around the fire. We done our usual and went and loaded my truck up with firewood so we could burn to our hearts content. After we got our fill we loaded up for the nights activity. GITD, Skoo, EJ, Spartain117, Lucky Charms, Slugger, Ninja Boy, Boogeyman, one of Boogeyman’s kids and I made our way to an area we wanted to call blast from. I had created a mix of vocalizations on my iPod that we were going to blast through my megaphone. We found a spot and waited for a bit before we started. We got through the vocals and not to long after that we heard something high above us on the scree slope walking and making rocks fall down the slide. The rocks were not that large on this slope. Above the slope there was thick pine cover and to our right was a massive cliff that went straight up over a hundred feet. All of us heard this crashing and walking up there at the top. Then a short time later we heard an impact on the slope and then rocks coming down. The sound was similar to when you throw a rock down a scree slope and you have the initial loud impact followed by other rocks moving because of the impact. We played the sounds several times and sometimes during or after we would have the same thing happen. We had several instances of this. After some time we decided that it was a good chance we had some in the area and now we wanted to lure them back to camp. Several of us road walked back to camp and I played the sounds from time to time, we also did some bio calls. Nothing definitive happened while going back to camp. After arriving at camp we discussed what had happened and that we needed to go back the next day and throw some rocks down another scree slope for comparison (we did that and it was almost identical to the night before which led us to believe we had something throwing rocks part way down the slope). After chatting for a bit Lucky Charms went to bed. I then remembered I wanted to set up a camera over there. I went over there and was kneeling down and within about thirty feet of me it sounded like something got up, walked off rather briskly and breaking some branches. Scared the crap out of me. I looked up with my red light to instinctively see but saw nothing because of the foliage. After about thirty seconds I whispered to see if Lucky Charms was awake. Lucky heard everything and we believe whatever it was gave us the impression it was on two legs and heavy. After everyone went to bed Lucky and GITD called me and mentioned that they heard something. Another note worthy thing. My Mother in Law went to bed and while we were gone she said it sounded like something was walking around the camp area. She said it sound like it was on two legs. She is in the dark as to what we are doing and doesn’t believe in Bigfoot. I found that interesting. We looked for tracks the next day and determined the area was so hard, rained and cattle in the area left so much sign we couldn’t find anything conclusive. Oh ya. It rained on us after we went to be… again!!!
I got up around 9am and Boogeyman was all packed up and leaving. His tent got flooded that night and it took him an hour and a half to change his tire. What a horrible night. After that we cooked pancakes for breakfast. We went out looking for tracks and because of all the activity I could not find anything conclusive. Bummer. We found a spot that looked like elbow or something dug into the ground a bit wider than my shoulders but who knows. We also found a spot that may have been a but print. We found that because last night we heard something hit a bottle, almost like a rock or something. We heard it twice, so the next day we found an empty beer bottle just across the road from camp and what look like a butt impression in the dirt with other sign around it. The only thing for me is it wasn’t much wider than my butt. Again we couldn’t find much else to say we had something. After lunch we went up to the scree area and tested out our theory. We also hung out the for around an hour to see if rocks or anything fell in that time period. Not one rock noise within that time frame. We had several rock disturbances the night before in an hours time.
The next night we had more of the same planned. Before we did anything we had Dutch Oven BBQ chicken and Dutch Oven potatoes. It was awesome. We ran out of time for the peach cobbler so that would be for lunch tomorrow. We went back up to the scree slope. This time I waited longer to see if anything happened and it did not. We again played the sounds. About ten minutes after all the sounds were done which last sixteen and a half minutes a large rock hit not to far from part of our group that split off. They said it was loud. I didn’t hear it because it was windy at the time. We did the more sound, mostly the ones we thought were doing the best and sure enough. During and after we had what sound like rocks being hurled down the scree slope and hitting part of the way down and then causing more rocks to move. After a bit we decided we had a good chance of them being in the area. We then went and did the same thing. This time when I arrived in camp with my younger boys and I was sitting there for a bit I heard two whistles close together and from separate directions. I radioed the road walkers and found they were not far from camp. I almost felt like on was signaling the other that the road walkers were coming. Not to long after we got back everyone but my Mother in Law (she was in bed) Spartan117 (in bed) and EJ who was drying his feet went out and did what I am calling the ‘MP tactic’. The initials are from one of our trackers. So we are out doing this and we all sit down to pause. Well I don’t want EJ back at camp by his lonesome so I go back. I come to find out that as I left something moved off to the groups left and sounded like it was on two legs on not to far away. I sat back at camp and they are singing when there singing changed to something else but couldn’t make out what they were doing. Then I hear one of them yell, “can we come back to camp.” I thought they were just done and cold so I yell back, “NO!” I don’t remember who got on the radio but I asked them what was going on and why they wanted to come back. They said they had something thrown at them from the opposite direction of the previous sound and that they have been hearing loud crunching sound from above them coming from the small hill. The projectile hit and bounced as if it came in on a horizontal trajectory and everyone of them heard it. I asked them if they are sure it did not fall from above. They said there was not a tree above them and that it skipped pretty far. I said, “why come back to camp, I thought this is what you wanted to happen.” Then I hear GITD yell, “maybe I need to rethink what I want.” I coaxed them to stay a bit longer. Skoo and Ninja Boy heard something that sounded like a large thud against the ground above them. They said it was like someone picking up a big rock and slamming it into the ground. After a bit I told them to come back to camp. They wasted no time in doing that. Before bed while sitting around the fire we heard other noises but nothing conclusive. That night at 4:45am I did hear two whistles again. I hope on got them on the recorder.
We had a good time and some who were skeptical before the trip are leaning even more towards the believing side. Ninja Boy said they had a deer with opposable thumbs throw something at them. He believes a little bit more now. The company, the food and the fun make these trips worth it. Then if something happens all the better. Until next time.
Cheers,
Moose Magnet…
Topics: Utah Expeditions, call blasting |
June 11th, 2010 at 10:43 pm
Keep up the good work on this site! Looking forward to reading more posts.