Mutants & Cryptids & More — OH MY!

What's in a name? By any name, reports of a huge, hairy  human-like creature with oversized feet have inspired imaginations throughout time.

The mountains of Vancouver Island continue to be a hot spot for Sasquatch sightings. Are they a figment collective imaginations? A clever hoax? A rare and elusive species of primate? Wie may never know for certain.

The word Sasquatch originated from the Salish word, se'sxac, meaning "wild men." Se'sxac was huge, hairy, and human-like.  They prefer remote regions of western Canada and the USA.

For such a large creature, Se'sxac, or Sasquatch, excels at remaining hidden from human eyes. 

Comox Valley wildlife biologist, John Bindernagel, spent much of his life in search of Sasquatch in the mountains of Vancouver Island. He was spurred on by huge footprints he and his wife found when hiking on Mount Washington, near Courtenay, BC.

Now when I cross-country ski on this mountain I watch for signs of  Sasquatch. Like the footprints leading into the forest in deep snow, above. Imagine!

Bindernagel, who died in 2018, became convinced Sasquatch were real and worthy of true scientific study. He interviewed many people who reported sightings and he kept records of every incident. Bindernagel tried to convince fellow scientists to keep an open mind on the subject and to conduct a scientific search, but he was rejected. 

Sadly, he never spotted a Sasquatch himself.