QUOTE
Is Bigfoot roaming the Valley?
By Kevin Mertz - Standard-Journal, Fri Aug 22, 2008, 11:32 AM EDT
LEWISTOWN — A trip to the movies as a youth sparked a Central Pennsylvania man’s lifelong passion for researching a mysterious creature.
Scott Snook of Lewistown said his interest in Bigfoot was peaked when his grandmother took him to see the movie “Sasquatch, Legend of Bigfoot” in the 1970s.
Five years ago, Snook joined the Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society, a group of amateur Bigfoot researchers who meet several times each year to compare notes on sightings from across the state.
Snook travels throughout Central Pennsylvania, looking for proof of the elusive forest dweller. His belief in Bigfoot was solidified on an expedition to Luzerne County.
“The first time I saw tracks, that did it for me,” Snook said. “Myself and another guy found tracks that were 15 inches long and seven inches wide at the toes. Not overwhelmingly big.”
Snook said there is no way the tracks could have been part of a hoax, planted for him to find on his research mission.
“We don’t tell people where we’re going, and you find footprints where people aren’t going to go walking,” he said. “I found these footprints in a patch of poison ivy. Someone is not going to run through the woods barefoot in a patch of poison ivy.”
Snook believes no one has been able to provide irrefutable evidence of a Sasquatch because the creatures are highly intelligent.
“One of the theories is they and humans have evolved on a parallel line. If they’re as smart as us, it would be pretty easy for them to hide,” he said.
Snook believes Bigfoot sightings are a more common occurrence across the country than most would believe.
“I think more people are seeing these creatures than what they’re saying.”
He said people may not report the sightings due to fear of public ridicule.
“One of the things I’d like people to know is to not be afraid to come out if they’ve seen something.”
There’s a link on the Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society Web site, www.pabigfootsociety.com, to report possible sightings.
Snook said the organization receives a number of false reports, but the researchers can usually tell which ones are worth investigating. He said it’s important for those who are reporting a sighting to include as many details as possible, as well as their contact information.
Two years ago, Snook investigated a sighting in the Mifflinburg area which he suspected was a rouse right off the bat.
Three teens reported seeing a Sasquatch standing on a bridge over a creek in a wooded area.
Snook investigated the sighting several days later, but found no evidence of the creature. He said there was snow on the ground, and if a Bigfoot would have been there, it would have left tracks behind.
“I went and followed the creek for about a mile each way, and found nothing. I think it was a hoax,” he said.
Snook is also passing his passion for the Sasquatch on to his two children, 12-year-old Jared and 6-year-old Allee.
Jared will frequently accompany his dad on expeditions, while Allee is content to just enjoy nature with her father.
“I’ll take her to a state park, just hiking, and she’ll think we’re looking for Bigfoot and that’s good enough for her,” he said. “Jared, being 12, he understands a little more. He sits and watches a lot of National Geographic. That peaks his interest to no end.”
The father and son will also be traveling to the Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society’s East Coast Bigfoot Conference, scheduled for noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, in Pitzer’s Townhouse Restaurant, 101 S. 5th St., Jeannette.
The conference is slated to include speakers, vendor displays and an auction. For more information on the conference, visit www.eastcoastbigfootconference.weebly.com.
Kevin Mertz: 570-742-9671 - kevin@standard-journal.com
By Kevin Mertz - Standard-Journal, Fri Aug 22, 2008, 11:32 AM EDT
LEWISTOWN — A trip to the movies as a youth sparked a Central Pennsylvania man’s lifelong passion for researching a mysterious creature.
Scott Snook of Lewistown said his interest in Bigfoot was peaked when his grandmother took him to see the movie “Sasquatch, Legend of Bigfoot” in the 1970s.
Five years ago, Snook joined the Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society, a group of amateur Bigfoot researchers who meet several times each year to compare notes on sightings from across the state.
Snook travels throughout Central Pennsylvania, looking for proof of the elusive forest dweller. His belief in Bigfoot was solidified on an expedition to Luzerne County.
“The first time I saw tracks, that did it for me,” Snook said. “Myself and another guy found tracks that were 15 inches long and seven inches wide at the toes. Not overwhelmingly big.”
Snook said there is no way the tracks could have been part of a hoax, planted for him to find on his research mission.
“We don’t tell people where we’re going, and you find footprints where people aren’t going to go walking,” he said. “I found these footprints in a patch of poison ivy. Someone is not going to run through the woods barefoot in a patch of poison ivy.”
Snook believes no one has been able to provide irrefutable evidence of a Sasquatch because the creatures are highly intelligent.
“One of the theories is they and humans have evolved on a parallel line. If they’re as smart as us, it would be pretty easy for them to hide,” he said.
Snook believes Bigfoot sightings are a more common occurrence across the country than most would believe.
“I think more people are seeing these creatures than what they’re saying.”
He said people may not report the sightings due to fear of public ridicule.
“One of the things I’d like people to know is to not be afraid to come out if they’ve seen something.”
There’s a link on the Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society Web site, www.pabigfootsociety.com, to report possible sightings.
Snook said the organization receives a number of false reports, but the researchers can usually tell which ones are worth investigating. He said it’s important for those who are reporting a sighting to include as many details as possible, as well as their contact information.
Two years ago, Snook investigated a sighting in the Mifflinburg area which he suspected was a rouse right off the bat.
Three teens reported seeing a Sasquatch standing on a bridge over a creek in a wooded area.
Snook investigated the sighting several days later, but found no evidence of the creature. He said there was snow on the ground, and if a Bigfoot would have been there, it would have left tracks behind.
“I went and followed the creek for about a mile each way, and found nothing. I think it was a hoax,” he said.
Snook is also passing his passion for the Sasquatch on to his two children, 12-year-old Jared and 6-year-old Allee.
Jared will frequently accompany his dad on expeditions, while Allee is content to just enjoy nature with her father.
“I’ll take her to a state park, just hiking, and she’ll think we’re looking for Bigfoot and that’s good enough for her,” he said. “Jared, being 12, he understands a little more. He sits and watches a lot of National Geographic. That peaks his interest to no end.”
The father and son will also be traveling to the Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society’s East Coast Bigfoot Conference, scheduled for noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, in Pitzer’s Townhouse Restaurant, 101 S. 5th St., Jeannette.
The conference is slated to include speakers, vendor displays and an auction. For more information on the conference, visit www.eastcoastbigfootconference.weebly.com.
Kevin Mertz: 570-742-9671 - kevin@standard-journal.com
