Where might you have the best chance of spotting that hairy woodsman you ask? Just look at the map above and put your finger on the highest numbers. The three best places to spot our hide and seek champion will be our topic of discussion.

The fabled, the ancient, and the mystical red wood forests of Eureka California are a great start. Northern California was the world renowned spot where the Patterson/Gimlin Video was filmed dubbed, " The Patti experience". The footage was filmed alongside Bluff Creek, a tributary of the Klamath River, about 25 miles (40 km) northwest of Orleans, California, in Del Norte County on the Six Rivers National Forest. The Patterson/Gimlin encounter has gone down in infamy as the most authentic Bigfoot footage ever taken and any Sasquatch admirer should put it on the list as a must see destination. Just remember, don't forget to pack the bug spray and wear those hiking boots. The trek and path is treacherous but the final destination is euphoric and satisfying. It's safe to say that this geographic location fits the bill for a Bigfoot encounter and will certainly deliver an extra squatchy camping experience. When you are there, if it smells squatchy, looks squatchy, then Bigfoot is more than likely lurking nearby.  

Type 1 Bigfoot

The Gem State is particularly familiar with this type of Bigfoot. The Type 1 Bigfoot makes up over 98% of all documented reports in Idaho. What is a type 1 Bigfoot you ask? This is what most people think about when thinking about Bigfoot. This is the quintessential, classic Bigfoot that resides in Idaho. A type 1 Bigfoot stands between 7-10 feet tall. The average height reported is 8 1/2 feet tall with alpha males being reported at close to 10ft tall. They weigh between 600-900 pounds. They have brown to blackish hair covering most of their body. It exhibits large hands and feet hence its name Bigfoot. The eyes of a type 1 Bigfoot are said to be smaller in proportion to their head which is also smaller compared to their massive bodies. They have a massive brow line which may account for why their eyes seem to have a deeper-set look to them. Type 1 Bigfoot are shy, more docile than other types of Bigfoot, and are the biggest of all the Bigfoot. I like to think about this class of  Bigfoot as the "Harry and the Hendersons" Bigfoot. The type 1 Bigfoot looks like a Mountain Gorilla. Another distinguishing attribute is the addition of a sagittal crest on the top of the skull. This makes the head appear more pointed and it serves the function of helping them chew with a powerful jaw much like their cousin, the gorilla. 

     This Bigfoot is primarily an omnivore. So what is on Bigfoot's menu? Bigfoots environment is unrelenting so he must be fairly adaptable in what he eats. We can assume that his primary source of food is much like his descendants, the great ape. This would include Gorillas, Chimpanzees, and Orangutans. Gorillas are massive, weighing in at over 400 pounds. Yet most of the foods such as fruit, leaves, and tree shoots were their primary source of food. These primates prefer this diet over meat. However, there is one more type of great ape and that would be us, humans. We may not be direct descendants but are closely related to them sharing over 99% of their dna. Leading experts in the crypto world believe that the Sasquatch is a direct descendant to us and is a type of primitive human. The type 1 Bigfoot calls Idaho home and if you're lucky enough to spot our Idaho cryptid homie, feel good in knowing that Idaho is one of the best places for Bigfoot to call home..

The Gugwe 

The Gugwe Classification Battle

      The Native American lore of the Gugwe in their culture describes a hairy woman eating beast that carries off men and children alike in her sack to be eaten as their next meal or snack. The lucky survivors of this creature compare them directly to Bigfoot but with some distinguishable differences. They describe the hairy beast standing 7-8 feet tall with baboon or canine-like features. It has protruding, long, knife like nails with rows of sharp teeth. These terrified survivors feared for their life knowing that if given the chance, this Gugwe would have eaten them. The Gugwe is more rare than its less aggressive counterpart, Bigfoot, but nonetheless as real as you and me. 

     The Native Americans are terrified of the Gugwe much like they are of the "SkinWalker." The fear and terror that the Gugwe presents is why it is so often confused with a Skinwalker. 

     The Gugwe is described as being bipedal with ape-like features through most of the body with the exception of the canine or wolf-like snout that protrudes out from the face. Sightings of the Gugwe go back to the early 1900's but Native American reports have gone even further back to the 1800's. The Native Americans have dubbed the Gugwe the nickname "Face Eater."  The Gugwe is vicious,  mean and aggressive and right to his nickname that they will eat the face right off their prey and victims. 

     Some cryptozoologists also believe that the Gugwe is an interdimensional being much like its cousin the Sasquatch. Some eye witness accounts describe the scary and menacing creature as appearing in a flash of light and disappearing in a flash of light. This leads some experts to believe that the Sasquatch family travels through wormholes or portals to our world from another dimension. 

      Reports for the Gugwe range from the Northern to North Western part of  the United States up through eastern Canada and into Alaska. Eye witness accounts always describe a Bigfoot like creature but with a notable difference. Reported sightings differ in the fact that they describe the beast with a "wolf like" or "bear face." The Gugwe is sometimes is mistaken for a very large bear as well because of the protrusion of facial features it exhibits while moving around on two legs. This is also why some refer to the Gugwe as, "The Bear Man."  

     But the reason it's considered to be in the Sasquatch family is because of the appearance of a prominent sagittal crest that is present on the skull. The sagittal crest is a crest on the skull that is a staple and common attribute to most apes including Great Apes, Gibbons, and gorillas. It resembles more of a baboon face and may indeed evolve from that family line of ape. 

     Because it has been determined that the Gugwe has this prominent sagittal crest along with its enormous size and resemblance to Bigfoot and its  connection to the ape lineage, it therefore, in my opinion, should be classified as part of the Sasquatch family. There is no doubt in my mind taking into account the folklore, Native American history, and family lineage of this cryptid, that the Gugwe should be placed as one of the North American Bigfoots. It should be placed in a 3s sub category of Sasquatch that resides around the deep wooded areas of Northern America and into much of Canada.

      If you're hiking through the forests and backcountry in any of these known areas to Gugwe, keep your eyes peeled and if for the small chance you have an encounter with such a beast, please don't hesitate. Run, Run, Run! Get out of the forest and return back to where you came from. The Gugwe isn't his shy cousin that (Type 1 Bigfoot/ the Pattie type) Bigfoot we're used to hearing about. This formidable beast has teeth like a Gorilla/Dire Wolf and daggers for nails. Just know that the Gugwe would prefer to feast on your eyeballs and tongue for an afternoon snack than to run away. After all, he isn't called the "Face Eater" for nothing.