Follow the Tracks to This Year’s Sasquatch Summit

 

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This year’s Sasquatch Summit takes place Friday, November 20 through Sunday, November 22 at Quinault Beach Resort and Casino. Photo courtesy: Sasquatch Summit.

Life in Western Washington keeps us on our toes. But with more than 115 reports of Bigfoot activity in King and Pierce County alone, those toes come with some pretty big footprints. Autumn’s slide into winter is a great time to begin a new hobby — why not start by researching this hairy local celebrity?

Washington State tops the country in sightings, with almost every county reporting Sasquatch activity. Because of this, Grays Harbor resident Johnny Manson started the Sasquatch Summit, held annually at the Quinault Beach Resort and Casino in Ocean Shores.

Taking place this year from November 20 – 22, Manson offers up a weekend of lectures provided by some of the biggest names in Bigfoot research. Event attendance more than doubled between years one and two, and Manson hopes this year continues the trend.

The first night of the Summit is a meet-and-greet with the event’s speakers and open Witness Forum, which “gives people an opportunity to tell what they saw. It’s very therapeutic for a witness because many feel that they cannot tell their families or friends for fear of ridicule,” Manson says. “Since most witnesses don’t believe in Bigfoot, if you happen to actually see one, it’s a very daunting thing; they are supposed to be a myth yet they see one with their own eyes, and to be able to talk to others who had a similar experience often helps them cope.” he adds.

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Johnny Manson created Sasquatch Summit as a way for Big Foot enthusiasts to come together, share stories of their sightings, and learn more about the elusive creature. Photo courtesy: Sasquatch Summit.

Saturday is a mixture of lectures, Bigfoot music, giveaways, raffles, food and Summit-themed vendors. On Sunday, interested parties can participate in a footprint casting class offered by the local Olympic Project, “an association of dedicated researchers, investigators, biologists and trackers committed to documenting the existence of Sasquatch through science and education.”

This year’s lecturers include Scott Nelson, a Naval Crypto-Linguist, Dr John Bindernagel, a wildlife biologist from British Columbia, Cliff Barackman of Animal Planet’s TV show “Finding Bigfoot,” and local authors from across the Pacific Northwest.

Speaker and middle school science teacher Thom Powell finds events like these a great place to “share notes on recent findings.” David Ellis, also one of this year’s presenters, enjoys the Summit’s variety and approachability. He believes “The summit is great for both the novice and researcher. It is a great collection of diverse opinion, giving people a chance to hear and have discourse with those researching the subject. Both scientific and paranormal aspects of research will be discussed. So the public benefits by hearing a cross section of enthusiasts that share their findings and the researcher benefits by hearing new encounters from witnesses that attend the summit.”

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Tickets to this year’s Sasquatch Summit can be purchased online or on-site at Quinault Beach Resort and Casino. Photo courtesy: Sasquatch Summit.

Labeled as the premier Bigfoot research conference, Manson’s own experience with Sasquatch began when he was a small child. A family sighting when he was 2 years old led to a lifelong pattern of research and study. His goal for the event is simple: “I hope that the Summit grows to its highest potential and to open the eyes of society that there is indeed an unknown species living deep in the woods that is avoiding us at all cost.”

For a video promo of this year’s conference, view the link available online. Last year’s expert Question and Answer panel can be viewed here and the Witness Forum may be seen here.

The Summit costs $30 for all sessions and activities. Registration is available online or at Quinault Beach the day of the event. Visitors wanting to stay on-site can find discounted hotel packages through this link or by calling 888-461-2214 and mentioning discount code SASQ.

Quinault Beach Resort and Casino is located at 78 State Route 115 in Ocean Shores, an easy weekend jaunt from Tacoma or Seattle.