by Scott Harper
Researching this particular article taught me a lot. Unlike the previous articles in my on-going series of historical Sasquatch sightings across the United States, this one is something of a paradox. Why? Well, when most people hear the word "Colorado" they mentally leap to images of rugged mountain territory, lush forests, and deep ravines. That's just what much of the state is—prime Sasquatch country.
Researching this particular article taught me a lot. Unlike the previous articles in my on-going series of historical Sasquatch sightings across the United States, this one is something of a paradox. Why? Well, when most people hear the word "Colorado" they mentally leap to images of rugged mountain territory, lush forests, and deep ravines. That's just what much of the state is—prime Sasquatch country.
Sightings, and stories of
"monkey men" in the region supposedly go back to at least the 1800's
in the area where the Pikes Peak Highway now runs. We know that in roughly
14,000 BCE our ancestors were migrating through the area, spreading out over
the North American landmass.
The paradox?
Contrariwise to the above, there
isn't much on official record in the way of Sasquatch sightings from times
past. I've searched, and searched, and found no confirmed sighting reports
older than the mid-1900's.
It isn't just me. To quote famous Sasquatch researcher John Green from his well-known book "Sasquatch: The
Apes Among Us" (1978) "Colorado is one of the states where Sasquatch
reports are all but unknown. I do not have a single report from there with the
minimum details as of who, what, when, and where." (p. 44) And,
"...there is a virtual blank in the sightings report map that sweeps south
and east through Nevada, Utah and Colorado." (p. 172)
The area of land that the world
knows as Colorado today has a very long history. The past few hundred years
have been rife in Colorado with skirmishes, and all-out war, between Native
Americans, and other cultures. Could the violence of these centuries be a major
reason why Sasquatch sightings have been so rare until modern times, despite
the perfectness of much of the state's habitat for Sasquatch?
Still, evidence of the presence of Sasquatch in the state is lent by the number of places in the state named for
such beings. Devil's Head, Devil's Den Cave, Devil's Backbone, Devil's Hole
Mine, Devil's Knob pillars, and other such places scattered around the state
suggest a very long habitation of Sasquatch in the area. Often these beings are
considered by Native Americans to be demons, or devils. Places where they are frequently
seen, heard, or encountered tend be labeled with names such as these.
We're faced with a region that
seems perfect for Sasquatch, and, in recent decades, there has been a steady
flow of sightings, and other encounters reported from the state of Colorado.
Yet, despite the seeming perfection of the state for Sasquatch, we have zero
solid reports once we look back much more than fifty, or sixty years. Given the
climate, and environment, we would expect just the opposite of Colorado. Could
this situation by brought about be, as mentioned earlier, the times of war
between Native Americans, and others? Or is there another, less obvious
explanation for this discrepancy within Colorado where Sasquatch are concerned?
About the Author
Scott Harper is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 30 published short stories, and several novels. Harper grew up in Ohio, and graduated from Marysville High School in 1993, and began screenwriting in 2007, after the publication of several short stories and novels. He has worked on projects for James Tucker Productions, and 11th Dimension Films. He is currently involved with several projects, covering literature, film, and comic books. He was also a contributing writer for "Nuclear Winter Entertainment" for several months before that site shut down. Scott is very happily married to bestselling paranormal author Desirée Lee. Together, they have a wonderful little girl, and are working jointly on several projects. Those projects include multiple books, as well as the hit webcomic "MoonWraith."
More information about his work can be found on his website: www.scottharper.net
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