All language subtitles for Expedition.X.S07E02.Killer.Sasquatch.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.H.264-SLAG_track4_[eng]

reported attacks
by an aggressive monster

in the farthest reaches
of Alaska

have locals on edge.

[Sean] I heard a coyote
getting killed.

It was scary.

[Josh] My team heads
to the last frontier

to stalk what could be
the infamous Sasquatch.

[Phil] It was right here.

[suspense music]

[Jessica] There's like,
two sets of tracks.

[Phil] Holy [bleep]!

[Phil] Let me send it up.

[Phil] Clear the trees.

[Josh] But Phil and Jess
soon realize

that this Alaskan beast
might be stalking them.

[Jessica] There it is.

[spooky sound effect]

[Phil] That thing's sprinting.

Oh, [bleep]! Oh, my God!

[opening theme]

[Phil] Okay, you guys.

I have something
I really wanna show you

that I cannot
stop thinking about.

These are photos
that were recently taken

at Alaska's
Denali National Park

and I gotta say,
they're pretty interesting.

[Josh] -Whoa!
[Jessica] -Ooh!

That's Sasquatch,
there you go.

[Josh] Phil, are we looking
at genuine Sasquatch prints?

[Phil] You know
I'm not gonna go that far,

but what I will say is,
they are unusual.

Initially I thought, okay,
"It could be bear."

But bears have five toe pads.

This looks more
like three or four.

Also, it looks like something
that's walking on two legs,

not four legs.
So based on these images,

this is not something
I can identify.

[Jessica] Because
it's a Sasquatch.

[Josh] Did the national park
weigh in on this?

[Phil]
They did and they agreed,

it does look like something
walking on two legs.

But they also said
it could be a wolf

whose hind foot stepped
in the exact same spot

as the front foot.

But then again,
they didn't actually go there

to investigate it.

[Josh] A-ha,
and you'd like to.

[Phil] I've already started,
and the more I researched,

the more I think we need
to get there now

while the evidence is hot

because considering
Alaska's vast wilderness,

there could be
something big out there

waiting to be found.

[Josh] This is a really
compelling case,

not just because
of this evidence.

When it comes to legends of
unknown creatures in Alaska,

there is more mythology there

than anywhere else
in the country.

[suspense music]

[Josh] Alaska,
the last frontier.

A land shrouded in mystery
that has long beckoned

rugged explorers
into its vast punishing

and mostly
unexplored wilderness.

Today, civilization
has only encroached

into around 250 of Alaska's
almost 665,000 square miles,

leaving an area about
twice the size of Texas

completely uninhabited.

It's not just the wilderness
that's dangerous here,

it's the wildlife.

Grizzly bears, Arctic wolves,
and even the gargantuan moose,

all pose a threat to humans

unlucky enough
to cross their paths.

But some believe the most
dangerous creature of them all

is one that is yet
to be discovered:

The Alaskan Sasquatch.

[spooky sound effect]

[Josh] Reported encounters
with the creature

date back to 1899,
when US Army Captain,

W.R. Abercrombie leads
an expedition into Alaska

during
the Klondike Gold Rush.

In his report,
Abercrombie includes

an encounter with a miner
who claims that his son

has been killed
by a hairy beast

he describes as a demon.

[spooky music]

[Josh] Most infamously,

there's also the case
of Portlock,

a village
on the Kenai Peninsula.

The once bustling fishing
and canning community

is hastily abandoned
in the 1940s

after a string
of shocking disappearances

and savage attacks,
reportedly perpetrated

by a large,
hairy man-like creature.

Indigenous legends
go back even further.

Some native
Southwestern Alaskans

warned children not to venture
alone into the forest,

lest they fall prey
to the Urayuli or Hairy Man,

a legendary beast said
to be taller than a bear

with shaggy fur,
a strange call and a penchant

for punishing
disobedient kids.

[roar]

[Josh] While the Inuit people
of Northern Alaska

warn of the Tuniit,
a giant man-like beast

that once peacefully
co-existed with humans.

Today, lifelong Alaskans
and tourists alike

continue to report
harrowing encounters

with huge, humanoid,
and often hairy creatures.

In the fall of 2021,
one witness reports

that his dog is killed
by a possible Sasquatch

near Susitna Creek.

Early in 2023,
a witness in Copper Valley

claims to see
a furry bipedal giant

cross the highway.

And in just
the last few weeks,

an oyster farmer from Homer
has come forward

with tales of a disturbing
encounter in Kachemak Bay.

Are these accounts a case
of ancient folklore

casting a very long shadow

or could there be
an undiscovered,

unfathomably violent creature

roaming the brutal
Alaskan wilderness?

[suspense sound effect]

[Phil] The evidence and
sightings are so intriguing,

I just don't think
we can pass this one by.

[Josh] Look at this guy,
so enthusiastic about this.

[Jessica] I love this too.

I mean, so many
indigenous tribes in Alaska

have Sasquatch-like legends

that there's gotta be
something to this.

[Josh] Okay,
I don't wanna snow

on anybody's subarctic
parade here,

but just in terms
of the eyewitness reports,

a big, shaggy,
aggressive creature;

couldn't this just be a bear?

I mean, bears can stand
on two legs, right?

[Phil] They absolutely
can stand on two legs,

but they can't walk
long distances on two legs.

I'm not saying it's Sasquatch;

I'm saying, we need to go
there to investigate

and I already lined up
our first witness,

and get this,
he swears that he just had

a close encounter
with a Sasquatch.

[Josh] Okay, amazing.

So go up there,
meet this eyewitness,

see what you can find out.

I'll look into some of the
other recent reports here

and you guys stay safe,

especially considering
you're hunting a monster

that could be hunting you.

[Phil] -Yeah.
[Jessica] -We'll try.

[Josh]It's an eight-hour flight

from New York to Anchorage.

Although the footprints
in Denali National Park

that sparked Phil's interest
have since melted,

the trail is far from cold

and has picked up
to the south.

Jess and Phil take
a four-hour drive

along the Kenai Peninsula
toward the town of Homer

where they'll meet
their first witness.

[Phil] Flying in,
driving through this area,

there are mountain ranges
everywhere covered in snow

that you know people
have not gone through.

[Jessica] Do you think Bigfoot
hibernates like a bear?

[Phil] If it exists, it would
be an omnivore like a bear,

eating meats but also eating,
you know, plants and fruits

and all that kind of thing.
And roots probably too.

So, I guess the question is,

could it find enough food in
the winter to sustain itself?

[Jessica] I don't see why not.

[Phil] -Well...
[Jessica] -Right?

[Phil] I guess a moose can.
Moose here don't hibernate.

[Jessica] -Oh, they don't?
[Phil] -Uh-uh.

Um... Why do bear
hibernate then?

[Phil] Honestly,
that's a good question.

I mean, it's a different
survival strategy to winter.

[Jessica] Huh...

So it is a possibility
either way?

[Phil] Yeah, or it could be
a type of hibernation

where it's not
technically hibernation,

but storing up goods.

I mean, that's even something

that people have done
historically,

where if they lived in an area
where at one season

there isn't food, then you
would store up your food

and keep it an area
where it won't spoil

and then you could
survive the winter.

So perhaps there's some caves
they live out of too.

[Jessica] I mean,
we're early spring now,

so, if they do hibernate,

then they would be
coming out right around now.

Right? Looking for food?

[Phil] That's true
and I gotta think of bears.

One of their first meals
that they go after

is basically animals that have
died over the winter...

[Jessica] Ugh...

[Phil] Stuck in the ice,
so they're preserved well

and then once it starts
to thaw out,

easy access
to relatively fresh meat.

[Jessica] A little
meat popsicle action.

[Phil] Yeah.

[Jessica] It makes sense
'cause they don't have

to chase after it.
They're probably pretty weak

because they haven't
eaten all winter.

Is that the thought
process behind that?

[Phil] That's
the thought process.

But then again, there are
some Bigfoot sightings

in the winter, so who knows,
even if it's not hibernating,

it would still go after
the easiest access

-to a big chunk of calories.
[Jessica] -Huh.

How dangerous
are we talking here?

Like, how do Bigfoot
kill you, do you think?

[Phil] Oh!

That's a fun question
going into this.

I guess if you compare it
to other primates,

chimpanzees, gorillas...

They're way stronger per
mass and muscle than we are

and they can kill mammals
by ripping off their limbs.

And I know chimpanzees
and humans

have interacted in that way
in the past and...

[Jessica] Interacted
that way in the past?

Like, gotten
their limbs ripped off?

[Phil] Yeah, that if a chimp
attacks a human,

they will rip off their ears,
nose, or bite their face off.

[Jessica] -That's disgusting.
[Phil] -Yeah.

[Jessica] -And terrifying.
[Phil] -Yeah.

[Jessica] So it boils down
to a really dangerous creature

-that we're chasing after?
[Phil] -Yeah.

If they're out there,

you don't want
to be their neighbor,

that's my guess.

[Jessica] Well, we're gonna
meet with somebody who...

[Phil] May've moved
in right next door?

[Jessica] May've moved in
right next door. [laughs]

[Phil]After a 12 hour travel day,

we finally arrive at Homer's
main port and harbor.

Fishing and charter boats
line the docks;

that is in between
the countless sea otters

who may be as infamous
around here

as the fabled
Alaskan Sasquatch.

[Jessica] -Hey, Sean!
[Sean] -Hey!

[Jessica] Nice
to meet you, Jess.

[Sean] -Nice to meet you.
[Phil] -Hey, Phil.

[Phil] Sean Crosby is
a local oyster farmer

who's lived in Alaska
for nearly 40 years.

His alleged Sasquatch
encounter occurred

at the site of the cabin
that he's building

near Peterson Bay,

which is about
a 15-minute boat ride

across Kachemak Bay.

[Phil] -Alright, away we go.
[Jessica] -Good to go.

[Phil Our long travel day
just got even longer.

[suspense sound effect]

[Phil] So, what is out there?

[Sean] Well, there's a few
small summer communities

and then it's
the Kenai Mountains.

It's a national park.

[Phil]
How small are we talking,

when you say,
"summer communities"?

[Sean] Anywhere from
three cabins to 20

in some of the other bays
and coves.

[Phil] So at any one time,

especially
during winter and spring,

there's only probably
a handful of people

on that entire area?

[Sean] In winter
there will be none.

[Phil]
No one else is out here?

[Sean] -No, we are alone.
[Jessica] -Alright.

[Phil] We got this whole
peninsula to ourselves.

[dramatic sound effect]

[Phil] At what time of year
were you out there

when you had your encounter?

[Sean] That was February 1st.

I'd been working on my cabin.

The winter's the best time
to burn slash.

[Phil] So you're basically
clearing land

-so you can build a cabin?
[Sean] -Correct.

[Jessica] Do you think
that whatever you heard

is fighting for territory

now that people are building
cabins out there?

[Sean] No, I think
it was winter hunting.

[suspense music rises]

[Phil] Do you hear
a lot of stories out here?

[Sean] Yes, because of
Port Chatham there, Portlock.

[Phil] Yeah. We've heard
the history of Portlock.

What do people
around here believe

about what happened there?

[Sean] Some people
do believe it.

-The native Alaskans do.
[Phil] -Yeah?

[Sean] Yeah.

[Phil] That essentially
Sasquatch came in there

and attacked people and killed
almost an entire town?

[Sean] Yeah.

[Jessica]
Do you believe in Bigfoot

-or Sasquatch out here?
[Sean] -I do now, yeah.

[Phil] Let's say
you're a large predator

out here in the winter,
what kind of prey is out there

in this area of the peninsula?

[Sean] The biggest game
would be coyotes and wolves.

Small game,
rabbits, squirrels...

[Jessica] Are there bears
out there too?

[Sean]
The bears will be coming out

-right about now actually.
[Jessica] -Oh, great.

[Phil]
How do those bears behave

right when they come out
of hibernation?

[Sean] Same way you would

if you hadn't eaten
in six months.

[Jessica] -[bleep]!
[Sean] [laughs]

[Jessica] I love Alaska...

[Jessica] We pull
into Peterson Bay

and Sean docks up
at the edge of his property.

[Jessica] [gasps]

[suspense music]

[Jessica] There's a lot
of [bleep] on this dock.

[Phil] -Sea otter [bleep].
[Jessica] -It's everywhere.

Ugh!

[Jessica] From there,
it's a short climb

to the side
of Sean's future cabin

where he had
his infamous run in

with what he thinks
was a Sasquatch.

[suspense music rises]

[Jessica] -So this is it?
[Sean] -This is it.

[Phil] Okay.

Can you take us
back to that night?

Walk us through exactly
what happened to you

that made you realize this
was something a little odd.

[Sean] It was about midnight,
pitch black out.

Coyotes howling
all around me.

[Phil] Where was your tent?

[Sean] Right underneath
that black net there.

That particular night,

I listened to the coyotes
for a few minutes...

and then I heard the sound
of a coyote getting killed.

[coyote crying]

[Phil] That's not
a fun sound to hear.

[Sean] But you recognize it.

[Phil] -Uh-huh.
[Jessica] -Uh-huh

[Phil] It's got that yelp
and that desperate whimper.

[Sean] Right.

And that was somewhere
off in the distance this way

and I lay there listening

and I started
hearing footsteps

coming up this game trail.

[footsteps in the snow]

[Sean]I was absolutely terrified.

[Jessica] Were you able
to record any of this?

[Sean] No, but I did catch
the coyotes howling.

[coyotes crying]

[Sean] They're close.
They're really close.

[Phil] -That's really close.
[Jessica] -Very loud.

[Sean] When it was light,
I came out and...

First thing I saw
was blood drops

coming up the trail
to right about here

where there was
a small pool of blood.

[Phil] Could you see
footprints in the snow?

[Sean]I could see impressions.

No toes, no claws
or anything like that

but it looked more like...

a large foot in a moccasin
sort of thing.

[Jessica] Could it have been
somebody out here

that you just
didn't know about?

[Sean] Anything's possible,
but there again,

it was midnight.
No flashlight, no headlamp.

No boats in the bay here.

[Phil] What else
could be walking around?

[Sean] Well,
it could be a wolf.

[Jessica] But then there
would be drag marks, right?

[Sean] Yeah.

[Jessica] Did you have
any drag marks?

[Sean] -No.
[Jessica] -Okay.

Bears?

[Sean] -Not in early February.
[Jessica] -Hm!

[Sean]I don't know what it was

but I was so terrified that
the only thing I could do

was just grab my gun
and lay there.

It was scary.

[Jessica] Yeah.
It sounds scary.

[Phil] Okay, the last
direction you saw it go,

was that trail of blood
leading up that way.

[Sean] -Yes.
[Phil] -Okay.

Then Jess, I think
we should go up that way.

[Jessica] Okay, I agree.

[Sean] Do you guys
have a sat phone?

[Jessica] -We do.
[Phil] -We do.

[Sean] Good.

The bears are starting
to come out right now,

so be careful.

But if you should get
into any trouble,

there's a trapper cabin
not far that way.

[Jessica] Okay.
Well that's good to know.

[Phil]
We'll look out for that.

[Jessica] Even if we just need
some shelter for the night.

Awesome.
Well, thank you so much.

[Sean] Pleasure.

[Phil] Thanks, Sean.

[Jessica] Good luck
on the cabin.

[Phil] Ooh, look at this view.

[Jessica] Let me see.

Ooh, that's pretty.

[Phil] Whoa!

[Phil] The initial plan
is to get a lay of the land

surrounding Sean's property
before we set up our camp.

[Phil] Right, getting
steep right here, Jess.

[Jessica] Oh, jeez,
yeah it does. Hold on.

[Phil]As we try to track down

whatever it was
that Sean witnessed,

we're potentially going
to be spending

multiple nights
out here in the elements,

isolated and cut off
from civilization.

So, the trapper cabin
that he mentioned

could come in
real handy for us.

[Phil]
I think we found it, Jess.

[whispering] -Jess, hold on.
[Jessica] -What?

[whispering] Just remember,

if this is
the only shelter for miles,

there could be something
living in it right now.

So, let's just...
enter carefully. [sighs]

[spooky music]

[Phil] -Anything?
[Jessica] -I don't think so.

Hold on,
I'll check the corner.

Oh, careful.

[Phil] Oh, my God...

[Jessica] Oh, it's disgusting.

Something's definitely
been living in here.

[Jessica] [screams]
[Phil] -Oh!

[spooky sound effect]

[Jessica] -I saw a rat!
[Phil] -You saw a rat?

[Jessica] I saw a rat.
[laughs] I'm sorry.

[Phil] You scared me into
falling through the floor.

[Jessica] Ugh!
What have you kicked up?

Argh...

Okay, this place
looks disgusting though.

[Phil]
It looks really disgusting.

[spooky music]

[Phil] It's totally not usable

except if you're in a bind
or in a really bad snowstorm.

We can head in here

and hope the roof
doesn't collapse.

I'm gonna work on GPS
so that we can head back here.

[Jessica] Yeah,
I wouldn't want to stay

-in here too, too long.
[Phil] -No.

-We gotta find a game trail.
[Jessica] -Alright.

Ooh, watch the floor.

[Phil] If we want to lure

a large predator
out of hiding,

and if indeed coyotes
are its natural prey,

then we need to get
the coyotes out.

So, we're on the lookout
for an active game trail.

A path created by the natural
movements of animals.

[Jessica] Look over there,
to your left, right there.

[Phil] -That's a game trail.
[Jessica] -Perfect.

[Phil] We finally find one
near the banks of a river,

down a ways
from the old hunter's cabin.

[Phil] Right, let's do it.

[Phil]We canvas the game trail

with our camera traps
to give us more sets of eyes.

[Phil] Smile to the camera.

[Phil] Coyotes may be using
this area as a feeding ground,

so that means
any alleged Sasquatch

or unidentified beast
could be using it too.

[Phil] So, considering this
is the most solid game trail

we've seen the entire time,

I wonder if we set up
the coyote lure right here

-and see what comes in.
[Jessica] -Yeah, absolutely.

[Phil] Okay, Jess,
do you wanna see this thing?

[Jessica] Yeah, I'm curious.

Oh, my God. [laughs]

[Phil] Yeah,
and just wait, wait.

[comic music]

[Jessica] Is that for real?

[Phil] This actually works.

[Jessica] -Seriously?
[Phil] -Seriously.

[Jessica] Okay.

[Phil] Something about
the fuzziness and this,

triggers the predatory
response in an animal

like a coyote and they
just fall straight for it.

[Jessica] Alright.

[Phil] Alright, so...

I'm gonna put it
where it's nice and visible.

[suspense music]

[Phil] That looks ridiculous,
but I think it's gonna work.

[dramatic sound effect]

[Jessica] Is that ketchup
in your hand?

What you got over there?

Coyote juice?

[Phil] We're busting out
the big guns tonight, Jess.

[Jessica] Wow! Wow!
Alright, let's do this.

[suspense music]

[Phil] The best way
to lure in a coyote

is through
their sense of smell.

Our coyote juice emits
a powerful scent

that triggers their curiosity
and predatory instinct.

[distant howling]

[Jessica] -Good?
[Phil] -Yeah.

[Jessica] Alright. Back up.

[Phil] We spray coyote juice
all along the trail

and rig up more camera traps.

As night falls, we establish
our surveillance perch

on a hill that overlooks
the game trail.

[Phil]
[whispering indistinctly]

[Phil] Get this FLIR
up and running.

[Phil] I calibrate
the thermal imager

while Jess sets up
the parabolic mic.

Getting
a visual heat signature

might be more challenging
through the thick forest,

but we should be able
to at least hear any animal

or beast that approaches
the game trail below.

[Phil] [whispering] So,
since the lure's that way,

the scent trail's this way,

I'm just gonna
leave the FLIR...

[Jessica] Right there.

[Phil] Pointing
in that direction, recording.

[spooky music]

[music ceases]

[Jessica] I hear like,
rustling around

but that's about it.

[Phil] I just heard
branches breaking.

[sound of something moving]

[Phil] [whispering]
You're hearing this?

[sound of something moving]

[Phil] Seriously,
Jess, is that moving?

[Jessica] Oh! Yeah, in time.

[Phil] [whispering]
It starts right about there.

[Jessica] Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And I hear it too.

[Phil] [whispering]
You can actually see

there's a branch
right in front of it

so it's behind
one of the trees over there.

What the hell is that?

[whispering] It's sure as hell

bigger than a squirrel
or a rabbit.

[Jessica] What's that
down there?

[Phil] Yeah, that I think...
Yeah...

[whispering] There's a little
mouse down there, I think.

Or a squirrel.

[Phil]
It's moving along the trail.

[Jessica] [whispering]
Is that other...

The heat signature
still there?

[Phil] [whispering] Yeah.

What we could be
about to see right now

is whatever the big thing is,

go after whatever
the little thing is.

[Jessica] I don't see
that little mouse any more.

[Phil] No...

[device beeping]

[Phil] No [bleep], Jess.

[Jessica] Did you get it?

Oh, nice!

[Phil] Oh, my God!

[Jessica] Oh, that was it,
that was it!

[Phil] Look, look, look!

[Jessica] That's it.

[Phil] We got a tail.

[Jessica] So a fox
or a coyote or something.

[Phil] I think that's
a coyote or a wolf.

[Jessica] You think a wolf?

[Phil] Look at that tail,

it's definitely not a fox,
it's too tall.

[spooky music]

[Jessica] [whispering]
So the coyote lure is working.

[Phil] This game trail
is active.

[Jessica] Yeah.

[Phil]
Typically when there's one,

there's multiples.

There could be
an entire pack down there.

We've basically attracted
every large predator

within a mile or two of here
to this location.

[something moving]

[Jessica] I heard that.

[whispering] It sounded like
it was right in front of me.

Oh, man, I can't see anything.

[Phil] No.

[Phil] Nothing on the FLIR.

[Jessica] I feel like some...
[animal screaming]

[Jessica] Where was that?
Where was that?

I couldn't tell.

It just started echoing,
it was so loud.

[Jessica] [whispering]
I'm hearing something running.

[Phil] Okay, okay.

[action music]

[Jessica] [whispering]
Do you see anything?

[Phil] [whispering]
Nothing on the FLIR.

[Jessica] I was hearing
something running

in this direction.

[animal screaming]

[Jessica] Oh, that was
definitely over there.

[Phil] Oh, my God!

[Jessica] Something's running.

[spooky music]

[spooky music]

[Phil]
That was a coyote yelping,

as if it's just got
attacked by something.

[Jessica]
Nothing on your FLIR?

[Phil] We got nothing.

[whistle]

[Jessica] Was that a whistle?

[Phil] [whispering] We should
head in that direction.

[Jessica] Many experts
in the cryptozoology world

believe that Sasquatch
communicate by whistling,

so we might've just heard one
up close and personal.

[Jessica]
I don't see anything.

[Phil] The snow
has melted right here,

so we're not gonna have
good luck with tracks.

Oh, [bleep]!

[spooky sound effect]

[Phil]
That is a cliff right there.

[Jessica] Oh, yeah,
that's a straight drop.

[Phil] That's like, 30 ft.

[Jessica] Did something
fall off the cliff?

[Phil] It's possible.

It's super icy
at the edge right here.

[whispering] Let me see if
there's anything down there.

There's nothing on the FLIR.

[Jessica] Right,
so here's the thing,

I'm not seeing any evidence

of whatever
was making that noise,

but we definitely have
coyote or wolf in the area.

[Phil] [whispering]
Let's head back.

[spooky music]

[Phil] We return
to our surveillance spot

and continue our stakeout,

but the trail goes quiet
for the rest of the night,

so we decide
to shift our strategy.

[spooky music]

[Phil] The next day,
Jess and I split up

to gather more intel.

While she tracks down another
alleged Sasquatch witness,

I pay a visit
to the local zoo

to see if the legend
of the Alaskan Hairy Man

could simply be
a pervasive case

of mistaken identity.

[Phil] Wow,
it's staring at me.

[Rich] It's a big boy.

[Phil] Rich Capitain
is the Education Director

at the Alaska Zoo and one
of the foremost authorities

on wildlife in the area.

[Phil] Given your extensive
experience out here

and scientific background,
how do you interpret it

when people say
they've encountered

-something like a Sasquatch?
[Rich] -Sure.

I always run kinda through
the Rolodex in my head.

Well, alright,
that could be the case.

But what might you run into,
you know, more likely?

Is it a brown bear?
You know, is it a black bear?

Is it a person?

If it's that big,
it sounds like a brown bear.

[Phil] When they stand
upright, how tall are they?

[Rich] Oh, gosh, they can be,
you know, 10 ft.

[Phil] Wow.

[Rich] It's looking like
with climate change

and temperatures changing,
brown bears are moving

basically into
polar bear habitat

and the two are kind
of meeting

and intermingling and so
they are able to reproduce.

[Phil] Um...

[Rich] Species are doing
kind of unexpected things.

[Phil] Interesting.
What about this time of year?

We're right
at the beginning of spring,

[Rich] Uh-huh.

[Phil]
What could be out there?

[Rich] Right now,
probably anything.

You've got brown bears
that are waking up.

It's just a touch early
for black bears,

but any time now
they're gonna be out too.

You've got wolves,
coyotes, lynx, wolverines.

You could really
run into anything.

[Phil] Behaviorally,

when a bear wakes up
from hibernation,

how are they?

[Rich] Oh, they're gonna be
grouchy and hungry, yeah.

They've been sleeping
on and off all winter long.

[Phil] Desperate for you
to throw a moose leg at them.

[Rich] You gotta toss
the protein, absolutely, yeah.

[Jessica] Hi!
Nice to meet you.

[Fred] Nice to meet you,
how you doin'?

[Jessica] -Good, thanks.
[Ryan-] Ryan.

[Jessica]
Nice to meet you, Ryan.

[Jessica]While Phil is at the zoo,

I've arranged to speak with
Fred Roehl and Ryan Benner.

Fred is a native Alaskan
and local Sasquatch expert

who's been collecting
encounter stories

from his fellow Alaskans
for years.

One of his newest contacts
is Ryan,

who had a recent scare
in these woods.

[Ryan] I was out hiking
next to a creek

and I brought
my two dogs with me.

Off to my left,
I heard a sharp whistle.

It was like a... [whistles]

And it sounded
like a person whistling.

[Jessica] Huh...

[Jessica]Phil and I heard a whistle

in our investigation
last night.

[whistle]

[Jessica]I want to dig further

as this could be
a substantial link between

the various Sasquatch
sightings in the region.

[Jessica] Like, trying to get
your attention kinda thing?

[Ryan] Yeah, we continue
along the game trail

and from my front
I hear another whistle.

So the first one
was off to my left,

the second one
was from my front.

After we heard
the second whistle,

I could hear something
rubbing up

against the spruce trees.

[Jessica] So something
moving through the woods?

[Ryan] Yeah, and it was
coming towards us

and that's where
the alarm bell

started going off for me.

If it was a bear,

it would've changed
direction from my smell,

you know,
they don't like people.

[Jessica]Did the dogs react at all

when they heard this whistle?

[Ryan] They reacted to
the second one a little bit.

Like, their ears piqued up.

And as I decided to leave,
the dogs left me,

which is abnormal.

[dogs barking]

[Ryan] They stick usually
right next to me.

This noise parallels me
for about 150 yards.

[Jessica] So it starts
tracking alongside you.

[Ryan] Yeah, I can hear it.
I couldn't see it.

And I couldn't see
any trees moving,

but I could hear this thing
paralleling me out

to the end of the trail.

[Jessica]
That's legit terrifying.

[Ryan] Yeah.

Just to know that
something's like, stalking you

in the woods.

[Jessica] What got you
into collecting stories

of people's experiences?

[Fred] Um...

Because we're losing
elders at a fast rate

and so I decided to start
collecting the stories.

And so it's just
to continue that lineage

of the oral history.

And instead of just keeping
it exclusively native,

I expanded out
to all Alaskans.

Because... there's people
throughout the state

that deal with the Hairy Man

completely covered
in hair but with like,

-an ash gray skin tone.
[Jessica] -Okay.

Do you mind giving me
the coordinates

to where you had
your encounter?

[Ryan] Yeah,
I'll text 'em to you.

[Jessica] Okay, perfect.

[Phil] Let's just say,

I probably think about
the Sasquatch

similar to the way
that you think about it.

In general, I'm skeptical
but very curious

as to what someone
actually did see.

But the question I always
come across is,

if something like that
has lived around here

for thousands of years,
why is there no carcass?

Why is there
no fossil evidence?

[Rich] If you've been
out in the woods,

you know how often do you
find the carcass of a bear?

It's not very common.

You know, nature takes
care of it really quickly.

Up here we've got porcupines

and other rodents that eat
those bones for the calcium.

[Phil] Really?

[Rich] So those carcasses
disappear pretty darn quick.

And there's also talk,
you know,

if it's a Sasquatch,
is that a cultural thing

that specie has where...

What if they bury their dead?
You know, something like that.

So there's kind of a lot
of unknowns and you know,

-invariables there.
[Phil] -Interesting.

[Phil] After our day
of research,

Jess and I meet up to plan

our Sasquatch search
for night number two.

[Jessica] I did get
coordinates from Ryan

as to where
he had his encounter.

It looks really far away.

[Phil] Well they're so remote.

Any ideas how we're gonna
get out there?

[Jessica] Yeah, snow mobiles.

[Phil] Snow mobiles it is.

[engines running]

[suspense music]

[Phil] Jess, keep going
that way, yeah?

-Through the trees.
[Jessica] -Through the trees.

[Phil] -You good?
[Jessica] -I'm stuck!

[Phil] I can help you.

[engine running]

[acceleration]

[Phil] I gotcha!

[Phil] Let me help you out.

[acceleration]

[Jessica] Oh! Behind you!

[Jessica] We continue on
and cut through the woods

as far as the snow mobiles
can take us.

But in order to get
to the exact spot

where Ryan had
his alleged encounter,

that requires a bit
of a hike on foot.

[Jessica] GPS says we should
be going that way.

[Phil] That looks like
some thick snow.

[Jessica]Some of the snow here

can reach depths of up
to 6 ft this time of year,

but we should be able
to stay on the surface

with these snowshoes.

[Jessica] Alright, let's go.

Oh, man, even with
the snowshoes I'm sinking.

[Phil] Yeah.

[spooky music]

[Phil] [sighs]
[Jessica] [sighs]

[Jessica] Argh.

Alright, hold up!

[Phil] How we looking?

[Jessica] We are right on it.

[Phil] -This is the spot, huh?
[Jessica] -This is the spot.

[Josh] Just 20 miles from
where the team investigated

on the Kenai Peninsula,

lies the abandoned
fishing village of Portlock.

It was once
a bustling community

but according to legend,

an Alaskan Sasquatch
changed all that.

In the 1940s, villagers
reported sightings

of a hairy bipedal creature.
According to accounts,

residents then
began to vanish

before bodies started
showing up

in the nearby wilderness.

The community was said
to be terrified.

Businesses closed,
the schools shuttered.

Families fearing that
they'd be next,

packed up and fled,
abandoning the town forever.

Now, what exactly happened
to Portlock remains a mystery.

The buildings and homes
have long since decayed,

gradually consumed
by the relentless

Alaskan wilderness.

Today,
the few traces that remain

are eerie reminders
of an entire village

supposedly destroyed

because of the fearsome
Alaskan Sasquatch.

[Jessica] [sighs] Set up camp?

[Phil]
I say we set up camp here.

[Jessica] Okay.

[Phil] I'll build us
a little snow shelter here.

[Jessica] I'll start
working on the tripwire.

[Phil] -Alright.
[Jessica] -See you in a bit.

[Phil] Time to start digging.

[sighs]

[Jessica] Ryan said that
whatever he encountered,

stalked him from all sides.

So while Phil builds us
a protective snow bunker

to keep us
out of sight tonight,

I establish a perimeter
all around our position

using a tripwire
alarm system.

[Phil] [sighs]

All those years building
snow forts as a kid

finally paid off.

[suspense music]

[Phil] [sighs]

[Jessica] Here's
what we've got.

I've got a personal alarm
and some wire...

We're gonna tie this end
to one tree trunk.

Tie this end
to another tree trunk.

That way if anything
busts through this wire,

it will pull this
out of the alarm...

and we know that something's
trying to sneak up on us.

[Phil] So, inside this case

I have four microphones
just like this.

They're unidirectional
microphones,

meaning for example,

this one that is
pointing due north...

And then I'll go south,
east, west as well...

And I'll have them all fed
into an iPad

that gives me
the different levels.

Using this setup,
we'll know 100%

if something's coming
from the north

or the west
or somewhere in between,

and then we'll look
in that direction

and maybe head that way too.

So we got
the snow fort built.

Microphones are all recording.

Obviously, we wanna document
something that's out here

but we don't want
that something

to get too close.

We have snowshoes to try
to walk around in the snow

but we don't do it
very gracefully.

Any big predator out here,
bear, Sasquatch or otherwise,

it's gonna be very good
at moving around.

We are at a distinct

evolutionary disadvantage
out here.

Welcome to your new office.

[Jessica] It actually
looks quite nice.

I'm very impressed.

Let me get... [screams]!

[Phil] I'm still
walking on the stairs.

[Jessica] [laughs]

This looks like
a modern art exhibit.

[Phil] [laughs]

[Phil] So, talk a little bit.

[Jessica] Talk, talk, talk.

[Phil] So, you are south
and a little bit west.

[Jessica] Oh, that's great.

[Phil] And if I talk, I'm
south and a little bit east.

[Jessica] Ooh!

[spooky music]

[Phil] It just got
really quiet.

[Jessica] [whispering]
Yeah, it sure did.

[Jessica] I have a whistle
on my backpack.

You wanna try and lure
something here?

-Might as well try it.
[Phil] -Yeah.

[Jessica] -Ready?
[Phil] -Yeah.

[blows whistle]

[Jessica] I either scared
it away or drew it closer.

[Phil] [whispering] We're
committed now. Go for it.

[Jessica] -Again?
[Phil] -Yeah.

[Jessica] [blows whistle]

[sound of something moving]

[Phil] [whispering]
It's moving up to the north.

[Jessica] I'm gonna get
night vision goggles.

I wanna see if I can see it.

[footsteps]
[animals grunting]

[Phil] What the [bleep]
is that noise, Jess?

[Jessica] I can hear it.

[Phil] Sounds like
something's being dragged.

[Jessica] [whispering]
I hear it. Hold on.

[Phil] A little bit more left.
Should be right around there.

[Jessica] Okay, yeah I hear it
coming from that direction.

I'm not see... Oh.

What was that?
Did you see that?

Did you see that right there?

[whispering]
Okay, you see that, right?

[Phil] That?

[Jessica] Yeah,
do you see that?

[Phil] Is it eye shine?

[Jessica]
That's what I'm thinking.

[Phil] Something's
reflecting up there.

[Jessica] It's moving too.

[animal roaring]

[Phil] Whatever we're hearing
does not sound small, Jess.

[Jessica] No, it does not.

[footsteps]

[Jessica] Oh, [bleep]!
That's getting close.

[alarm goes off]

[Jessica]
That's one of the alarms!

[tense music]

[Phil] It was right here.

[Jessica] There's like,
two sets of tracks.

[Phil] Holy [bleep]!

[Jessica] This has gotta be
a game trail.

[Phil] Oh, yeah.

[alarm setting off]

[Jessica] [sighs]
[Phil] [sighs]

[Jessica] There's the alarm,
right there.

[Phil] Keep your eyes up
for anything.

[spooky music]

[alarm sound]

[alarm stops]

[Phil] Okay.

[animals barking]

[Phil] You hear all those
coyotes barking too?

[Jessica] Yeah it was
quiet a whole night

until this just happened
and those things went off.

[sighs]
[animals barking]

[Jessica] It definitely
ran through here.

Look at this...

[Phil] Oh, my God!

So it must've ran
all the way up here.

-Tripwire scared it.
[Jessica] -Yeah.

And it freaked out
and ran back out.

[Phil] It looks like
it stuck around here

for a little bit.

[Jessica] Well it's probably
sitting and watching us.

[Phil] Yeah, look how far
that trail goes.

It's so hard to tell.

[Jessica] That one
looks really...

[Phil] It looks big,
but it also looks...

God, I can't tell.

If something is sprinting
through this snow,

is it gonna be running
on its toes

or completely flat-footed?

[Jessica] Yeah, I don't know.

[Phil] I don't think
we stand a chance

trying to actually track
that thing down

and keep up with it.

What if we try to send
the thermal drone after it?

[Jessica] Let's do that
from base camp

'cause I wanna make sure
that we actually have like,

all our defenses up
as much as possible

because I do not feel good
just sitting out here,

waiting to be attacked.

[Phil] Our snow bunker is

the only defensive
position out here,

so we head back there

and prepare to launch
our thermal drone.

[suspense music]

[Phil] Let's get
this thing in the air.

[Phil] Whatever set off
the tripwire alarm

could still be close by,
so we need to get eyes on it.

[Phil] Alright,
drone is going up.

[drone flying]

[Jessica] Nice.

[Phil] Alright,
I'm gonna send it up.

Clear the trees...

West, let's see
where that gets us.

[Jessica] So those are
all the treetops, yeah?

[Phil] Those are
all the treetops.

[Jessica] Everything's blue.
It's so cold.

[Phil] Yeah.

[suspense music]

[Phil] [sighs] Okay, come on.

Where are you?
Where are you?

[Phil] Oh, [bleep]!

[spooky sound effect]

[Jessica]
Did you see that glimmer?

[Phil] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jessica] There it is.

[Phil] Okay, I'm chasing it.
[suspense music rises]

[Phil] -God, it's fast.
[Jessica] -It's superfast.

[Phil]
That thing is sprinting.

[Jessica] Chase it,
chase it, chase it.

-Oh, that is hauling.
[Phil] -It is fast.

[Jessica] Ooh,
you're going too fast.

Go back.
Go back, go back.

[Phil] What just happened
to this drone?

Jess, we got it.

[Phil] It's lost signal.
[Jessica] Did you hit a tree?

[Phil] It just lost signal.

[Jessica] Is it
not connecting?

[Phil] It's not connecting.

[Jessica] Alright, so you
can track the drone

with this thing, right?

[Phil] We have
the drone's last location

but look at this,
video feed's completely blank.

It says,
"aircraft disconnected".

[Jessica] Okay, well I want
that footage and the drone,

so let's go get it.

[Phil] [sighs]

[Jessica] I'm following you

'cause I don't know
which way to go.

[Phil] Okay.

[Phil] Alright, Jess,

do you wanna take that side,
I'll take this side?

[Jessica] Yeah,
I'll go over here.

[Phil] Alright...

[Phil] Jess!

[Jessica] -You got it?
[Phil] -Got it!

[Jessica] Oh! It's busted.

[Phil] It is very busted.

Let's look around,
let's look around.

Because this was flying

right over the top
of whatever that was.

[Jessica] I mean,
that thing took off.

[Phil] It did.

I'm not seeing any tracks.

[Jessica] I'm not even
hearing anything.

[Phil] Check this out.

[Jessica]
All the blades are gone.

[Phil] Missing
a prop blade there.

We have the SD card in here,

so even though
the signal cut out,

this should've been
still recording,

so we'll be able
to look at it

and be able
to identify it from that.

Let's take this back,
let's put the card in,

and let's check out
that footage again.

[Jessica] Okay.
Here, I'll grab this.

[Phil] Alright, thanks.

[Jessica] [sighs]

[Josh] The thermal drone
managed to scare off

whatever it was

chasing because Phil and Jess
did not hear a peep

for the remainder
of the night.

They did go back
to the site of the tracks

so Phil could collect
a snow sample

and run an environmental
DNA test

on whatever left those
large prints.

eDNA opens up the possibility

of analyzing imperceptible
genetic material

that has been expelled

into the surrounding
environment.

Unfortunately, the results
came back inconclusive,

possibly the result
of any biological material

becoming compromised
by the melting snow.

When we later analyzed
the thermal footage,

the figure speed was clocked
at roughly 15 miles per hour,

slower than a polar bear
or grizzly,

but significantly faster
than a human being,

especially
in the deep Alaskan snow.

But when we slow
the footage down,

it appears like
it could be running

in a bipedal
human-like manner.

So, is this the beast
who stalked our eyewitnesses?

Who maimed those coyotes?

Who's ravaged
this region for decades?

There are many more questions
than answers,

but one thing we do know

is that if there is
an Alaskan Sasquatch,

he remains at large.

[suspense music ceases]

[Discovery vignette]