Walking into Mount Hood National Forest, treading almost silently over the ground, Lance Olander was 90-minutes deep into the wilderness, and yet in the right place at the wrong time.
Foam-lipped rapids from a nearby creek were besieging the riverbed with a wailful rush, their eddies like glossy paint in a mixer. But Lance paid no attention to its flow as he reached its banks, only to what he saw morph from shadow to life across the water in the lee of the mountain.
The blood-red eye sockets seemed to erupt in rage. The howl was terrifying. It sucked the air out of his chest. And no sooner had he seen the 7ft-tall figure, he imagined death, or worse still, then scrambled, breathless, back into the woods, where the darkness crowded in further. The danger felt real.
Lance first met Bigfoot aged 23, when the legendary creature of the Pacific Northwest appeared in silhouette, hair matted and chestbeating. It arrived with a rampant battle cry, like a forest hallucination. Years later, he found himself in a similar predicament on a camping trip with his wife, the pair racing screaming from another male that was staring down at them from a tree strangled with moss.
Clockwise from top left: Trekking in the foothills near Mount Hood; Visitors picnicking a Trillium Lake; the temperate rainforest of the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness Previous pages: Trillium Lake at sunset
Denne historien er fra Lakes and Mountains Collection 2024-utgaven av National Geographic Traveller (UK).
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Denne historien er fra Lakes and Mountains Collection 2024-utgaven av National Geographic Traveller (UK).
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
DIRECTORY
Lush Paul Valley, located at the foot of the COVA crater, is surrounded by rocky peaks, constituting one of the most spectacular landscapes of the island of Santo Antão.
CLIMBING KILIMANJARO
To summit Kilimanjaro is an expedition of a lifetime. Whether you're a seasoned mountaineer or a first-timer, there are key questions to consider before tackling the Tanzanian peak.
SEARCHING FOR BIGFOOT
TO VISIT OREGON IS TO EMBRACE THE ELEMENTAL POSSIBILITY OF BIGFOOT, THE HAIRY, HUMAN-LIKE MYTHICAL CREATURE. THE PROSPECT AND THRILL OF THE CHASE MAKES THE AREA'S THICK FORESTS, GURGLING CREEKS AND SCENIC HIKING TRAILS A TRUE WALK ON THE WILD SIDE.
FOR THE BIRDS
A visit to the Scottish Highlands offers one of the best bird- and wildlife-watching experiences in the UK, with the promise of rare encounters with unique species.
ON THE WATER
From swimming to standup paddleboarding, boating to biking, here's how to have the ultimate adventure on and around six of world's most beautiful lakes.
HOW I GOT THE SHOT
PHOTOGRAPHER MATT DUTILE ON SNAPPING THE FROZEN CONTINENT'S CHARISMATIC WILDLIFE FOR OUR MAY ISSUE
THE EVOLVING GAP YEAR
FROM ENHANCING A CV TO BENEFITTING A LOCAL COMMUNITY OR TRAVELLING WITH PURPOSE, THE MOTIVES FOR STUDENTS TO TAKE A GAP YEAR ARE INCREASINGLY NUANCED.
VALLETTA
In Malta’s harbour-framed capital, a rich and evolving art scene unfolds among honeyed baroque facades, echoing the global influences that have shaped the city over the centuries
A timeless city
Wander through artistic alleyways and along modern beachfronts in South Korea’s second city — a place where tradition and innovationgo hand in hand.
SANDS OF TIME
COVERING AROUND 800,000 SQUARE MILES, ALGERIA'S SHARE OF THE SAHARA TAKES UP OVER 80% OF THE COUNTRY - THE VOLCANIC PEAKS, CANYONS AND VAST SAND SEAS FORM A STRIKING BACKDROP TO OASIS CITIES AND UNIQUE NORTH AFRICAN CULTURES
