Author: gregwalter

Stepping back to the first of two group trips to visit the “Marble Halls Of Oregon,” Book title. The poet Joaquin Miller so eloquently described the place following his visit with Chandler B. Watson (Ashland attorney) in 1907. From this, and other efforts, a 480 acre National Monument was created by presidential Proclamation, July 12th, 1909 (see map), considerably smaller than the original 2500 acre area. Back then they did not consider the underground extent of the cave system, only the surrounding area of the cave(s) entrance. By September 1909, the Oregon Caves were featured in Sunset Magazine. Just the month before, a wedding party visited with the groom accidentally shooting himself, becoming the first fatality and creating a need for a forest guard. This began by the season of 1911. The pictures here are from The Morrison family visit in 1912. Please like, share and enjoy! From Greg Walter, the author and persistent seeker of our regional past. Go to theridgewalkers.com

Oregon Caves, I’ll start by posting a few of the “rock star” notables. Elijah Davidson and Dick Rowley. For Elijah, it was an interesting time in the Rogue Valley in the early 1870s. Agriculture was being greatly expanded and the need for a railroad was still in an infancy stage, though they had the route proposed. As such, these early farmers always managed to create time to go on their fall hunt in between the many chores they already had going on in preparation for those winter months. In this, a fall hunt in 1874 found Elijah on a finger ridge, a strong hike away from their hunting camp when he would discover the Oregon Caves. There are mixed stories out there of him chasing a wounded bear into the cave, or he had wounded a bear (and a deer?) and found the cave. It seemed like also the tale got taller as the hunting party he was with at that time, one by one, died off and he had more liberty to embellish this. The other is Dick Rowley, first, a forest guard (1910s?), then into a cave guide and was arguably one of the longest-serving guides up there at the caves. The last one in this set is just one of my favorite pictures of the Early Oregon Caves, Dick Rowley is seated, on the right side of the image. Please like, share and visit my webpage theridgewalkers.com or order a book from me directly by messaging. I also have books in Cave Junction at Bigfoot Print and Copy and soon at Diggin Livin. Thanks all! More to follow!

Here’s the you tube link, I come into this as an author around six minutes in,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0KQbLU59zc&t=1732s

Hello and Happy New Year to all! This is Greg Walter, author, and illustrator of my debut book, The Ridgewalkers, typing away on this cold January day. A few quick updates as we go into the new year! I am starting the 2021 New Year off with a bang! I will be a guest on a video stream Podcast hosted by Michael and Kristi over at Tactical Bigfoot Research and Wheres my Sage. The evening’s entertainment will begin at 5 pm Pacific time on Tuesday, January 5th. Please listen in and learn some insights on my thoughts on real to life mythic beings that we all support because it gives us a true sense of mystery even to this day.

I delve into the many possibilities of Bigfoot origins that are outside the normal avenues of these bipeds living here amongst us in our realm of existence. I guess I should preface this with my own beliefs that probably fall outside of normal avenues of belief.

The easy way is these hairy monsters are here with us on planet earth, their goal is to wander around in remote areas eating or killing unsuspecting visitors as shown in the many movies and clips designed to scare us into believing in a “Boogey-man.” I think there’s a lot more at work here than we previously imagined. A whole lot more.

Across the Americas, tribes have known about and even communicate with these beings to gain knowledge, both spiritual and real-time, regarding the health and survivability of the tribe. This especially hits home if the world is upset and they have to figure out their own food security based on their knowledge of the land and its bounty, or lack thereof.

These tribes have done this for a thousand years, or in some cases, much longer. In exchange, trust is built and even bonding with these entities that are only broken upon their death. In this, it’s what can make them (the immortals) sad because they, The Little People or their respective Giants, Sasquatch, etc. have lost a lifelong friend that was a mortal, making friends with immortals.

In all, we as people are always interested in gaining knowledge from unlikely places.

This would be one of them.

Respect, cherish and even love your natural world, for now, It’s all we have.

Thanks for checking out this month’s blog!

Hello to all! I sincerely thank you for visiting this page and also inviting those that haven’t, to go on my site and learn more about a story that entwines truth with fiction, you get to pick which. Thinking back into early Oregon history, to get a glimpse at those wild forests that may have served well in harboring bipeds. Here’s one such, from the U.S. Exploring Expedition, navigating the lands near the USA and all over the pacific in 1838-42. This was also to chart the whaling and seal grounds to prevent shipwrecks. I’ll say one thing for Charles, his charts stood the test of time. They actually used them into WW2. America’s great fleet of six ships, mapping the Pacific, then the Oregon Territory in 1841, losing a ship named “The Peacock” that wrecked on the north spit of the Columbia River, hence the name, “Peacock Spit. ” Fortunately, most all hands survived and got aboard another boat.. All of the preamble to introduce the 2nd pic. forest scene, near the Columbia River, ca. 1841. The other, is from that time, perhaps more like Sierras. Close…

I am going to post a really interesting one looking directly at the swinging bridge, as seen, from the house at McCaleb’s, looking back up the canyon (note, the big rock is hidden by the alder tree in the repeat image). Thank you!

As we approach Solstice, unusual this year as it brings planets close together. I was musing on this artwork I drew back in high school, inspired by Virgil Finley, a pulp-fiction artist in the 1930’s through the 60s. In this, the center figure in my version was originally drawn by Virgil Finlay for the short Pulp-Fiction Sci-Fi story, The Last Martian (J.R.Fearn?). Ever since high school this was all I knew about this drawing and the story itself. Until just recently. In researching Greek Mythology, there is a term for this particular type of creature known simply as “Gigantes.” Mythic beings that had men’s bodies with serpentine legs, also known as “Giants.” I find this interesting that I was a junior in high school, unknowingly drawing a Giant and later in life having an encounter with one, albeit, a different iteration from these Gigantes viewed here. Apologies if I already posted this. It keeps coming back to me as I go through the images I have. Enjoy!

Running in good theme with everyone’s favorite Epic Bigfoot Encounter, in the “Back To Nature Edition” and Robert Crumb’s wonderful underground artwork.