EP 54 – Richard Noll – The Legendary Bigfoot Researcher Who Cast the Body Impression of a Sasquatch and Examined by Experts in Anatomy
Listen to "Untold Radio AM Richard Noll, the legendary bigfoot researcher" on Spreaker.
Richard Noll has been involved with the Sasquatch subject since the late '60s, when he convinced his mother to take him and his four brothers to the state capital of Washington, in Olympia, where a local researcher, Dick Grover, was playing a corny standup piano with several Bigfoot casts on its top, right at the foot of the steps of the capitol. Dick was there in support of a resolution being presented to make the Sasquatch the State Animal. He was also selling John Green's first book on the subject - "On the Track of the Sasquatch." He convinced his mom to buy it for him for the huge price of $4.00. The original of which now sells for around $600.
Since then, he has worked with Dr. Grover Krantz, Rene Dahinden, John Green, Peter Byrne, Dr. John Bindernagel, Dr. Jeff Meldrum, Dr. Daris Swindler, Dr. George Schaller, Peter Matheson, Dr. Jane Goodall, Briggs Hall, Dr. Leroy Fish and yes even Mat Moneymaker. Rick would often be called upon to investigate local sightings and track finds, reporting back to those that entrusted the task to him. If you talked with him, the majority of the investigations have either been mistaken identities, false interpretations, or outright hoaxes. But then there have been a few gold nuggets that have made him step back, rethink his methodology, recharge and take the mystery on with new vigor. The original investigators treated their search close to the vest. They were in it for the fame and fortune, as much as to solve a mystery they got caught up in, protecting their leads and results for the chance to be the one, the expert, to go down in history as the discoverer. Many of them just ended up writing a few books, articles, or spot appearances on TV documentary's, and those often included Rick and his contributions.
Rick has traveled to many different locations around the world in search of evidence to prove these creatures' existence but prefers to concentrate his resources in smaller study areas. One such place produced what is called the "Skookum Cast." It was a ¾ body impression of a large animal that laid down to munch on some fruit that was placed next to a muddy vehicle turned out on a dirt road southeast of Mt. Saint Helens in September of 2000. This cast, named after a secluded breeding ground for Elk, captures a distinctive hair pattern on most of the depressions that many feel represent a bipedal animal with large buttocks, two large thighs, calves, and very human-looking ankles and heels. There is even a spot that looks like the forearm, complete with musculature sculpturing, where the creature leaned over to reach for the fruit left for it. Little known to many were the teeth impressions the animal left in the fruit. This impression was discovered on one of the very first BFRO expeditions employing large battleship loudspeakers blasting purported screams from Sasquatch.
Ricks's main focus in his search of this creature is in exploring its landscape, where and how it could possibly exist, with little to no scientific acceptance for its existence. Many of the scientists he has shown his collection of 60+ track casts, hair samples, taped screams, eyewitness declarations, and of course, the Skookum Cast are secretly very interested and perplexed. Still, science follows the money and funds to look for a yet to be discovered, hair-covered, bipedal primate, here in North America runs as deep and dry as summertime in the Grand Canyon.
Rick also believes in using the latest technology available, which is used in criminal investigations and archeology. He often sprays reagent compounds and employs sophisticated imaging technology to view the cryptic behavior of nature in its elements.