In August of 2023 another aficionado of the great outdoors went missing. The chilling revelations around his experiences were all written down in a leather bound daily journal along with a professional quality camera filled with recorded photos. Marcus Chen, well known Northwest Pacific naturalist photographer had achieved relative success. Known for his detailed photos capturing the beauty of the wilderness, he had attracted a following. Marcus was known for his preparedness for his trips into the forests, and possessed survival skills to match.

Marcus was now planning another foray into the deep forests of the Cascade Mountains known as the Silent Valley, a 15 thousand acre stretch of Cascade landscape, with only limited exploration. The area is largely untraveled by hikers and less explored by researchers. One aspect that is disturbing about the region are that the Native American tribes in the area largely avoid the dense woods there as they consider the area to be forbidden ground! This adds to the mystique and haunting atmosphere of this lush, mountainous, topography. Where the thick overhead canopy of red cedars and Douglas Firs over 300 years old nearly block the daytime sun’s rays!

Another element of the perfect storm for a disappearance is the fact that the weather at the 8,000 foot level there is unpredictable and severe! I can vouch for this having visited the area myself. With my ex there, we did some hiking in the more publicly used areas, but when we returned the following year a flood had washed out the trail we had once hiked. Although the park rangers on duty try to keep visitors and the general condition of the area manageable, nature is undoubtedly in charge!  Marcus Chen was heading into a dangerous rendezvous with fate, but refused to acknowledge that.

The ambitious photographer had planned a three week journey into a wilderness he knew little about, but his creative calling overrode any sense of precaution as he was prepared for camping, hiking, living off the land, and conducting his most pleasurable activity in life-photography. Little did anyone realize that Marcus had another motive, and that was to find evidence of the unknown population of cryptid bi-pedal humanoids that were rumored to inhabit the area! In a way, it would seem he was setting himself up for a disappearance! There had been numerous sightings in the area reported, but it is unclear whether or not he was aware of this or what he would have done differently had he known.

About the only thing Marcus did in accordance with the recommendations of David Paulides when entering the wilderness was notify family and friends when he was leaving and when he intended to return. Other than that, Marcus Chen would make an ill advised trek into potentially threatening territory without essential precautions that might have saved his life. The first few days according to his journal were enjoyable as he lived vicariously through his love of the natural beauty, but days later things took an ominous turn! Although Marcus had reveled over having penetrated the dense Cascade valley further in than any modern human had dared to go, things would get out of control!

One night days beyond the 12^th of August, as he began falling asleep in his tent, he noticed a suffocating quiet. The sounds of heavy steps through the forest and on the floor of the woods alarmed him. Wood knocks coming from more than one direction next echoed through the darkness! His campsite was definitely being circled. He lay still, writing this down in his diary until finally the forest returned to normal again. He had experienced this once briefly the previous day noting that he was probably in close proximity to a predator and that was why the forest had become devoid of normal sounds, but it passed quickly.

The following days became even more foreboding as he got his first glimpse of a huge, tall figure staring at him from behind a tree! This was no bear! It did not run away repelled by human presence like a deer or even black bear probably would have. It simply stood and stared at him, but Marcus held an equal impression of scientific curiosity as well as fear! He simply continued to hike, hoping that he would not be perceived as a threat. Soon he was aware that he was not only being paralleled by not just one entity but three more who were maintaining a discreet distance, but were none the less, showing little fear of him. Marcus hoped this might add up to currency on his behalf, not being a hunter with any evidence of a weapon.

That evening around midnight he was aware that he had company once again and this time vocalizations were near his tent. He heard at least three of them using an ancient language back and forth with hisses, pops, and an unintelligible sort of tongue that was conversational, not just frivolous and animalistic utterances. He was convinced now that these beings were not just animals but intelligent entities living in a feral manner, but were they violent? What was the ultimate intent? Finally, they withdrew before daybreak. That morning Marcus headed for a stream to fill his canteens.

As he knelt rinsing and filling his containers and looked up. There, not more than 30 feet away, was a tall Sasquatch type creature! He and the supposedly non-existent upright walking being stared directly into its eyes! For what Marcus claimed seemed like an eternity the two just stared at each other. Marcus drew his camera and raised it to take a shot, but the creature motioned for him to lower it and then nodded his solemn approval before walking quickly into the dense foliage! Marcus Chen was now convinced these beings were very intelligent, had a language, and were well organized! This was an undiscovered civilization he had stumbled upon. Marcus noted the huge sagittal crown on its head that indicated very strong jaws!

As the days rolled on Marcus discovered well designed thatched structures that looked like tents! He found huge 18 inch to 22 inch five toed impressions in the soil that he estimated would have taken a 400 pound physique in order to leave such tracks! Chen even discovered a cave with drawings of animals that currently inhabit the Cascade region so he estimated these scenes were relatively recent. Had these Sasquatch established this center for their settlement in the not too distant past? Bigfoot is thought to be a migratory species, moving to areas to take advantage of seasonal changes that allow for fruit, vegetables, and animal movements for sustenance!

Now they were coming closer and exercising little caution. Either they once had been somewhat intimidated by this mysterious human, or they were simply becoming more aggressive! Near the end of his diary now, Marcus described one night that a number of these creatures had more vocalizations very near his tent! It seemed to him they may have been arguing over what to do with this intruder that had invaded their hidden kingdom from the outside world. One voice sounded hostile and accusatory while others conversed with less threatening tones. They were deciding what to do with him?

Marcus’s notes had now progressed from his ecstasy over the lush trees, numerous creeks, and clear rushing streams to living in terror that he could barely control as little did his fascination with the beautiful environment quell his concerns over the walking beasts that now seemed to be stalking him. Why hadn’t Marcus decided to vacate for the sake of his life earlier? We will never know, but it does seem that those who disappear refuse to acknowledge the danger in time enough to take appropriate action!

Finally, in his last entry, Marcus Chen’s handwriting becomes erratic, indicating fear, exhaustion, and anxiety! He is now clearly afraid for his life. He is telling himself he needs to leave and get back to civilization as quickly as he can, but Marcus has clearly endangered himself beyond any option to extract himself from his ominous predicament! This leather bound journal was found in the disheveled campsite along with his torn backpack, shreds of his clothing, and battered gear! The campfire had been kicked apart as well!

After Marcus failed to show up on the expected time of his return, authorities were notified by friends and family that he was missing. Over 40 rescuers were assembled to search the area. UAV’s and helicopters scoured this section of the Silent Valley that was estimated to be Marcus Chen’s last whereabouts. More of his items were discovered located 8 miles from his last campsite. At a nearby stream, on its shore, rescuers found odd stacked rows of rocks that were examined. These were not random or caused by erosion. These were intentional formations. Beneath a stack of rocks they found more of Marcus’s belongings leading the searchers to ominous conclusions!

It seems the incident report written by the Park Rangers indicated possible predator activity that may have occurred as a result of the disappearance of Marcus Chen, but it was vague and inconclusive with the forensic examiners who took photos and plaster casts at the final campsite keeping their findings undisclosed to the public! We know from David Paulides that federal agents often keep files on these missing persons that they never allow detectives or investigators access to.

Perhaps the most convincing photos of the Sasquatch were taken by Marcus Chen just before his demise or whatever happened to him and they were taken on his camera! That film did manage to get released! We are at a point now where Bigfoot is no longer a myth or Unicorn to be laughed at, but a very real part of nature as well as a having a genetic relation to modern day man. They are not monsters as such but like man they can be dangerous and territorial just as we are. You don’t go traipsing around in someone else’s backyard or threatening to expose their whereabouts if they want to remain concealed.

Theories of Marcus Chen’s fate

• Chen was abducted and relocated to another area of Silent Valley the way Park Rangers get rid of nuisance bears
• He was captured and forced to live with this hidden society of feral bi-pedal beings
• Marcus went rogue and made a choice to remain within this cryptid society
• Marcus was relocated and dropped off but due to weather or being lost in the vast wilderness never made it back
• Chen was murdered by his captors and his remains buried or perhaps even predated.

How Marcus Chen violated the strong advice of David Paulides

• Went into the wilderness without a firearm or other defensive weapons
• Maneuvered off the well beaten path that most hikers normally take making his whereabouts more elusive for rescuers
• Putting himself at unnecessary risk in uncertain conditions
• Went alone without a companion or other experienced wilderness expert
• The weather, as it does often in disappearances, became hazardous and made search efforts more difficult, Marcus did not take that into account
• Marcus Chen ignored or disregarded accounts of numerous sightings and the fact that the indigenous tribes considered the area forbidden!