Sierra Sounds

The Sierra Sounds are audio recordings made by Ron Morehead and Al Berry, allegedly capturing Bigfoot vocalizations in the Sierra Nevada mountains beginning in 1971. Enthusiasts of Bigfoot commonly reference the recordings as among the most compelling evidence for the existence of Bigfoot, though scientific consensus maintains that Bigfoot remains firmly within the pseudoscience of cryptozoology and is not a real creature.

View of the Tuolumne River in the Sierras. Morehead and Berry have not disclosed the exact location where they obtained their recordings.

Background

Main article: Bigfoot

Frame 352 from the Patterson–Gimlin film, recorded in Bluff Creek, California.

Accounts of large hairy humanoids are common in most cultural folklore, including those of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas.^[1] In 1929, "Sasquatch" was coined by Indian agent J. W. Burns in a collection of stories from the Sts'ailes Nation, and the term is believed to be the anglicized version of sasq'ets (sas-kets), meaning "hairy man" in the Halkomelem language.^[2] In 1958, bulldozer operator Jerry Crew discovered a muddy set of human-like footprints in the Six Rivers National Forest. The prints measured 16 inches (410 mm), and plaster casts were made. Andrew Genzoli of the Humboldt Times interviewed lumber workers and collected stories about the footprints and other odd incidents, introducing the name "Bigfoot" along with a picture of Crew holding one of the casts in the 6 October paper. The story rapidly gained traction as major media outlets such as the New York Times and Los Angeles Times corresponded with Genzoli.^[3] In 1967, Bigfoot enthusiast Roger Patterson and his friend Robert "Bob" Gimlin set out into the Bluff Creek area of northern California to film a Bigfoot docudrama. On Friday, 20 October, between 1:15 and 1:40 p.m., the pair allegedly spotted a humanoid figure crouching on the opposite bank of the river. Patterson recorded a 59.5-second long video depicting the subject striding away from them, looking over its shoulder in what has now become the most famous image associated with the Bigfoot phenomena.^[4] The Patterson–Gimlin film was critical in launching the modern Bigfoot phenomena.^[5]

Sierra Sounds

In 1971, Ron Morehead and Al Berry departed to camp in the Sierra Nevada mountains, seeking to obtain evidence for the existence of Bigfoot. Morehead has described himself as a researcher and believer in Bigfoot, but in contrast, Berry was a skeptic looking for evidence of a hoax.^[6]

In the audio recording made from within their campsite, the pair can be heard quietly talking to each other before distant howls are heard. Morehead and Berry call back to the unknown source, attempting to mimic the howls themselves. Various vocalizations can be heard at a distance including howls, grunts, and knocking sounds. The most controversial vocalizations are what Morehead describes as a supposed form of language, dubbed by many as "samurai chatter" due to its resemblance to the dialogue of old Japanese samurai films.^[7]

Analysis and aftermath

Scientific consensus holds that allegations of the existence of Bigfoot are not credible.^[8][9] No formal studies have been conducted on the Sierra Sounds, though Morehead insists that that the legend of Bigfoot warrants scientific consideration.^[7]

Retired U.S. Navy cryptographic linguist Scott Nelson analyzed the recordings and concluded, "It is definitely a language, it is definitely not human in origin, and it could not have been faked."^[10]

Al Berry died in 2012. According to Morehead's blog, Berry maintained that he "thought it would have made the story even more interesting if he could have discovered how anyone could have pulled this off."^[6] Ron Morehead maintains that the recordings are legitimate, describing himself as an "adventurist" on his personal blog. He remains involved in the community of Bigfoot believers.^[11]