Seasons never change high enough above the snowline, in this land of endless forests and shrouds of drifting mist. I've hunted here on my people's traditional land with my father and with the ghosts of my ancestors. Guided and knowing my path, I call myself a man, but to those whose forest this is, I am animal-friend.

It was a day when the dark green shadow of the mountain held a bridal veil of pure white clouds. Old raven was calling to me, asking for crumbs from my sandwich. That is the last moment of my life when I was at peace.

Many seekers of Skookum come here. They think they will find evidence of Bigfoot while they camp, hide camera traps, and hike a few miles into the ancient forests. I know Skookum, and it takes a lifetime of understanding and growth, not just a four-day hiking holiday and some amateur knowledge.

There is a dark side to Bigfoot searches. Not all of those who track him are without knowledge. There is Silent Owl, a fallen medicine healer whose family died a few years ago during the plague that swept through our homes. His ways have changed, he will not use his magic to heal. The Skookum in his eyes has grown cruel and broken.

So, when the hunters came and asked me if I was Joseph Pale, I told them I would not help them find Bigfoot, for it was their intention to shoot the legendary beast and become famous. I told them:

"Bigfoot is not an animal. He is like a man, peaceful and considerate unless you are trespassing and planning to hurt his family. I will not help you, and I'd suggest you turn around."

I thought that would be the end of it. They could go into the woods with their rifles and they would find nothing but the Ranger waiting to check their hunting permits. I doubted such men could even find an elk, let alone Bigfoot. They had no Skookum, judging by their oversized rifles.

"I will help you, but not for less than double what you offered Little Fox. If he has said no, it now costs double." The chilling and calloused voice of Silent Owl spoke from my shadow, where he had walked over from the lodge to see what the hunters wanted from me.

"Well alright." The hunter who looked like Matthew McConaughey said. The others whooped with excitement. "We're gonna go bag ourselves a creature that doesn't even exist."

Silent Owl took their money and went with them.

I was horrified.

The thought of Silent Owl leading them to the sacred lands, set aside for the forest people since the beginning of Creation, was appalling and grotesque. I sat for a long time, feeling great woe and horror, knowing of the violation that those men planned to commit.

My Skookum grew weak inside me and in its place rose up fear. I was truly afraid to do nothing, afraid of what would happen, afraid on behalf of the peaceful and unsuspecting Bigfoot families that Silent Owl had betrayed. I resolved to go and to try and help them, to protect them, if necessary.

I am not a hunter of men, and the thought of turning my compound bow on a person and silently assassinating him frightened me. I was not sure where such a thought came from, but I could imagine having Silent Owl in my sights and putting an end to their expedition in just one shot. They might shoot back, but I would be long gone.

I trembled, afraid of the consequences of murder, but I also realized I must be willing to do anything, or there was no point in going after them. I went home and called my dogs from the woods, Spritzer and Chief. They came to me, wagging their tails and the sniffed my hands and sensed I was about to go on a big hunt. Spritzer growled, he didn't like my fear, but he obeyed me and got into the back of my truck. Chief seemed nervous, following me around while I packed.

When I had my backpack ready, I took up my compound bow, a .36 caliber revolver, my hunting knife and a survival hatchet. I loaded my truck with extra fuel and water and food for my dogs. For a long moment I sat in the cab, in the muddy driveway of my trailer. It was a decision I had to choose to make. I could stop and do nothing, or I could take the warpath.

We were soon off the highway and driving up an old dirt logging road, partially overgrown. I stopped at the creek and got out. We hiked the rest of the way up to where the road ends and there we found the pickup that belonged to Matthew McConaughey and his buddies and it was empty. They had already set out on foot up into the mountains. They had about six miles to hike before they were even at the edge of Bigfoot's territory.

I followed them, with fear of what they planned to do and fear of what I planned to do weighing in my mind. Old raven found me and asked me:

"Where are you going?"

I ignored the creature and led my dogs. It grows dark in the forest before it is night, and I saw the campfire of Matthew McConaughey's hunting party and I stopped and set up a cold camp. I fed my dogs and slept little, listening to the darkness and hearing the voices of the men as they bragged loudly. In the morning I waited until they left. I could have shot an arrow into Silent Owl, but I was too afraid.

We came to their camp and I finished putting out their fire. The dripping pines weren't in danger of burning, but it annoyed me that they had littered and left their campfire smoking. My dogs sniffed everywhere, sensing that we were hunting these men. They looked at me questioningly and I said:

"I don't know either. I know this is strange, but I don't know how to turn back."

When we reached the quiet mountain meadow where my grandfather had seen Bigfoot, I realized we were crossing the threshold. There was no turning back, we were entering into another world, an older and more civilized world. In this place, there was a balance between man and nature, and man wanted for nothing. They were hidden here, unseen by the cold and calculating eyes of science.

I followed the tracks of the hunters easily, seeing how they blundered through the grass and bushes. The trees shed their dew like a soft rain and birds who had never seen humans called to each other for the curious gossip of newcomers. I caught up to them and waited some distance away, crouching down and hidden. I thought to myself that if I was going to fire an arrow and put an end to this, that now would be the right time.

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All I could think about was them shooting back at me, chasing me, hunting me. I was frozen in fear, unable to take action. My dogs were growling softly as they too waited to strike.

The hunting party moved on and I followed them.

We began to climb the side of the mountain, and I realized with anxiety that by now, Bigfoot would know we were here. It occurred to me that I didn't need to do anything, if Bigfoot was disturbed by the intrusion. Bigfoot had great Skookum, and he could fend for himself.

I had told myself this and used it as an excuse to abandon my foolish pursuit of the hunters. Both of my opportunities to fire an arrow and end Silent Owl's betrayal had resulted in me paralyzed by fear. I knew I would do nothing, there was no point in me trying. So, I told myself to let Bigfoot defend his own lands and to turn back.

That is when things became terrifying. My dogs smelled something in the air they didn't like. Their loyalty to me shattered as I told them to stop and to stay, but they ran away, whimpering in terror. I turned and soon I could smell Bigfoot, like rancid swampwater. The foul wind turned my stomach and drove a primal fear into me like a thorn.

I looked up, my eyes watering and saw a blurry image of one great hand curled around a tree at a monstrous height. The angry eyes, almost human, peered out at me from behind the wood. I shook and stood frozen, looking back at it. There was a low growl from the creature and then it called out in a voice that was too much like the howl of a man.

I fell to my knees and dropped my weapon. I put up my hands, covering my head. I looked down from it, my instincts commanding my movements. I wanted to survive, and I could sense its rage and its hostility. I prayed, my lips murmuring:

"Great Spirit, please show me as animal-friend. I meant no harm coming here, forgive me. Teach this son of the forest I am not its enemy. Put compassion in its heart."

Bigfoot looked at me and heard my frightened whimpering. It stared down on me for a long time, breathing heavily. It belted an enraged roar, but it did not lift me or harm me. I shook with terror, fearing for my life. Then the ground shook as it stomped away and left me there.

My legs were shaking as I tried to stand, but my fear had overwhelmed me. I fell down, alone without my dogs, and lay staring up into the lit green canopy. I took a long time but my Skookum gradually built up inside me, and I decided to follow Bigfoot. I knew that if it thought I was an enemy, I would already be dead.

On the ridge I saw the hunters. They had found Bigfoot tracks and were following them. The one who looked and sounded exactly like Matthew McConaughey was in the lead. Silent Owl was behind them, he was looking around, sensing that some hidden danger had him in their sights.

This time I let my arrow fly. Silent Owl fell from the ridge, and the other hunters did not notice until he had plummeted to his death. I felt sorrow for my actions, but I knew it was just. He had led the hunters to Bigfoot, and in doing so, he had begun the killing that was to follow.

"Forgive me, brother. May you find peace with your loved ones on the other side." I spoke on behalf of Silent Owl, hoping that he would find forgiveness in death and be reunited with his family.

For the hunters, death was not so kind or gentle. They found Bigfoot, or rather, a band of four younger male Bigfoot found them. They were in a savage mood, having watched all the females and children of their tribe flee in terror. The older male Bigfoot had gone too.

I called out a warning, hoping they would run for their lives. I'd watched the Bigfoot flee before the hunters could find them, vanishing into the forest from the open mountain meadows below. The hunters looked to my position on the ridge, having heard my warning cry. One of them used his rifle scope to identify me. For a split second I thought I'd be shot, but they knew nothing of my fault in Silent Owl's death. They never climbed down to his body to see the broken arrow.

Then the Bigfoot attacked. Their first assault was a test of the strength of the intruders. They didn't kill any of them, but they left injuries and terror on the faces of the hunters. They fired their rifles at close range but managed to miss with every shot. When the Bigfoot retreated, the hunters were too terrified to continue, all except Matthew McConaughey.

I followed him as he set out alone, deep into Bigfoot territory. He was determined to slay Bigfoot, and would not back down from their gorilla antics. We came to a part of the forest that was very old, and great boulders were all that remained of some primeval mountain. Beneath the boulders were shallow caves. Each cave had the skeletal remains of a Bigfoot.

We had entered their burial ground. Every Bigfoot that had ever died was brought to this place, for countless generations, going back to the very first day. I shuddered in dread of what the spirits would think of me for entering such a sacred place without right, without tribute.

I took one last candid look at Matthew McConaughey where he was crouched and handling the skull of Bigfoot. I left him there and went back the way I had come. As I wandered back through the forest I found the first of the fleeing hunters. Bigfoot had broken his neck, disemboweled him and impaled his body on broken limbs high up in a tree.

I gasped in horror at the sight, but I left his remains there. I had my own skin to save, and I wasn't out of the woods yet.

I found the second hunter dead as well. The Bigfoot had relentlessly pursued them and killed at least two of them. I felt dread as I realized the Bigfoot were close and they were killing every man in sight. Would I be hunted down and brutally slaughtered?

I heard gun shots in the distance. I knew the Bigfoot had found the last hunter. I moved on slowly and cautiously, night was falling and I felt trepidation at the thought of camping or wandering in the dark. I pressed on, almost to the creek.

There I found the last of the hunters. They had torn him to pieces and scattered him all over the place. His rifle was twisted and smashed. I felt sick as the last light was fading. I knelt at the small waterfall and threw up. When I arose, my panic grew to screaming heights as I saw I was surrounded by angry Bigfoot.

I knew it was about to be all over. They would descend on me and tear off my arms and bite through my neck. I cowed at the sight of them and again fell to my knees. They were closing in on me when I heard a loud and almost chuckling grunting noise.

I looked up and saw the massive old Bigfoot I had first seen. He had come and seen me and was telling the others to let me go. The Bigfoot looked at their leader and then they backed away from me and left me there, shaking in terror.

I fled through the forest, following the creek until I came to the old logging road. I took one look at Matthew McConaughey's abandoned vehicle and I knew it would stay there and rust, nobody was coming back from the hunting party.

I walked toward my own vehicle and when I got there, I tossed my backpack into the back. Chief looked up at me and whined. He had hidden there, waiting for my return. I called to Spritzer, but he never came. With my heart heavy at his disappearance, I drove us back to the highway and took us home.

That night I sat with my hands shaking and my nerves frayed. I had survived, but my memories of what I had seen and how terrible it all was would linger in my mind forever. I would never have peace again. As I sat thinking about it, I wondered what had become of my other dog. Chief had come inside, having had enough of the woods. He sat miserable, missing his brother.

As we sat staring at his empty place by the fire, I heard barking outside. I opened the door and there he was, Spritzer had traveled all night and somehow found his way home. I was overjoyed, and some part of me began to feel hope.

I realized the Bigfoot would again know the peace and isolation they needed to survive. They had let me go because they are not monsters, and they forgave me. Spritzer's return home was like a sign that in the end, all would be well.