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COVER
Bigfoot Believers
An eclectic and passionate group meets in Hot Springs for the inaugural Big Sky Bigfoot Conference
BY MOLLY PRIDDY OF THE BEACON
HOT SPRINGS - THE MORNING OF OCT. 25 WAS ONE OF CHILL AND FOG, WITH GRAY, OPAQUE CLOUDS HANGING LOW OVER FLATHEAD LAKE AND THE PAVEMENT ON U.S. HIGHWAY 93 PUNCTUATED WITH FRESH, DARK BLOOD.
Sure, the gore was just a sign that the local deer have begun the annual process of losing their minds during mating sea- son and are running into the road, but since I was on my way to a conference about monsters, it was easy to let the mind wander to spookier and more sin- ister explanations.
Beacon photographer Greg Lindstrom
and I headed out early that Saturday morn- ing, driving the windy road to Hot Springs, where the inaugural Big Sky Bigfoot Con- ference was scheduled to take place at the historic Symes Hot Springs Hotel.
As we turned off Highway 28 and onto Highway 77 taking us into the town, our spotty cell reception dropped off completely. What might have been an
annoyance any other time became just another way to set the scene: we were leav- ing our worldviews on Highway 28 and entering a new realm, where mythology and reality are braided together, making it tough to distinguish one from the other.
Symes was bustling already despite the relatively early hour, with guests basking in the warm, mineral pools
outside. Inside, anticipation, nerves, and an ever-permeating smell of sulfur set the scene for the conference.
The lobby was reserved for check-in, coffee, and of course, merchandise. My first impression of Bigfoot is that this guy’s face and silhouette are on more T-shirts, stickers, books, and hats than the Bobcats or the Grizzlies, making
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OCTOBER 28, 2015 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
Guests mingle in the lobby at The Big Sky Bigfoot Conference in Hot Springs. GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON