Where Bigfoot Walks: Crossing the Dark Divide

by Robert Michael Pyle

Robert Michael Pyle trekked into the Dark Divide, where he discovered a giant fossil footprint; searched out Indians who told him of an outcast tribe that had not fully evolved into humans; and attended the convocation in British Columbia called Sasquatch Daze, where he realized that "these guys don't want to find Bigfoot-they want to be Bigfoot." Ultimately Pyle discovers a few things about Bigfoot - and a lot about the human need for something to believe in and the need for wilderness in our lives.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Paranormal, Bigfoot, Science, History, Memoir

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Robert Michael Pyle is a lepidopterist and a professional writer who has published twelve books and hundreds of papers, essays, stories and poems. He has a Ph.D. from the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale University. He founded the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation in 1974. His acclaimed 1987 book Wintergreen describing the devastation caused by unrestrained logging in Washington's Willapa Hills near his adopted home was the winner of the 1987 John Burroughs Medal for Distinguished Nature Writing. His 1995 book Where Bigfoot Walks: Crossing the Dark Divide was the subject of a Guggenheim Fellowship.

Reviews

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pyle interweaves his passion for the outdoors with his interest in the unknown. He puts forth possibilities with a skeptic's eye and a child's enthusiasm, all while trekking (sometimes naked) through his beloved Pacific Northwest. I found myself occasionally questioning his sanity but never his integrity or heart.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not so much a treatise on bigfoot as it is more of a travelouge of a portion of the state of Washington where there have been numerous sightings. The author, a naturalist, and as such being quite verbose, takes the reader along with him as he hikes and drives through the heavily forested areas where sightings of a creature have occurred. He does include some native, as well as local legends scattered amongst his ramblings on forest conservancy. These were perhaps the more interesting portions of the book to me. Other than that the author can get very long winded in his tree hugging stance and at times overwhelm the average, note I do not have a P.H.D., audience. The book is O.K. as I show with the two stars however, if the author were to expound on the legends a bit more perhaps he could have garnered one more star from me.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where Bigfoot Walks is one of the first books I read on the subject of Sasquatch, and also one of the best. In it, Robert Michael Pyle treks across Bigfoot's legendary habitat in the Pacific Northwest, hiking and camping mostly solo. His goal is to explore the terrain Bigfoot is rumored to walk, to experience what such a creature may experience, and to take the reader along on the journey. With an open mind, he observes the environment and talks with some of the people who have contributed so much to the legend.

Mostly, the book is an ode to the land. Pyle writes lovingly about the forests of the Cascades and what makes them special. He also reflects on the damage done to this once pristine, diverse, old-growth habitat by human interference and logging. The subject of Bigfoot is approached as an ecological conundrum: If the species exists, what of its habitat? What is its range? What are its requirements for survival? And how can we preserve it?

What makes this book particularly memorable is the fact that Pyle interviewed many of the major (and most colorful) players in the world of Sasquatchery. These include famed researcher Peter Byrne; footprint hoaxer Ray Wallace; and Datus Perry, an eccentric Bigfoot enthusiast and claimer of multiple sightings. He speaks respectfully of these men, not passing judgment, instead allowing the reader to come to his own conclusion.

As the book goes along, Pyle does have some mysterious encounters with unknown creatures in the woods -- unknown creatures who evidently leave very large footprints. But Pyle, agreeably, allows the mystery to remain a mystery.

"I am continually asked," Pyle writes, "by those who hear I am writing about Bigfoot, 'So tell me, do you believe?'

"I have never answered yes or no, and I don't intend to now. Not because I am afraid to take a stand, but because it has never been my desire to finally decide."

At last, a true skeptic!

Whether you are interested in Sasquatch, natural history, or simply enjoy great nature writing, Where Bigfoot Walks should be on your to-read list.

[Sophy H · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well this was........something!

I know the title is Where Bigfoot Walks which can probably get the author out of a misrepresentation stickiness as it doesn't actually say it's gonna be about seeing Bigfoot. The tagline on the front is so misleading however, "Updated edition with the latest research and the author's dramatic finds".................... yeah so the find is a footprint! That's all. I'll put you out your misery!

Ironically I'm not a skeptic of Bigfoot. I actually believe in the remaining few patches of wilderness we have in the world, there could be any number of creatures we have no knowledge of whatsoever, same as the ocean and it's hidden finds. This book however is basically a nature journal of sorts with a few Bigfoot references. Pyle talks well of the Pacific Northwest and it's varying natural features however he does have a tendency to repeat himself (what he had for breakfast, what berries he ate, how he slept, he heard motorbikes, logging roads, lists of plants!)

The book just doesn't engage me enough, even with the odd Bigfoot reference. There are a few shitty black and white photos of footprint casts and a few half arsed interviews with people who have had sketchy experiences.

Ultimately this book is a bit dare I say boring. If you want Pacific Northwest writing there are better places to look and I'm sure there must be better Bigfoot writing out there too (any suggestions are welcome).

A paltry 2 stars at the most.

[Christopher Roth]

Probably the best book I've read about sasquatch—skeptical, level-headed, open-minded, scientifically informed, by someone who really knows the land and made it his business to get to know the various characters who have devoted their lives to bigfoot research. Nice discussion, but I still wonder: if sasquatches are Gigantopithecus, then how did they migrate to the New World? No one has yet been able to answer that. Though I do think something is out there; as a cultural anthropologist, I can't evaluate things like footprints, but the reports of witnesses are highly consistent and highly primatologically coherent and also patterned geographically in a way that is NOT characteristic of something that is only a figment of folklore.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

So some of you may be thinking, "Wait, Allison read a book about bigfoot? Where did that come from?" Well I'll tell you. I was tricked into it. I listened to this great podcast (my fave) and the podcaster was interviewing the director of a new film called "The Dark Divide." The podcast was compelling and I decided that I would read the book that the film was based on, and then maybe see if I could find the film to watch. I put the book on hold and went to pick it up from the library, and it really wasn't until I was cracking it open that I realized the book wasn't called _The Dark Divide_, it is called _Where Bigfoot Walks: Crossing the Dark Divide_. I didn't really remember any of the podcast revolving around bigfoot, so I figured that it probably didn't play very heavily in the book. Ummmm...wrong. But also right. Because although this book is about myths and legends and facts and scholars and crazies who believe in bigfoot (a favorite quote: "with these folks...it's not a matter of having both oars in the water. They don't even have a boat!"), it's mostly a book about a lepidopterist hiking across the Dark Divide in Washington state. Which is mostly what the film is about as well.

This man, this Robert Michael Pyle, is undeniably one of the best naturalist writers there are. I could flip open a page to this book and it would be so full of descriptions of forest minutiae that it was a little bit wild. It took me a long time to read the book...many paragraphs took a minute or two to work out exactly what he was describing: his prose is so dense with flora and fauna. Like this: "The black and spartan fertile fronds of deer fern poked up from the floor of an open grove of a dozen giant firs, recalling a scene from the redwood groves. Breeze and sun flickered across mapel leaves. On an old mossy rockfall, pikas called from a swale of wood fern. The vine maples hinted at their coming red shift, not shouting it ahead of time as in the clear-cuts. The polished trunks of white snags rippled in sun and shadow. Artist's fungi climbed a tall snag, making balconies for squirrels. The messages of kinglets and red-breasted nuthatches carried like an aural semaphore." (117) You see what I'm saying? Half the time I was like, is he talking about a bird or a plant...such is my ignorance. And his command of the language has me jealous. Such a broad and rich vocabulary. Images and words and smells and sounds and feelings, so thoughtfully placed and woven. Words like gelid, ericaceous, tumid, hirsute, and propinquity had me typing words into my phone to double-check if I knew the meaning. Several times a chapter I was facing down words for which I had no memory.

So he does cross the Dark Divide, by car and foot, with his butterfly net (Marsha). Before I get to my favorite quotes, which are going to be pretty long, as I want to remember them, let me say a word about bigfoot. Pyle does compile quite a bit of information about bigfoot myths/stories from natives of many countries, as well as scholars and people who hunt bigfoot, and folks who attend shin-digs, rendezvous, and festivals about bigfoot. Many of the chapters are focused on what people think about bigfoot, and its history and likelihood and scientific nomenclature, among other things. In fact, just about anything you could wonder about bigfoot is likely covered. Much more than I ever cared about. Pyle himself doesn't state his belief or disbelief in bigfoot...he just wants to keep an open mind. So after reading the book and watching the famous Patterson bigfoot reel on YouTube (sheesh, if you haven't seen it, it's pretty crazy, it'll make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end), I will share with you that I do not believe in bigfoot. But I am significantly less close-minded about it, or "sure", if you will, than I was before. Some things are just mysteries, and that's okay with me. The main theme of the book, taken altogether, summarized by me, would probably be something like this: The outside places, old growths and wilderness especially, are sacred spaces that deserve our respect, protection, and above all, our presence and observation.
See what is around you, all the life, and see it deeply. Some things are mysterious and unknown, and you had better believe that there is a monster in the woods--but it is not Bigfoot, it's us, in all our ignorance, slowly destroying the woods, living things, and quiet places of our planet.
Now for the quotes:

After falling in a creek and wandering naked for a bit while his clothes dry out, he pontificates while standing on a stump, "There is no going back to the woods--unless under population pressure or disease and strife or environmental change, our systems collapse under us, thrusting us into the primitive condition once again. If that were to occur, I wouldn't give a lot for most folks' chances, minus their microwaves. The high concepts now are 'interactive media' and 'virtual experience.' I, like others, look upon such amazing ideas with awe. What can be bad about instant communication around the globe, easy access to all the information of the world, and helmets that take the place of Yosemite or Yokohama? Still I wonder. Take the chips away, and what have you got? When function depends upon form, and form is far removed from common experience, function ceases to be common--and surely shared experience is one field mark of civilization. It's hard to say how many people will ever participate in the upper strata of technology. But one thing is sure: as the number grows, so does our separation from the physical world. CD-ROMS may be interactive, but what they interact with is not the land; in virtual reality, virtual means exactly that--it ain't real. We see only what we need to see. When our needs are completely met by pixels on a screen, we will cease to be interactive with the world. When virtual reality does the job, who needs the real thing? And who will know what to do when the real thing appears? Desmond Morris notwithstanding, we are not the naked ape. We're seldom naked, and when we are, we are even more defenseless than usual.[...] Even if he experienced the early human's terror before the universe, I doubt that he felt the sense of mastery and confidence that must mark the competent native everywhere. But he interacted as few of us ever will; there was nothing virtual about his adventure." (82).
"The silence couldn't last. A jet, then chain saws, roared in the north. But quiet fell when I came upon the Sue Hollenbeck Memorial Bridge over the third, tiny, dry, mossy stream. I wondered who Sue was and who loved her enough to build a bridge for her. Golden-crowned kinglets tinkled over the bridge, some of the still widespread bits of life that must pass this spot a few million times a season, like larger seed snows, piping in a language not far from the songs of pollen. I'd settle for such beatitudes sung daily over my bridge." (63).
[talks about actually hugging trees, and then...] "Another pleasure is the rush that comes from recognizing the individuality of other life forms--the hit that naturalists, situated in the midst of the grand biological parade, get every time they meet something new. Few of us will ever know newness the way Linnaeus did in Lapland, when he first gave the boreal twinflower its lovely name Linnaea (and here it was, at my feet). But we know the sweetness of first encounter. The pleasure is deeply visceral; you feel it in your belly as well as your head. Sad, how few ever know this joy, for close observers are almost as rare as tree-huggers. If lingual illiteracy is advancing, natural illiteracy is already winning." (116, unfortunately I am in this category. I love being outside but I know nothing about identifying trees, grasses, fungi, berries, flowers, birds, and small rodents,
even the ones in my own yard. It's sad, and I should remedy that.)
This, on bigfoot, and open-mindedness, "I had gone into this investigation hoping to keep an open mind on the subject of Bigfoot. To me, having a truly open mind is a rare state, easier to define by its opposites. One ting it does not mean is belief; faith is the opposite of an open mind. Another condition that has nothing to do with open-mindedness is gullibility or credulousness, which are just form of faith-hunger. Coming from the other direction, I can further define the term by stating that it also opposes the hard head and the set jaw. It refracts impressions rather than reflecting them. An open mind is a window, not a mirror. Now we're getting closer. On the dark and stormy divide between what you want and what you get, there strides a slippery essence. I call it power, and a kind of freedom: the power to change your mind, the freedom to grow.[...] An open mind neither rejects nor limits itself to the scientific method but considers it among the other tools for palping the universe. It doubts everything and accepts everyone. It is completely skeptical and wholly receptive, seldom wishy-washy but often unsettled. The open mind is not afraid to be made up, then, like a bed, to be thrashed, stripped, and made fresh all over again. Convictions? The open mind has them. But like everything else, convictions are liable to amendment. The possessor of this mythic mind has the ability to slither hither and thither, to poke and prod and dodge. This is the only way to take the world, and it is an ideal almost never realized. [...] To see is to be open, to take it all in without being taken in, to be aware of the sweet possibilities of the world. What more could you want? How much more fun than being the slave of instant opinion, pro or con, closing the door from either direction." (305).

Please note there is infrequent swearing in the book, including a few f-words. The movie also has a little bit of swearing, and a couple of scenes where he is in the woods in his whitey-tighties. At one point you see his bum. But it is an excellent film, so beautiful, and I do recommend it. But maybe watch it yourself before you show it to your kids!

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a tough, tough read, and a difficult book to review. Sometimes you have to suffer through a book and just power through it in order to appreciate the good in it, and this is one of those books.

Author Robert Michael Pyle writes beautifully. His love of the woods and nature comes through in every word, and his prose reads like a poetic love letter to the wild spaces in the world. That said...he spends a TON of time writing about his walk through Bigfoot country, about butterflies, slugs, rabbits, birds, the timber industry, logging regulations, the spotted owl....it is often overwhelming, and made it seem like I was reading this book forever.

That said...when he DOES meander around to the subject of Bigfoot, the book was absolutely riveting. Pyle throws out some common sense theories that absolutely floored me...I've been reading for decades about the possibility of the government covering up the existence of Bigfoot, but I've never understood WHY they would care about an undiscovered species roaming the woods. Pyle neatly addresses that issue, in a way that had me smacking my head for never having thought of it before. (No spoilers!)

Overall, a long, often difficult read, but a worthwhile one in the end.

[J.W. Ellis · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was boring. Nothing like I was hoping. Couldn't finish

[Stephen Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book report is being written for my english four class for Mrs. Orona. The title of my book is “Where Bigfoot Walks” and the author is Robert Michael Pyle. The book “Where Bigfoot Walks” has 352 pages, and was published by mariner books. The reason why i pick this book was because i saw the cover and suddenly felt drawn to the picture on the front. I felt as if I had to read the pages within this book.
While the author was the main character there was other other people that were mentioned in the story severed the purpose of providing pivotal information about the surrounding area or clues on Bigfoot. The author purpose was continuous search for clues surrounding Bigfoot. In the story he had brought with him his girlfriend who had served as a companion on his trip. Also he had a tour guide Mr. Byrnes who he described as a handsome man who had claims to being Bigfoot. These were the most important characters out of the many.
“Where Bigfoot Walks” is a adventure styled autobiography that shows the well planned out trip of Robert Pyle’s search for Bigfoot. This books setting takes place in wooded areas of the united states, places where bigfoot has been reportedly seen. This book timeline was in the late 20th century around the 90’s when the author was fresh out of college. This book was well written and very descriptive in nature. Certain parts were very entertaining to read. The main character was trying to investigate the myth behind behind Bigfoot, and gather clues regarding reports of sightings. In the outcome of the book it was apparent that Bigfoot was not real and the reports over the mythical creature had turned out to be lies for publicity.
I could tell the the author Robert Michael Pyle was very intent on making the reader drawn the the words on each page through his deep descriptions of his experiences. He was precise in delivering descriptions of the places he traveled. This book "Where Bigfoot Walks" was very interesting because of the careful difference Pyle makes between himself not trying to discover if bigfoot is real, but investigating the myth behind the bigfoot theories. I thought this book was good from a literacy view. Though I must give this book a low rating because I found it to be more knowledgeable than what the average young reader would be used to reading. therefore the book would not be good for all audiences.
My final thoughts on the book “Where Bigfoot walks” is that it is a very enticing and informative story, but i found the book to contain too much knowledge and turn off younger less persistent readers. But i really liked the book as far as being able to be descriptive and provide formattable facts and information. I learned a lot about the over story about Bigfoot, and all the misconceptions about the phone. Normally I recommend all the books I read to others but this is unfortunately one i cannot recommend, because it is so outdated it would make it hard for young readers to read.

[Kj · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thought inducing romp through the woods in parts, the elusive Bigfoot felt as fragile a concept as ever. I hoped for revelation and instead heard footfalls in the dark.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't believe Bigfoot exists, but I find the underlying belief systems fascinating. Pyle does a nice job of mixing beautiful nature writing (he ventures into the areas where Bigfoot sightings occur) with the history of how we got to this level of belief. Pyle explores native legends, human stories of the "wild man," tales that get twisted over time, and sketchy evidence that gets blown out of proportion. He also shares stories that have yet to be debunked. It's a fascinating, funny, and sometimes spooky book. I'm not convinced Bigfoot exists, but there are definitely some intriguing questions that still remain unanswered about the forests of the Pacific Northwest.

[Noah Gittell · Rating 2 out of 5]

For hardcore naturalists only. There was some good thinking about Bigfoot on display here - that's what I was looking for - but it's scattered randomly throughout the book, amidst copious descriptions of wildlife. Not my cup of tea.

[Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is, quite possibly, my favorite work of American nature writing.

[Jess Baker · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not about Bigfoot, it's actually about hiking in the Pacific northwest. It was terribly boring.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books that would have been a whole lot better had it been 100 pages shorter. Robert Pyle, a biologist specializing in moths and butterflies, explores the Pacific Northwest forest where Bigfoot sightings have been reported. Some of it is really interesting, but the story drags on as sort of a field guide to the forest and becomes repetitive. He describes himself as open-minded about the possibility of a big ape-like creature living in the forest, hiding from humans. Although he never sees Bigfoot in his wanderings, he hears whistles that could be Bigfoot--or owls--and finds a set of 16-inch footprints.

Some of the scenes in this book were made into a movie, Crossing the Dark Divide, which is also slow-paced, but contains more of a plot than the book. There was considerable dramatic license involved in the transition from book to film, starting with the fact that Thea was alive when Pyle did his explorations.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the descriptions of his travel within The Dark Divide since I was there this summer, but not a huge Bigfoot lore person so though that was interesting, it wasn’t really my jam.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A champion to the barely-holding-on tracts of true wilderness in the US that allows for the likelihood of a bi-pedal undiscovered ape species to be a reality

[Anna Hackbarth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, well-written, but the author does not find Bigfoot on his journey :( still an amazing read with a heartfelt message on the subject of conservation and land stewardship!

[Alexander Polsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Guggenheim grant to go in search of Sasquatch, or rather, in search of the lore and eccentrics around Sasquatch-- in some of the most beautiful terrain in the lower 48.

Author Pyle is both a naturalist and a fine writer, wandering the Dark Divide, the beautiful roadless forest that extends between Mt St Helens and Mt Adams, he's acute in his observations of man, beasts great, small, and mythical, and business.

He comments knowledgeably about timber companies, native American history and culture, local politics, mushrooms, insects, and has an ear for the people who make their homes as far out of the way as possible.

This is a book with learned observations on mythology and mycology- and a conversation with a Sheriff "Folks are worried, Ed. They're talking posse".

Thanks to conservationists, hunters and hikers, this stretch of wilderness remains more or less the same as when Pyle was there in 1997.

This book is very much the soul of Washington's forests; if you read one book to understand Cascadia as a place beyond the cities and the vineyards-- this is the one. Its about men in the woods, and what they think they hear at night, what they thought (or hoped) they saw at the edge of a clearing.

There's not much space for magic left in a Google street-view mapped planet, but its still here.

[Sara Kreps · Rating 1 out of 5]

did not finish. barely made it an eighth of the way through. the author is a supercilious snob who talks more about himself than anything else. at first, I thought this was simply following the recent (unfortunate) trend of authors inserting themselves into non-fiction books, a la rin tin tin. but no, it quickly becomes obvious that this is in truth a memoir, the author's version of wild but without the notable and impressive challenge, it a walk in the woods but without the humor or humility. he also engages in either product placement or shameless brands name dropping every chance he gets. he does not use a backpack; it is either a kelty or a Sherpa. I also know he got his tent and sleeping bag from REI and his boots were custom made. any time his surroundings are described, he name drops as many species as he can to show how learned he is. he doesn't even have the grace to be a little unbiased or forgiving/understanding. Pyle places himself on a principled pedestal where he is the only one who knows what's right and anyone who disagrees with him is, at best, an ignorant idiot. ignorance may not be bliss, but giving this book a pass sure is.

[Db · Rating 1 out of 5]

I made it to 50%. In the first half, after putting in a couple of brief stories about Bigfoot that he heard from other people, the author talked about himself, where he has hiked, exhaustively identifies flora and fauna, name drops, and talks about himself some more. At around the 40% or 45% mark, he relates a story he heard from a tribal member about that person's grandfather's experience with Bigfoot.

The title is a literal description of what the portion I read of the book is about - places the author has hiked where Bigfoot might potentially also walk. And also exactly how the author's feet are shaped, the price he pays for custom boots for his particular feet, and the size of his calves. Enlightening.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I borrowed this book from the library because it was listed as a source in another book I had read about monsters, myths, and urban legends. This book may have gotten 4 stars if it hadn't been more of a field guide to the areas the author writes about than a book about Bigfoot. Am I a believer? Yes, I am! There are more mysteries out there than not, and Bigfoot is just one of many.

Because I grew weary of the author's description of every floral and fauna he came across on his treks of the Dark Divide (I would've borrowed a field guide of the area if such had been the case), I eventually began to skim the text for the word Bigfoot and when I came across it, I would then read what was written. If I hadn't, I'd still be reading this book.

[Lehho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't know what exactly it would've taken for a fifth star. A little more drama, maybe. This is impeccably written by an accomplished lepidopterist and Pacific Northwest denizen. It's critical, skeptical, hopeful, and romantic, but not sensational, breathless, credulous, or conspiratorial. It's as much a book about the great western wildernesses and native ethnic geography as crytpozoology. Pyle's exploration is mostly solitary and wonderful. Even when he recounts conversations and meetings with people, I feel blissfully uncrowded. A gentle, reasoned, and beautiful book, the best I've read about one of my favorite subjects. I'm looking forward to rereading it.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the first edition in the late 90s and loved it then. I read the second edition and it all it did was reconfirm what an great writer and thinker Dr. Pyle is. This is not a book about searching for Bigfoot as much as it is what the concept of Bigfoot means to us and the world we live in.

I live 100 miles as the raven flies from the Dark Divide and have hiked and camped all over SW WA but never the Divide. I enjoyed his narrative and descriptions of the flora and fauna of the region. He offers humor, thoughtful questions, philosophical rambles and political opinion on what is happening to our forests.

Truly one of the most enjoyable books I have read on nature.

[Jon Z. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most intriguing books I have ever read on the Bigfoot/Sasquatch phenomena. This is less about wildlife biology, and more about cultural anthropology with an almost philosophical approach. Pyle never tries to prove, or disprove, where Bigfoot may or may not walk, but presents to the reader the impact the myth/legend has in our North American culture.

If you are a hardcore Sasquatch guy/gal who is looking for dermal ridges, and fuzzy photographs to prove the existence of Bigfoot, this isn't your book. Neither is it for those skeptics looking to disprove. It is not even middle of the road. It is a whole different take on America's great ape.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read about this book in my local newspaper, which considers the author to be part of our area. I read it, not because I have an interest in Bigfoot, but because the author's journey into the Dark Divide sounded like an adventure worth reading about. I did find the book interesting for about the first 100+ pages - and then it seemed to ramble and ramble and ramble. The book is kind of about Bigfoot and kind of about the journey and kind of about the Dark Divide and kind of about what one finds there in the way of flora and fauna and kind of about the people who live in and around the area. I kind of lost interest.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so much more than a Bigfoot book. Billed as a nature book, it covers the landscape where Bigfoot is typically reported, and discusses the possibility of such a creature surviving, based on the availability of food and shelter. Yes I’m biased. Yes I’m a believer. Yes I’m that person who lives in the Pacific Northwest and wears Birkenstocks with socks. All that aside, I recommend this book for believers and nonbelievers alike. It presents ideas without forcing them down the reader’s throat, and paints a beautiful picture of the flora and fauna of the glorious PNW.

[Conformco · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s honestly 90% about moths and only 10% regarding Bigfoot. It’s beautifully written and you can really picture the wonderful places he travels but it really just feels like a nature book that had Bigfoot tacked on to garner some sales in the paranormal section of the bookstore. It really should have been titled “Crossing the Dark Divide: Dispatches from Washington State” and just had a Bigfoot epilogue.

[Beth Cataldo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book more than I did. The author is funny and lighthearted and clearly loves being in nature. I wanted to hear more about Bigfoot. I wanted to believe!

I found his listing of plant species unnerving. I found myself skipping those sections because they were too scientific and not engaging my imagination. I would have preferred more descriptive passages about nature.

I did enjoy his stories about all the characters involved with the Bigfoot culture.

[Dana Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both witty and informative. I admire Pyle's open-mindedness as well as his scientist's eye. This is a great read for any nature lover, not just those of us with an interest in cryptozoology!