Introduction Hidden in dark forests and spooky trails, the legend of Bigfoot thrives. Bigfoot is a large hairy creature who usually stands 6 to 10 feet tall. He is rumored to exist in dark forests in North America (Sanders 1). There are many conspiracy theories imagined about Bigfoot. People believe he is a hybrid human, a caveman, and even that the government secretly removed all sasquatches in 1980 (Mancini 1). Is it a myth born from our imagination or is there a hidden truth lurking just beyond the edge of the belief? North America's Great Pathfinder: A Character Analysis of David Thompson David Thompson is considered one of North America's great pathfinders. He was the first to cross trading ports west of the divide. David was also a fur trader and was fascinated by Bigfoot. One day, he stumbled upon large tracks and began to wonder what they could be. He did not stop until he found what he believed to be the answer: Bigfoot. David loved being audacious. He was constantly exploring new areas and trying to find answers to his questions. According to the article written by the Alberta Sasquatch Organization David was,” Considered one of North America’s great pathfinders and surveyors, he is recorded to have traveled over 100,000 km by canoe, horse or foot in his travels through western North America between 1785 and 1812” (Alberta 1). He was constantly on the move. When he finished exploring one thing he was on to the next such as, “After rest and final preparations, he began his journey up the Athabasca to the mouth of the Whirlpool River, where he began its ascension to cross the mountains over Athabasca Pass” (Alberta 1). Rest was not something David did often. He kept on moving and exploring to find new discoveries. The small accurate details are something David enjoyed. He was very detail-oriented. When David came across tracks that he was unsure of what animal it belonged to he didn't fail to take note of every little detail. In his journal, he wrote, “January 7th continuing our journey in the afternoon we came on the track of a large animal, the snow about six inches deep on the ice; I measured it; four large toes each of four inches in length, to each a short claw; the ball of the foot sunk three inches lower than the toes. The hinder part of the foot did not mark well, the length fourteen inches, by eight inches in breadth, walking from north to south, and having passed about six hours” (Alberta 2). David's specific notes helped him to determine the track belonged to Bigfoot. He noted specific details such as the measurements of the track allowing him to determine what animal it belonged to. Intrigued is a character trait that belongs to David. He traveled and explored new areas but was never satisfied. He was constantly ready to continue on and learn more. When he came across the Bigfoot track he was very curious and wanted to figure out what it belonged to. According to Explorers with him,” David Thompson was not satisfied that the prints he found were those of an old grizzled bear and his curiosity of the track itself intrigued him. Always the keen observer, he describes the track in detail including the depth of the track from front to back as if puzzling over the weight distribution as the animal walked” (Alberta 2). He didn't just stop at finding a new cool track. The track lit his curiosity and made him want to learn more. Curious, detail-oriented, and adventurous are character traits that made David the great explorer he was. Being detail-oriented helped David to remember and take notes of the small things leading to him learning and exploring new areas. His curiosity played a major role in all the places he discovered. If David wasn’t so intrigued with finding new places and land he wouldn't have discovered and traveled all the places he did. These character traits are why Davis is known as one of the greatest surveyors in North America. Exploring the Conspiracy Theories of Bigfoot Bigfoot is a legendary creature that has been talked about for decades. “ Rumors about the Sasquatch have circulated for centuries, and while there has never been any conclusive evidence to prove that Bigfoot is real, a number of reputable scientists believe it’s possible” (Harvey 1). Mark Mancini discussed that some believe he is a hybrid human, a caveman, or that the government has hidden and gotten rid of all bigfoots (Mancini 1).  Is there truth to any of this or is bigfoot a myth passed down by many generations?   The first conspiracy theory proposes that Bigfoot is a hybrid human. A genetic test was conducted and “It confirms the legendary Bigfoot is a human relative that arose some 15,000 years ago” (Ketchum 1). There is no factual evidence that the DNA that was tested came straight from Bigfoot. The DNA was likely contaminated. According to an article by Ketchum, “ It's possible that the people who collected and handled the specimens accidentally introduced their DNA into the sample” (Ketchum 2). This could happen easier than you may think. A sneeze, cough, or spit could result in the DNA being contaminated. There is no evidence that the DNA tested came straight from Bigfoot, and Bigfoot was not captured for the DNA to have been taken by experts. Bigfoot lovers, not professionals, took the DNA test. They did not know how to handle the DNA properly, and, therefore, the DNA was most likely contaminated, therefore, the results of the tested sample do little to prove the existence of Bigfoot.  The second conspiracy theory suggests that Bigfoot is a caveman (Mancini 1).  Caveman existed long long ago, “ The Prehistoric Period—or when there was human life before records documented human activity—roughly dates from 2.5 million years ago to 1,200 B.C. ” In 2007, Vancouver Island resident Robert Wilson claimed to have seen "what I thought was a bear. I drove down and saw what I could only describe as a large, hairy man who looked cave man-like” (Wilson 2). Many have described seeing “a big hairy man with Neathanderal features”(Sanders 1). However, there is no hard evidence that Bigfoot is a caveman. The caveman conspiracy lies in the eyewitness testimonies of others beginning with, “The first bigfoot sighting was in 1958, when large footprints where found” (Genzoli 2). If Bigfoot was a caveman there would have been evidence and sightings of him sooner than 1958 and a larger population that would be easier to discover. The last conspiracy theory suggests that “ The Government secretly removed burnt Sasquatch corpses from Mount St. Helens after the 1980 Eruption” (Ketchum 4).  Before the eruption in the 1920s, Mount St. Helens was a popular place bigfoot was reported to be sited at (Ketchum 5).  However, after the eruption, “ a few witnesses  reported seeing federal helicopters carrying off the charred remains of several Sasquatches from the area” (Mancini 1). This conspiracy, like the other two, has no facts or data to back it. The helicopters could have been hauling off many other charred items. There is nothing that proves or shows it was bigfoot they hauled off. Although some people may believe the government is capable of hiding such information, it is more likely that if the conspiracy was fact, people would have spoken up about the things they saw rather than living in silence.  These conspiracy theories have led to the belief that bigfoot is not real. Studies show that the data taken of bigfoot DNA, “Turned out to be from a deer, that was contaminated by a human when it was harvested” (Mangan 1). In 1958, journalist Andrew Genzoli Joking wrote,  “Maybe we have a relative of the Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas” (Genzoli 2). This fascinated many readers, and the story of Bigfoot began to spread. The article caused such a big reaction and follow-up stories, which only added to the belief in Bigfoot. Bigfoot was used as publicity. If Bigfoot was a caveman, we would have heard stories of him sooner than 1958. There have been many eyewitnesses or stories told, but no data to prove bigfoot is real. He is a myth that has been talked about for many generations. Reflecting on the Bigfoot Mystery There are many conspiracy theories imagined about Bigfoot. People believe he is a hybrid human and a caveman, and even believe that the government secretly removed all sasquatches in 1980 (Mancini 1). There is no data or hard facts that prove any of these conspiracy theories are real. In fact, no data proves bigfoot is actually real. Andrew Genzoli, “First wrote a highlighted fun article about bigfoot in 1958”(Genzoli 1). This article was made to catch readers' attention. If Bigfoot was real from 1958 to now, we would have solid evidence proving his existence.