Notorious 1924 Bigfoot attack, why Ape Canyon is now called Ape Canyon

Clip from an old docudrama film that was called 'Sasquatch' The Legend of Bigfoot.

Nothing ruins a wilderness trip like begin attacked by a band of menacing ape-men, but that's just what Fred Beck and four of fellow his gold miners claim happened to them on a prospecting job in Mount St. Helens in the summer of 1924. According to Beck, the men had just settled down to sleep for the night when they were awakened by an attack on their cabin. Someone — or something — was pounding the roof with rocks and trying to tear down their humble yet sturdy abode. Shocked, they grabbed their rifles and began shooting at the intruders.

The fighting continued all night long, so the story goes, but none of the men were seriously hurt. By morning, an eerie quiet had entered the camp and as the men cautiously exited the cabin, they saw an ape-man in the distance. They shot at the beast several times and it finally fell over the cliff into the canyon. It was the only one of their attackers they would see.

The men packed their belongings in a hurry — leaving most things behind — and made their way home, promising each other not to speak of the incident to anyone. Alas, the story was leaked and within a few weeks it was picked up by the local newspaper, which dubbed the beasts the "Ape-Men of Mount St. Helens."

In September 2001, a man and his friend returned to Ape Canyon and was surprised to see how little things have changed, even after the volcano eruption.

Mid-September 2001: My first look at notorious Ape Canyon on the east side of Mt St Helens in Washington.

I visited Ape Canyon with my friends Jacob and Bassim a few days after 9/11. I brought my 1970s forest service map which showed the canyon from before the eruption. I was surprised (and relieved) to see that it looked the same!

The descent was very steep (with loose rock for footing) as I got as close as possible to the edge of Ape Canyon. I was wearing a lens cap around my neck and the angle made it fly into view several times.