Bigfoot is old hat. So is Tessie, the prehistoric creature in Lake Tahoe (and the tongue-in-cheek spinoffs of Elsie of Lake Elsinore and Allie of Lake Almanor). The Lemurians of Mt Shasta are well known.
I collect tales of cryptids and mythical creatures (for entertainment purposes. I neither believe nor disbelieve any of them. Readers can decide for themselves). Here are some of my favorites from California. Some are the result of tales from the mining or logging days, when people sat around the evening fire and entertained themselves with stories.
Cactus cat of the Mojave Desert — large cat (~2 ft at shoulder) with porcupine or cactus-like spines. Uses its claws to rip open cactus and eat the flesh.
The Whintosser. Really Central America to Mexico. Reportedly seen in extreme southern California. Hunts in packs, has 10 legs that can be shifted around its body. Sharp claws that enable it to climb trees and cliffs. Very aggressive hunter, with the pack known to attack humans for fun. Found in Mexican folklore.
Rebobs — Flying monkeys in the Napa/Clearlake area. Not known to attack humans. One version has them as a military experiment gone awry — a bat/monkey hybrid.
Riverside lizard monster — lived in the hills around Riverside. First report in 1958. 6–7 feet tall, humanoid, skin is either lizard like scales or small feathers. This one is believed as a fictional creation by Charles Wetzel, who has reported discovering several cryptid creatures and monsters while hiking in the hills and woods.
The Tripodero is an odd creature, 1 or 2 feet high, pale white, gray, or cream colored body. An elephant like head with a long trunk. 2 legs that the creature can shorten or elongate at will, from withdrawing the legs completely within its body to long stork-like legs for fast running. Harmless to humans, it emits a shrill high-pitch whistle when startled or agitated, then will form mud into small balls and hurl them at you with its trunk as it flees. Lives in the central valley and Sierra foothills. This creature has no origin in native folklore. It mades its first appearance in the mining camps.
Dingmauls are a very large (horse sized) cat-wolf hybrid with a spiny spiked tail. Not known as a human predator. Lives in rocky high mountain areas. Native legend.
The Billiwhack lives in the Santa Paula/Simi Valley area. Half man/half goat. The legend has its origins as a World War II experiment by the OSS (which allegedly had a secret laboratory in the area). Enough of the 'secret military experiment' trope! C'mon hoaxers, get some new material.
The Roperite is a human sized bird like creature, similar in appearance to a large roadrunner. Except it has a long flexible appendage on its forehead that is similar to a rope. It will tie the appendage into a loop, run down, then lasso its prey. Generally regarded as a whimsical tall tale.
The Terrashot is a 6 legged herbivore with a body described as ‘casket-shaped’. It sways side to side as it walks, due to its gait of moving all the legs on one side of its body at once. Lines in the higher peaks and crags of the southern California desert ranges. Exists in native lore and journals of 19th century settlers.
The Honawewe exists in Paiute and Washo native lore. Reno and northern Nevada area. A shape shifting lizard-human creature. Not much information on it, as the native elders believe even talking about it is inviting misfortune.
The local name for Sasquatch in the Modoc and Achumawi tribes is (roughly phonetically translated) Ma Tek Ge Mee. In the ancient Tibetan language, the Yeti is sometimes called Matah Kammi. Interesting that half a world apart, two similar creatures have similar sounding names in native languages. Coincidence?
An urban legend, not a cryptid, is Penelope. A tall naked woman, with long matted and tangled blonde hair. Basically a feral woman. Lives in the Sierra Nevada mountains, with sightings ranging from the Grass Valley area to Sonora, and east to Bridgeport. So she really gets around. One version of the story has her a survivor of a car wreck, where she crawled to safety, and took shelter in an old chemical drum from the mining days. The toxic residue turned her into a crazed flesh eating monster. That is one version. Tracking down the story to its earliest forms has no toxic waste (an overused trope), and she is not a vicious cannibal at all. Rather, she lives in the forest, foraging for food, and avoids people. There are credible sightings, and reportedly some video from wildlife cameras (unable to confirm). The first report has her as a young woman in 1960 and the most recent sighting is an old woman in 2014. That timeline fits.
Not a cryptid, but a ghost. Instead of a haunted mansion or old hotel, this ghost is a cowboy and horse (a ghost horse?) in the Caribou Wilderness and nearby forest. Period clothing and old gear. A number of sightings, including a reasonably credible sighting from a Forest Service employee. The interesting part is there really was a ranch hand that disappeared without a trace while looking for stray cattle in 1890. Sightings range from the 1920s to about 20 years ago. I haven't heard of any recent accounts.
Not all cryptids are predators that hunt humans. Many are quite benign and avoid people when possible. The Dark Watchers of the California coastal ridges are a good omen in native folklore and protect travelers.
So lets hear from others of local tall tales from their areas. I'll keep an eye for them on my travels.
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So many campsites, so little time...
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