Sasquatch Country:Death, Myth, and Truth in the New American Wilderness

Twin Peaks meets Into the Wild in this fascinating real-life mystery about two missing hikers in a remote forest, a jarring examination of the contemporary outdoor community and the authorities who must police them

On Christmas morning, 2024, Dean Pommerville and Eric Straughter were reported missing. Three days later, their frozen bodies were recovered. What should have just been simply a tragic ending to an ill-fated adventure became a sensation for news outlets around the world.

Nestled in Washington State’s rugged Gifford Pinchot National Forest lies Skamania County. Once the wealthiest county in Washington, it now depends on the over two million people who visit the county each year. What is the compelling source of this tourism? This is Bigfoot Country. Locals call these amateur enthusiasts “Tenderfoots”—those who go into the wilderness unprepared for the difficult environment. In fact, the local sheriff’s office conducts over sixty search and rescues a year—a dangerous and costly price to pay for a trek into nature. So when news of Dean and Eric’s disappearance became known, they were labeled as Sasquatch hunters, when the real reason behind the hike told a very different story.

Based on interviews with the families, rescue volunteers, and local law enforcement, journalist Chuck Thomspon reconstructs the search-and-rescue mission in a white-knuckled race against the elements. The mockery the victims’ families endured following the accident illustrates the extent to which hiking and camping have become a world occupied by only those who can afford it. Dean and Eric’s tragic deaths reveal a much larger story—one of media sensationalism over the myth of bigfoot, an overwhelmed Sheriff's office, and mourning families who just want answers to what happened to their loved ones. Sasquatch Country provides a singular, compelling trek into the heart of mythology, death, and truth. | CHUCK THOMPSON is the longtime editor of Columbia Insight, an award-winning environmental and outdoor news website based in Hood River, Oregon, just across the Columbia River from Skamania County and the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. A former executive producer with CNN.com, he’s the author of The Status Revolution: The Improbable Story of How the Lowbrow Became the Highbrow (Simon & Schuster); the widely reviewed political screed Better Off Without ’Em: A Northern Manifesto for Southern Secession, and the acclaimed travel memoirs To Hellholes and Back (Holt) and Smile When You’re Lying (Holt).