Washington Prospectors' Encounters with Legendary 'Mountain Devil' in Spirit Lake

In a video recently posted to YouTube by the channel The InBetween, a fascinating account of an encounter with a mysterious creature in Ape Canyon, Washington is shared. The video, titled "Greatest Bigfoot Stories Marathon - The Full 2.5 Hour Compilation," features a variety of stories, but the tale of Ape Canyon stands out as one of the most intriguing. The story begins in 1924 when a prospector named Hank, who was searching for gold in the area, claimed to have shot a "mountain devil" near Spirit Lake, Washington. The ranger he spoke to, Bill Welsh, assumed he had encountered a bear or wolverine, but Hank insisted it was something else entirely. This encounter is said to have sparked the legend of Eight Canyon. The video goes on to describe the area where the encounter took place, known as Ape Canyon, as a "lonely ominous spot in a wild area" that extends to a point near Ape Cave, the longest unitary lava tube in the world. The video also shares the Yakima Indian legend of the Sahaptin, a band of renegades said to resemble giant apes in appearance, who lived in the secluded caves of the Cascades. The prospectors in the story, Fred Beck and his partner Hank, along with three other miners, had been searching for gold near Mount Saint Helens for six years when they had their encounter with the mysterious creature. They had been following a white arrow in the sky, which they believed would lead them to gold. After following the arrow for four days, they arrived at Ape Canyon and discovered their mine, the Van Der White, located on the Cliff of a Canyon. The miners had many strange experiences during their time at the mine, including hearing a hollow drum in the earth, finding large human-like tracks, and encountering a beautiful young woman who invited one of the miners back to her camp, only for him to find no one there. The video also shares the story of the night the prospectors were attacked by a group of creatures while they were inside their cabin. The creatures threw rocks at the cabin, some of which hit the walls, roof, and even fell through the chimney. The men inside the cabin fired their weapons in self-defense, and the attack continued for several hours. This story is just one of many shared in the video, but it stands out as a fascinating account of an encounter with a mysterious creature in the Pacific Northwest. Whether or not you believe in the existence of Bigfoot, the story of Ape Canyon is sure to leave you intrigued. Be sure to check out the full video on The InBetween's YouTube channel for more incredible stories like this one. As a side note, the video also mentions the Lewis River, which flows through the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington state. The Lewis River is named after Meriwether Lewis, who, along with William Clark, led the Lewis and Clark Expedition through the Pacific Northwest in the early 1800s. The Lewis River is a popular destination for outdoor activities such as fishing, hiking, and whitewater rafting. So, if you're ever in the area, be sure to check out the Lewis River and the beautiful national forest that surrounds it.