(Researcher) Rick Noll

Rick Noll

Rick Noll in the field

By Henry May

Richard (Rick) Noll has been researching the Sasquatch phenomenon since 1969, when he took a vacation trip into the Bluff Creek, California area with a relative working on new bridges in that region. Here Rick became acquainted with the numerous local Sasquatch or Bigfoot sightings and stories and took up a personal challenge to prove or disprove the creature's existence. Straight out of high school, Rick served in the U.S. Coast Guard as a sonar technician. An avid outdoorsman, he later trained as a forester at Green River Community College. He is now an expert in aircraft metrology, working for major aerospace manufacturers. He uses such technologies as Theodolite, Laser Tracker, CMM and Photogrammetry. He has published several training manuals on the use of this equipment and provided numerous related lectures. His teaching assignments have taken him around the world, affording many opportunities to check into local reports of Sasquatch-like creatures. Over the last thirty years Rick has worked with all of the major Sasquatch researchers and connected with many highly noted anthropologists such as Dr. George Schaller and Dr. Jane Goodall. Dr. Goodall has expressed belief in Sasquatch and Rick interviewed her in November 2003 for a video segment. It should be noted that Rick has become highly well-known not only for his Sasquatch related knowledge but also for his expertise in digital technology and related electronics. Rick first saw Sasquatch tracks first-hand in 1975 just outside of Twisp, Washington. He and his partner, David Smith, traveled to this area in response to a Sasquatch encounter report. The tracks, which were in 2-foot/61cm deep, crusted-over snow, were clearly defined and the encounter report was, in Rick's own words, "hair-raising." Rick works almost exclusively within his own home state of Washington. He regularly attends Sasquatch symposiums (was present at the University of B.C. conference in 1978) and provides presentations himself on his Sasquatch research and findings. He spends most of his Sasquatch research time in the field monitoring several camera traps and track sites in hopes of getting a fresh lead on the creature. In Harrison Lake, British Columbia, the idea of using regular bicycles as camera platforms to run old logging roads was conceived. Rene Dahinden became so enthusiastic with the concept that he wanted to get a bicycle himself. Rick is currently one of the curators for the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO) and is recognized as a leader in field investigations (especially regarding history research, photography, measurements and impression casting). He was a major contributor in identifying impressions made by the Skookum sasquatch and making the Skookum body cast. He is the custodian of this highly intriguing evidence.

Editor's note: since the writing of this bio, Noll has left the BFRO and is no longer associated with them.

Squatchopedia note: We are not sure if Rick is even still actively researching Bigfoot at this time.