There's something undeniably eerie about exploring remote Alaskan coastlines, and a recent video posted by the YouTube channel Tailing Sasquatch captures that feeling perfectly. The footage takes viewers on a hike through a peninsula in Southeast Alaska, just outside of Juneau, where the terrain is thick with old-growth Sitka spruce, devil's club, and patches of red huckleberries stretching as far as the eye can see.
The title itself is a major hook for anyone familiar with Pacific Northwest folklore. "Kushtaka" refers to the shapeshifting beings of Tlingit and Haida legend, creatures said to roam the coastal regions of Southeast Alaska. Often described as otter-like or seal-like in their animal forms, Kushtaka are also sometimes connected to larger, hair-covered humanoid figures in regional oral traditions. The Kushtaka are known for their haunting cries that echo across the water, sometimes mimicking the sounds of loved ones to lure travelers to their fate. In some stories, they are tricksters; in others, they are tied to the spirit world itself. The overlap between Kushtaka lore and Sasquatch reports in this part of Alaska is a topic that comes up frequently among researchers, and this video seems to lean right into that connection.
The narrator spends a good portion of the hike pointing out the signs that make this kind of territory so compelling for Sasquatch investigators. The huckleberry patches are a big one. As he mentions on camera, when you find berry bushes that have been heavily picked through in the middle of nowhere, the usual suspects are people, bears, or Sasquatch. Given the remoteness of the spot, with no roads leading in and only boat or seaplane access, the "people" option becomes a lot less likely.
Then there's the sound. About halfway through the hike, a loud boom rings out across the hillside, followed by more snapping sounds coming from down below. No campers, no boats nearby, no obvious explanation. The narrator pauses, clearly caught off guard, and tries to rationalize it, but the moment has that classic unsettled quality that makes these videos so addictive.
The landscape itself adds to the atmosphere. Massive old-growth trees balanced precariously on boulders, possible cave openings tucked into the hillsides, what appears to be a constructed structure or fence-like arrangement of debris, and a strange clam shell attached to a piece of wood in the middle of the forest. The narrator also mentions spotting what could be old native artwork on a rock face, and references a tragic shipwreck from the 1930s where reportedly around 300 people perished just offshore, with only a dog surviving by swimming to land.
What really lands at the end is the quiet reminder that people go missing in this region constantly. Not occasionally, constantly. It's a sobering note to end on, and it underscores exactly why these remote Alaskan peninsulas continue to draw Sasquatch researchers year after year.
The video is worth a full watch for anyone interested in Kushtaka lore, Southeast Alaska fieldwork, or just the kind of atmospheric hiking footage that makes you want to keep your eyes on the tree line. The combination of regional folklore, strange sounds, and an absolutely stunning landscape makes it a standout.