Geographical Index > United States > Washington > King County > Report # 24394
(Class B)
Submitted by witness No on Sunday, August 10, 2008.
Backpacker hears possible vocalizations and wood knocking in the Alpine Lakes wilderness near North Bend
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YEAR: 2008
SEASON: Summer MONTH: August DATE: 8 STATE: Washington COUNTY: King County NEAREST TOWN: northbend NEAREST ROAD: I-90 OBSERVED: I was backpacking alone deep in the alpine lakes and on friday August eigth 2008 things got really weird. I had stopped and set up camp at a lake and on the first day every thing was normal .I had the lake all to myself as to be expected because of lakes remoteness and hard climb .Lake is situated in a box canyon with great acoustics and I was banging away on my guitar and singing loudly bouncing my sounds off the walls and echoing out a large area,I was also hooting and making strange calls as too attract or scare any game and or let someone know I was there. Second day I set out for day hike and exploration and things got weird.I head over to other side of the lake along a sheer wall that rises about 1000 feet up to summit straight up almost jumping large rock screes and swinging with the aid of blueberry bushes 40 feet above lake i reach the other side to a level area and begin planned day hike . Upon returning to level area I glanced up to the ridge above and instantly draw onto the hi-gloss sheen of something against the flat color of fauna and rock wich I percieve to be game. I then try too rouse it withh verbal calls and arm wavings but nothing happens and after several minutes I give up and swing back the half mile to camp. It is now about 4 o'clock and I'm cooking dinner and I hear a screech coming from where I just came from , nothing to out of the ordinary , could of been a cat or a screech owl but it makes me uncomfortable I decide to gather lots of wood for a good firen . night falls and I continue to play my guitar and make lots of noise because I have this uneasy feeling, kinda of an I'm big and bad here attitude I build the fire big and retreat to my tent and fall asleep. At around 11 o'clock I'm guessing I am awaken to this incredibly loud crack somewhat like a high velocity rifle but louder like close lightning and then the sound of large rocks falling. This startles the crap out of me and I un-zip my tent and start shouting obscenities and try to make myself big and scary, even to the point of barking like a dog. My earlier paranoia has gotten to me and I become un-nerved and frightened.I quickly re-build the fire and am all ears and eyes except that theres nothing too see because of the pitch blackness. About 40 minutes later it happens again but closer to me this time and I kinda loose it again and start screaming and barking all over again.I stay awake frightened untill first light and not hearing another sound I quickly load up my gear and get the heck out. Upon returning I feel foolish for getting un-nerved and sort the situation up to my own paranoia and a natural occurance of possibly trees snaping off the ledge and or rocks breaking off and doing the same. I am interested in returning back immediatly , but not alone . If you know two backpackers with cameras and gear who could be ready quickly for a three day hike, I would be interested to take them and try to re-create what happened, not that anything would. I t would have to be quickly in the Seattle area. contact me at goattrailblazer@yahoo.com ALSO NOTICED: none OTHER WITNESSES: none OTHER STORIES: none TIME AND CONDITIONS: all day / night ENVIRONMENT: mountain ridge
Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Scott Taylor:
I interviewed this witness over the phone. This witness lives about half the time in Alaska, where he works repairing fishing boats. During his off-season, he spends time hiking in Washington State. The high Cascade mountain lakes, and this spot in particular are favorite locations. In Alaska, he camps often, and is very familiar with bears. He felt that this creature was no bear.
The witness prefers to keep the exact location confidential, although he is willing to take a couple of investigators up there to see and evaluate the area first hand. He said that the climb and hike are difficult and not for people who are out of shape. Because of my past search and rescue experience, I have flown search patterns over this particular location and know it quite well. It is indeed remote and hard to reach.
Particularly interesting points are that there was a signature box at the top of one of the cliffs where the witness went exploring on the second day. This box was severely damaged, as if something had tried to break into it. Also, the vegetation around the area was torn up. It is possible that a bear could have made this damage. Then, he observed a fir tree that was broken off about 9 feet above the ground, and he could see no natural cause for the breakage. During his hike up, He noticed a black, shiny spot on top of the ridge, which he thought was some kind of animal. He tried to make a lot of noise to see if he could make it move, but it remained motionless. He felt it was watching him. Later, while descending back down to the lake, the black, shiny thing was still there. If this was a bear, it is not characteristic bear behavior. Deer and elk are a different color. The only remaining possibility is a sasquatch, if it was an animal. Later, after making dinner, he heard the very loud whooping sound that he describes as a long, sustained “C” note. Due to the volume, and the manner of the sound, he knew it was no animal that he was familiar with. It was too early for elk to be bugling. Later that night, he heard a “crack” that was as loud as a gunshot, but sounded like wood on wood. Then from an estimated 100 yards away, he heard another “crack” that he described as rock on rock. This so frightened the witness that he spent the rest of the night awake in his sleeping bag with his back up against a rock.
I believe that based on the description and volume of the vocalizations, which are not like any of the wild game animals in the area, and the wood and rock knocking, that it is very likely that this witness had an encounter with a sasquatch. This behavior is consistent with other reports as well as my own personal experiences and those reported by other investigators.
About BFRO Investigator Scott Taylor:
Scott Taylor is a retired aerospace manager. He lives in Mason County, Washington. He had his first bigfoot encounter in October 2005 where he was stalked and later heard vocalizations. He attended official BFRO Expeditions in the Washington Cascades in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. He also attended the 2007 BFRO Expedition in the central Oregon Cascades and the 2007 Utah Expedition in the Uinta's. He attended the 2008 and 2009 Olympic Peninsula Expeditions and co-lead the 2013 Expedition. He has participated in numerous speaking engagements over the past 17 years.
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