YEAR: 2000

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: June

DATE: 16

STATE: Alaska

COUNTY: Cordova-McCarthy County

LOCATION DETAILS: On the main trail toward the glacier, before the stream,about 1 mile past the Kennikot settlement at the abandon dynamite shaft.

NEAREST TOWN: Kennikot, Alaska

NEAREST ROAD: not sure

OBSERVED: My hiking partner and I arrived late to the Kennikot area. We were trying to make it to the camp sites near the glachier but it started getting too dark even for us . So we decided to camp at the first available site . We found a small spot right off the trail so we made camp and hung our supplies in a tree down the trail , started a fire and were just finishing a small meal when I walked to the trail to smoke.

I was standing on the trail a few minutes when I noticed what I thought was a man on a bike coming down the trail. I let my partner know, but when I looked back it was still in the same spot. I started looking more closely to see a face or the bike or something. It was then I realized it wasn't a person.

It was a large dark form legs spread apart, this is what led me to think it was a person on a bike. The arms were curled at it's side like someone with hands on handle bars. Too big for a bear and the legs were too far apart. I called my partner but when turned back to look at it again it moved very quickly into the woods on two legs.

The next day we looked but found no evidence of anything on the trail. I've told this story to a few people but they all think I'm crazy. I hope that this helps. I know what I saw, I guess I'm just hopeing somebody belives me....

ALSO NOTICED: I did hear what appeared to be grunting in the distance

OTHER WITNESSES: I was the only witness, there was one other in my party but he didn't see anything, he was at camp, I was about 15 ft from camp smoking a cigarett

OTHER STORIES: None

TIME AND CONDITIONS: About 12:00 Midnight / full moon / clear / dim blue dusky light because the Alaska summer sun had just gone down about 1 hr prior.

ENVIRONMENT: This sighting was located at approximately 1 to 1 1/2 miles North of Kennicott, Alaska, located at approximately Latitude N61 degrees, 31.40' by Longitude W142 degrees, 54.06'. This is located in the Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve. The terran is mountainous area with a glacier to the West. These mountains range from 2000 to 6000 feet above sea level. There are old mines in the area, but these have been boarded up. This area is East of Anchorage and about 58 miles from the Canadian border. The sighting happened during the darker half of twilight. There was a full moon and the night was clear. The ground was dry and hard.

Follow-up investigation report:

Summary of comments.

I felt the individual was telling me the truth. Some questions such as "Was it near where you hung the food" could suggest it being a bear. This I felt was voided when I discussed the length of the legs in relation to the
size of the body. A bears legs would be 1/4 to 1/3 the total trunk length, not equal length. If it had been a moose or large deer looking straight on, it may have look as though someone standing but that would have been identified when the creature turned and went off into the brush.

This is also about 200 to 230 miles South East of one of the two Alaska areas where most sightings occur. There is nothing but wilderness between these two areas.

Follow-up report conducted by Investigator Bryan Turner.

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