YEAR: 2004

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: June

DATE: 15

STATE: Washington

COUNTY: Skagit County

LOCATION DETAILS: Highway 29, North to Baker Lake Rd. Follow to Shannon Creek Campground Rd.

NEAREST TOWN: Concrete, Wa

NEAREST ROAD: Baker Lake Rd

OBSERVED: I WAS CAMPING NEAR BAKER LAKE, IN THE BAKER- SNOQUALMIE NATIONAL FOREST. I HAD GONE FOR A DRIVE DOWN THE MAIN ROAD NEAR THE CAMPGROUND. I TURNED OUT OF THE SHANNON CREEK CAMPGROUND EXIT BACK ONTO THE MAIN ROAD. AT THE STOP SIGN JUST BEFORE I TURNED, I HAPPENED TO LOOK UP THE HILL ACROSS FROM THE SIGN AND SPOTTED THE BIGFOOT. HE WAS ABOUT FIFTY FEET FROM ME SLIGHTLY UP THE HILL. ALL I SAW WAS THE BACK, SHOULDERS, HIPS AND TOP OF BUTTOCKS. IT WAS STILL AND HAD ITS BACK TO ME. THE HAIR COLOR WAS A LIGHTER SHADE OF RED AND SPARSE. I COULD SEE THE MUSCLES BENEATH THE HAIR. I TURNED THE CORNER AND DROVE DOWN THE ROAD, NOT WANTING TO DISTURB IT. I'VE GONE BACK TO THE SAME SPOT SINCE THEN LOOKING TO SEE IF THERE IS ANYTHING I COULD HAVER MISTAKEN FOR A BIGFOOT. THERE IS NOT!

ALSO NOTICED: no

OTHER WITNESSES: no

OTHER STORIES: no

TIME AND CONDITIONS: 2:00 in the afternoon or close to that

ENVIRONMENT: Second or third growth trees and underbrush

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Ric Hjertberg:

I spoke with the witness on two occassions for a total of about one hour. She is an avid outdoors person and currently leads sea kayaking tours. She makes frequent one to three day camping trips to Baker Lake, in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. On this particular day she was exploring campground roads. On exiting the Shannon Creek Campground she observed a large, fur covered creature about 50 feet up the hill, across from her car. It was facing away, crouching, making a height estimate difficult. Its back and buttocks were exposed and she particularly noticed the musculature beneath its thin hair. It appeared to be busy, perhaps digging, and alternate muscle contractions were visible in its back. The anatomy of its gluteus muscles and "butt crack", were very human like, different than bear or another large mammal. Her overwhelming first reaction was not to disturb it. After observing for a few seconds, she drove away. On a subsequent trip to the same area, about two weeks later, she walked up to the spot to satisfy herself that nothing was different from her recollection. Beyond this brushy area is very thick forest leading steeply up towards Mt. Baker.

About BFRO Investigator Ric Hjertberg:

Ric focuses on bicycle wheel building, tooling, design, and history.