YEAR: 2005

SEASON: Winter

MONTH: November

DATE: 16th

STATE: Washington

COUNTY: Chelan County

LOCATION DETAILS: I will not give directions No tresspassing on railroad property. I don't want problems with my job.

NEAREST TOWN: Winton

NEAREST ROAD: hwy 2

OBSERVED: I work for BNSF railroad. I am an Engineer and have been working the Stevens Pass run for over 10 years now. I have heard many noises at the top of the pass over the years. I never said anything publicaly except there is a few of us that have experianced incidences and keep among ourselves. The 3 weeks since the snow has started to fall the noises are starting again. Today as I was pulling my train out of the siding I saw an odd foot print and thought some one slipped and that's just a big hand. Then the train went another 100 yards over a bridge and again saw a more clear indication of what it was. Large long finger like foot with a open toes spread. I am a experianced hunter and have traveled to B.C. to hunt moose and trophy bear. In my home is a 7' black bear and this print don't even come close. I have seen a grizzly tracks in the wild. There were no claws! The train was moving about 6-7mph account coming from a stopped state. There were a total of 4 tracks. Spaced very...distant. I would see one then a ways saw another. It must have been walking down the middle of the tracks at one point. These were fresh and clean. I wish I stopped now. But,I can't stop the train and my conductor didn't believe me. I got home 2-1/2 hours ago from working over 14 hours and spent time looking on the web for a foot print and found that one from the Idaho site looked so close that it makes me nervous. Thats how I found this site. I have always believed in them and had 2 incidents one a posible sighting and another of one walking next to me on a hiking trip, on the back side of pilchuck mtn. on the walt bailey trail. Early Aug/2001 in a large meadow on our way back to the truck a good 3 miles yet away. It followed me and the dog(ex police dog german shepard, it was my friends and she didn't like me going by myself)The dogs head was in the back of my leg and scared like I had never seen him scared we had been hiking together for over 2 years. This happened for a good 1/4 mile untill I was to the edge of the ravine out of the dense tree/vegitation. I had my 44mag ready and have never been so scared in my life. It wasn't a cougar I have experianced that before it made sounds at me. Howl low tone eech and move making lots of noise, swat at brush. I would stop and look into the brush but to thick and saw something DARK but no outline. My hunting started at age 10 with the neighbor kid his dad had hounds. He was a guide. We participated in programs looking for grizzlys in the Cascade mtns. For the next 7 years I was with them every season for Bear, cougar, bobcat, racoon. This sound was very diffrent and like GET OUT FAST AND NOW. I am sorry to rambell and hope you get something good out of this. Thank you..

ALSO NOTICED: (1st time) 9 years ago. I was in the locomotive talking to my co-worker and a large animal shadowed a signal shed. By the time we flashed the light it was gone. No prints. It also was winter and a clear cold night. We both had a bad feeling come over us before we saw it.No tracks, when we got the signal to leave we pulled the train up and stopped and saw no prints. The snow was at least waist high. To scared to step off. Few months ago. Moving a extra locomotive from one train to another at 3am'ish at Winton herd the noises/screetch I was on the ground not in the cab. I ran to the power with my hair still standing on my neck. There are more but I hope you get what I am trying to say.

OTHER WITNESSES: Nope, I was speechless and told my friend over the phone who has also heard the sounds made by them. He was going to check it out and stop and take a photo. But, due to problems on the mountain he never made it over. (ie: taken off the train.)

OTHER STORIES: Full sightings by a friend years ago a silver one ran in front of the train. He will not talk to anyone about it.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: 3pm medium light, snow was slushy yet firm

ENVIRONMENT: Heavy treed 2nd growth into very steep hill sides, Mountain goat type terrain, old logging roads, creek in close distance

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Jim Von Lossow:

This witness was extremely credible and has had plenty of outdoor experience. We spoke on the phone over an hour. The following can be added to the report.

Track Incident November 2005: Noticed tracks from train cab from above. length of stride 4 feet minimum. Track length approx. 18 inches and 4 -6 inches wide. Total of 4 tracks in fresh slushy snow. Train traveling 2-3 mph. This was on the Berne siding, just before the east entrance to the Cascade Tunnel. The next day she again was on the same route. Stopped the train this time to investigate the tracks from the previous day. The tracks had been stepped in by another human length print. There is a signal box located in this area, so possibly another trainman was walking here.

Scream Incident: Again on the Berne Siding there is a rock wall with an older RR grade beyond it. The train was at idle and stopped when the engineer got out to inspect the wheels. Immediately there was bush popping and stick breaking movement in the area along side the tracks. The engineer spotlighted the area and startled an animal, which let out a blood curdling scream.

Also noticed: 2005 - In the Cascade Meadows area between Merritt and Winton no seasonal elk have been grazing. This is something the witness has noticed for many seasons, at this time of year.

The RR engineer who witnessed what appeared to him to be a silver colored bigfoot and nearly hit the bipedal subject as it ran across the tracks in front of his eastbound train. This occurred outside of Skykomish in 2002 as the train rounded a curve in the Deception Falls area of track. The train had been using new technology which reduces sound as it travels the line. The incident so surprised and upset the engineer that he will not talk about it, except to trusted colleagues.

Another engineer also has heard screams in the Winton siding area of the BNSF line. These also occurred in November of 2005, about 3 AM, as the train was idling on the siding.

About BFRO Investigator Jim Von Lossow:

Small Business Owner
Special Interest in Field Sound Recording
Attended the Washington (Oly Pen -2) expedition.
jimvonlossow@yahoo.com