YEAR: 2001

SEASON: Winter

MONTH: April

DATE: 9

STATE: Oregon

COUNTY: Hood River County

LOCATION DETAILS: Was right inside the lower park south of the ranger station and fish hatchery at the Community Kitchen.

NEAREST TOWN: Cascade Locks

NEAREST ROAD: I-84

OBSERVED: My friend B.P. and I decided to spend an evening at Eagle Creek State Park along the Columbia River on I-84 at milepost 41 East of Portland, OR. We had a cook out camp fire in the Community Kitchen there.

It was on April 9th, 2001, a Monday, which we purposely chose to avoid the crowds. Not that there are many people out there in the Winter but a Monday evening will usually guarantee no others will be around.

It was cold out, just above freezing, and it had been raining quite a bit earlier. We had a nice dinner. We had cooked on our portable BBQ earlier in the evening which had included BBQ steak. We had
already picked up and put away all of our gear so we were ready to go when we wanted to.

At 11:50 PM we had just looked at our watches thinking it was time to go, when from across the creek, about 200 yards away, came a shrieking yell that both startled and shocked us. The yell came from across the creek, up on a ridge due west of us. At first I thought it was an emergency siren going off at nearby Bonneville Dam, but the siren quality of yell quickly turned into a very breathy roar of some very large animal. It lasted about 10 seconds.

We stared at each other in disbelief. Before either of us could utter a word, another yell, just like the first, came from behind the Community Kitchen no more that 100 feet from us.

This was the first time that I had ever experienced the hair standing up on the back of my neck. I thought I would have been able to identify any animal that lived in the forests of Oregon but this call was completely new to me.

We stood there silent, listening for about 5 minutes. We knew that we were right in the middle of the two calls so maybe these two animals were going to meet right where we were standing. We then decided to leave. I was so glad. When I was inside my truck we locked the doors right away. We did leave our left-over food behind for them in case they were interested in that.

I was skeptical about Bigfoot before but I try to keep an open mind. The only place I have heard the same exact calls since was in a film that was a 70's Class B movie called The Bermuda Triangle.

Another thing to note on that occasion was that the snow line was unusually low still for that time of year. We thought that maybe this had driven these bigfoots down low in search of food. We were up there a few more times that year with our recorders but never heard another thing.

ALSO NOTICED: No smell but we were upwind.

OTHER WITNESSES: 2 of us were there and we were just standing and talking when the yells came.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Night, it was very dark, cold, just above freezing and very wet but not raining. The snow line was very low for this time of the year.

ENVIRONMENT: Heavy forest next to creek

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Cindy Dosen:

I spoke with the primary witness by phone. The report appears to be credible.

These two friends have hiked many a trail, and they were baffled at the sound of vocalizations they heard that night. After BBQ steaks and packing up to head out, they heard a shrill yell followed by low howl. The sound came from across a creek, up on a small ridgeline 200 yards from them.

Around 3-5mins later another similar type of yell came out of the brush 100 yards behind them in the opposite direction. This yell was more deep, resonating, breathy, and had a growling sound to it.
Neither witness could identify the call, but recalled it being very similar (but not exact) to one found on the BFRO website.

The one witness who used to do solo overnight hikes will not go adventuring alone anymore.

About BFRO Investigator Cindy Dosen:

  •  Diploma in Animal Sciences. Working toward Veterinary License
  •  Ex-Breeder of Rhodesian Ridgebacks (Dogs)
  •  Work in the Marine Transportation Industry
     (BC Ferries - Supervisor Ship Steward)

Attended/ Organized the following:
  •  2007 BC Van.Island Co-Org.
  •  2008 WA Cascades
  •  2008 WA Oly.Pen.
  •  2008 BC Interior
  •  2008 BC Sunshine Coast
  •  2008 BC Van.Island Co-Org.
  •  2009 BC Sunshine Coast Org.
  •  2009 WA Cascades
  •  2009 BC Van.Island South Org.
  •  2009 WA Oly.Pen.
  •  2009 Yakima - Gimlin Round-up
2010 BC Van.Isle South Alumni Exped.( Org.)
2010 WA Oly Pen. Alumni Exped. (Attended)
2010 BC Interior Alunmi Exped. ( Attended)
2011 BC Van.Isle.South Exped. (Org.)
2011 WA Oly Pen. Exped.( Attended)
2011 TX "All-female" Exped. (Attended)
2012 BC Sunshine CoastExped. ( Org.)
2012 BC Van.Isle.South Exped.(Org.)
2013 BC Van.Ise South Exped. (Org.)
2014 BC Van.Isle South 1 & 2 Exped.s (org.)