YEAR: 1993

SEASON: Winter

MONTH: November

STATE: California

COUNTY: Tuolumne County

NEAREST TOWN: Strawberry

NEAREST ROAD: Forest Road 4N12

OBSERVED: While walking on a road headed toward Bert Reed's historic cabin on the Stanislaus National Forest, the forest suddenly went silent, and then something in the brush screamed at me and the person I was with. We were unable to see what had made the sound. We felt like something was watching us, and we both had a terrible fear (but we had both come across bears and other animals in the forest, and never felt this type of fear before). The fear made us unable to move or speak. After several minutes, the regular forest noises started again, and since we felt better (like we weren't going to die), we were able to move away from the location. We continued on to where we were headed, and on the way back, we went by the same location, but nothing was there.

ALSO NOTICED: Just that the all the normal forest sounds were silent just prior to the thing screaming.

OTHER WITNESSES: 2, we were walking on the road (because the road was too wet and muddy to drive).

OTHER STORIES: Yes, just after our experience, there was some huge press on some sightings that happened that winter/spring (1993/1994) in the Herring Creek area during a timber sale. I believe some program, like Unsolved Mysterious, or that Fox show, did a program on it.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: This happened at mid-morning.

ENVIRONMENT: Pine forest

Follow-up investigation report:

I talked with this witness in person. There are no additional details to add to the report.