YEAR: 1999

SEASON: Fall

MONTH: September

STATE: Utah

COUNTY: Cache County

NEAREST TOWN: Huntsville

NEAREST ROAD: Ant flat road

OBSERVED: It was late September 1999, my seven year old son and I were working in the mountains above Huntsville Utah. We were working on a cabin site doing the excavation. We were camping on site so we would not have to commute for two hours each way.

We camped there for seven days. On the fifth day we finished working and decided to go for a ride on the four wheeler. It was about an hour before sunset as we began our journey.

We rode for a while until we decided to start our way back to camp. We turned around in what seemed to be an old camp site just off of the road. The sun had fallen out of site behind the mountains as the shadows blended together. It was turning to dusk. We made the turn and started to move back onto the road when my son tapped me on the shoulder and told me to go faster. I turned to look at what he saw and could not believe my eyes. There about fifty feet or so away was a large upright creature casually strolling in a parallel line with us. He was about seven or eight feet tall with a stride that I cannot forget. He moved smoothly along an old fence line where he turned into the woods and disappeared. He was dark in color and didn't seem to be coming after us.

My biggest regret is that out of panic I took off as fast as I could and didnt turn towards him for a better look. We got back to camp about five miles down the mountain where we built a large fire and spent a sleepless night thinking about our encounter.

OTHER WITNESSES: Two, My son and I

TIME AND CONDITIONS: It was dusk, I could see the figure but not a lot of detail due to the light. The weather had been clear all day

ENVIRONMENT: Pine and quaking aspen trees. Old fence line around what seemed to be an old sheep camp.

Follow-up investigation report:

I discussed this incident with both father and son and found them to be credible. It is still a vivid memory for both of them, nine years after the fact.

The location is approximately 25 miles east of Brigham City and 18 miles northeast of Huntsville, in the Monte Cristo Range of the larger Bear River Range of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest, east of Ant Flat Road in Ant Valley and south of the Hardware Ranch Wildlife Management Area.

It was walking parallel to them, in the same direction as they were riding, and along this side of a fence-line about 50 feet away. It never looked at them while they were looking at it and did not alter its steady, direct and "casual" pace, neither hesitating or running, and "acted like it knew what it was doing and where it was going" until it disappeared into the nearest cover of trees. The upright posture during its stride was also described as very stiff or rigid while moving smoothly.

The figure was described as at least 7 to maybe 8 feet tall, evenly dark-colored, fairly broad but "not overly huge", with long "bangs" and hair on its head, with its "blocky" head down and leaning forward slightly.

The father estimated that it may have been in their sight for perhaps as long as 7-10 seconds while it covered about 100 feet in distance.

While dusk was approaching, there was still ample daylight, they could see well and have no doubt as to what they saw.

They continued camping in the area for a few more days, until the job was finished, but saw nor heard anything else unusual.

David Petti