YEAR: 1970

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: September

STATE: Virginia

COUNTY: Shenandoah County

NEAREST TOWN: Strasburg

NEAREST ROAD: not sure it was at the top of skyline dr

OBSERVED: My husband and I were traveling west going over skyline drive in Virgina near Strasburg. (this was many years ago 1970) WE saw a large hairy thing. It looked like some of the pictures we have seen about bigfoot. We were so shocked we just stopped and then looked at each other and said what was that. We still remember this as if it happened yesterday. We Know it was not a bear because it ran on 2 legs. It crossed the road in front of us and then ran down the side of the road an into the woods. We were young an never new who tell about it. So it has just been something we tell to family and friends about. Sure wish we'ed had a camera then people would be believers. We definitly are.

ALSO NOTICED: It looke right at us as it ran across the road and down past the car and did not stop or act as if it were afraid. Basically it just ignored us and kept going.

OTHER WITNESSES: two driving

OTHER STORIES: no

TIME AND CONDITIONS: daytime

ENVIRONMENT: Pine forest close to the top of the mountain. About 200 feet up the road was a baby fawn eating grass.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Cathy Betz:

This incident occurred with both Mr. and Mrs. J as witnesses and after speaking to Mr. J, he had these details to add-

-In the summer of 1970, while traveling in their car through the Shenandoah National Park, about one hour outside of Washington DC, Mr. J noticed a figure running through a field on the left side of the road heading towards the highway.

-Seeing the figure, Mr. J pointed it out to his wife, while at the same time slowing the car down to a crawl since it appeared that the figure was going to intersect them. The bipedal creature was heading straight towards them and crossed the road approximately 10 foot in front of the slowed vehicle. If Mr. J had not slowed down he feels that he would have certainly hit the creature.

-Mr. J described the bipedal creature as being about six-foot tall, 300 pounds, lanky, yet stocky, heavily muscled and with broad shoulders. It was covered with a ‘deepish’-brown covering of hair that was about two-three inches in length that appeared ‘muddy’ and unkept around its chest. He did not notice its face, the shape of its head or the details of its feet. He stated that the arms were long and that while running, the arms swung forward and back with its hands turned downward.

-When asked how many strides it took to cross the road, Mr. J could not be sure. But he was adamant that it was ‘too fast for a person’ and that it never went down on all fours while it ran. He stated that it ran like ‘a linebacker going for a goal’ and that it never slowed down, even while crossing the road before them. Once on the other side of the road it went straight up a steep embankment and they quickly lost sight of it in the dense foliage.

-Mr. J added that it was about 7:30am and that there was good lighting and that the weather was clear. He stated that overall, they saw the creature for about 10-15 seconds.

About BFRO Investigator Cathy Betz:

Cathy has been a nurse for over 27 years and currently works in a busy ICU. An amateur naturalist, Cathy has been intrigued by the bigfoot phenomenon from an early age.
Attended the following expeditions:
- The 2006 Florida Expedition
- The 2007 North Carolina Expedition
- The 2008 South Florida Expedition
- The 2008 North Florida Expedition
- The 2009 Central Florida Expedition
- The 2009 Utah Expedition
- The 2010 TN Survey Expedition
- The 2011 East Texas Expedition
-The 2012 North FL Expedition
-The 2013 Michigan Upper Peninsula Expedition
For more information, please see the Florida BFRO