YEAR: 2009

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: September

DATE: 9

STATE: Washington

COUNTY: Skamania County

LOCATION DETAILS: See report on GPS location

NEAREST TOWN: Trout Lake and Willard

NEAREST ROAD: see report

OBSERVED: Started on a three day hike in Gifford Pinchot National Forest on 8 Sept 09 at trail head #48 near East Crater. After the first day of hiking into Indian Heaven Wilderness and spending a cold night at Elk Lake, I decided to hike to a lower elevation near Forlorn Lakes in which I camped on the second night (GPS N45 57.889 W 121 45.536). I was outside a designated camping site about 200 meters west in a small valley that paralleled road Nf6035. No one was occupying the camp grounds nearby that night and it was a very quiet night, until I was awaken with what I describe as three consecutive whooping yells followed by a guttural scream that lasted for about 3 seconds. It was very loud. Startled, I remember looking at my watch at the time and it was about 0230hrs. After the whooping calls, I heard very faint distant calls or howling (not whooping). The source of the scream was definitely coming further up valley I was camped in (maybe 200-300 meters away). I stayed awake for a couple more hours in my tent and heard nothing more during the night. I hiked alone for the three days, therefore no further calibration can be offered from another witness. But I do find something interesting, the sound I heard was a very close match to the recordings of whooping sounds on this web sight. Hope this small report helps.

ALSO NOTICED: See report. Only the vocal sounds. No unsual smells.

OTHER WITNESSES: only myself

TIME AND CONDITIONS: 0230hrs, almost full moon. Temp was around 50F

ENVIRONMENT: Dense fir trees, wet ground as it was raining a couple days before. Semi swamp in the center of the small valley in which I was camping nearby.

A & G References: Page 24, zone A2

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Scott Taylor:

I was able to interview this witness over the phone. The witness currently lives in West Virginia and was visiting Washington State for a backpacking trip. The witness grew up not far from where this took place.

The area is known for regular sasquatch encounters, for example Report #25194 , so a backpacker having an encounter is not a surprise. The interesting aspect of this report and this witness is that he is a professional in observing his environment due to his extensive military training and combat experience. He is thus a very careful observer of what he sees and hears, and is very meticulous and accurate in his reporting of the facts of what observed. Having grown up in the area, he is familiar with sasquatches because he actually had a very close night time encounter when he was a boy.

This witness reports hearing a series of three “whoop” calls, followed by a three second scream. He mentioned that the whoops started out at a fairly low pitch which rapidly increased in tone to a high pitch. The scream was a very guttural scream lasting three seconds. Following the scream, he reports that there were answering vocalizations in the form of howls from further away and that they were very faint.

His description of the whoops is identical to what I heard at the Olympics Expedition in 2009. They are also much like some of the Sierra Sounds. The scream reminds me of the scream described in Report #18620. The answering howls are much like what we have recorded in many places in Washington State over the years.

I believe that this person heard true sasquatch vocalizations.

About BFRO Investigator Scott Taylor:

Scott Taylor is a retired aerospace manager. He lives in Mason County, Washington. He had his first bigfoot encounter in October 2005 where he was stalked and later heard vocalizations.

Scott has attended official BFRO Expeditions in the Washington Cascades in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. He also attended 2007 Central Oregon Cascades and 2007 Utah. He now organizes BFRO expeditions in Washington and has participated in bigfoot conferences over the past 17 years.

Scott will be leading a Washington BFRO expedition in 2025 (July 17-20) which is open to non-members. For more details and registration information for that trip click here.