YEAR: 2001

SEASON: Spring

MONTH: May

DATE: 1

STATE: California

COUNTY: Mono County

LOCATION DETAILS: As you get off highway 395 to go to Mammoth Lakes, you will come to a stop light. Right before the stoplight, there is a campground on the right called Shady Rest Campground. We were in the group campground area.

NEAREST TOWN: Mammoth Lakes, Ca.

NEAREST ROAD: Main Street in town. Campgroung is located near center of town.

OBSERVED: I was in Mammoth Lakes, Ca. on a weekend trip playing softball. It was a Sunday night. My roommate, my brother and myself were the only ones to stay that night. It was around 1:30 in the morning, when my dog woke me up. She was whining and pacing in the tent. I was trying to calm her down when I heard this sound. I am a serious bigfoot believer and visit the BFRO site often. The sound I heard, which I recognized immediately, was exactly like the HOWL recordings on the BFRO website. When I heard this howl, I instantly sat up. I listened for about 20 or 30 seconds when my brother suddenly sat up and said "what the hell is that?". I said I wasn't sure because I didn't want to sound crazy by saying it was bigfoot. The howl went on for another minute or so. When it was over, my brother said "I have never heard a noise like that. What was that?" That's when I told him I think we just heard bigfoot. I have since played the recording of the HOWL back to my brother, and he agrees that is what we heard. My roommate never woke up so he never heard it. The entire time the howl was going on, my dog was really freaking out. I know in my heart, I heard bigfoot that night.

ALSO NOTICED: nothing.

OTHER WITNESSES: Just myself and my brother heard the HOWL.

OTHER STORIES: I had a friend, when I lived in Mammoth Lakes, tell me he heard a scream in the backcountry that scared him so bad he never slept the rest of that night. That was, I believe, in 1994.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: It was at about 1:30 in the morning. There was clear skies and warm weather that weekend although it did get a little chilly at night.

ENVIRONMENT: The campground is adjacent to BLM land. It is a wooded area. There is a creek within about a half mile or so. The sound seemed to come from the woods away from the town. It almost seemed to be near the softball fields at Mammoth Park, which is next to the campground.

Follow-up investigation report:

--Witness, brother, and friend were in the area for a softball tournament, and most of the players were in the campground Friday and Saturday night. The night of the howl, Sunday, everyone had left and it was a lot quieter than it had been.
--A few other people were in the camping, but witness has no idea if they heard the howl.
--Campground is located across the street from the Shell Station, with a park behind it. After the park, there is nothing but mountains.
--Estimated the howl came from one-quarter of a mile away and echoed off the hills. The howl was long and constant and would be 20-30 seconds of a howl, quiet for 5 seconds, then repeat for a total of five minutes. The howl was from a single individual.
--Witness would guess that the animal making the sound was an older male, because the howl was deep.
--One half hour later, coyotes came by.
--Dog did not react to the coyotes but was very upset by the howl. Dog was afraid and had its tail between its legs.
--No other sounds or footprints were noted.
--Witness lived in the area for eight years, and is experienced in hiking and camping.
--Witness played howl on the BFRO website for brother two weeks ago, and brother agreed the sound was the same as they heard at Mammoth Lakes.