YEAR: 2001

SEASON: Fall

MONTH: September

DATE: 1

STATE: Washington

COUNTY: Lewis County

LOCATION DETAILS: I wrote down the milepost, but I do not have it with me as I write this. It was near the Mount Rainer/Chinook Pass turnoff highway 12.

NEAREST TOWN: Packwood

NEAREST ROAD: Highway 12

OBSERVED: Saturday of Labor Day Weekend. My family and I were on our way to White Pass, Washington heading East from Tacoma. About seven miles or so outside of Packwood heading up the pass we rounded a corner on Highway 12 and saw something covered in fur standing on the passenger side of the road at about 10pm. Going probably 60, we passed it very fast. Both my wife, kids, and I could not believe what we had just seen. After waiting for a car to pass I quickly pulled a U-turn behind it and by this time had the kids screaming in the back of the van not to go back. As we came back down we were looking out the drivers side window to were we had just seen it when the kids all screamed "there it is." The car in front of us had slammed on it's brakes too, so I assume they saw it also. It had crossed the road and was now again on the passenger side walking along the guard rail. As we passed by it we got a pretty close look at it. We again turned around and were heading back up but now it was gone. I have no idea what it was other than to say it walked on two legs, was covered in brown hair. My gut insinct tells me it was fake, but I do not know. I have tried to find any rational explaination for it but I am unable.

ALSO NOTICED: There was some kind of annual swap meet going on down in Packwood, so maybe some nut was trying to play a joke. It was opening weekend for bow hunting also.

OTHER WITNESSES: There were Five People who saw it.

OTHER STORIES: Yes, I heard one other story from the area, but it was on the east side of the pass near Rimrock Lake. Two bow hunters saw an animal on Round Mountain a couple years ago. Also was on a Labor Day weekend.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Dark, 10pm or so.

ENVIRONMENT: Forest, foothill mountains of Cascades.

A & G References: page 48, c-4

Follow-up investigation report:

I contacted Mr. G. in late November 2001 by phone and gathered the additional information:

Heading eastbound on Hwy 12, right before mile post marker 136 and next to FR 46, is where the sighting took place. "It's a right hand turnout; dirt road goes up a hill. Hwy 12 turns to the left. Our headlights hit this animal and we didn’t say a word for a couple of seconds - everyone was quiet. My wife turned to me and said 'Oh my God was that what we just saw?'” The kids began to scream and yell.

It was dark outside, and the first time they saw the animal it was facing them and standing on or near the white line on the shoulder of the road. Mr. G. thought the animal was shuffling backwards. It held its hand and arm up to cover its eyes as if the light had blinded it. Mr. G's wife thought it was swaying back and forth, but Mr. G. thought it was backing up. The witness thought the time had to be about 10:15 PM because "We left Packwood around 10:05 PM."

Mr. G's son didn’t see it the first time, as he was asleep on the back seat. But when they turned around and came back down the hill he got good look at it. The kids spotted the animal for the second time. Mr. G. and his wife were looking out the window to the left because that was where they saw it the first time. Apparently, the animal had crossed the road and was once again on the left hand passenger side.

"We turned around really fast and came back down the highway but we were expecting to see it on the left side (driver side window) of the road at its original location. But it had crossed the road while we were turning around and we weren’t able to see that. The kids saw it first and began shouting wildly 'There it is!!' It was now on the passenger side once again. We got to see it again."

This time it was walking up the hill facing them between the guardrail and the sideline. As they passed the animal, it turned its back to give them a side view, as if it didn’t want dust or wind in its face, or possibly it was afraid they might hit it. "We passed it about three feet away."

The animal was reddish brown. The hair wasn’t much longer than 3 inches on most of its body; however, Mr. G. and his wife both felt the hair was longer on its back. "When it turned its back the hair flew up on its back and shoulders." Mr. G. stated the animal's height at around 6' 6" - not much taller than a tall man.

After the second time they saw it, Mr. G. felt the animal had to have stepped over the guardrail to get off the highway fast. "I turned car around real fast to try to get a third view and it was gone."

Also of interest is the second car. The driver had to brake for the animal, or was possibly astonished by what he saw and hit the brake pedal. In any case this person coming forward to report what he/she saw would be helpful for this report.

The witnesses, a husband and wife, are both school teachers. Their two children also brought along a friend. The kids' ages ranged from 6-9 years. I found the witness very credible and moved by his experience.