YEAR: 1975

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: July

STATE: Oregon

COUNTY: Josephine County

NEAREST TOWN: Wolf Creek, Oregon

NEAREST ROAD: Dirt road going from W.C. to the Rogue River

OBSERVED: In 1975 I lived on Coyote Creek Road in Wolf Creek Oregon, and used to spend summer days at a popular, isolated swimming hole about 12 miles out a dirt road that ran between Wolf Creek and the Rogue River. We called it the "Jesus Saves" swimming hole after some graffitti sprayed on the rocks. In mid summer I was there with a friend, we were the only people in sight. I was washing my hair in the creek and looking up between my legs I saw a head peeking over a fallen log about 60 feet up the hill behind me, slightly to my left. Though I spent much time alone in the woods, this felt really creepy to me. My first reaction was to stand up and yell thinking a "peeping tom" was sneaking up to take a peak as this was a skinny dipping hole and my friend and I were following that fine tradition. As I stood and turned quickly, the head slunk down to disappear behind the log. Instantly I had these simultaneous impressions: this large round head with brownish hair (features were indistinct due to the angle of the sun) moved like an animal, not a human, the hair was standing up on the back of my neck; and I felt panic along with a need to flee. Within seconds I told my friend something was stalking us and we needed to leave NOW and looked back to the log -- 25 feet beyond the log was a clump of scrub oak. I clearly sas the head, shoulder, arm, and upper torso of a very tall creature standing upright and melting into the trees. This was not a bear. It was not a human. It was brownish and hair covered. Within 90 seconds my friend and I swam across the creek and climbed the rocks below the trail. Feeling less frightened I stopped and together we searched the hillside across the creek. We saw absolutely nothing. During the early 70's I had three other encounters in the Wolf Creek area where I heard something inexplicable and had the same sensation of panic and hair actually raising on the back of my neck. This story describes myt only visual experience. In those days many folks lived an isolated lifestyle far back in the mountains. I heard many stories from solid people about encounters with what they believed to be Bigfoot.

ALSO NOTICED: The sense of panic (not a usual response) and the hair on the back of my neck actually standing on end.

OTHER WITNESSES: One. He was laying in the sun beside the swimming hole.

OTHER STORIES: Yes, unfortunately I am out of time.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: about 4:00 on a clear, hot, still summer day. The sun was was very bright.

ENVIRONMENT: Hot & Rocky Creek side hill, fallen logs, scrub oak, buck brush, some conifers.

A & G References: Page 26. C-4

Follow-up investigation report:

The witness is an experienced hiker and has spent several years living in remote areas of Oregon, hiking with her dogs or riding horses.

She remembers clearly how panicked and terrified she felt. The animal was taller than her companion, who was six feet tall. Looking back upon the incident, the witness states the animal did not make her feel threatened, only frightened by its presence. It just seemed to be watching them.

This witness also had a noteworthy incident about a year before the Wolf creek encounter. She was living near Wimer OR. on twenty acres near Sykes Creek Rd. (Jackson Co.). Because of the remote location, it was necessary in the winter for her to hike the last mile to her home. She was on one of these hikes with her dog at about 10 pm one winter's night, when she heard the heavy footsteps of something walking in the brush. Her dog began to bark. Her first thought was that it could be her neighbor, who was a large man. She called out her neighbor's name, but there was no answer. The footsteps did not stop with the call and her dog began to growl and back up against her leg. At this point the witness felt threatened and frightened. She ran back to her car and ended up spending the night at a friend's house. Witness states, "The next time I saw my neighbor I asked him if there was a recent night that he had been walking by the road late in the evening. He said no."

• Explanation of the report classification system
• Submit a report for the sightings database
• Please send any comments or inquiries to ContactUs@BFRO.net