YEAR: 2014

SEASON: Fall

MONTH: October

DATE: 19

STATE: Washington

COUNTY: Okanogan County

LOCATION DETAILS: Off hwy 20 at the snow park area go about 5 miles to service road 4235, go about 2 to 3 miles on left there is a dirt berm with a barrel like piece of concrete at the end of the berm and your there

NEAREST TOWN: Malott

NEAREST ROAD: Hwy 20 Loup Loup Pass

OBSERVED: Went hiking this last Sunday 10/19/2014 and parked off Service road 4235 off Hwy 20 on the Loup Loup Pass. Left my car about 0700 and crossed over a dirt berm that had been pushed up blocking another service road. Thought it would be as good a place to do some research on a book that my son is encouraging me to write. Had hiked about 1000 feet when I spotted what appeared to be deer tracks heading over the road and down into the ravine, took a few photos and went down into the ravine. About 200 feet down I lost the tracks and noticed my battery on my camera was almost dead, searched my pack, like a dummy I had left it back in my camera bag in the car. As I started back up in the direction of the car I heard 2 loud wacks of wood on wood about 6 or 7 seconds apart and about 300 feet above and to the right of me.

Thought maybe hunters but had seen no signs of campers, no sounds of vehicles or rifle reports.

Reached my car and got the camera battery and was ready to hike back out when I noticed that at the opposite end of the berm about 10 feet from where I had crossed earlier that some thing had crossed it and had slipped. I got a little excited thinking maybe a deer and a possible good track. What I found set me back a bit and had me starring for a bit. I have been all over the Cascades, Olympics and have been from Compo to Monument 78 on the Pacific Crest trail four times. Have heard a lot of strange and different sounds and have later been able to say bird, Wolf,Cougar, Bear, Elk, etc. This I don't know. If it was human, as an Investigator and Fugitive recovery agent it would not be someone I would take down. If it is an animal, it is one I have never seen or seen tracks of personally.

After several moments the Investigator in me kicked in and I photographed the prints I found and cast the one that appeared the best defined. Not sure how the cast will turn out being on a slope and not having any ring to assist in the casting. While the cast set up I searched about for other tracks but the ground was very firm everywhere except around that berm. Collected the cast after 45 Min's and decided I would try to look for my tracks elsewhere. I know that it was hunting season, but had seen no one camping heard no sounds of vehicles or rifle reports from hunters that morning or for the rest of the day in that area.

ALSO NOTICED: Yes, for the first time in my life I had for a moment this urge to jump in my car and get out of there, real fear and having been face to face with cougar and Bear as well as being shot at I have no fear. But for a moment my hair on my neck stood up and I got chicken skin and a strong urge to run.

OTHER WITNESSES: no

OTHER STORIES: Ye, heard of occasional sighting and sound about 15 mile east around the 7 turns area of the Loup Loup pass

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Left my car about 0700 returned about 0815, spotted tracks about 0820

ENVIRONMENT: Forest service road on mountain slope in forested area

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Darrel Verney:

The witness is a crime scene investigator, has done wildlife research, and has extensive experience in the outdoors. He has had a number of experiences that cannot be explained by known wildlife, but remains somewhat skeptical of other explanations.

On October 19, 2014, he drove up past the Loup Loup Campground, on a forest service road, to cast deer tracks for his collection. He reported seeing four or five deer while driving and three while hiking that day.

The location is a temperate forest, of light to moderate density, in mountainous terrain. It was a clear fall day with no wind and the temperature was around 36°F. There was some frost in places.

The hunting season had just started, but there were only a few hunters, and he reported that he heard no shots. He parked at a side road where it is blocked by a berm. He walked over the berm and down the road into a ravine about a mile. The dirt on the berm was a little soft and he could see some old boot tracks, but there were no vehicles or hunters in that area.

The witness noticed a “pungent, slightly irritating smell, a kind of light cesspool/sulfur” odor, around the berm area. “It was not real pronounced and I couldn’t identify where it was coming from and there was no breeze.” He recalled sensing a similar odor while hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail, but also could not identify the source at that time. Other than that, he only noticed “the usual forest smells” while hiking in the ravine. The witness reported hearing a “fairly large crashing” sound above him while listening for deer, but “really couldn’t distinguish what it was.” He was using a parabolic mic to listen to the deer, but they made very little sound.

When his camera battery ran low, he headed back toward his vehicle and discovered a line of large tracks on the road which were not there before. There were five tracks on the side of the road. The size, spacing, and gait pattern was not human. He has investigated many human tracks.

The tracks were 18 inches long, broad and flat, and the toe impressions were visible. The width at the ball of the foot was 7 ½ inches, and the width across the heel was 5 inches. The toe to heel spacing between steps was 44-48 inches. The tracks were straight forward, not angled like human tracks, and were in a straight line.

The witness is 6’ 2” and was not able to duplicate the depth of the tracks on the road. He even tried jumping next to the tracks to make a deeper impression. He also could not duplicate the stride, although he admitted he may have been able to if he was running.

The tracks turned off the road and down into the brush. He could see where the brush had been disturbed as something passed through it. He took a number of photographs and cast the best track.





He did not report any unusual odor or sounds in the area of the tracks. He is very familiar with the scent of bears and of tracks made by known wildlife. If someone else was in the area, he would have heard their vehicle.

The witness reported that this is the first time he has come across such possible sasquatch tracks. He was still not sure what to think of them. He questioned why someone would be walking barefoot in the mountains on a cold day.

This witness works in law enforcement and goes out of town on extended missions, so follow up has taken time. He took me to the location on May 17, 2015. The side road follows a ridge above a creek about a mile out. We found sasquatch sign (old tracks) all over the area.

Loup Loup Pass is a mountain pass in the Cascades. A small ski area is located at the pass.

About BFRO Investigator Darrel Verney:

Originally from Alaska, Darrel now lives in north central Washington. He studied Wildlife Biology and Wildlands Recreation, and has worked for the National Park Service and National Forest Service in the past. He feels fortunate in having had several sightings and numerous encounters during expeditions and informal outings. Darrel has attended the Redwoods ’06, North Cascades ’08, ’09 & '16, Olympic ’09 & ’11, and Morton ’12 & ’13 expeditions.