YEAR: 2006

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: August

STATE: Idaho

COUNTY: Shoshone County

LOCATION DETAILS: Freezeout saddle, Grandmother mountain area

NEAREST TOWN: Clarkia Idaho

NEAREST ROAD: Freezeout road near Idaho highway 3

OBSERVED: In August of 2006 my (ex)wife and I were camping in the mountains of North Idaho. We drove my 4x4 pickup to the ridgeline that divides the St Joe river and North Fork Clearwater river. This is accessible by USFS and BLM roads, the latter of which is generally only open June to September due to the high elevation and snow. The weather at this time was favorable and we chose to sleep in the back of the truck rather than using the tent. We both felt very uneasy after laying in bed for at least an hour. This uneasiness is difficult to describe but we both felt very strange and decided to start the truck and go back down the mountain. The night was clear under a full moon. We were easily able to see the trail without headlights and drove slowly downhill. After only 5 or 10 minutes of travel we rounded a bend in the trail and saw something large ahead of us. I flipped on the headlights and a very large creature seemed to jump off the trail and into the woods moving downhill and to our left. We caught only the briefest glimpse but the creature was easily 8 to 10 feet tall and covered in brown fur. As the creature jumped from the trail it seemed to catch a fir tree which obscured it from our direct line of sight. The tree was about 12 to 14 feet tall and bent tip to ground before springing back up. This all occurred in a matter of seconds. We both said "what the f**k was that?!" I hit the ebrake and got out of the cab with my maglight and my 30/30 rifle. Shining the light through the trees illuminated at least 50 yards clearly as the alpine forest is not very dense except for the huckleberry bushes knee to waist high. I saw nothing and heard nothing. I couldn't figure how any animal so large could get out of sight so quickly with no sound. No twigs snapping beyond the flashlight or anything. That's when all the hair on my arms and neck stood straight on end. I realized that the creature was laying down in the huckleberry bushes right in front of me. I can't explain as it wasn't visible but I simply knew it was right there. I had the distinct impression that this thing was waiting for me to make the next move. My wife was still in the truck begging me to get back in and leave. She was terrified. Somehow my rifle seemed suddenly impotent. My fear overpowered my curiosity and I got back in the truck and we got away from that area. I have been around moose and bears many times in the woods over the years and never felt frightened but this night I was frightened for sure. The hair on my arms and neck stands on end now writing this nearly 12 years later. I do not believe that creature was a moose or a bear. I can't help thinking that if we hadn't left our camping spot due to our intense feelings of uneasiness and had instead fallen asleep there that the creature we saw would have come upon us within a short time.

ALSO NOTICED: Extremely uneasy feeling about our campsite without rational explanation

OTHER WITNESSES: 2 of us, camping

OTHER STORIES: I've read and heard of numerous accounts of bigfoot in the area of northeast Washington, North Idaho and western Montana. I thought it may be time to share my story.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Near midnight. Clear sky. Full moon.

ENVIRONMENT: Alpine forest

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Kevin Llewellyn:

I talked to the witness by phone.

He cannot remember the exact date, but it was early August 2006. He and his wife were sleeping in the back of their truck that did not have a canopy. He heard a scratching on the rear bumper and he looked but did not see anything. Five to ten seconds later, it started again. He then got out once more with a flashlight and looked up under the truck for rodents and did not see anything. They felt "weird" as if they should not be there. They could not sleep and left.

Less than a mile down the road they saw a silhouette in the road. He turned on the headlights and for a second there was an upright figure on two legs. It was large and thick, brown, shaggy, hair length maybe four to six inches. He estimated the weight at 800 pounds. It happened so fast, he could not see a nose, neck or other details. It leaped in a smooth fluid motion ten to twelve feet. The witness did not see an arm grab the fir tree but believes that is what happened as it went down the moderately steep hill.

The figure was about 100 feet in front of them. The witness was out of the truck in ten seconds and began looking with his flashlight. The combination of not hearing anything walking away, nor seeing anything, gave him a creepy feeling. He felt it was laying down just steps away. He watched the bushes about one minute and did not see them move. He did not see any eyes. He did not detect any odor.

The witness has been in Alaska for the last several years and has been a fly fishing guide there. I found him very observant.

About BFRO Investigator Kevin Llewellyn:

Kevin has camped, fished and hunted in Eastern Washington all his life. His interest in Sasquatch began when he was 10 years old and saw Roger Patterson present "the" film. He lives in Eastern Washington.

Recently retired, he was a veterinarian since 1984, after graduating from Washington State University.

He attended Washington BFRO expeditions in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2019. Oregon in 2015 and 2018, Montana in 2017 and 2018. He was co-leader of N.E. Washington 2019, Washington 2020, 2021 #1 & #2, and Montana 2020, 2021expeditions.