YEAR: 2016

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: August

DATE: 1

STATE: Washington

COUNTY: Pierce County

LOCATION DETAILS: Mount Rainier National Park

NEAREST TOWN: Greenwater

NEAREST ROAD: Forest Service road 73

OBSERVED: Sound sighting only summer of 2016 on a fishing trip in Mt. Rainier National Park. A friend and I started our hike from Forest Service road 73 into Mt. Rainier Nat'l. Park via the trail that goes past Lake Eleanor. This was the closest we could get to our fishing destination, (Oliver Lake) due to longtime road closures in the area.

We hiked in on maintained trails through Grand Park and down to the White River and then up Lake James. From that point it was a cross country bushwhack past Lake Ethel along Mosquito Flat onto Marjorie Lake.

Our plan was for two nights at Oliver Lake but with some route finding difficulty we stayed at Marjorie lake for one night.

The next morning we hiked for about fifteen minutes and located Oliver lake, set up camp and then began fishing. As we fished around part of the lake from approximately 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. I found it odd that I did not see any sign of other human evidence of any kind, ie; fisherman trails, trash, areas previously camped in, etc.

By the way the fishing was fantastic all catch and release except for the last one, a nice 15 inch rainbow trout which was dinner.

Later that night at in the tent my buddy and I were sharing, my buddy was fast asleep and I was tossing and turning trying to get comfortable.

Suddenly I hear guttural low pitched screams coming from the ridge above us, which I estimate about three hundred feet up. Every inch of my body is at attention now and I am trying to figure out what is making the noise.

The screams came in quick succession and total about 8-10 screams. By the time I wake up my buddy the screams have stopped and I explained to him what I heard. We continued to listen and did not hear anything else and eventually went to sleep.

I am writing this now because it jogged my memory from watching a bigfoot show on TV last night and it really struck a chord with me and to reach out and report what I heard.

I have been an active hiker, camper and fisherman for many many years and have stayed in many remote places here, Canada, Europe and South America and have never heard this type of low pitched guttural screams. I have come across bear and cougar and did not attribute this sound to any of those species.

No one else in the area knew where we were going except for the park staff that gave us the permit at Carbon River Ranger Station.

ALSO NOTICED: Nothing found in the morning in the area I thought it was coming from. The forest floor was dry so tracks were non existent even our own.

OTHER WITNESSES: Friend was asleep

OTHER STORIES: From reading online I read about an incident off the Carbon River road which as the crow flies is about 8 miles away from where we were.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: About 11:30 p.m.

ENVIRONMENT: Thick old growth forest, screams were on a small ridge about 300 feet above the lake.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Jeff Sidebottom:

Had a good call with the witness. He is very credible in my opinion. He has several years experience as a back country ranger. He said it was beautiful weather. This is a very remote location and no one else goes up here often. No trails in so they had to bushwack. Temperatures were in the 80s. They spent the day fishing and cooked trout for supper. Later, while lying in bed, he described what sounded like a loud sharp crack or branch/small tree snap. The he heard the vocalizations in rapid succession. Very loud, guttural and could feel the reverberation in his chest. They explored the area the following morning and could locate no tracks or sign. He told me that some time later watching a documentary, they played the Sierra Sounds and he said what he heard sounded exactly like that. He said "it sounded like someone in an insane asylum chattering away". He could barely believe the similarities.

Investigator Note: Moon phase around this time was Waning Crescent.















Location of vocalizations:

About BFRO Investigator Jeff Sidebottom:

25 years as a Journeyman Tool & Die Maker/Machinist. Went back to school, earned Associates Degree in Computer Electronics Engineering, then Bachelor's Degree in Information Systems Security. Worked in the Telecommunications field for more than a decade. Currently manages a company phone system serving 43 sites in 2 states.

Originally from Kentucky. Grew up hunting and hiking. Spent much time in the woods and forests. Moved to Washington state in 2013. Loves the Pacific Northwest. Firm believer in Bigfoot since childhood. Has FLIR thermal imager and nightvision scope.