YEAR: 1988

SEASON: Spring

STATE: Oregon

COUNTY: Benton County

LOCATION DETAILS: On a logging road west of the small hamlet of Alsea

OBSERVED: Two high school seniors, who wished to ride dirt bikes without disturbing anyone, went up an isolated logging road into an area of second growth Doug Fir. After setting up camp in a clearing, with the intention of staying a couple of days,they spent the day tearing up and down local trails on their dirt bikes. Around dusk, they decided to return to camp. While proceeding down a trail towards their camp they found their path blocked by a large log which had been moved across the trail. As they had sped up and down this particular trail many times during the preceding hours, they were certin that this log had been placed there in the late afternoon.Because of the log's size, they did not attempt to move it out of the trail, but with great difficulty, managed to get their dirt bikes around it. Upon returning to camp,they debated packing up and leaving, as a definite feeling of unease and vulnerability had come over them.But fortified with Budweiser and the knowledge that one of them was packing dad's 357,they decided to stay the night. Unable to sleep, they built a large fire.Around midnight, a large rock came sailing into camp followed by the sound of something LARGE crashing through the surronding undergrowth.Then came the most ungodly screaming and growling followed by another rock, at which point they bolted for their pickup, and roared down the logging road towards Alsea.They left much of their camping gear behind but had loaded their bikes on the truck earlier.The next day at midday they returned to retreve their camping gear. They did not look for tracks or other evidence but got out of there quickly.

OTHER WITNESSES: Riding trail motorcycles.

ENVIRONMENT: A large stand of juvenile Doug Fir which had been planted
10-15 years earlier