YEAR: 1997

SEASON: Winter

MONTH: December

STATE: California

COUNTY: Fresno County

LOCATION DETAILS: Occurred on Forest Road 80, on the road to Lake Florence, about 10 miles north of Huntington Lake.

NEAREST TOWN: huntington lake CA.

NEAREST ROAD: Forest Road 80

OBSERVED: I was sitting here listening to you on coast to coast and thought I'd tell you about an insident that happened in dec of 97. the location was in the sierra navada mountains about ten miles above huntington lake which is about 60 miles above fresno in central CA. Myself and a frind were fourwheeling on light, snow covered roads at about two am. we came around a corner and we both saw something run across the road. it had very long, shagy red hair and it was running on all fours. something like a gorilla would when charging. we only observed it cross the road when we apperently spooked it. we are both outdoorsman and have seen bears and the like befor. when it happened, we both simultaneously looked at each other said "what the hell was that?" and then said "we better not tell anyone or they'll think were crazy!" I can't swear to what it was, but I'll swear it wasn't a bear. this thing was the wrong color to be any kind of cat and it was to thin through the torso as compared to its overall size to be a bear and i suspect bears would have already been in hybernation. the hair looked like it could have been 18 inches long, very shagy. its body shape was like a giant human, not a cat or bear. unfortunately the animal never turned its face toward us at all.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: night time, but right in the headlights.

Follow-up investigation report:

I talked with the witness by phone. The following details can be added to the report:
--The sighting occurred in an area surrounded by the Dinky and John Muir Wilderness; in the Sierra National Forest.
--Clarification on the animal being on all fours: It appeared to the witness that it had been squatting in the middle of the road, and as the vehicle approached and caught it in the headlights, it took several steps forward and then started to straighten up to a standing position (on two feet), before it moved out of the light on the other side of the road.
--Estimated weight is 500+ pounds, but the creature was muscular, rather than fat.
--The creature was 3.5 feet tall bent over, so standing, it is estimated to have been around 7 feet tall.
--The creature's body, as it was bent over, was estimated to have been 3.5 feet long (from head to rear) and 10.5 inches thick (side profile of the chest). Its shoulders and arms were very massive and muscular, but the torso was narrow.
--The hair was the color of an Irish setter (red), and was 12 to 18 inches in length.
--No neck was apparent. It appeared that the head was just sitting on its shoulders.
--It moved very quickly across the road, very unlike a bear or other known animal.