YEAR: 2006

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: August

DATE: 15th

STATE: Washington

COUNTY: Pierce County

LOCATION DETAILS: The site is on the flanks of Mount Rainier. Location is edited per witness request.

NEAREST TOWN: The west side of Mount Rainier.

OBSERVED: On this particular morning I am confident to report that I had a sighting of Sasquatch. I am a forest worker and build and mantain trails for a living. In the past decade I have had plenty of encounters of the 4 legged species, including cougar and black bear. What I saw this morning was not a black bear (though in my mind I kept hoping it was). I was within 20 ft. of the creature who leaned down under a fir limb to get a better view of me. I had been leveling an area of shale rock trail with my McCloud tool, when I realized that something was slamming rocks together on my right. My usual response is to raise my voice and yell (No bear Go Bear) and with that I usually see a quick flash of black fur and a crashing of brush. Not this time! So I picked up a lage rock yelled with more force and tossed the rock. By this time I had started slowly stepping backwards towards the Suburban, I did not take my eyes of the spot. I thought I saw something move and bent down slightly to get a look at what was moving the fir limb on the tree. I then noticed a movement of dark brown( a leg) and then a face. My adrenalin coursed, I threw my tools in the back of the rig and drove to the other side of the forest where the rest of the crew was working. They are the only ones I trust with this. Being a woman working in the woods, I get teased enough and I do not want to be the laughing stock among the rest of the employees. They returned to the sight with me and even though they did'nt see anything they felt too spooked to stay. So all 3 of us left the area.

ALSO NOTICED: In the past 8 yrs. I have had several experiances, all in the same area. From working with 13 people (we all left) after having logs rolled down the hill at us, to knocking on wood (green maple hitting large conifer sound) to being stalked all the way out 2.5 mi. with the knocking (which subsided at the start of the clearcut). As recent as Aug 30th at 10:00A.M. I was starting to dig out shale to place a forest sign and was answered with the knocking and brush breaking in the big timber behind me, and bipedal footfalls. I would strike the rock and then the minute I would hesitate it would start the knocking of wood (not an echo) on shale and steel vs.wood on wood.

OTHER WITNESSES: During this encounter I was alone. I have had others with me in the past and heard knocking. My grandson found a footprint in 2004 and when we returned with the plaster to cast it a Jeep had driven through it and destroyed it.

OTHER STORIES: I had a person sign into my trail register on Aug. 8th 2006 6:45 A.M. Stating that he scared a bigfoot out of the forest road pass just below the location of my incident on the 15th. It was his entry that I believed, he printed, wrote hastily and than seemed to pull his writing together. I no longer question what adrenalin does to a person. I have many more details of the area and my experiences and even the past event dates(trail journals) at this point I am keeping track of every encounter and hoping to compile the data this winter during down time.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: 7:50A.M.

ENVIRONMENT: A peak near this location has 200 year old trees behind and different ages and stages of timber surrounding, the area. High dew factor that morning, mist in the air and low fog until I reached the peak. I am planning on G.P.S. the exact locations as soon as a unit is available. I will also be photographing each area of incident with a history log.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Kristine W.:

I have spoken with the witness on several occasions and have visited the location of the sighting.

The witness has a unique opportunity to experience sasquatch behavior because her job puts her in the perfect habitat. Part of the trail maintenance aspects of her job require that she hit her metal implements on rock. On occasion she will hear responding wood knocks as she is repairing trails with her tools.

Here is another recent incident the witness reported from August 2007:

I am very happy to report that Tues. while at work something happened. I had just finished running a saw on the trail, clearing small cedar trees. What I noticed about the trees were they were apparently pushed over. The reason I say this is that the taller trees in the area were defiantly not affected by the wind and snow. These were pushed over into the trail, as if to block it. And they were not there 4 wks ago. I took off my helmet and started walking back to the truck to refill on gas when, that old familiar feeling swept over me.

As I came around a curve in the trail I heard what I would describe as jaw popping. I am very in tune with that because one of my wolves would do that when she was stressed. At this point I assumed it was a bear. The only sign I had seen was week old bear scat and deer tracks.

As I started down the slight slope the noise moved closer into my left, and it became obvious that it was not jaw popping but very weak wood knocks. Not a rhythm that a woodpecker produces. Still I remained strangely calm and curious. I continued past the reservoir to the truck and when I dropped the tailgate I received 2 sharp loud knocks coming from the other side to my right across the water. Now I got excited and promptly took my axe handle out of the truck and found a good stout tree and replied myself with 2 knocks. It got unusually quiet, no planes, all the birds stopped except one lone raven who broke out in alert mode. The raven was across the reservoir and I could see it in the top of a tree ( approx. 90 ft.) tall. It kept making racket so I went to sit down in the truck and take my lunch break. No sooner did I start to eat, the raven stopped and everything else was still dead quiet.

Then just in the shadows of the larger trees right below the raven I heard 5 loud knocks and just as quickly 3 weaker ones still coming from my left. I had one on each side of me. I truly felt that I was separating adult from young. I continued to stay calm and went back up the trail to a point in front of the truck where either could cross to reach each other and put 2 peaches high on a stump. I knew I was being watched, but I didn't feel threatened.

I returned to the truck to eat what was left of my lunch and keep an eye on the fruit. About 10 min. passed and nothing. Then when I walked to the tailgate the brush and trees on the left came alive and when I reached the side to look over the ravine all I could see was a vine maple swinging. I felt instantly that a juvenile was creeping up the back side and I startled it. If only I had stayed in the truck a little longer. I went back and raked the section in front of the truck, knowing I was being watched, but everything relaxed and the birds started their chatter again.

I walked away from the experience feeling that on a certain level I am no longer a threat. the lady who runs the chainsaw and then leaves us fruit.

I went back Wed. morning and the fruit was gone. I didn't find any noticeable tracks other that brush flattened. But I also see that with bear.

We will continue to monitor this area as our witness has more experiences.

About BFRO Investigator Kristine W.:

• Bachelors of Science Degree in Botany -- University of Washington.
• BFRO Curator of Report Information for Washington State
• Attended all of the public BFRO Expeditions in the American Pacific Northwest
• Organized numerous smaller non-public expeditions in Washington State

• Explanation of the report classification system
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