Geographical Index > United States > Arizona > Apache County > Report # 17804
(Class A)
Submitted by witness on Tuesday, February 20, 2007.
Late afternoon road crossing sighting by motorist west of Springerville
(Show Printer-friendly Version)
YEAR: 2007
SEASON: Winter MONTH: February DATE: 1 STATE: Arizona COUNTY: Apache County LOCATION DETAILS: Near a place where they are putting a new bridge, and a foresty raod intersects a little past that. NEAREST TOWN: between vernon&springerville az NEAREST ROAD: on us hi-way 60 OBSERVED: Although I have had very good class B encounters, this Class A sighting was something that I will treasure.
On Feb. 1, 2007 I took my husband to Show Low AZ to drop him off for 10 days with friends. The weather had been bad that day and progressively worsened so that I did not take my normal route back to N.M. which is through the White Mt. Apache Res. I went down U.S. Hiway 60, it runs between Show Low and Springerville AZ. Past a small town called Vernon, the terrain loses almost all of the juniper trees and is mostly rolling grassy hills.
I have learned a type of defensive driving in Elk country, wherein you keep alert to the peripheal vision movement. Something drew my attention to the left hand side of the road and I applied brake anticipating an animal (elk, deer, pronghorn etc.). What I saw made me turn and pay attention.
It was bipedal and running dead at the road. I slowed as fast as possible and watched in open mouthed awe as the creature placed one hand on the t-post (metal pole used in barbed wire fencing) and vaulted over the fence, slowing very little and continued running. It crossed the road (2 lane black top) in maybe two full strides and kept going into a narrow canyon and beyond my sight.
I pulled to the side of the road and called my husband. He could not believe what I was saying. He finally asked me to get out of the car and look for tracks or hair or solid evidence (once a cop always a cop). In very unladylike words I told him no. I was alone, unarmed and unwilling to meet something that big on a road that I had seen fewer cars in two hours than I had fingers on my hands.
The creature was dark brown and had longish hair. I never saw its face full on, it had to be close to seven feet tall or more. It never seemed to be afraid or running dead out. More like a lope or steady jog.
The weather was cold and heavily cloudy, mix of precip. off and on all day. No standing snow. It was around 1530-1600. OTHER WITNESSES: Just me. Driving alert for animals on road and bad road conditions. OTHER STORIES: In October 2006 there was a class A sighting in the afternoon on hi-way 61 which is around 5-10 miles from hi-way 60 where I saw this one TIME AND CONDITIONS: heavy clouds, mix of precip. off and on all day no standing snow.
early evening, 1530-1600 ENVIRONMENT: Rolling grassy hills, Occassional narrow slot canyons. Creature went into the slot canyon they are building the bridge over.
Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator TF Zamiski:
I spoke with this witness today on the phone and the following details can be added:
The biped leaped the fence with it's right "hand" on the T post curling it's legs up and to the left over the fence. It crossed the road in 2 or 3 steps 20 to 30 yards in front of her.
She described dark brown hair abour 4" to 8" long.
She felt it was not concerned about her approaching vehicle, it didn't look in her direction and seemed like it had somewhere to go.
She passed the animal and lost sight of it to her right, it may have dropped into the narrow canyon.
This location is near the road crossing report #16580 that occured in October 06 near Concho.
Her comment about Class B activity relates to a camping trip south of Payson in the southern Mazatzal Mountains back in 1990 or 91. At night they heard repeated knocking sounds from different directions. There were three sounds that seemed like rock on rock, rock against a tree and a limb against a tree.
About BFRO Investigator TF Zamiski:
Tim is semi retired. He attended the 2006 Arizona Expedition and the 2006 Wisconsin Expedition. Tim helped organize the 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2015 Arizona Expeditions and the 2011 New Mexico expedition. Active Investigator since 2005.
| 
