YEAR: 2007

SEASON: Spring

MONTH: March

DATE: 15

STATE: Washington

COUNTY: King County

LOCATION DETAILS: Marymoor Park is a fairly large park that used to be a farm. It is on the edge of Lake Sammamish and is bordered by the Sammamish River on the west. Part of the park is open grassland, some is forested by pines and flowering trees, and part of it is swampy terrain, especially along the lake edges. There are several large brambled areas. There are intermittant stands of brush throughout the park, a community farm, a pet cemetery, large off-leash areas, sporting grounds (cricket, baseball, soccer, tennis),an auditorium, a velodrome, and a house/museum. The old chicken coops and barns are now facilities/maintenance offices and sheds. The park hosts a great deal of wildlife: rabbits, weasels, water fowl, salmon, snakes, birds of prey (owls, osprey, hawks), coyotes and deer.

There are residential areas to the west of the park. To the east, mountains arise above the lake, and there is a great deal of wild terrain.

NEAREST TOWN: Redmond, WA

NEAREST ROAD: Hwy 520

OBSERVED: I was walking my dogs in Marymoor Park, near Redmond, WA. It was in the early-to mid-afternoon. The park was predominantly empty and quiet, and despite recent rain, the paths were not overly muddy. It was a sort of hazy day, with some sun, probably 50-60 degrees.

We had followed a somewhat under-utilized trail/road that parallels Hwy 520, going from the velodrome down to the Sammamish River. It is a grassy area with occasional brush. The trail makes a T-junction at the Sammamish River bank. One can turn right and go under Hwy 520 to Redmond Town Center shopping district, or turn left and remain in Marymoor Park. Just at the bank of the Sammamish River, there is a stand of brambles that create large mounds on both sides of the trail on the Marymoor side of Hwy 520. This little bramble forest is probably about 30 yards long. The Sammamish River travels along the west edge of the park, emptying into Lake Sammamish about 1/4 mile away (or slightly more?), in the park. (Salmon run this river in October/November.)

We turned left and were walking through the brambles, parallel to the Sammamish River, heading into the park and away from Hwy 520.

Just as we were at the end of the bramble mounds, and emerging into a clearing area, to my right, from the river bank, there arose a hair-raising screeching howly yowling sound, like something terrified and screaming. It did not sound human and was quite long-winded/sustained. I stopped and stood very still. I was chilled to the bone by the sound, the hair standing up on my body. One dog looked towards the river, his fur also standing on end and the other cowered a bit, her tail down.

The sound was coming from within about 50 yards of us, but I could not see anything or anyone along the river bank. There is brush and trees there, so they were blocking my view of some areas of the river bank.

The W. Sammamish Parkway is across the river and parallel to the river and the trail I was on. The cars travelling along that road create a certain roar as do the ones on Hwy 520. Whatever this yowling sound was, it was super audible above the sound of traffic on both these busy roads.

After a minute, we began walking again, and the sound arose again. This time, it was further away, maybe 75 yards up the river. This time, the yowling sound was followed by knocking sounds of wood on wood. At this point, I did go to the edge of the river and look up the river bank to see if I could catch a glimpse of whoever or whatever was making the noise, but I could not see anyone or anything there. I wondered if it was people goofing around, but I did not see anyone or hear people sounds.

A few minutes later, I heard knocking, again, but no yowling. It was probably from the area just below an old non-functioning windmill that stands on the banks of the Sammamish River, near the west entrance & bridge into the park.

When we reached the main bridge that comes into the park from the Sammamish Parkway (close to the windmill), we turned east, towards the Clise Mansion and park facilities area, and were no longer walking along the river. I did not hear any other yowling sounds after that. Also, from that vantage point (the bridge), I could not see anyone or anything along the river.

About 15 minutes later, when I drove out of the park, I again stopped near the bridge to look up and down the river, but saw nothing and no one.

ALSO NOTICED: I had heard wood knocking when in the park on several other occasions. I went to the park almost every day of the year, regardless of weather, and was often one of only a few people there. Mostly, I was there in the afternoon, when the days were short, and early evening in the summer. (Summer is busy in the park. It's rarely quiet there, in the evenings). During the cold months, in the afternoon, the park is very quiet and deer and coyotes are common sights there. I never investigated the knocking sounds on other occasions and did not really give them much thought.

OTHER WITNESSES: just me and my dogs

OTHER STORIES: Since this event, I have read on the BFRO website that someone heard vocalizations near Redmond.

At the time that I heard these sounds, I did not know that Bigfoot made such sounds--howling and wood knocking. I really did not have any idea what could be making the sounds I heard, at the time I heard them. They seemed too loud to have been made by people.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Afternoon

ENVIRONMENT: The area along the Sammamish River is skirted to the west by the W. Sammamish Parkway and a residential area beyond that. The banks of the river are grassy, but there are stands of pine, poplar, brambles, and plantings made by the original farmers of the land: horse chestnut and flowering trees. The river hosts many birds and salmon and empties into Lake Sammamish not too far away from where this event occurred. There is also grass/green plant life growing in the river.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Chris Gonzales:

After conversing with the witness by phone I learned that she is a school teacher and seems intelligent, well spoken and sounds highly credible. She used to walk her dogs at Marymoor Park in the evenings in a secluded area near the Sammamish River. She has witnessed deer and coyote during the winter months. Wood knocking was heard several times during previous walks. One evening she heard an animal like howl that she describes as quite loud and sustained. The howl was again made several yds away and included more wood knocks. The witness was alarmed but continued on her way.She has conversed with Park Staff on earlier occasions and once was told of a deer kill that the staff thought was unusual. I have been to Marymoor Park several times and over 200 species of animals are known to visit the park. I believe that the adjacent Sammamish River and surrounding terrain is consistent with known Bigfoot habitat preferences. I believe the witness heard vocalizations from a Bigfoot.

About BFRO Investigator Chris Gonzales:

Chris is a native of California and has lived in Washington for over 21 years. He has served 11 years in the U.S military. He currently works as Site Coordinator in the city of Preston, Wa. He has attended multiple expeditions in both Washington state and Canada.

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