Geographical Index > United States > Oregon > Multnomah County > Report # 3624
(Class A)
Submitted on Wednesday, January 9, 2002.
Nighttime sighting by motorist on I-84, west of Multnomah Falls
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YEAR: 2002
SEASON: Winter MONTH: January DATE: 01/09/02 STATE: Oregon COUNTY: Multnomah County LOCATION DETAILS: Update from earlier report( 01/11/02): On return trip from Portland today,It was determined that the creature actually crossed at mile marker 29 on west bound side. Appoximately 300-500 feet west of marker. I-84
-Andrew B.
NEAREST TOWN: Bridal Veil NEAREST ROAD: I-84 OBSERVED: Creature 7 to 8 feet tall was sighted by my wife and son at 9:15 pm 01/09/02 near Multnomah Falls. It crossed the freeway in front of their vehicle before going over guard rail toward the Columbia River. They nearly hit it in the westbound lane. She called me from her cell phone and told me what just happened. ALSO NOTICED: Very tall, very thin looking creature OTHER WITNESSES: Just my wife and son OTHER STORIES: no TIME AND CONDITIONS: Dark, overcast, 9:15 pm ENVIRONMENT: Freeway bordered by dense hemlock-fir forests, steep cliffs, ravines, and a very large river next to the freeway
Follow-up investigation report:
They were travelling westbound on I-84, having just passed Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge at 9:15 p.m. on 01/09/02 when this sighting occurred. The son, Jason, was driving. Conditions were dark, overcast, dry, and calm. Appoximately four miles west of Multnomah Falls, both occupants of the car observed a very tall, two-legged creature crossing the freeway in front of their car, and heading toward the Columbia River which closely parallels the freeway.
***On the return trip from Portland to their home, the witnesses determined that the creature actually crossed at mile marker 29 on west bound side. Appoximately 300-500 feet west of marker. I-84
(Multnomah Falls is at mile marker #31.)***
The driver estimated his speed to be 65-70 mph. He did not swerve and he missed hitting the creature by an estimated two feet. The creature reached the guard rail as they lost sight of it behind their moving auto. The motorists quickly phoned their husband/father on their cell phone and relayed the incident. Husband/father was at home in Idaho, and knowing of the BFRO website he immediately submitted the report to the BFRO.
I'm a Portland area researcher and happened to turn on my computer at 10 p.m. not long after the report was submitted. In the report, the husband in Idaho has included the cell phone number of the witnesses in their car, so I was able to reach the witnesses by phone while they were still travelling. I reached them as they were nearing their destination in Hillsboro, OR on Portland's west side.
They were still in a very excited state when I spoke to them forty-five minutes after the sighting. I spoke with both witnesses. Being from out of state and having just arrived in the greater Portland area, they wanted to know if we see these things around here all the time. I said I didn't think so.
They reiterated the description of what they had seen just as it was stated in the original report. They emphasized that it was very tall (8-9ft), broad in the shoulders but skinny at the waist. it was completely covered in dark brown hair which resembled that of a moose in length and shade. Jason described a rounded, dome-shaped head. He noted the swiftness of it's motion and a swinging of the arms as it crossed the freeway. Neither witness could see any facial features. It ran swiftly and smoothly on two legs and was certainly not a bear. The skinniness and towering height of the creature they observed was particularly remarkable to them.
They noticed another car and a truck travelling in their direction a short distance behind them. They did not see these other vehicles react to the creature crossing the roadway.
I am quite familiar with this portion of I-84 and the Columbia River Gorge. There have been other such sightings of bigfoots crossing the freeway along this stretch. It is speculated that the bigfoots may be intending to swim across the Columbia River in this general area below Bonneville Dam where the river is narrow and free of development on both banks.
I would encourge interested parties to look for fresh tracks on Sand Island in the Columbia River and on the river bank on the Oregon side at the earliest opportunity.
The speed with which this report was reported to the BFRO website and then verified by this investigator is most unusual. I was able to interview both witnesses just forty-five minutes after their sighting. This triumph of modern telecommunications would not have taken place without the quick actions of the witnesses and their husband/father Andrew Boydston.
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