YEAR: 2011

SEASON: Winter

MONTH: February

DATE: 15

STATE: Idaho

COUNTY: Latah County

LOCATION DETAILS: The last curve in the highway before Wiegand Private Road.

NEAREST TOWN: Potlatch, Idaho

NEAREST ROAD: On Highway 95, close to Wiegand Private Rd

OBSERVED: In February of 2011 I was traveling down Highway 95 between Potlatch, Idaho, and Tensed, Idaho between 12:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. It was wooded pasture off to the right side of the highway and open grass pasture and creek on the left (drivers side) of the highway. I was driving into a curve before Wiegand Private Road when approximately 40-50 ft in front of me I saw a very large, dark form walk straight across the highway, right to left. I assumed it was a human so I slowed to full stop in the middle of the highway, which was empty both directions except for me. It was at this point that I realized that I could not see this person off the side of the highway or out in the grass pasture to my left. I had my high beams on and the area was very well lit from that.

I developed an awful sense of dread and immediately hit the gas and headed for home, which was about 5-6 miles away. I was so bothered by this event that I continually checked my rear view mirror, fully expecting to see something horrible or have something horrible happen to me. Once I got home I bolted into the house, turned all the lights on, and woke my family up. They kind of laughed it off but my dog crawled up into my lap and whined/cried at me and wouldn't leave my side. I definitely didn't sleep that night and started avoiding driving that highway so late at night. It wasn't until later that I really started to process the details of what happened. I realized that I saw someone, very distinctly bipedal, walk across the highway. I remember the walking motion of the legs and the slight swinging motion of the arms. I also realized that while I had my high beams on the figure was completely black. No reflection from clothes, shoes, or even a shadow thrown onto the highway. The other thing that very much bothered me was that I never took my eyes off of what happened but somewhere between the figure walking across the highway and walking off the side, it disappeared. I definitely should have been able to see something walking down the side of the ditch or into the pasture, but it was completely empty. It took me quite some time to come to terms with what happened and even longer before I admitted to myself that it may have been a Sasquatch related sighting. I've recently been compelled to report this specific sighting due to the fact that recently a woman claimed to have seen a Sasquatch right before hitting a deer in almost the exact same area and a similar time frame but she's been made into a joke in the local news. I don't know if she actually saw Sasquatch, but I find it a very, very odd coincidence that it happened in that area of the highway and in the same time frame.

OTHER WITNESSES: No other witnesses.

OTHER STORIES: Yes. The area is rife with people who talk behind their hands about Sasquatch sightings, but rarely go public. Recently in March, one woman reported seeing a Sasquatch before hitting a deer in the same location I had my experience years before.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Between 12:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. Very dark except light from my high beams. Clear weather.

ENVIRONMENT: Wood cattle pasture to the right (passenger side) side of the highway, barbed wire fences. Open grassy pasture on the left (drivers side) with a creek maybe 15-20 yards across the pasture. Barbed wire as well. Shallow ditches on each side. I cannot remember if there was snow, but if there was I don't believe it was much. The highway was clear and dry. No structures in the immediate vicinity, although I believe there may have been cattle close on either side, or possibly sheep on the left hand side.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Darrell Oyler:

I texted with the witness at length due to not being able to make a voice call. She was extremely articulate and recalled details to her report she filed over three years ago.

I asked the witness about some details of the creatures stride and height. She advised that the creature was about the height of her 80's Suburban and that it was walking upright, arms swinging and it's head was slightly hunched.

I asked her about her interest in the subject prior to her sighting and she said she had heard about Sasquatches, but never looked into it.

I included a link to one of the articles about the lady who witnessed a Bigfoot chasing deer in the field along Hwy 95. The lady was watching the Bigfoot in her rearview mirror when she struck one of the deer with her vehicle. The lady reported the accident to the Latah County Sheriff's Office which led to the media articles. Due to the very close proximity to to her own sighting in 2011 the witness decided to report her encounter.

https://pullmanradio.com/benewah-county-woman-swears-bigfoot-caused-her-to-crash-on-us95-near-potlatch/

I asked the witness about any other incidents or encounters and she relayed the following to me via text and it has been unaltered.

"Well, it's not what I would call a sighting or anything definite like that. But it's been 5 years and I still feel dread when I think about it, as silly as that sounds. So buckle in for a few long messages. I had just moved to Idaho County in 2015 with my husband and our, at the time, infant son and 2 year old daughter. My husband works in the wilderness for a living and I grew up packing and running livestock in the mountains so I'm not easily spooked. I decided that while my husband was away on an assignment I would take the kids up to Jerry Johnson for a day hike. Idk if you've been there but there is a large parking area on the left side of the highway, and you have to go across the highway, cross a pack bridge, and then you hit the trailhead. It's maybe 1.5-2 miles up a pretty gentle trail to the lower and upper springs. I had my double stroller and I also brought my Australian Shepherd with too. For the record, he's passed away since then, but he was the laziest, chillest, most easy going and friendly dog in the world.

He was also large for an Aussie, about 75lbs and tall. I always felt pretty safe with him around. Anyway, we got up to the springs and the kids played in the water for some time. At some point my daughter got stung on the finger by a wasp and I was at the stroller wrapping her finger up and my dog went dead still and started growling way down low in his throat. At the same time both my kids started wailing like banshees and I got the most intense feeling of dread I've ever felt in my life. I mean like full on panic and fear. I also happen to be lazy and laid back, so I've never felt that way before. I literally shoved my kids into the stroller, leashed my dog up, and headed back down the trail. I actually was so focused on leaving I left an entire bag of stuff there. The whole way down the trail I felt like I was being watched and followed. It was absolutely dead silent and my dog was basically dragging me and the stroller. I honestly thought we were going to die.

But, we made it back to the car and I remember thinking I'd feel alot better once we were safe in my car. But even with the doors locked I was just overwhelmed with this feeling of being observed and followed. It's just over a 2 hour drive home for me from Jerry Johnson and I was scared shitless the entire time. My dog was nervous too. It took him forever to settle down. I spent a lot of time trying to reason it out, like maybe it was a bear or a cougar, but I've had more than a few encounters with animals like that in the woods before. I've been scared and nervous before for sure but never to the point of feeling like we weren't going to make it out of the woods alive. I really started doing some research at that point and I found that numerous people who have and Bigfoot sightings and experiences have felt similarly. I thought I had been scared with what happened on the highway in Potlatch years ago but it didn't compare to this. I didn't *see* anything at Jerry Johnson but something was WRONG in those woods there.

Especially the way everything went silent. Birds and squirrels always alert for predators. Always. It's a hallmark way to tell something is out there is a flurry of noise from prey animals. This was absolutely dead silent. No wind, nothing. Just my kids hollering and my dog growling. And I've been back since then but I refuse to go alone. I've gone back several times with my husband and never felt like anything was strange. It's an amazing little spot to go to, but I won't ever go without him again. So there's that. Idk if it was Sasquatch but a lot of people have reported similar things over time and I just feel in my bones that it's related."

I was unfamiliar with the Jerry Johnson Hot Springs, but I was easily able to locate it on the map. It is in a very isolated area off of Hwy 12 in Idaho County. Although nothing was actually seen or heard, there were multiple descriptions in the account that are consistent with other reports and was worthy of being included.

About BFRO Investigator Darrell Oyler:

Bigfoot enthusiast, drone pilot and I am a retired Detective.

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