YEAR: 1970

SEASON: Summer

STATE: Oregon

COUNTY: Linn County

LOCATION DETAILS: Pacific Crest Trail north of highway 20
About two days' hiking north of highway 20.

NEAREST TOWN: Detroit, Oregon

NEAREST ROAD: Oregon Highway 20/126

OBSERVED: I don't know if this is of interest, but way back in 1970 while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail north of Hoodoo ski area, something happened that I will never forget. I was with three friends on a hiking trip. When it was time to hit the sack, around 11 pm, we all got into a small wall tent. All of us were in sleeping bags, ready to go to sleep. Then we heard heavy footsteps. They sounded like a man walking. Who or whatever circled our tent three times, brushing up against the tent without tripping over the ropes holding up the sides of the tent. It was very dark outside. We saw no light from a flashlight. We thought "How can a guy walk around the tent without a light"? By the way, I do not think there was anyone camped within miles of us. Needless to say, this scared the heck out of us. We did not get out of the tent to look around- too scared. We were all only 15 years old at the time! That's it.. Not much there, but it is all
true. Again, I will never forget it!

ALSO NOTICED: no

OTHER WITNESSES: Me and 3 friends, we all heard it.

OTHER STORIES: no

TIME AND CONDITIONS: About 11 pm.
Very dark outside.
No lights, dark forest land.

ENVIRONMENT: Forest, mountains.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Dr. Wolf H. Fahrenbach:

The boys had had a campfire for the evening, but had extinguished it before retiring. They, specifically the witness, had an instant recognition that the footfalls were not from a person, a feeling reinforced not only by the heaviness of the steps, but also by its nocturnal behavior. They could not tell whether the tent was touched by a hand or a foot. The witness estimates that they hiked about 10 miles per day, putting them in the vicinity of Hunt's Cove to the SW of Mt. Jefferson. The terrain remains roughly the same, even if the locale was farther south from that indicated here.

• Explanation of the report classification system
• Submit a report for the sightings database
• Please send any comments or inquiries to ContactUs@BFRO.net