Geographical Index > United States > Washington > Skamania County > Report # 65980
(Class B)
Submitted by witness no on Wednesday, August 26, 2020.
Campers describe loud branch snap, howls, and possible track, northeast of Cougar
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YEAR: 2020
SEASON: Summer MONTH: August DATE: 08/24/2020 STATE: Washington COUNTY: Skamania County LOCATION DETAILS: Off of 25, at a campsite on the east side of the bridge that crosses a creek in Skamania County. NEAREST TOWN: Cougar NEAREST ROAD: Forrest service road 25 OBSERVED: I am 61-yo and have been an outdoorsman all of my life doing numerous backpacking and mountaineering trips in the Cascades and Olympics. I have a degree in psychology from the UW and currently employed as an Investigator.
My 15-yo son and I made camp at twilight off FS road 25, after doing a recon of the Lewis River area for hunting. It is a rain forest there with huge cedar trees and large moss-covered maples reminding me of the Hoh Rain Forest. We set up camp on the east side of a creek. We had my 4-Runner parked and set up a tent.
After a steak dinner, I made some howls in the manner of the "Ohio howls" that I had made that had called in a Squatch at Lake Ozette (report #65667). I am a trained vocalist and can project my voice considerably. After no response, we retired for the evening.
At approx 10 pm, we were awakened by a loud crack of a branch very close to our tent. I jumped out of my bag with a 400-lumen flashlight and searched 360 degrees hoping to spot the culprit. After several minutes and intense searching to no avail, we went back to sleep only to be woken by howls off in the distance to the south of us an hour later. I would guess that the howls were coming from a single individual approx a mile away from us. My son reported that he had heard footsteps later near the tent that night but failed to wake me.
In the morning, my son discovered a single footprint near the tent. I have photos. It is a very wide right footprint approx a size 13 that was very deep (1/2 inch) in the dirt. I am sure the print is still there as it has not rained since drafting this report. Despite a large rock in the near middle of the arch, the print is deep and was not affected by it. I could not make a print at all and I weigh 250lbs.
I have always been keenly interested in Sasquatch and was convinced that they exist after reading Dr. Meldrum's Where legend Meets Science book. I have had encounters after mimicking the Ohio Howl with remarkable success. I suspect the government has proof and is keeping it quiet to protect this cryptohominid with wilderness areas (Lone Butte/Indian Heaven). I am studying maps of an area I reasoned to be prime habitat and have a trip planned overland off-trail/road soon. Time to get serious... ALSO NOTICED: My son found a track - see photos. OTHER WITNESSES: My 15-yo son and I were sleeping soundly in a tent just before the incident. OTHER STORIES: Reports 65538, 58461 TIME AND CONDITIONS: It was a clear sky no wind at 10pm . ENVIRONMENT: Rainforest, huge cedar trees, douglas fir, and large moss-covered maple trees. Bracken fern, vine maple on the eastside of the Creek.
Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Kevin Llewellyn:
I talked to the witness by phone.
The howls the witness made after dinner were six to seven, each a few seconds apart. This set of howls was repeated three times over an hour. No response was heard.
At about 10:00 pm, a very loud branch break woke him up. It was about fifty to seventy five feet away from their tent.
Later, after they awakened to a distant howl, the witness repeated the above sets of howls. About thirty seconds after each set, one response howl was heard. The response howls did move closer. After about an hour, no further responses were heard.
The track was found the next morning less than twenty feet from the tent. It was in dried mud where a little water had pooled in this one spot. The witness looked for other tracks but there was a lot of vegetation around the tent.
One picture shown gives an example of the trees and vegetation at the location. The son is in the picture (used by permission.)
The witness would like the specific spot kept confidential.
No foul odor was detected.
About BFRO Investigator Kevin Llewellyn:
Kevin has camped, fished and hunted in Eastern Washington all his life. His interest in Sasquatch began when he was 10 years old and saw Roger Patterson present "the" film. He lives in Eastern Washington.
Recently retired, he was a veterinarian since 1984, after graduating from Washington State University.
He attended Washington BFRO expeditions in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2019. Oregon in 2015 and 2018, Montana in 2017 and 2018. He was co-leader of N.E. Washington 2019, Washington 2020, 2021 #1 & #2, and Montana 2020, 2021expeditions.
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