YEAR: 2020

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: July

STATE: Washington

COUNTY: Kittitas County

LOCATION DETAILS: About 1 mile southeast of the intersection of National Forest road # 4930 and National Forest road #118, next to Box Canyon creek

[GPS coordinates:
- Jeep parked here: 47.3827102, -121.2634551
- Growls: 47.3829066, -121.2630752
- First knocks: 47.3825331, -121.2636207
- Second knock: 47.3823631, -121.2637042

NEAREST TOWN: CleElum to the East, or Snoqualmie Pass to the West

NEAREST ROAD: NF4930

OBSERVED: July of 2020 my girlfriend and I went camping off of NF 4390. When we arrived we checked out the area and found some rock piles on the creek bed next to our site. Figured these were probably made by kids from the last party that was there, thought it was a little weird the way they were spread out but didn’t think really anything of it.

After setting up camp we saw quite a few deer and fawns were crossing over the river and through our campsite which we found pretty weird but we had set up next to a flat with a bunch of green berry bushes, next to a river, so bear territory and figured that was maybe why.

Long story short right after night fall our first night we heard what we though was a bear. It was just inside of the tree line, about 10 feet away from us. It made a deep loud growl.

My girlfriend headed up to the Jeep immediately after that and stayed there for the night. About an hour later I was up at the Jeep with her.

Across the road (west side of 4390) I heard 3 solid knocks on a tree. It sounded very close. It sounded like the loud crack of a baseball bat, hard and solid against a tree.

I shined my flashlight over in the direction of the sound but saw nothing. Pretty quickly I heard some branches snapping in the same direction. I shined my light again but saw nothing unusual. About 3-4 minutes later another solid smack against a tree. It was just one knock but 30 feet or so further away this time.

I am 41 and have been in the forest consistently since I was 10 and have never seen anything weird. This has just really stood out to me. After 2 years it’s still really just bugging me so I figured I would reach out and see if through your experience maybe this could be logically explained?

OTHER WITNESSES: Yes, 1 my Girlfriend. She was in the back of the Jeep next to me but inside.

OTHER STORIES: No, nothing.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: About 10-10:30 PM, very dark with clear skies

ENVIRONMENT: Off of a gravel forest road, close to a creek (about 50
Feet away, with a mountain structure about 1000’ just to our east and up a 6’ bank to our west about 5’ onward of the tree line for the initial knocks

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Matthew Moneymaker:

.
I spoke with both witnesses by phone. They are both credible and clear about what they heard. The sounds were not distance or faint. Both heard the growls very close by at camp. And then both heard the knocks fairly close up at the road.

Both witnesses are in their early 40's. Nick L. is a property manager. His wife Sara is the front desk manager of a large hotel.

Nick has camped for years all over those mountains every summer. This was the third time he camped at that particular campsite. Nothing unusual happened on the prior occasions. All were at the same time of year June-July.

Regarding the growl: Sasquatches are known to make sounds like a growling bear, as if they are trying to convince the intruders that there is an angry bear in the woods, to make the campers leave the area.

I have heard those growls myself in more than one state.

The factors that distinguish these situations from those involving actual bears:

1) When an angry bear comes around to intimidate campers by growling, it typically doesn't come closer than 50 feet or so (usually more like 100 feet). This growler came very close before making the sound. Nick thinks it could have been 10 feet away from Sara when it growled. She had her back to the treeline. Nick was facing the direction of the growls.

2) It is very uncharacteristic of an angry bear to approach silently, and then make only two loud growls, and then depart silently like a ninja. That is very characteristic of a sasquatch, but not a bear. Nick and Sara did not hear anything approaching, nor did they hear anything move away after the deep growl close by.

3) When a bear comes around and growls, it doesn't sneak up very close then only make one or two growls, and then go silent. A bear will carry on for a while with its sounds. Also, it will usually poke around a campsite for a while, unless it is quickly frightenned off by the campers. Bears will usually be spotted by the campers in the process, especially if the campers are just sitting around a campfire and the bear comes close.

About BFRO Investigator Matthew Moneymaker:

Matthew Moneymaker is originally from the Los Feliz District of Los Angeles, California.

- Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).

- Juris Doctorate (Law degree) from University of Akron School of Law

- Founder of the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization,1995.

- Writer and co-producer of the Discovery Channel documentary "Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science", 2001.

- Co-producer of the TV Series "Mysterious Encounters" for the Outdoor Life Network (OLN Channel), 2002.

- Producer of the "2003 International Bigfoot Symposium" (Willow Creek Symposium) DVD set, 2004.

- Co-host of "Finding Bigfoot" on Animal Planet Channel, 2010 - 2017.

- Current Director of the BFRO

- Available for private bigfoot expeditions and conferences. To inquire please email ContactUS@BFRO.net

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