Media Article # 144
Article submitted by Richard Noll

Monday, August 11, 1969

Abominable Snowman Sighted Near Darrington by 2 Youths

By Elizabeth Poehlman
Everett Herald

Darrington -

Two Darrington area boys didn't believe in abominable snowmen Sunday of last week.

During the next 24 hours they became firm believers.

After returning from a week long camping trip, they reported that three of the mysterious creatures chased them from Cub Lake, high above the Suiattle River to within a few hundred yards of their camp about a mile away.

Mark Meece, 16, Darrington, and Marshall Cabe, 14, Rt. 3, Arlington, were among eight teen-agers who hiked from Downey Creek Campground up the Downey Creek and Bachelor Creek Trails Monday of last week.

At 6:30p.m. the boys made camp less than a mile from Cub Lake. After dinner Mark and Marshall volunteered to hike to Cub Lake and Itswoot Lake to scout for fish.

It was on their return that they spotted the first of the creatures across Cub Lake.

"I asked Mark what it was," Marshall said. Mark at first thought it was a big bear or just a snag. But then the creature made a "come on" gesture with its arm and two more like him came into sight.

As the boys watched, the three creatures started around the lake toward them.

The boys said the three animals stood on their hind legs and ran like men. "They looked more like big, well built men than apes." Mark said. He said their arms came about to their knees. They were covered with long black hair except on their faces.

Their heads "dipped in and out at the forehead," Mark said. Both boys said the creatures were 10 to 11 feet tall and moved with great ease.

With the creatures coming after them, the two boys ran up a rock slide that sloped away from the lake. Half-way up they looked back to see that the three creatures - about 50 yards behind - had spread out as if to surround them, they said.

"We were both so scared we were shaking," Marshall said. "We told each other goodbye. We thought we were going to die."

The three animals called to one another with a high shrill sound, according to the boys.

At the top of the ridge above the lake the boys dropped down to the camping area where their six friends were. "At first they didn't believe us," Mark said. "But then they saw how white and panicky we were and they did."

Both boys feel it was the sight or smell of the campfire that kept the creatures from pursuing them down the ridge.

Have you ever believed the story of the abominable snowman? Marshall was asked.

"I never have believed in it. I always thought it was a bear. Now I don't care what anybody says; I know it wasn't a bear."

"I know what I saw." Mark said. "I've never seen anything like it before."

Others in the group were Gene Karger, Steve Richter, Gerald Nations, Ernie Gladsjo, Shawn Beauchamp and Gary Booker.

Most of the group returned to Darrington Thursday after fishing in Downey Creek. None of them ventured into Itswoot Lake as they had originally planned.

Robert Taylor, district ranger in Darrington District of Mount Baker National Forest said this morning that his office had received reports of the incident but was not taking it too seriously. He said he would not send anyone into the area especially to investigate the report, but "If we have anyone going up that way we'll ask them to look around." He said the district has never had a report of any such strange creatures.

• Submit a report
• Submit a comment or article