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Geographical Index > United States > Washington > Chelan County > Report # 11554
 
Report # 11554  (Class B)
Submitted by witness on Tuesday, May 3, 2005.
Two neighbors hear mournful screams from nearby Nason Ridge

YEAR: 2004

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: August

DATE: 11

STATE: Washington

COUNTY: Chelan County

LOCATION DETAILS: Our cabin boarders National Forest. If you head over Steven's Pass until Cole's Corner and turn left towards Lake Wenatchee/Fish Lake, our place is off of Conard Road. The sound was coming from Nason Ridge, above us and it sounded far away. When I went to your website and played the calls, it sounded just like that so I thought I would log this in. I guess you can post this on the web, but not my name because I have friends who might think I'm nuts if they see this. You should really try and contact my neighbor who heard lots of noise one night which really freaked him out. He is an elk hunter and such. Although I am not a hunter, I have spent lots of time outside and have heard cougars and bears and stuff, and this was not that.

NEAREST TOWN: Plaine, Wa

NEAREST ROAD: Lake Wentachee Hwy, and Rt 2

OBSERVED: I'm sorry to say I don't have a very exciting report. Last summer when I was out at our cabin with our boys, I heard this really weird "yelling" from the ridge in back of our house. Our cabin boarders the National Forest, so it gets pretty dense back there. It was very late at night, and I was alone with the kids that night so I didn't tell them (I didn't want to spook them). At first I thought it was some teenagers partying up on the forest service road, but that would be impossible to hear, really, and it wasn't like that at all. The "yells" went on for a long time. They sounded, perhaps, 1/2 mile away? I was actually pretty scared. There are quite a few houses up at our place, but almost noone is there but me and boys on week days. Also, a few weeks before my neighbor who is a hunter and such heard "screaming" from closer in to his place. Just thought I'd let you know.

ALSO NOTICED: Nothing

OTHER WITNESSES: Just me

OTHER STORIES: See above. I told my neighbor about your website and am hoping he'll contact you.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: I was in my bed. I know it wasn't raining, but can't recall the exact weather. It was early in the morning, I think, around 3am?

ENVIRONMENT: Very thick forest with lots of downed timber from logging 30 or so years ago.


Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Ric Hjertberg:

Spoke with the witness at some length, by phone. She was quite frank and forthcoming. A librarian and mother, she has taken a recent interest in the BF subject, although still describes herself as a skeptic. Has read The Locals, among other titles. She recounted the event, correcting the time of day to midnight, from 3 AM as originally reported.

She said the sounds were unique in her many years in the mountains. The screams were mournful, lasted 2-4 seconds, then a several second break and another call. This repetition went on for an hour, quite unnerving her.

However, she admits her biggest fear was if it had been a person in distress. She says the mountains have no threats for her besides people. Her children play near this second home, wandering up nearby hillsides without any reservations or incidents.

Some weeks later, I spoke with her neighbor who confirmed this incident and reported another from the same summer which he found quite disturbing. He attended a subsequent Washington BFRO Expedition at which we met.


About BFRO Investigator Ric Hjertberg:

Ric focuses on bicycle wheel building, tooling, design, and history.