YEAR: 2001

SEASON: Winter

MONTH: November

DATE: Nov 29

STATE: Oregon

COUNTY: Clackamas County

LOCATION DETAILS: Go East on #26 to Rhododendron, turn left before the Mt. Hood Foods store. Road immediatly continues left and parellels the highway for 100 yaards, then right. Sighting was about forty feet from the small outhouse looking building on the left another 50 yards up the raod.

NEAREST TOWN: Rhododendron

NEAREST ROAD: Highway #26

OBSERVED: I am submitting this report for the witness. The sighting was viewed from the witness’s home, through the window. The creature was viewed at a distance of approximately 130 feet when a car’s headlights backlit the creature as it ran from left to right across the road from the witnesses perspective. The occupants of the car where not identified or contacted, but did stop a short distance from the creature, insinuating that the driver also observed the sighting. The creature was running fast, upright, very hairy, humanoid in appearance, and estimated to be 7 feet tall (definitely larger than the witness who is 6’3”). The local dogs were barking excitably, which is why the witness looked out the window. A search for footprints with flashlights was unsuccessful for finding clues or footprints. However, the ground is moist and soft, and it is currently not precipitating, so there may be fresh prints or evidence still available in the morning.

ALSO NOTICED: Local dogs were going crazy barking. Witness noticed a bad smell when he went outside to get his dog immediatly after the sighting

OTHER WITNESSES: One or two unidentified occupants of the car which illuminated the bigfoot in profile.

OTHER STORIES: I have heard of several sightings over the years in this immediate area. The dense hemlock/fir forest we inhabit on the flanks of Mt. Hood seems like good bigfoot habitat.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: NIGHT, 9:15-20 dry, but wet ground

ENVIRONMENT: Douglas fir forest, a small cluster of houses and unpaved driveways just off U.S.Hwy. 26

Follow-up investigation report:

Investigated by: Rob Gracie
robgracie1@aol.com
Location; 150 yards north from Highway #26, west end of Rhododendron, Clackamas County, Oregon
Date; Nov 29, 2001
Time seen; approximately 9:20 PM Pacific.
Local Conditions: Dark, wet ground, no precipitation, no streetlights.
Witness: Ben Stites

Investigator's comments:
Ben was indoors at his home in the living room while his sister was upstairs in her room. The family dog, a large protective crossbreed was outside chained up to his runner. The dog started to bark and the other neighbors dogs barked as well, which is considered normal. However, the barking increased more excitably, enough so for Ben to take notice. Looking out the north-facing window in the Living room, Ben saw an approaching automobile driving towards him down his road approaching HWY. #26. He then saw the creature run from left to right across his road, backlit by the approaching car. The car slowed, and Ben felt that the occupant(s) of the car saw the creature as well, enough so to slow down almost to a stop. The car and occupants continued and are unknown. The view is partially blocked by trees but Ben was sure of what he saw. After telling his sister she decided to leave for her mother's work around the corner while Ben went to the back door to get the dog inside. The dog was still curious and didn't initially want to come in. Ben noticed a "bad" smell outside, and got the dog inside.
I was originally told of the possible bigfoot sighting at approximatly10:30 PM by the witness's Mother at her work a quarter mile from the sighting. The witness's 20-year-old sister was also present at the mother's workplace and was obviously distressed by her brothers sighting.
I arrived at the Witness's home at 11:00 PM to meet and interview the witness Ben Stites (18 years old). I initially asked what Ben saw and he excitably explained he saw what he thought to be a Bigfoot. I asked why he thought so, and he described the following; "creature was large - about 7 feet tall, very hairy, ran upright very fast across the road." He wasn't sure what it was but didn't think it was a bear. Bear sightings were reported in the immediate area during September and early October. He asked me if I thought it might have been a bear and I responded that I don't think bears run very fast standing upright, which he emphasized. Ben seemed to be forthright and brief in his experience; further emphasizing he was being honest and not
embellishing. I asked Ben if he would show me where he saw the creature and he agreed. His sister, who was now home too, asked if we should bring the
baseball bat, which was lying on the coach in the living room? I took this to be evidence of concern at the time. We didn't take any weapons. We left his home by the front door with flash lights, walked to the road and turned right and walked approximately 100 feet to where the creature was seen. Ben's road is narrow, with few neighbors in a forested area. While walking to the seen Ben was noticeably excited and kept looking around. By checking back at the angle of his home he identified the crossing point, approximately 30 feet shy of the next two driveways on either side of the road. Approximately 130 feet from the window he viewed the creature. A very small building similar to an entry post of a military entrance at the neighbors’ driveway helped Ben to identify the sighting location. I tried to see with my flashlight if any footprints existed at the edge of the road on both sides and up both driveways. Being careful of our steps, no footprints of any kind were seen. The edge of the road was muddy. The forest among the houses in the area has lower brush and foliage, including many ferns. Several ferns were noticeably broken at the roads edge but couldn't be identified as "fresh." After estimating distances and locations, we returned to Ben's home.
It is my opinion than Ben saw what was described above. Ben does not have a history of embellishing stories, although teenagers are probably more demographically probable of making up stories for attention.

-Rob Gracie

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