YEAR: 1986

SEASON: Fall

MONTH: September

DATE: ?

STATE: North Carolina

COUNTY: Buncombe County

NEAREST TOWN: Barnardsville

OBSERVED: in the fall of 1986,i was driving up a mountain road near barnardsville n.c. the road turned to dirt and gravel about half way up it.about 35 to 40 feet after i dropped off the pavement,i noticed something standing beside a big tree.at first i thought it was a bear maybe scratching itself on the tree,but as i got closer it didnt run off.i've drove up on bears before and they always ran off.except this animal didn't run,it just kinda of watched me go by.it was about dusk dark and i really couldn't make it out that well.
it stood on its legs upright like a man.it had long darkish hair hanging from its arms and legs.its head came to kind of a point at the very top of its head.if i had to guess i'd say it stood between 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 feet tall and weighed between 400 and 500 pounds.it turned its head kinda watching me drive by.i hit my brakes but was already passed it,so i went on quickly to the end of the road and turned around.i drove back down the road and as i neared the tree i slowed down and rolled down my window,determined to see what this was,but it was gone.i could not bring myself to get out of the car and inspect the area.at least not then. i went back the next morning to look for tracks.as i went up the road i saw people coming down it.i saw one of my friends and he was waving me to stop from his open window.i stopped and asked what was going on?
he said the road was blocked.the big tree in the bend had fell across the road.i didn't know at the time til i got up there,that it was the exact tree that thing was standing beside.they were some folks with chaunsaws cutting the tree out of the road.in doing so obliviating any tracks there may have been.

ALSO NOTICED: the only unusal thing to mention is the tree that was uprooted the next morning this same tree this thing was standing next too

OTHER WITNESSES: i am the only witness

OTHER STORIES: no

TIME AND CONDITIONS: just after the sun went down not light enough to really see well but not pitchblack either not a heavy fog but misty

ENVIRONMENT: lots of creeks criss-cross this area- heavily wooded- lots of deers ,bears,wild turkeys & the creeks are full of trout- abandoned barns and houses

Follow-up investigation report:

The area of the sighting is the western portion of the Black Mountains cluster in Pisgah National Forest, northeast of Asheville. It is mixed forest, dense with pine, hickory, oaks, mountain laurel, and rhododendron. The area is laced with creeks and is swampy in some places.

While driving in the area just outside of the witness's small community, he saw what he believed to be a bear scratching itself against a tree. As the witness approached, he could see that the animal was not a bear. He drove by the animal and turned around at the end of the road to see if he could observe it again, but the animal was gone.

The subsequent day, the witness returned to the site. A work crew was removing a fallen tree from the road. The tree was believed to be the same tree by which the animal was standing.

The sighting lasted about 25 to 30 seconds. The witness describes the animal as being 6-1/2 to 7-1/2 feet tall and up to 500 pounds. The head was pointed near the top, but the point could have been from the hair and not the shape of the skull itself. The hair was a dark red or auburn and was very long. The shoulders were very broad across. Gender could not be determined nor could facial features be discerned. The animal turned as the vehicle passed, apparently watching the vehicle.

The witness is certain this was not another animal nor a joke. In the mid-1980s, there was a small but expanding black bear population in the area.

Due to the poor lighting conditions at dusk and the tree partially obstructing the view, this report is considered a Class B sighting. However, the witness was fairly close to the animal, passing by it at a distance of approximately 20 feet at the nearest point.

I found the witness to be credible.

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