About Me

Below are two first hand accounts of encountering Bigfoot. These encounters happened to me many years ago and are in great part what started me out on this amazing and very educational journey. I do hope you enjoy them.

My first encounter

I was raised in the woods of the Pacific Northwest as was my mother and so on and so forth. I have lived in the foothills of the Cascades nearly my entire life. I played so deep in the swamps that even the little boys would not follow. I swam in the swamps and assembled rafts to explore inaccessible regions; I just had to know what was over there. I played with frogs, snakes and lizards. I caught buckets of perch and catfish with my bare hands. None could rival my frog catching abilities. I am a backwoods girl through and through. I even made a few hundred dollars selling worms to local fisherman when I was in the third and fourth grade (had my own worm farm). I have seen bear, dear, elk grazing in my front yard, cat, and a wide array of other indigenous animals and am comfortable with having them around. Although knowing a cougar is in the area can keep me on my toes. I will not concede to the idea that what I have been seeing is no more than a case of mistaken identity. No way! When I had my first encounter with the Bigfoot I was 16 years old. Hating to admit it, I was skipping school with my boyfriend, Jeff, and believe me Bigfoot was the furthest thing from my mind. Up until that day the Bigfoot was …well, a fascinating creature of myth that I knew very little about. On that day that concept/ life changed. Never again have I entered the woods without the vision of what I saw on that day dancing in the back of my mind.

We had driven as far as we could down an old power line road just outside of Granite Falls WA., and had found a very secluded place to park, literally miles from nowhere. The car doors were open and the music was playing loudly. It had to be quite evident that we were there. We had no reason to be quiet and loud music was just a given at that age. I was looking at Jeff and talking ninety miles an hour, as most 16 years old girls do, when I caught movement from the woods right behind him. Upon realizing what I was seeing I just stopped speaking in mid sentence, I just froze! My boyfriend Jeff seeing my strange behavior turned around to see what I was staring at. He too froze, we both just watched as the Bigfoot came out from the shadows of the woods, right out into the open, crossed the road and vanished as it walked back into the shadows of the woods on the other side of the road! (Those few brief moments will be locked in my mind forever)

No we did not try to follow it; we were 16 and 18 years old! We slammed the doors shut, rolled up the windows, turned the radio off, and tore out of there, fast! Only after we reached the paved road did we start to ask each other "did you see that?" and talk about what we should have, could have done. Neither of us even brought up the idea of actually turning around to investigate our sighting. We continued hastily back towards town in a state of shock and disbelief, yet both of us knowing full well what had just taken place. There was no mistaking what we had seen; the thing was no more then 150 to 200 foot away. It was a full body sighting that lasted in total about 40 seconds, plenty of time to get a good look!

I think the feature that struck me most was the unusual length of the arms they hung down at least to his knees, not to mention it was naked, fur covered and about eight foot tall. It would be absolutely absurd to even suggest that this was a bear or a man in a monkey suite trying to pull off some kind of hoax. We had intentionally secluded ourselves and I mean honestly what purpose would it have served for anyone to dress up in a monkey suite and casually walk in front of us. Oh no this was a Bigfoot no mistaking that and we were both momentarily totally fixated in an eye popping, mind blowing, state of visual shock. Only until hours after the incident did we start to analyze and question what had actually occurred and still both of had no doubt what we had seen was real. It was a Bigfoot, you could just tell. The way it moved and the way it looked, left no room for doubt in our minds that this being was in fact real! It was a Bigfoot!

I have often wondered why the thing didn't just go a bit further down to cross the road, it knew we were there. My goodness, every creature around had to know we were there. It just seemed to be so intentional and stranger than that is it was directly within my line of vision, it was right behind Jeff! No way was I going to miss it! Also the Bigfoot walked not ran. It walked, not hurriedly just walked and did not even turn its head to look at us. It was erect and had a man-like stride and posture with noticeably long arms. It looked like a very large man whose body was covered in ashen or charcoal colored hair. It was so blatant and deliberate in its actions, again I asked myself why.

This entire incident seems to have occurred in slow motion, so completely fixated on the sight of this creature were we both. I will remember that day forever. It's strange how the human mind reacts in moments of crisis. I am so grateful for that life altering day, talk about taking on a different perspective! It was as though I had been changed into a completely different person in those few eternal moments I was to never enter the woods again without a heightened awareness , I keep my senses tuned as they say. I am always aware and always looking for subtle hints of their existence. I have been left with very little choice in this matter to deny their existence would be ridiculous and a fallacy. My experiences scream to me the undeniable truth; Oh yes they are real!

I tried earnestly to share this mind boggling encounter with my parents. They listened intently but offered no explanations; instead they found it entertaining and would actually tease me about it. I knew they met no harm but I just couldn't help but feel somewhat resentful of their mockery. I had to find answers and my own back yard, secure and peaceful as it may have been offered me nothing; I was going to have to look else where. I would search long and hard for years to come. The answers did at long last come and they have superceded anything I could have imagined.

I have had many encounters in this area including the only aggressive display I have ever witnessed. It actually frightened the day lights out of me I stopped spending the night there even though I had been doing so for about 10 years prior to this incident.

To include the only aggressive display

On this particular trip I took the wrong person (wrong attitude wrong smell) who happened to have a rifle and found this area to be a perfect place to do a little target practicing. Honestly this irritated and offended me and looking back on it I can clearly see why this absolutely frightening incident took place.

The only way in was by foot. We set up a base camp and took out each day. This particular day we had gone up and in quite far. We hiked to the back of the mountain lake we had made base camp just below and then followed a creek bed through a narrow and heavily wooded canyon. You could tell that this canyon did not receive very much direct sunlight, the ferns were enormous and the entire area was very moist even in the summer.

About a mile back, this canyon creek trail has another creek joining from the east. Following this creek to the base of a steep incline we came to a boulder cave. There were remnants of an old fire pit and what appeared to be a half petrified stack of fire wood although it was probably from the 1930s when they logged this area by mule. Continuing up we found our selves at the foot of a very large water fall. I found the waterfall to be very misty, cool, and refreshing. From that point on the terrain was very steep; we had to travel in a switch back pattern and jump about 600 feet in elevation rather rapidly. Right at the very top there was about a five to six foot ledge going straight up and very tricky for a 5"2 person to maneuver (I looked for tree roots to pull myself up).

Once over the ledge and at the top we walked along the creek, up and back into some of the most spectacular forests I have ever seen. There were downed old growth logs that lay across each other and across the creek. They were covered with a lush green moss and were so large that they formed a soft green cave like effect over the glistening crystal clear creek below. The creek bed was splattered with rays of light that illuminated the entire area. The light traveling through the breaks and openings of this wonderful menagerie creates an environment all of its own, it's beautiful. It was easiest to travel on the upside of the creek. We continued to follow the creek back into the midst's of a moist and dark pristine forest. The trees were very old and very large. There was very little undergrowth with the exception of sword ferns and a few odd shrubs.During this entire time Wade would occasionally stop and fire a few shots at random targets (stumps, birds, and what have yous).

Eventually we decided to go back, and about half way back out we started to hear something following us. We paid little attention to it until it started to become more then obvious that it didn't care if we heard it or not! At this point we forgot about traveling in switch backs to get down. We both hit the gravel slides and scooted down half standing and half squatting as we went. Reaching the bottom we scrambled through the brush towards the edge of the lake. Once reaching the lake we made our way through the boulder field and started to work our way back to camp, which was located just below the lake next to a 200 foot water fall, placing us only about two miles from the nearest road. Even as we hit the clearing of the lake it kept following. Because of the narrow and steep terrain it had jumped up above us and was now traveling parallel to us, up on the ridge above. We stayed as close to the edge of the lake as we could while steadily making our way back to camp. Once we made our way to the opening of the lake we were able to hit some old trails and made very good time getting back down to camp. We had made it back and still upon arriving the camp brought no sense of security. Although back to what should have been the safety of camp I was still very nervous and my little dog was also obviously distraught as well.

It was just starting to get dark and we quickly proceeded to make a fire. The entire time my dog, Shama Lynn, kept standing at the edge of our camp site staring into the woods and growling, not barking, just standing there with a low growl. Talk about a weird feeling. Being satisfied with our fire and our fire wood supply we both sat down on a large log, neither of us saying too much, only trying to quiet the dog so we could listen. We could just feel we were being watched and in our minds the dogs actions absolutely verified this.

It was no more than 5 minuets after sitting down when one of the biggest frights of my life happened. From behind me, the direction of the falls / lake, a very large log came flying at us, heck it was a tree! It came right towards us and hit the large cedar tree we were sitting next to. That log hit the cedar tree so hard that it shook the roots in the ground! I literally felt the ground move. My friend went for his gun and I stopped him that is why they are mad at us don't fire that gun off! You may really upset them, don't do it! Reluctantly, very reluctantly he agreed he did however pull the gun up next to him and checked to see if it was loaded. "I just want to make sure just in case we need it" he told me, I agreed but was still a bit irritated about that thing. Not saying anything to him but in my mind I was blaming him and that gun for our situation.

We both knew without question whatever had thrown that log had to have the strength of five men and I am sure he too was questioning if the gun would even be powerful enough to stop whatever had thrown that log. I don't think I have ever been so frightened in all my life (Frightened but in an odd way I somehow just knew we were going to be ok). There was very little we could do at this point to remedy our fear or our situation. It was dark and the way in was treacherous even during the day, it was safer to just stay where we were. I guess we could have lit out through the woods in a mad attempt to reach the road or the closest farm house but that would have meant leaving the fire and entering the night blackened forest. No Way! We just scrambled around the fire adding more wood and attempted to come to some kind of conclusion on what could have done such a thing. All the while I knew, I knew it was the Bigfoot and I knew that they were not happy. We had upset them and they certainly let us know about it. I had told my friend prior to our trip what I had experienced in these woods but I don't think he believed me up until that point.

I think he may have been even more frightened then I was. The harsh reality of what I had told him about the Bigfoot being in this area had hit him and hit him hard. After about twenty minutes of chaotic scrambling around the fire we sat down and I started to give a more in depth explanation as to what I had been experiencing in these woods. Let me tell you he was all ears and asked many questions. Questions I had no answers for. He wanted to know what they were and I couldn't tell him for back then I didn't know if they were a type of man or some kind of unknown ape, I had no solid opinions back then,although I did lean toward some kind of giant monkey / ape.. He wanted to know if they were going to hurt us and again I couldn't tell him. It's kind of strange but somehow in the back of my mind I knew that we were going to be alright but could not bring myself to say it out loud,don't think he would have put much weight in it anyway , not at that point.

We sat there talking quietly and listening intently to every sound that whispered through the darkness. It was astonishing how much we could hear our senses seemed to be heighten we heard sounds, subtle sounds of the forest that we had been oblivious to the nights before. We heard every cricket and every frog why even the wind sounded different this night. Fear has very powerful effect on the human senses that's for sure, I became stronger and he became weaker. Not in the physical sense but in the ways we each dealt with this very frightening and helpless situation. Although frightened I remained somewhat calm, my friend however had by this time broke out in a cold sweat and was having a hard time holding any kind of rational conversation.

What a way to be introduced to the reality of these people! Thank God I had dealt with those dilemma years before. We sat there on the ground right next to the fire and next to each other, me holding my dog and Wade stoking the fire, talking in whispers ,listening and watching.

About an hour went by with no incident but the dog did not stop growling although her growls were much lower and less frequent. We had no flashlight, the batteries were dead, and we only had a lantern for light ( plus the light given off by the fire). We just sat there talking and watching the woods but not being able to see much further then just outside the fire and lanterns illuminated perimeter. Then there it was! "Did you see that?" we both screamed, "something just ducked behind that tree!" The thing was no more then sixty foot away from our camp! We grabbed the lantern and tried to shine it towards the tree but did not leave the camps edge. Seeing nothing, Wade grabbed for his gun and this time I did not stop him. He immediately fired off a few rounds. Now as much as I hate to admit it I was very grateful for that gun right about then and had no problem with him firing it off;For at this point I did briefly question my prior sense that we were going to be alright , that thing was close very close! I think it actually helped for there were to be no more incidents after that. Well it was nothing but a wide awake mad scramble after that, keeping the fire built high and waiting for day break so we could get out of there. That is exactly what we did too. As soon as it was light enough to see, we left all of our stuff and got the hell out of there. We left the tent, ice chest, sleeping bags and all, only to return hours later with friends. We gathered up everything as fast as we could and once again made a speedy retreat. A lesson well learned! Never take someone who is gun happy (wrong intent / wrong smell).

It took me about ten years to muster the courage to stay the night up there again. I would go in for day hikes but always made sure I had enough time to make it out before dark. This incident took place over twenty years ago and since that time I have had no other acts of aggression displayed.

The above picture gives you an idea of just how steep and rugged this area is.The arrow is actualy a refection and it points the way to the back falls the same area we were followed out of.

And this picture taken there around 1993

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Contact Information

Pearl J Prihoda / OSAReal.com

P O Box 1186

Orting WA 98360

OSAReal@aol.com

King James Bible
2 Corinthians 4:18
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.