ASO Report #019 – Man has 2 encounters, one with visual sighting

 

→ Type of Encounter:

1. Other: Heavy footsteps heard | 2. Visual Sighting

→ Reported by:

Confidential

→ Location of Encounter: 

1. West of Rocky Mountain House | 2. Long Beach National Park (Tofino), BC

→ Date & Time of Encounter:

1. Summer, 1973 | 2. 1993

→ Details of the Event:

Report #1

As a young man I would often camp with my highschool buddies in the foothills west of Rocky Mtn. House and Nordegg. On one occasion four or five of us had set up camp along the Clearwater River. We camped in an area where the river separated into a few streams, beside a shallow stretch about 20 feet wide. In the middle of the night I awoke to hear heavy footsteps obviously approaching our tent. Although alarmed I remained silent and just listened. The footsteps were irregular, and there was also a stomping sound that immediately made me think this animal was striking the ground with a large branch. The sounds approached to within approximately ten feet of our tent and stopped. I could hear heavy breathing as the animal stood there. Needless to say my heart was pounding. After what seemed like an eternity, but probably really was 15 seconds, the animal crossed the portion of the river beside our camp. It didn’t sound like an elk bounding across the water but very much more like that sploosh sploosh when you walk through a shallow river. The creature took two steps to cross 20 feet and I could hear it walking away on the far gravel shore. I was so petrified I lied there silently till morning. I believe my friends had slept through the entire thing. We looked for signs the next morning but the shore was washed gravel. It was so hard it was no surprise there wasn’t a mark.

Report #2

On another occasion in 1993 my brother and I were driving very early between Long Beach National park and Tofino on our way to Salmon fish. The highway heading east is straight but hilly there. As we created a hill we both saw a huge black fur covered creature about 500 feet down the highway. When I say huge I mean at least 10 feet tall. Our car descended below the rise and we lost our ability to see that location for a few seconds. When we could see further again there was nothing there. We stopped the car where we thought the critter had been and checked for tracks. IThe highway went from pavement to six feet deep sollal and black berries so we couldn’t see any tracks and kept going. Whatever steppod through that brush must have had some long legs and a tough hide. the blackberry bushes were nasty right there. I thought you might find that interesting too.