Del Norte County, California
Redwoods, three miles south of Crescent City, March 1997
Closest Rd Hwy 101 - Mill Creek Campground - time: 0100
Two testimonies...
Park Service Rangers at Mill Creek Campground were notified by Kevin Martin.
The area is located approx 3 miles off the California Coastal Highway and down in an area of second growth redwoods that was logged at the turn of the century. The trees here are very large, but the undergrowth is so thick that each campsite is carved out of the woods and it is next to impossible to walk into it without a machete or a saw. Anyone could be standing within 10 feet and you couldn't see them. Through the campground runs Mill Creek, yea round. All the campsites are basically along the creek or at least accessible by the paths.
I only saw his silhouette, but he was 71/2 - 8 ft. broad shouldered, and clothed in some kind of fur or cover. What amazed all of us was his stealth.
We were staying in an empty part of the park as we were anglers and set Mill Creek as our base camp. Each night we would return to the park after salmon fishing on the ocean. My husband and I were alone in our tent and the screen was closed but the flap open. We were on separate cots. I awoke startled and wondered why. I looked over my head and saw the faint silhouette of a large man and smelled a strong odor of what I would describe as a heavy musky animal smell. I reached over to see if my husband was in his cot and he was and I said "KEN!, someone is in our camp." The figure stepped into the deep wood in the very dark night without so much as a branch snapping.
We jumped out of our tent only to be baffled by how the figure went into the deep undergrowth without a flashlight and made no noise. After a bit we calmed down and returned to sleep. The next morning I remember trying to enter the woods through that area and unable to even in broad daylight. We fished the next day and our friends, another couple arrived to fish the next few days with us and set up a tent opposite ours. After relaxing around the campfire and forgetting the previous nights events, we went to sleep. Again I was startled awake and the smell was present, only this time I slowly touched my husband and woke him as I rolled over as in sleep and tried for a better look. The silhouette was there again and I used trees to take an idea of how big it was. The figure was just standing there and looking right at me. I saw him kind of lean toward me like he wanted a better look but not coming closer. Just then Kevin, one of the couple with us yelled out, "Ken, What are you doing?" I yelled back that it wasn't Ken and the figure again stepped into the deep woods and with just a small amount of brush sound, he was gone. We all then proceeded to see if we could find where he went by using our flashlights but the deep growth prevented our getting through!
After a few minutes, I had Ken stand where the figure was standing and I laid down in the cot and at 6' 4", he was much smaller than the figure. We estimated that he was approx. 7 ½ to 8 ft. tall and very agile. The next morning I went to speak to the park people about the incident and they were very nice and said that they have regular sightings on the off seasons. I didn't believe in Bigfoot prior to this incident, but I sure do now! He was watching me, and I don't know how long.
Annie Smith
Fort Jones, California
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REMOTE_ADDR: 209.78.172.59
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Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2000 00:10:39 -0700 (PDT)
Addition to Annie's Narrative...
We were camped as Annie described. The campground was pretty empty this time of year, which suited us just fine. I was awakened in the middle of the night by some movement in camp and got up to investigate, figuring it was a bear trying to get into our stuff. The moon was out and stars shining; it was real pretty through the Redwood canopy. There was a large Redwood tree
centered between our tents and approx 10' or less away towards the creek. As I looked towards the creek I saw a big dude standing there in the shadow of the tree silhouetted against the moonlit gravel of the creek and thought (hoped) it was Ken taking a leak since he's a pretty big guy. He was just standing there, peering at me and the tent nonchalantly. It kind of startled me; that's when I yelled, “Ken, What are you doing?” Immediately, Annie said “That isn't Ken, he's in here,” and as I recall, she came out of the tent. We stood there, side by side, Annie clutching my arm (I thought she was going to break it!), and watched what at the moment we thought was an intruder, turn and walk slowly down to and diagonally across the creek into the woods on the other side. As he stepped out into the moonlight I could see more of its features and especially the dark hairy body and its size. He looked back at us as he walked. I have lived in the woods all my life and have seen lot's of critters but never one like that! It was pretty eerie. By now my wife, Davie, and Ken both got up and we tried to walk down to the creek but it was too thick as she described. I remember having Ken stand next to the tree silhouetted in the moonlight so we could judge the size and it was definitely a foot or more taller than Ken. We tried to find
footprints in the morning but the creek bed was gravel and no sign. In the woods was a thick blanket of needles and ferns on the ground and we could find no evidence there either.
Funny thing about this is that I always thought this was our little secret till I ran into this website. I didn't know Annie had reported it, other than the report we gave to the Park Rangers. I distinctly remember her getting out of her tent but from her narrative I get the impression that she
doesn't recall doing that. (I have a mental image of her wide-eyed look and the pain in my arm.) So I could be mistaken about that I guess; it's been about 6 years since the encounter.
The terrain was flat, fairly open campground area in the creek-bed surrounded by Large Redwood trees, alders, ferns and coastal brush, berry vines etc. Fairly steep hillsides adjacent to the creek and very thick, virtually impenetrable underbrush. The creature was tall (7’+), man like, walking upright and very agile, (not round like a bear), hairy or furry. Park Rangers were notified and we told friends.
Kevin Martin
martins@sisqtel.net
Tuesday, December 9, 2003 at 11:25:33
530-467-5369
REMOTE_ADDR: 208.31.88.31
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