October 1975 CALIFORNIA

Have been questioning myself for over 40 years about just what it could have been that afternoon. As I got older, I've compared what I've learned by watching nature channels & documentaries, along with visiting zoos & wild life parks throughout north America and Europe. I've been an Army Ranger & combat veteran, traveled overseas through Europe, Asia, Korea, Japan & solo truck driver across the lower 48 & most of Canada from the Victoria island in BC to St. Johns, Newfoundland. This is my story of what happened that afternoon in late October of 1975.

Great apes, lions, tigers, elk, moose, bears, mountain lions/cougars, bobcats, wolves, coyote's even crocodiles, alligators, some lizards, snakes hippo's - all have loud, mean and distinctively scary sounding roars, grunts, howls & hisses. None were ever quite the same as what we heard that afternoon.

I say we, because I was not alone in the woods. My best friend Wes, his older brother TY & their little brother Sean were with me as we foolishly thought to walk home from school instead of riding the bus for an hour or walking the longer & we thought more dangerous way home along the shoulder of the hi-way with logging trucks & camping tourists buzzing passed.

My friends lived on a ranch across the hi-way from my place in a complex of cabins down by the river. All we had to do was cut up along the ridge line in the back of town, then over the top of the mountain & it would be downhill the rest of the way. So we had left school, cut through the back part of town (Happy Camp, Ca.) and started up the ridge line that curved towards a small mountain range that would lead us down to the pastures of my friends ranch.

We talked and joked around as we walked, like young boys do. Having grown up in the northern California wilderness towns (Hoopa, Willow Creek & Happy Camp) we all had been hunting, fishing & playing in the woods and thought we had seen & heard everything there was to see & hear.

Being cautious and alert for rattlesnakes while moving along the ridge line, we were not in a hurry to get to our chores, yet we weren't dawdling either because of the hour. Summer was gone & trees were starting to lose their leave as fall approached. So being alert & careful is just what you did while in the woods.

I think we were approximately 70-50 yards from the top of the range and would soon be able to see the pasture at the bottom of the mountain when Sean & Ty both stopped. Ty said "did you hear that?". Wes & I had been talking and I barely recall hearing twigs breaking or rustling leaves. We all stopped walking and listened, Ty thinking it may be a big deer or something? They often came down into the pasture in the afternoon/evening mingle with their horses & to nibble the grass & drink from the creek along the fence line.

As we began walking again, we were hearing some rustling of leaves farther across the ridge and a bit lower/behind us. then a sound like a bigger branch snapping sounding closer than before. We stopped again hoping to catch a glimpse of the deer. Then an even louder "thunk" before a deep guttural woofing like sound. 

Bobcats and even a bear or two had occasionally come down near town so we tucked it into the backs of our minds and picking up our pace to get up to the top of the ridge. Deer were one thing - a bobcat, mountain lion or bear we knew not to mess around with. Then a deeper howl/growl, (I guess even to this day I can't really place anything like it) loud enough to echo through the hills. That was no lion or bear!

We began running towards the top - Sean being the youngest & smallest of us we kinda began dragging him along between Ty & myself, Wes bringing up the rear. A second howl along with branches & leaves moving towards our direction put us in full tilt scared mode. Sean broke our grip & literally flew over ridge top & disappeared from sight. Wes had caught up & passed Ty & myself. By the time the two of us reached the top of the ridge & Wes, he said he couldn't see Sean.

As we were catching our breath the third & loudest roar/howl sent us down towards the pasture. Just as started down again, Sean popped out of the trees at the bottom of the mountain! He was a good 400-500 yards away and cleared the fence & creek, As I entered the trees. heart pounding so loud in my ears I couldn't hear Ty or Wes as we ran, all I could think was don't look back & please God don't let me trip! Clearing the fence & the creek we sprinted heading towards the house. I could see Sean with his mom on the steps. It wasn't until the three of us slid up to the steps that I realized I could hear again. Sean was screaming to his mom about bears or Bigfoot chasing us along the ridge.

Mrs. B. tried to calm us all down as the four of us jabbered on together. Being mountain raised, Mrs. B. was aware of the possible critters we all knew were in these mountains and ushered us all inside saying we probably scared the bear more than it scared us. We all looked at each other knowing whatever it was, it won the scaring contest hands down. She checked the rifles just in case & we locked the doors then took up watch at the windows while waiting for Mr. B to get home.

After an hour or so, Mrs. B. felt it was safe enough for us boys to go put the horses in the barn. We all said we'd rather do dishes or clean our rooms before heading closer to that mountainside. She said good, us boys could clean up the house bedrooms before Mr. B. got home.When she returned she would start dinner. When she came back in, she said the horses were awfully skittish & perhaps the bear or mountain lion was still around up wind of the barn. It was getting late & she asked if I was staying for dinner? After hearing those howls/growls just up the mountainside, I was all too quick to say no thank you, I had to get home for my own chores. 

I left at a run down their road then a fast walk across the hi-way & to the safety of my cabin to await my parents coming home. Chores could wait 'til tomorrow as far as I was concerned. 

In the following years since that day, I have crossed out animal after animal becomeing convinced that what we all heard was a Sasquatch. No animal recordings or animals in my presence has come close to that deep bass howl that still makes me want to run to this day.

Thank you for your time & the opportunity to finally get this off my chest.

J. Clark