A listener writes “This took place in June of 2025, around the Appalachia trail. It’s very important to me that I keep my personal identity private. My job has me working with local law enforcement.
One of the first things my wife said to me when I told her the story which I completely understand. Was that telling people about this would threaten my credibility in my professional career.
Which I ultimately agree with. Honestly, I don’t know how to go about this, I’m going to kind of try to keep my story short. That way I don’t end up sending you an entire novel. But I can of course elaborate if need be. Overall this was nearly my entire day.
A little bit about me that pertains to this story. I’ve worked outdoors quite a bit, one of my first jobs had me working with large reptiles and other non-indigenous species. I would catch and relocate. I’ve also done a lot of private security, and like I mentioned currently work with my local law enforcement. In my personal time, love to go hiking and do what’s called Bushcraft and or primitive camping.
For the actual event in question. I have been dropped off by my wife, I do this all the time. The idea is I’ll get dropped off on one day. Spend a couple of days in the woods. Do some Bushcraft do some hiking, and at a secondary location be picked up. I always set up an emergency rendezvous, should anything happen. Since in these situations cell service is almost never an option.
So on this day I had gone out, pretty moderate weather for the time of year. I had hiked out until I found an area that I felt like I wanted to set up camp. So I threw my tarp, started to collect my firewood. And I wanted to go ahead and make sure I had enough water. Since boiling does take some time. So I walked out to this this Little River, the water was running fairly rough. There was even a nice little waterfall.
While I was crouched down next to the river collecting my water and this is where everything actually happens. I heard a sound that I can only describe as a scream mixed with a roar I’ve never heard anything like that before, and I am very familiar with the animals that I would encounter in that area. It sounds fairly absurd, but the sound was so intense that it physically resonated with me. As if I could feel it pierce my very body. My initial reaction was to fall backwards, which happened without me Even thinking about it. It was as if I got pushed.
Because the sound made no sense to me in any rational manner. My immediate instinct was that it was somebody making a joke of me, which of course makes no sense, it was way too isolated for anybody to do that. Not to mention the sound could not be made by a person without technology. So I screamed back in a very threatening manner. The Scream repeated itself and I started to hear banging as well. I’m not sure if that was trees or rocks or what. But the scream was in tandem with extremely loud banging.
So at this point I started to realize I was in a situation that I did not have control over. But I proceeded as though I was being threatened by an animal. Which I suppose I technically was. So I started to walk backwards facing the scream, that was relatively on repeat. Once I had some distance from the river and was sort of back inside the trees, that’s when I sprinted back to my campsite. I gave myself a minute to collect my thoughts, and figure out what I was going to do.
Here is where I first start to feel scared or nervous. Which I’m not ashamed to say, but not to sound arrogant. That’s not really something that comes easy to me, feeling that way. I quickly became overly aware of how quiet it was, and I felt extremely exposed. And the only reason I noticed how quiet it was, was because I could hear walking. I’m trained enough to know what two feet sounds like, and I heard two feet walking in the woods. Again from my life experience I was also able to tell that whatever was walking was pretty big.
I unholstered my sidearm, that I always bring with me when I go into the bush. Just in case I ever need to scare off a bear or a big cat. I grabbed my backpack, kicked out my fire and left the rest of my gear and started to Make my way down the mountain. Again. I’m trying not to drag this out and type an entire novel to you. But the entire way down I could still hear these noises. Walking, grunting, banging, etc.
I had hours to walk before I had cell signal to contact my wife to drive out and get me. So I had nothing but time to think, and other than thinking about the actual experience itself. It had me questioning everything else I’ve ever heard in the woods. Your audience probably won’t like this, but I’m not a believer, I’m pretty skeptical on the matter. But this experience really made me question the matter.
And it made me think of two other experiences that I had in the woods. One years ago. Honestly, I can’t even remember what the year was, I must have been in my early twenties, I’m about 35 now. When I was working a security site up in Alabama, we heard some pretty crazy noises in the woods. And then another time when I was canoeing in the Ocala national Forest, this one my wife was a part of. And we heard something that I can only describe as a freight train going through the woods, and killing a hog.”
Brian L
yeah, the AP through the Smoky Mountains is no joke…. the Squatch run that town at night….
Charles R
There is an old adage that “seeing is believing”. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, Sasquatches are heard many times more than they are seen. And such is probably your predicament.
bernadette r
There’s a spot on the AP trail in Pennsylvania where it’s been rerouted fro “environmental reasons.”
A guy I know says there’s a family of Bigfoot there. I think thats why they rerouted the trail.
Any PA people here? I run Bucks County Bigfoot on Facebook.
Donald P
Hi, I’m in Lehigh county. I moved here from Schuylkill county twenty years ago. My property there backed up to the AT. I wasn’t into Sasquatch at that time so I may have missed any signs.
Where is this section where the family lives?
Bill F
Grew up in PA, Fort Indiantown Gap.. Schuylkill County was my front yard.. Spent lots of days up in the “rocks” on the A-trail as it was close to home. State game lands 211 was the back 40 so to speak. There are plenty of these critters in PA, I saw my first at 11 years old. Several along the A-Trail, they use it too.
bernadette r
And yes, sounds like a squatcch was escorting you out of his area.
Tina M
I know that society has taught us to scoff at such experiences as you have heard, but you seem to be a very critical thinker. I have never laid eyes on a squatch, but I have also studied submitted evidence, and the thousands of testimonies from individuals who risked ridicule and loss of reputation to come forward. The Patterson-Gimlin video was the first evidence that I remember seeing as a small child. It has never been disproven in the 58 years since it was first shot and aired in theaters. It’s plenty to make me consider the very real possibility of their existence. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Linda B
Dont feel bad about not believing before your experience, and thank you for sharing your story with those of us who do believe because of either a similar experience, or something close to it, or worse. Everybody is on a different path, and most of us were not told about these creatures (some were or had experiences). I was curious because my dad said he didnt know if they were real or not after we watched the Patterson Gimlin film. Years later, after he passed, I realized he had probably seen something and wasnt telling us and the best his skeptical mind could do was say he didnt know rather than admit. I will never forget the sight of him and my uncle charging back up the mountain meadow to our picnic spot waving the gun shouting “bear” and telling us to run back to the car. I bet it wasnt a bear. They were avid hunters and fishermen.
I think these things are restrained from attacking Christians because God has rules for the creatures where His kids are concerned, even kids who dont know Him yet and have an experience. God loves everybody, but maybe some people arent afforded the same protection if they don’t know Him.
Bill F
“the Ocala national Forest, this one my wife was a part of. And we heard something that I can only describe as a freight train going through the woods, and killing a hog.”…
LOL.. That is Soooo ONF theres really nothing to add. I spend quite a bit of time in there, the place is corroded with them. Everywhere you go in there there is sign, footprints, structures, vocals, knocks, clacks, bangs, howls.. it is constant. Two years ago I was driving one of the FSRs.. I saw from a distance a van sitting off the side of the road and two people milling around. I rolled the window down and slowed down to stop and ask if they were OK or needed help. The woman walks up to my truck and proceeds to tell me she is a temp worker for the dept of the interior and they were doing a survey on the road use through the ONF to figure out which roads to put funding into. We had a few minute conversation about that. I could tell by her accent that she was from England, i asked her about it.. she explained they do this to get basically a paid vacation to the states.. They have a small trailer at a campground near salt springs that they live in while doing it. She was REALLY excited about the “bears” her and her husband had seen the week before in the campground. ,, because they were so “big”, I asked her how big, she looked at her husband and asked him how tall he was, he said 6’1″, she then told me they were about a foot or more taller than him.. interesting. I then asked her to tell me where they saw them, and they told me the campground where they were staying. She said her little dog started barking and wanted to go out, she opened the door and let him out, then saw a “bear” rifling through the dumpster. Dog barked at it and it turned around, then ran to the treeline, she said as it entered the treeline that another one chased it back out and across the end of the campground, the road and into the woods on the other side. I said “chased?” she said yah it must have been protecting its food source.. I said” so , they were taller than your husband here?” she said, yes at least a foot taller.. I said, “how did they run?” she said… “JUST LIKE WE DO!, but A lot faster!” Ahhhh.. OK. So I told her to keep her camera ready in case those bears came back and she would have some great pics to show back home!
I said a hasty good bye and rolled up the window and started driving.. I looked over at my lovely bride and she looked as if someone slapped her across the face with a dead fish… I laughed, She was dumbstruck that someone could be that ignorant of what a bear looked like, much less thinking they can chase one another around on their back legs, at high speed. She kept repeating… ‘She can’t be serious”… “BEARS??” We still get a chuckle out of it when it is brought up, and wonder if she ever got any pictures of those dumpster bears to take home.