NABS Investigator; Richard Hucklebridge
I spoke with Adrian on the evening of the 24th of November where she related her sighting to me. I found Adrian to be a highly intelligent and trustworthy lady! We came to the conclusion that we should try to not reveal the exact location where this sighting took place; mainly for the protection of the Forest People.
There is an underlining theme in this report besides just being a plain old sighting report; where I believe that this encounter needs to be read, especially by female outdoor ladies who want to take to the wild areas by themselves. I will give you my take on what I believe this underlining theme might possible be, but I am thinking that most of you will figure it out when you read the following report of Adrian’s! Continued below is Adrian’s Report!!
Adrian’s Report to the NABS Organization:
A little bit of background, my husband and I are from Raleigh and we wanted to move to the mountains for a change of pace. We decided to lease a home by Mt. Mitchell State Park for the hiking and camping in August. Out intentions were that my husband would remain in Raleigh to sell our home while I would stay in a small town close to Mt. Mitchell State Park, and get to know the area. I quickly discovered Mt. Mitchell and the mountain camping area; where I began exploring the trails with my cattle dog, pit bull mix. The main trail is a moderate 3.5 mile trek that I have used since August to exercise my dog and enjoy an easy hike. The season for the camping area was closed on the last day in October. I have noticed though that some hikers still go there and that hunters cruise through as there are places to hunt nearby. I had seen a black bear on that main trail in September, but it left me alone. I always carry bear spray and my dog remains on a lead at all times.
On Thursday, the sixth of November my husband came up with our two other dogs for four days, and we went hiking on a few of the trails I had discovered. We enjoyed the hikes on Friday and while we were on the steep side across from the river, I did something, which maybe set me up for the experience I had, though I do not really know that. I took off a tan, chiffon scarf I had been wearing and I tied it around a bush growing on the side of the mountain as a marker for myself. We both laughed and thought it was funny, but I put it there to tell myself where I was in relation to a special trail which transects the main trail. Remember my scarf as it becomes the most peculiar part of this experience to me. I have never seen anyone on this trail when I have hiked except I do find signs that say it is maintained by a special North Carolina group. We enjoyed our time and came back to do other trails there, and also went up to Mt. Mitchell. My husband left early Monday morning and I continued to take my dog there, but had not done the main trail until I attempted to hike the that trail on that Thursday, the 13th. That is when my encounter happened. I returned home to Raleigh after that and I am still here with my dog helping my husband. We intend to return to that small town this coming Tuesday and perhaps together go for a hike, though I am not really sure if I will be ready.
MY STORY
On Thursday, the 13th of November I put my dog in the car at 1 PM and drove 17 miles from my home to the Mt. Mitchell camping area. It is quite deserted now and a bit chilly, but I crossed over the river bridge and walked around the greens of the campground before proceeding down the main trail moving northbound. We were not in any hurry and I let my dog smell all around as we took our time. The trails there are well groomed, but full of roots and rocks and one must be careful to pick their way through them. I have already sprained my knee by falling over an unseen stump and so I am quite careful on these mountain trails. As we proceeded down the trail, it moves up slightly so that there is a little bit of space between the trail and a river. The foliage is thick on both sides of the trail which makes for a bit of a spooky sensation. I always have my bear spray with me. After moving away from the river I began to hear what I call pterodactyl calls! I know there are no pterodactyls, but it is the noise I associated with them after seeing shows that endeavor to create what prehistoric animals were like. They were sort of screams that a large bird would make one more forceful than the other. My dog and I froze, it sounded like they were between us and the river. I have heard mountain lions before and I have also heard strange noises raccoons can make though the screams sounded too big to be made by a raccoon. At any rate, my dog was sort of whining and I was unsure what I was getting into so I decided to turn around and go back the way I came and simply hike elsewhere. Not long after turning around, about 100 feet ahead of me where the trail turns slightly and slopes downward, I saw something blurry run across the trail. It was brown colored and appeared to be on all fours and I was almost certain it was a bear or a coyote or something like that. What was odd was my dog’s response. He did not want to GO GET IT as he usually does. In fact he sort of whimpered and leaned against me. I put my right hand on my bear spray and took the safety off, but left it in it’s’ holster. I could still hear the pterodactyl screams behind me though they were not continuous but spaced apart. Well, moving southbound was closer to my car and at this point I did not know what was behind me and was pretty sure of what was in front of me and was confident that my bear spray could handle any problems I may have. So, after coaxing my dog on we continued. When I arrived at the place I saw the animal cross the trail I looked for signs of bear or anything and found nothing at all. The trail at that point is like a river bottom, full of rocks and sand and I found no tracks and no broken foliage. I was alarmed and removed my bear spray and held it in my right hand while I shortened Bailey’s lead in case he decided to pull me. We continued and I knew we were nearing the lower Campground just north of the Mt. Mitchell camping area where my car was parked. Everything is more out in the open at that point and I was sure I would be home safe if I could just get to that point. Moving onward for a good fifteen minutes or so I hear another one of the screams go off behind me, but they do not sound as though they are moving toward me. I can now see where the trail nears the camping area and its’ grassy area and that is when, right next to a power line, it steps out and straddles the trail squaring off with me. I froze in sheer terror, but I looked it right in its’ eyes. It had to be ten feet tall at least and it had to be four feet wide as it straddled the trail, my only hope out of there. My 60 pound pit bull, cattle dog mix let out three whimpers and then sat on my boot and began to shake. I looked down quickly and as I did I noticed it had a hold of something light colored in its’ hand, but I went ahead and looked it right in the eyes again. Its’ face had NO expression. I saw no teeth. I saw no movement of its’ face at all, but I can tell you it did not look like a monkey. It looked more human than monkey and I saw no facial hair, but I am thinking it must have had hair on its’ jaw line, because I did not see a jaw line. After looking it in the eyes for a second time, I dropped my glance and asked God for help. Then I began to look at my shaking dog and thought about releasing him from his lead, but I still had the bear spray in my hand and then I did something I used to do as a child when I was in a stressful situation….I began to count…I started at 1 and counted while looking down at the ground. I heard more of the screams behind me again and I knew I was now between whatever was behind me and the Sasquatch in front of me. I do not know what number I counted to, my dog was leaning hard against me and shaking when I heard a slow thump…………thump………thump……I could tell from the sound it was walking away from me. I looked up to see it leaving up toward the mountain and that is when I saw my scarf in its’ left hand. It was a HAND, not a paw, it was a hand. It had my scarf clenched in its’ fist. Again, pterodactyl screams from way behind me now, I pulled my dog, kept my bear spray in my hand and moved forward, made it to my car and left quickly. I arrived at our small town home, packed some things and took myself and my dog back home to Raleigh.
That is my story and it just happened. I have been hiking and camping from California to Maine ever since I was a young girl. I had plans of filming a small documentary of the hiking trails that surround Mt. Mitchell and doing so in sort of a Les Stroud style. I was going to go alone and even do the famous Crest trail and camp overnight while filming with a Go-Pro Hero 4. NOW, I do not know that I will be able to do that. If I do it at all I will have my husband with me. The outdoors and adventure in the outdoors is everything to me, it is my lifestyle. I hope over time this experience will not rob this treasure from me as it has always been my most precious of activities.
Sincerely, Adrian
Here is Adrian’s drawing of what she observed.
NABS Investigator continues:
Ok, here is my take on what was taking place before during and after this face to face sighting! First off Adrian, herself placed this tan chiffon scarf on a bush next to the trail for a marker, and then continued walking trails in that area with just her dog for over a week afterwards! As in possibly showing herself off, where Adrian also has long flowing hair; which is an attraction, especially for those male Forest People! On the day of the sighting which was about a week later, while Adrian was moving from her parked vehicle to travel this one particular trail with her dog she began hearing some very strange prehistoric screeching sounds that were somewhere down the trail in front of her. So, as she continued to moved forward, when those sounds seemed to be getting closer, louder and scarier, so she decides to turn around and was heading back to her vehicle. Well, about half way back to her car she sees something cross her trail in front of her, and whatever it was, was on fours. She had to continue forward towards her car. Then a very large Sasquatch steps out and blocks the trail in her direction of travel, about 75 feet away; where he had her chiffon scarf in its right hand, the one that she had placed in a bush a week earlier and several miles from where the sighting took place.
Please be advised, that our big friends usually never show themselves to humans, not like this. In this case he defiantly showed himself to this lady human for a specific reason; as in I believe that he was smitten by her. I am thinking that this big guy thought that she unknowingly put herself out on the market sort of speak; where I am just thinking like a big guy might… One more reason I am thinking this was the situation, is because of what she said were those prehistoric screams going on behind her; where they were possibly this big guys family members either warning Adrian, and or they were not very happy with her, because she was influencing this big guy into possibly taking her for a mate! The main reason that I can put myself into thinking like one of these big guys is the fact that we have proven beyond any reasonable doubt that these beings are half human and the other half unknown; as in not from this planet!!
I am thinking that Adrian handled this situation in a proper and positive way, because she is still with us!! This sighting was very unique sighting in the annals of Sasquatchery; where we are probably very lucky to have had the opportunity to hear it!!!
Richard Hucklebridge