Travis Hill
California, 2011
I left San Francisco on April 3rd and was travelling the 9 hr drive up to Klamath over night and to Willow Creek the next day. I stopped at a roadside gift shop at 2am to take photos of some redwood carved creations when a large deep growl buffeted me from the dark. I could feel the sound in my chest. I stumbled back, dropped my camera, scrambled to pick it up and raced for my rental car. The only light was my headlights.
The closest recording I can match the sound to is the low growl of a polar bear, gator, or big cat. It was deep and low and resonating. Cougars (which would have pounced as they’re ambush predators) don’t have a vocal pitch that low and the largest bears in area are black bears. Didn’t seem like a wild pig sound either. I never saw it but I’ll never forget the noise and the fear I felt. I was able to give a testimony of my account at the Fouke Monster Festival last summer.
Notes:
This “ear witness” encounter took place in Garberville, CA.