Post by lookoutman7 on Aug 5, 2005 3:25:10 GMT -5
For the last five years, whoever was available as family - we would stay at the rental towers on the
U.S.F.S. rental system. This particular 4 day...3 night
stay involved July 29th to August 1st 05. This Lookout
is on a concrete-block base, with one flight of stairs
going up the east side. On this particular visit, my wife
Rosemarie, and son Adrian, are with me.
The location of this Fire Lookout is approximately 12
miles from the Canadian border, and about 14 miles
S.W. of Eureka, Montana, as the crow flies. (We crossed
at the Port of Roosville.) Lake Koocanusa sits below the
tower just to the east. It is 'Webb Mtn. Lookout.'
This all began on friday, around 6:00 p.m. Wanting to
take an initial picture just west of the tower, I heard a
loud single knock on a tree just to the south. Two minutes later, a second single knock came. The sky was
clear, the weather hot and excellent, a light breeze
coming up from the forest. On my way back to the
tower, I began to smell something different. Not like a
skunk, but a distant odor of maybe rotten eggs. I see
Adrian standing on the catwalk's west side, and before
I say anything, he asks me if I smell something funny?
I found this interesting, because he was catching the
same thing.
A few minutes later, we wanted to explore a ridge west
of the tower. It seemed to be an excellent place for a predator, such as a bear or cat to sit. It was shelved
somewhat - and the area below we thought, would be
a great place for deer to come up. (They did just that -
every day.) Adrian was presently near the edge, with
myself about 40 feet away - I had my back to him. I hear
the tail end of something from the south - he heard the
whole thing. When I reached him, he had goose bumps,
and tears in his eyes. He asked me if I heard that? I
asked him what it sounded like? He told me, it was like
a woman's high-pitched scream. We both felt a little
nervous, so we went back to the tower. He suggested
putting a large metal fire screen in front of the walkway
below. We did just that. I figured we didn't need a cat
coming up the stairs. And I didn't want to cry Bigfoot.
As every day there, the deer were there the next
morning, a Buck keeping an eye on everything. A day
in Kalispell, we were back at the Lookout, and went to
bed around 12:00 a.m. The conditions were very dark
at the time, with a clear sky, and the stars seemed just
off the deck outside. A light breeze was present as well.
At approximately 2:10 a.m. - I awoke to my wife's cell
phone beeping - the battery was low. I sat up, and was
going to tell her to shut it down. Within two minutes
time, I heard the padlock on the steel door below us -
it was being fiddled with. From what I have gathered,
the room below is for storing firewood. You have to
walk up 2 concrete stairs on the outside, and stand on
a concrete walk. Then reach up and tamper with the
lock. I wasn't happy, ruling out a number of things that
it couldn't be. Then I could hear something moving
around down below on the rocks - this type of material
makes quite a racket. Much of the area around this
tower is rock.
I immediately woke up Adrian, and asked him quietly...
to listen. I had noticed a beer bottle just to the east of
the tower during the day. Whatever was out there, then
came in contact with the bottle - moving it aside. Then
we both heard the visitor wandering around outside on
the rock surface. While all this was going on, my wife
had been up, and was now sleeping again. I'm sure
glad she felt protected, because we didn't. Adrian and
I watched the catwalk like a hawk. We were quietly
debating what to do about this - we couldn't see
anything outside. We actually put something up against
the door.
Now to the south side of the tower - something was
moving rock, and moving around as well. Very quickly,
it seemed to jump from one level of ground to the next -
maybe 4 feet in height difference between levels of
ground. It bothered both Adrian and I - coming down
with a huge thump - we could feel the damn vibration
inside the Lookout. It continued to move around outside.
I noticed that Adrian, over time, had just fallen asleep.
During this time, I heard what I thought to be a type of
gargle from the throat of something. I again woke Adrian up - he had slept for about 5 minutes. The rocks
were still being stepped on outside, and around us. And
then we received something we couldn't understand.
Something whistled on the east side of the lookout, down below. We both looked at each other. Was there
more than one outside? At that point, we threw out the
window, the idea of going outside on the deck. We
didn't know what we were up against - and I wouldn't
risk loved ones. I was actually telling Adrian at that
time, that those outside, didn't know how many of us
there were. At least hopefully! I didn't think it was men
now, because of the sheer weight that had come down
during that jump.
A quarter-moon came out during all this - this whole
episode lasting almost an hour-and-forty-five-minutes.
With a hint of morning light coming, it disappeared into
the night. What struck me as funny - whatever it was -
seemed to use the rock most of the time to walk on. We
found no tracks that morning. No human tracks, other
than ours. And no large animal.
That morning, I remembered that my wife had read some of the visitors notes and short-stories in the log
books. I left one as well. Some do - most don't I think.
I began to read their stories. These 3 could mean a
number of things.
7-19-03 to 7-20-03: "The dogs barked in the window in
the middle of the night - something was down there -
but I didn't see it."
7-31-03: "Went to the outhouse about 12:00 at night.
When an animal blew and thumped away. There was a
scared woman. Next morning a muley lingered around -
so that's probably what it was?"
July 9th/05: "We came suped up for war, yet ran in fear
of two shiny eyes in the dark that reflected off our
flashlights."
On Sunday, Adrian and I put our heads to the grind -
we didn't want another night of this. We fixed eight
different locations with pieces of cantaloupe - placing
them on raised rock so the little creatures couldn't get
them. Three of these places, I gently smoothed dirt
areas for possible tracks. Trip spots were set up, and
things put up that would slow something down at least.
We timed ourselves in the tower. We could get outside,
and look over the deck with light and camera in 3 1/2
seconds. The night before, we really knew where little
was at the time. We only had hunting knives and bear
spray. (Lucky Americans - they get to carry guns.) Five
large cut logs were placed at the top of the stairs - the
fire screen still blocking below. We did what we could to
hinder anything coming back - even trying to cut off a key escape route. We figured something would try
using the area just to the south - it was the fastest way
out.
Next morning - nothing! One piece of fruit was missing,
but there were deer back. Their prints also moved up to
one of the other traps. Adrian actually asked me that
morning, if something could have watched us set the
traps and bait the area. Smart kid - I'll never know!
Getting back to Calgary on monday, I was still looking
for some answers. I went to the BFRO Site. I played a
number of audio clips for A.J. (Adrian.) The 1973 Puyallup
Washington State clip was his answer - it had a piece in
there that was close to what he heard.
Then I continued with a possibility of any other sighting
in that area in the past. Still with just the BFRO, I came
up with the Lincoln County 1978 vocalization encounter
near Libby, Montana. It's about 25 miles away from the
tower. There was also a note to this witness. In the same area in august of 2004 (they were camping.) They
heard rocks being banged together most of the night.
I have tried as best I can, to give the reader an idea on what has transpired. We will be going up there again. I think a little more manpower will help ease our
worry and tension next time. This was the first Lookout
in five years, that something could actually reach you on the catwalk. The others we have stayed at, had trap
doors on the wooden towers, and the other, a big steel
door that you had to enter through. I'll remember this!
lookoutman(Glen)
U.S.F.S. rental system. This particular 4 day...3 night
stay involved July 29th to August 1st 05. This Lookout
is on a concrete-block base, with one flight of stairs
going up the east side. On this particular visit, my wife
Rosemarie, and son Adrian, are with me.
The location of this Fire Lookout is approximately 12
miles from the Canadian border, and about 14 miles
S.W. of Eureka, Montana, as the crow flies. (We crossed
at the Port of Roosville.) Lake Koocanusa sits below the
tower just to the east. It is 'Webb Mtn. Lookout.'
This all began on friday, around 6:00 p.m. Wanting to
take an initial picture just west of the tower, I heard a
loud single knock on a tree just to the south. Two minutes later, a second single knock came. The sky was
clear, the weather hot and excellent, a light breeze
coming up from the forest. On my way back to the
tower, I began to smell something different. Not like a
skunk, but a distant odor of maybe rotten eggs. I see
Adrian standing on the catwalk's west side, and before
I say anything, he asks me if I smell something funny?
I found this interesting, because he was catching the
same thing.
A few minutes later, we wanted to explore a ridge west
of the tower. It seemed to be an excellent place for a predator, such as a bear or cat to sit. It was shelved
somewhat - and the area below we thought, would be
a great place for deer to come up. (They did just that -
every day.) Adrian was presently near the edge, with
myself about 40 feet away - I had my back to him. I hear
the tail end of something from the south - he heard the
whole thing. When I reached him, he had goose bumps,
and tears in his eyes. He asked me if I heard that? I
asked him what it sounded like? He told me, it was like
a woman's high-pitched scream. We both felt a little
nervous, so we went back to the tower. He suggested
putting a large metal fire screen in front of the walkway
below. We did just that. I figured we didn't need a cat
coming up the stairs. And I didn't want to cry Bigfoot.
As every day there, the deer were there the next
morning, a Buck keeping an eye on everything. A day
in Kalispell, we were back at the Lookout, and went to
bed around 12:00 a.m. The conditions were very dark
at the time, with a clear sky, and the stars seemed just
off the deck outside. A light breeze was present as well.
At approximately 2:10 a.m. - I awoke to my wife's cell
phone beeping - the battery was low. I sat up, and was
going to tell her to shut it down. Within two minutes
time, I heard the padlock on the steel door below us -
it was being fiddled with. From what I have gathered,
the room below is for storing firewood. You have to
walk up 2 concrete stairs on the outside, and stand on
a concrete walk. Then reach up and tamper with the
lock. I wasn't happy, ruling out a number of things that
it couldn't be. Then I could hear something moving
around down below on the rocks - this type of material
makes quite a racket. Much of the area around this
tower is rock.
I immediately woke up Adrian, and asked him quietly...
to listen. I had noticed a beer bottle just to the east of
the tower during the day. Whatever was out there, then
came in contact with the bottle - moving it aside. Then
we both heard the visitor wandering around outside on
the rock surface. While all this was going on, my wife
had been up, and was now sleeping again. I'm sure
glad she felt protected, because we didn't. Adrian and
I watched the catwalk like a hawk. We were quietly
debating what to do about this - we couldn't see
anything outside. We actually put something up against
the door.
Now to the south side of the tower - something was
moving rock, and moving around as well. Very quickly,
it seemed to jump from one level of ground to the next -
maybe 4 feet in height difference between levels of
ground. It bothered both Adrian and I - coming down
with a huge thump - we could feel the damn vibration
inside the Lookout. It continued to move around outside.
I noticed that Adrian, over time, had just fallen asleep.
During this time, I heard what I thought to be a type of
gargle from the throat of something. I again woke Adrian up - he had slept for about 5 minutes. The rocks
were still being stepped on outside, and around us. And
then we received something we couldn't understand.
Something whistled on the east side of the lookout, down below. We both looked at each other. Was there
more than one outside? At that point, we threw out the
window, the idea of going outside on the deck. We
didn't know what we were up against - and I wouldn't
risk loved ones. I was actually telling Adrian at that
time, that those outside, didn't know how many of us
there were. At least hopefully! I didn't think it was men
now, because of the sheer weight that had come down
during that jump.
A quarter-moon came out during all this - this whole
episode lasting almost an hour-and-forty-five-minutes.
With a hint of morning light coming, it disappeared into
the night. What struck me as funny - whatever it was -
seemed to use the rock most of the time to walk on. We
found no tracks that morning. No human tracks, other
than ours. And no large animal.
That morning, I remembered that my wife had read some of the visitors notes and short-stories in the log
books. I left one as well. Some do - most don't I think.
I began to read their stories. These 3 could mean a
number of things.
7-19-03 to 7-20-03: "The dogs barked in the window in
the middle of the night - something was down there -
but I didn't see it."
7-31-03: "Went to the outhouse about 12:00 at night.
When an animal blew and thumped away. There was a
scared woman. Next morning a muley lingered around -
so that's probably what it was?"
July 9th/05: "We came suped up for war, yet ran in fear
of two shiny eyes in the dark that reflected off our
flashlights."
On Sunday, Adrian and I put our heads to the grind -
we didn't want another night of this. We fixed eight
different locations with pieces of cantaloupe - placing
them on raised rock so the little creatures couldn't get
them. Three of these places, I gently smoothed dirt
areas for possible tracks. Trip spots were set up, and
things put up that would slow something down at least.
We timed ourselves in the tower. We could get outside,
and look over the deck with light and camera in 3 1/2
seconds. The night before, we really knew where little
was at the time. We only had hunting knives and bear
spray. (Lucky Americans - they get to carry guns.) Five
large cut logs were placed at the top of the stairs - the
fire screen still blocking below. We did what we could to
hinder anything coming back - even trying to cut off a key escape route. We figured something would try
using the area just to the south - it was the fastest way
out.
Next morning - nothing! One piece of fruit was missing,
but there were deer back. Their prints also moved up to
one of the other traps. Adrian actually asked me that
morning, if something could have watched us set the
traps and bait the area. Smart kid - I'll never know!
Getting back to Calgary on monday, I was still looking
for some answers. I went to the BFRO Site. I played a
number of audio clips for A.J. (Adrian.) The 1973 Puyallup
Washington State clip was his answer - it had a piece in
there that was close to what he heard.
Then I continued with a possibility of any other sighting
in that area in the past. Still with just the BFRO, I came
up with the Lincoln County 1978 vocalization encounter
near Libby, Montana. It's about 25 miles away from the
tower. There was also a note to this witness. In the same area in august of 2004 (they were camping.) They
heard rocks being banged together most of the night.
I have tried as best I can, to give the reader an idea on what has transpired. We will be going up there again. I think a little more manpower will help ease our
worry and tension next time. This was the first Lookout
in five years, that something could actually reach you on the catwalk. The others we have stayed at, had trap
doors on the wooden towers, and the other, a big steel
door that you had to enter through. I'll remember this!
lookoutman(Glen)
