Yesterday, May 8, 2016 myself and Brad Trent took a trip up through Mystery Valley which lies between Harrison Lake and Lake Chehalis.  I had heard, third-hand, about loggers reporting the finding of 18 inch footprints in and around their timber operations a week earlier.  No details or names, and a very vague location was given but we decided to head up for a look around, any way.

Last year, the west side of Harrison Lake was devastated by an enormous forest fire; the area of which we had to travel through to get to Mystery Valley.  This was my first chance to take a look at the damage with the winter snow gone.

On our way up, at the 9 kilometer point, the forest service was fighting another fire with men and helicopters with water filled sling bags. This time they seemed to have gotten control of things before it got too big.

We stopped at the spot of my  own possible sighting of a Sasquatch in 2004 which I thought was very revealing with all the thick under brush now gone due to last years fire? See photo below…

The upright figure I spotted in 2004 crossed this cut line right at the top of the ridge, to disappear in the trees on the right hand side; it was about 5 seconds in duration.

In this May 8, 2016 photo the trees are burnt due to the forest fire of 2015 and all of thick under brush is gone. Yet, already the green is starting to return as nature repairs herself. Every time I past this spot I wonder: what was it I saw in 2004?  Large man or a Sasquatch? It had to be one or the other.

Going through Mystery Valley, I stopped to check out a drainage area where in the past I have found many wildlife tracks, as well as human.  No Sasquatch prints yet but checked it out any way – just in case.  This time still no Sasquatch tracks but did find the pug marks of a large black bear.  See photo below…

Near the north end of Chehalis Lake, we followed along a logging road which was recently reopened.  I had been down this road before but it was so overgrown and neglected that only a few kilometers could be explored.  Today, we got about 12 kilometers in before reaching the end of the line due to an old bridge which was washed out.  See below photo…

We did meet two loggers who were filling large water tanks from a creek but they  had no knowledge of any strange footprints being found by any of their guys in recent times.   All in all it was a nice trip.

But once again no prize at the end of the line.

Thomas Steenburg