YEAR: 1980

SEASON: Winter

MONTH: February

STATE: California

COUNTY: Kern County

LOCATION DETAILS: Freeway 99 into south Bakersfield, east on State Route 119, after crossing Union Avenue, it changes to Panama Road. 2/.10 mile, cross Cottonwood Road, approximatley 1/.10 mile, the sighting.

NEAREST TOWN: Bakersfield, Ca

NEAREST ROAD: Panama Road e/o Cottonwood Road

OBSERVED: My girlfriend (later became wife) and I were traveling on a rural road, Panama Road, e/b e/o Cottonwood Road, that connects the outskirts of Bakersfield, CA, to Lamont, CA, a small town 14 miles outside of Bakersfield.

This area is surrounded by agricultural fields, mostly grape vineyards. I was traveling at approximately 55 mph, that was pushing it for my 65 Mustang, at the time. As we talked, we both saw something walking very fast, almost a slow jog, across the roadway s/b.

I slowed down w/o slamming on the brakes so as not to lose control and try to figure out we were seeing. We saw its right side and back as it ran into the field. The head to the shoulders was slouched. Could not see a neck. Approximately, 6 ft. tall. Long arms, thick legs.

It never looked at us as it crossed. It was extremely dark, almost shadowy but very much real. Appeared to be very hairy. As we passed it, it never looked back. I quickly stopped and began a u-turn at which time my girlfrined yelled at me asking what the hell was I doing? She knew what I was about to do.

I drove back to the location where it ran into the field and hit my brightlights. Did not see anything. My girlfriend was yelling at me to get going so I did. I returned to the area the following day, but it had rained and I could not locate any footprints, too muddy.

My wife will only discuss it if I bring it up, aside from that, she never talks about it. To this day, I have no idea what we saw. I know that it was not a human as we know it, yet I cannot say that it was a complete animal either. I still drive by there once in while and wonder what was it that we saw that night.

OTHER WITNESSES: My girlfriend, became my wife and we are still married.

OTHER STORIES: Have not heard of any other incidents, did not discuss it with anybody.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Approximately 2100 hours, nighttime. Recently rained, muddy conditions. Cold weather.

ENVIRONMENT: Agricultural fields, corn, vineyards, etc... Greenfield Junior Baseball Diamonds just west of the sighting.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Cliff Barackman:

I spoke to the witness by phone on 12/4/05. The following details can be added to his report:

• The witness and his girlfriend lived in Lamont, CA at the time.
• The weather was cold and wet, and the ground was very muddy.
• The creature moved from left to right across the road.
• The creature was described as being between 6 and 7 feet tall, covered in long black hair, with very long arms and a large head.
• The headlights of the car illuminated to about its shoulders.
• The creature had a slouched posture with no apparent neck, much like a “lineman on a football team”.
• The creature’s walk was peculiar. Its legs were bent, and it took very long strides. It moved at about jogging speed for a human, and moved “smoothly” across the road in about four or five steps.
• When the witness first saw the creature, it was about 100 feet away. At its closest, they were only 20 or 25 feet apart.
• The witness thought it might be a person in need of help due to a broken down car or something, but as he approached the creature he saw this was not true.
• The creature was obviously not human due to the thickness of its arms and thighs, the length of its arms, its sheer mass, and its strange gait.
• The witness was a highway patrolman for 15 years, and is now a junior high school teacher.

Lamont is near the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Bigfoot researchers in the 1970's used to mention reports from this region. They mentioned various places in southern and central California with a similar geographic pattern -- orchards and vineyards at the base of mountain ranges. It was thought the bigfoots would come out of the mountains on occassion to feed in the orchards and vineyards at night.

About BFRO Investigator Cliff Barackman:

• Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music (Guitar) -- Cal. State Long Beach
• Professional educator with more than a decade of experience.
• Attended many public BFRO expeditions since 2005 (Redwoods, Sierras, Arizona, Southern California, Vancouver Island, Mendocino).
• Attended and/or led numerous non-public BFRO expeditions (CA: Bluff Creek, Blue Creek, Stanislaus NF; WA: Stevens Pass, Olympic Peninsula, Gifford Pinchot Nat'l Forest; Ohio: Beaver Creek; Florida: Green Swamp)
• Led the 2007 and 2008 California Sierra Nevadas Expedition (public), and the Oregon Expedition (public) in June 2008
• Can be reached at [email protected]

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