Oregonbigfoot.com Photo Research Journal
May 24-26, 2002
Lane County, Oregon

Salmon Creek/Black Creek, near Oakridge

The southside of Bunchgrass Ridge, destroyed by the Warner Creek Fire

Pursuant to a tip from researcher Mike Jay, Bob and I spent the weekend in the Salmon Creek/Black Creek drainages outside of Oakridge.

The Salmon Creek area offers an abundance of wildlife... we saw four deer, three rabbits and two female elk. According to a worker at the Fish and Game department we spoke with, the rabbit population has exploded in that area over the last two years and they don't know why. He also said the cougars are everywhere up there.

We spent the first evening on a landing off road 317 up Salmon Creek. Our drive to Spirit Lake was thwarted by the remaining snow.

Saturday, we explored the Black Creek canyon, investigating side roads and trails. We camped approximately 3.5 miles up Black Creek on the north side of Bunchgrass Ridge, the scene of the notorious Warner Creek Fire dispute: (http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/1996/August96/406enr.htm / http://www.cascwild.org/news/News%20Paper%20Articles/Reg.%20Guard%20Helldun.htm)

Our campsite sat at the edge of a 1992 reforested clearcut, about 150 yards from Black Creek. Bunchgrass loomed over our heads, rocky outcroppings and burnt timber adding to the desolation of the area. During a hike through the reprod to the creek, we discovered a small, natural cave beneath an enormous boulder near the creek. Taking this, and the amount of bare rock visible on the mountain above us, I believe it is likely that there are numerous natural shelters like this one in the area.

Near our camp was a small landing. We discovered several deep impressions not clear enough to be categorized as footprints, but intriguing all the same. (Again, we have a very strict criteria for categorizing actual Bigfoot "tracks". Tracks must have all toes clearly visible, or be at least three impressions of substantial length/width/depth and with substantial stride to be considered "tracks". Otherwise, they are classified as impressions and are inconclusive.) There were five or six unclear, though deep and foot-shaped impressions, measuring 17"x6" and approximately 3/4 " deep, in an area where a mud puddle would have existed during the rainy season. These impressions were promising, though inconclusive.

We did not notice any of the mangled vine maples which were so prevalent in the lower Salmon Creek area. It was in this area last year (late summer 2001) that we encountered a strong odor on a group campout. The odor was akin to skunk mixed with feces. Slight movements were heard in the brush.

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Text by Autumn Williams | Photos by Bob Williams