BFRO #13063: Train engineer reports track find and vocalizations on Stevens Pass

📍 Location

📝 Description

I work for BNSF railroad. I am an Engineer and have been working the Stevens Pass run for over 10 years now. I have heard many noises at the top of the pass over the years. I never said anything publicaly except there is a few of us that have experianced incidences and keep among ourselves. The 3 weeks since the snow has started to fall the noises are starting again. Today as I was pulling my train out of the siding I saw an odd foot print and thought some one slipped and that's just a big hand. Then the train went another 100 yards over a bridge and again saw a more clear indication of what it was. Large long finger like foot with a open toes spread. I am a experianced hunter and have traveled to B.C. to hunt moose and trophy bear. In my home is a 7' black bear and this print don't even come close. I have seen a grizzly tracks in the wild. There were no claws! The train was moving about 6-7mph account coming from a stopped state. There were a total of 4 tracks. Spaced very...distant. I would see one then a ways saw another. It must have been walking down the middle of the tracks at one point. These were fresh and clean. I wish I stopped now. But,I can't stop the train and my conductor didn't believe me. I got home 2-1/2 hours ago from working over 14 hours and spent time looking on the web for a foot print and found that one from the Idaho site looked so close that it makes me nervous. Thats how I found this site. I have always believed in them and had 2 incidents one a posible sighting and another of one walking next to me on a hiking trip, on the back side of pilchuck mtn. on the walt bailey trail. Early Aug/2001 in a large meadow on our way back to the truck a good 3 miles yet away. It followed me and the dog(ex police dog german shepard, it was my friends and she didn't like me going by myself)The dogs head was in the back of my leg and scared like I had never seen him scared we had been hiking together for over 2 years. This happened for a good 1/4 mile untill I was to the edge of the ravine out of the dense tree/vegitation. I had my 44mag ready and have never been so scared in my life. It wasn't a cougar I have experianced that before it made sounds at me. Howl low tone eech and move making lots of noise, swat at brush. I would stop and look into the brush but to thick and saw something DARK but no outline. My hunting started at age 10 with the neighbor kid his dad had hounds. He was a guide. We participated in programs looking for grizzlys in the Cascade mtns. For the next 7 years I was with them every season for Bear, cougar, bobcat, racoon. This sound was very diffrent and like GET OUT FAST AND NOW. I am sorry to rambell and hope you get something good out of this. Thank you..

🔍 Circumstances

Nope, I was speechless and told my friend over the phone who has also heard the sounds made by them. He was going to check it out and stop and take a photo. But, due to problems on the mountain he never made it over. (ie: taken off the train.)

🌤️ Weather Conditions

3pm medium light, snow was slushy yet firm

ℹ️ Additional Details

3pm medium light, snow was slushy yet firm

🔗 Sources (1)

👥 Community Contributions

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