Email your Bigfoot sighting to RMSObigfoot@gmail.com
"It stopped at the treeline and that's when I got scared,
I mean... f-ing SCARED!"
Mogollon Camp Host Scared Sh*tless by Bigfoot
Phil H writes RMSO
Hi folks.
I responded to one your videos on YouTube the other day.
I was a camp host at a campground outside of Payson Az back in 2006.
At that particular time..I was just a solo camper. The employment came up about 2 weeks later.
You guys seem to be semi familiar with this area, (mogollon rim) based on a couple of videos of yours I've seen.
The campground was off of route 260 east of Payson Az. About 25 ish miles?
I forgot the mile marker.
The surrounding area includes Little green valley, Christopher Creek, Tonto village, haigler creek, bear flat and a few others. You might know the area.
Anyway...long story short..I was allowed to set up a camping space early in April due to a couple of very understanding employee's.
The didn't officially open at that time till late May if I remember correctly.
I had my choice of camp spots as I was a regular for a few a few seasons before that time.
The people who ran this campsite
(Ponderosa) recognized me, and allowed me in early to camp there, as I am a very responsible camper.
I've also hunted for elk and turkey in that area. (Since they changed the draw system)
At that time, I was running to the forest to be alone due to a marital situation at that time.
Took time off of work for a couple of weeks to run to my sanctuary, and try to get my head straight. Tonto forest on the rim.
Long story short..I ended up being employed as a campground host at the Sharp Creek campground in June.
I was originally camped out at Ponderosa.
The things that happened to me occurred while I was camped out at Ponderosa campgrounds when I was just a regular nobody camper.
Since it was so early in the year...there were only two of us in the campground at that time.
The brand new camp host (who I became best friends with)., and myself.
He was a single guy who had just been through a divorce himself and that's why he took the job.
Same reasons as me, but he was getting paid for it, whereas I had to pay. Lol
Anyway..it was him and his amazing chocolate lab dog named Coco.
So...one night, I think it was the first week of May..on, I think it was a Tuesday night..a full moon. I think.
I was sleeping in my tent.
I was awakened by the sound of rain or hail on my expensive nice tent.
There were no clouds and no rain though.
I know the weather can change quickly up on the rim but, I was confused.
I laid back down to go back to sleep.
Two minutes later...same thing!
Sounded like huge raindrops or hail on my tent. I stepped out to find a bunch of smaller rocks around the perimeter of my tent that weren't there before.
Now I'm up. Now I'm pissed off!
I got up very quickly and looked out the fly. No rain, no hail, no clouds. Bright moon. Nothing wet. Beautiful night.
10 seconds later, I heard the loudest, longest scream I had ever heard.
It sounded like a 100 foot tall woman being stabbed to death or something.
It was VERY loud!
I mean, LOUD to where I could feel it in my bones!
It was VERY long!
About 10 seconds maybe.
It was 2:05 am.exactly.
I know this because I had just bought a Timex indiglo watch that I loved, about 2 days before that,at the Walmart in Payson.
I was really pissed off, thinking it was a mountain lion or fox or something that caught some prey.
I know they're sounds through experience.
This wasn't that!
I got dressed and started walking to where I thought the screaming came from.
I walked down about a 1/4 mile down a dirt access road that was gated off to vehicle traffic, at the very end of that loop. I was armed with my holstered 38 and a pretty nice hatchett.
I just wanted to chase away whatever it was that screamed so loud, so I could go back to sleep, as I was tired and weary.
I walked quickly down that road not being careful at all of my fast walking sounds on the rocks and dried pine needles crunching under my steps.
I was pissed off!
I was intensely looking and listening for any sound at all besides my own footsteps.
Keep in mind, although it was basically a full moon the way I remember it....it was night light...i could only see mostly shadows and angles of the landscape that didn't allow me to get the real view.
I looked for mostly horizontal movement as much as I could see, as that's what us forest people learn to look for.
About 2 minutes later..I hear the exact same scream again, but only closer and louder. I was very, very scared now
Maybe 50 yards to my three o clock?
(I was headed south)
All of a sudden I saw an outline of something scampering across the road about 30 ish yards from me.
All I caught was about a 2-3 second glimpse of it from side to side.
It stopped at the treeline and that's when I got scared.
I mean... f-ing SCARED!
Thought it may be a really big bear.
We have small black bears up here.
Small 200 lb Black bears don't get get to be seven or eight foot high.
I turned and ran back North to my tent as fast as I could without stopping.
Keep in mind I was about 47 or so years old!
I'm in good shape for my age but I was scared shitless!
Never even thought about my .38 even though it was flapping against my leg all the way back.
I dropped my hatchet at some point so I could run faster, and never did find it.
I don't even remember running on the road.
All I could think of was Coco..the dog...
I was actually yelling out loud, 'please help me Coco'.... Come!
( My buddy's dog a 1/2 mile away)
She was barking her head off but she was tied up. She couldn't help me.
That was probably the worst part.
She heard it too.
i can't tell you how much I was hoping she would break loose, and come to my rescue! She didn't.
I made it back at about 2:30 but I didn't sleep that night and the next 2 nights.
I know what I saw.
Laugh if you want to.. I don't care.
There's a lot more to the story but, I'll only mention it if someone happens to ask.
Just saying...be careful on your trips to the rim, looking for this thing.
It's something you want to see till you actually do.
Then, not so much maybe.
Thanks for the reply.
Sorry this response was so long.
That's only half of it
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Phillip H
RMSO Responds
Appreciate hearing about your encounter.
7 to 8 feet tall. Agree even the biggest black bears rarely get over 6 feet tall.
Did you get a good look at its shape or see it walking bipedal?
I know it was at night, but I always ask.
Could you make out any face features or see the eyes?
Phil H
I only saw an outline of something really really big, for about maybe 3 seconds.
No facial recognition.
It was a full moon, but everything was shadows and shadow angles.
It wasn't a damn bear.
That's why I thought it might have been a huge man.
The stones it threw at my lonely tent is what scared me.
You have to understand...I was sleeping.
The stones thrown on my tent woke me up.
I didn't know that at that time.
I thought it was hail or big raindrops.
There was an older woman that pulled in towing a travel trailer about 2 nights previously and asked if she could park there. We were telling her we werent officially open yet but after she explained why..we said ok. Just lay low.
She paid for two weeks (14 days,) as she was
running away from her kids wanting to put her in a old folks home, so we took her money and let her stay.
Her story made us want to help her, like a cool grandma or something.
That made three of us in the whole campground.
We talked to her for about 10 minutes.
She was allowed to pull In and set up cuz she was just a nice old lady and we felt sorry for her and wanted to help her.
She parked her rig at the very last camp space on the very last loop and was almost invisible to any traffic all by herself .
When I heard that screaming,my first thought was if she was ok
I went there about 5;00 am cuz I was obviously up and wanted to know if she was ok. She was up all night too.
She said she aint saw or heard nothing in her life like that and she was actually more mad than scared..
She said she saw something she never heard of seen before, and asked me to help hitch up her rv to the hitch
I did.
I asked her if she knew what happened last night or did she see anything.
She said "I saw and heard the whole thing, and I ain't sayiin nothin'
I gotta go now Mr . Phil.
I ain't coming back.
You keep yer money".
I felt bad for her cuz it seemed like she was mad at me.
She was gone by 6:00 am.
My only witness besides the dog was gone and I never heard back.
BTW..I did report it cuz campers were coming up in June.
I was told by by boss lady it was just a bear and don't talk about bear actiivity with campers.
Wasn't a damn bear.
I saw about 50% of it's face.
Was human but not.
Only huge faced. And hairy.
And loud!
VERY loud!
It is hard to explain.
It was dark due to shadows in the bright moonlight.
Moonlight isn't always a good thing.
Almost like camouflage weirdly.
I have two other weird things that happened on the rim
Also...just to let you know..I used to tease people that believed in Bigfoot.
I don't anymore.
People I know tell me they wish they could get a job working in the forest for a year.
I just laugh a bit and don't say anything.
It was crazy and I can't stop thinking about it.
Be careful when you visit the rim.
Especially at night.
It can be a great time..
Or sometimes, it can literally scare the shit out of you.
