Sasquatch Chronicles – Bigfoot Encounters

Episode: SC EP:1222 The Fort Lewis Training Incident

Date: January 18, 2026
Host: Robert
Guest: Adam (former service member, Washington state)

Episode Overview

This episode explores two personal Bigfoot encounters experienced by Adam, a former service member, in the dense forests around Fort Lewis (JBLM), Washington. First as a child alongside his father, and later as a soldier during a late-night training exercise, Adam recounts eerie and unnerving experiences which have left lasting impressions. The episode contextualizes these events within the region’s long history of Sasquatch sightings and ponders the enduring mysteries and potential natures of these elusive creatures.

Key Sections and Discussion Points

1. Introduction and Listener Audio (00:00-06:21)

• Robert introduces the prevalence of Sasquatch reports and a teaser about a special upcoming project.
• Plays unusual audio clips received from a listener in Virginia, analyzed (dismissively) as an owl by ChatGPT.
  • Adam: “It’s not a dog. Just coming up that valley.” (04:23)
• The main segment begins—a conversation with Adam who has two Bigfoot encounters in the Fort Lewis area of Washington.

2. Adam’s Childhood Encounter by the Nisqually River (07:06–11:05)

Setting: Summer 2006, Nisqually River near Fort Lewis.

• Adam and his dad go fishing; Adam, about 9, waits by the riverbank.
• He describes a lurking, breathing presence behind him:
  Adam: “I see what looks like a bush…moving a little bit, like breathing. Eventually I see this eye…the size of a dollar coin…bloodshot red.” (08:18)
• Terrified, Adam insists they leave.
  Adam: "As soon as I saw it, I freaked out... I was like, dad, we gotta go. We gotta leave." (09:14)
• His father didn’t witness it but recognized Adam was truly scared.
• Reflection: Adam only realized years later it matched classic Sasquatch reports.

Host Commentary:
Robert notes the area’s long, rich history of Bigfoot activity, referencing reports dating back to the 1960s and even earlier.
Robert: “That area where you guys were at is notorious for sightings...BFRO reports go back to the late 60s.” (11:05)

3. The Fort Lewis Training Exercise Incident (12:01–29:29)

Background and Set-Up

• Fast-forward 11 years (2018), Adam is now stationed at Fort Lewis.
• During a night exercise as a part of a mock village scenario, Adam and friends are essentially role-playing for training Cav Scouts. The location takes them past the very spots Adam visited as a child.

First Signs: The Screams (14:22–17:40)

• As night falls, a powerful, unforgettable scream is heard from the east (toward the Nisqually River).
  • Adam references the famous "Elk Meadow scream" as sounding similar, shaking the group. Adam: "That's freaking... that's Sasquatch." (15:27)
• Soon after, another scream is heard from the west; group realizes there are two vocalizing creatures, increasing their unease.

Visual Encounter and Immediate Aftermath (17:41–27:32)

• Using aging military night vision, they spot movement:
  Adam: “My buddy Proctor…says he sees something moving…to the south of us…this creature, what I believe was Sasquatch, stepped out…then walked west to east. We could see two legs moving.” (18:43)
• The figure covers 500 yards in about 10 seconds—much faster than a human. Adam: “We get inside the striker and just lock it up. We’re not gonna mess with this.” (19:31)
• The group, now inside the 20-ton vehicle, senses something pushing against and scratching the exterior. Adam: “...we can feel something like moving up against the striker, like scratching it…almost like it’s running its nails and then kind of like pushing it.” (22:07)
• They remain inside all night, frightened, unable to see outside effectively due to poor equipment and darkness.

Daylight and Debrief (23:56–27:32)

• At dawn, they find no tracks because of trampled, dry ground.
• Later, the group discovers they were actually parked at the wrong training field—no Cav Scouts even found them that night.
• Adam alone is open about what he believes, but the others are either skeptical, silent, or just don’t want to discuss it further due to potential ridicule in a military setting.

Memorable Quote:
Adam: “I was telling everybody…that was Sasquatch, definitely. …After, when I would listen to Sasquatch screams, it would make my hair stand up because that’s exactly what I heard out there.” (24:54)

4. Reflections on Military Context and Sasquatch Activity (29:30–42:51)

Discussion on the region:

• Host and guest reflect on how desolate, wild, and uninhabited the training areas around Fort Lewis are, making it plausible for something to remain hidden.
• Robert emphasizes recurring military eyewitness reports spanning decades, even from high-ranking individuals.

Why Not Get Out?

• Adam explains the group’s reluctance to leave the striker vehicle: Adam: “We didn’t have weapons...nobody wanted to get out because we didn’t know what it was.” (30:59)
• The vehicle rocked slightly under the creature’s strength, not violently but significantly, much more than any ordinary animal could achieve.

Military and Sasquatch Reports:

• Both note the lack of any official government interest, despite a wealth of consistent reports.
• Adam shares additional family anecdotes—including one from his father, a helicopter pilot, who saw unexplainable figures during night flights, and personal experiences of inexplicable animal distress (coyotes and dogs) during camping trips in the area.

5. Theories on Sasquatch’s Nature (43:51–47:13)

Host asks Adam what he thinks Sasquatch really is.

Adam’s Evolving View:

• As a child: — “some animal that hadn’t gone extinct.”
• Later: — Possible paranormal entity.
• Now: — “I kind of believe it…I go back to believing it’s like some animal…probably on the edge of extinction.” (44:16)
• Also considers the “human-like” traits and knowledge of environment, possibly related to early humans or something on the human family tree.

Host Perspective:
Robert agrees, noting how many behaviors described by witnesses (tool use, curiosity, communication) seem more human-like than animal.

Adam: “I don’t really see an animal doing that. That’s more like something curious, like using its hands. Most animals are just like freaked out by us.” (47:02)

6. Final Thoughts, Hopes, and Warnings (49:10–50:38)

• Adam expresses a desire to return to the area as an adult, now less afraid and more curious—believing Sasquatch in the Pacific Northwest are less aggressive due to an abundance of untouched habitat.
• Robert cautions: “Definitely be careful if you go looking again.”
• Adam reminisces about searching the forests during work and camping trips, always hoping for another encounter.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the eye in the bush:
  “It was like a body just breathing in the bushes. And then I saw a giant eye looking at me.” — Adam (09:02)

• The infamous scream:
  “That’s freaking…that’s Sasquatch.” — Adam (15:27)

• On the night vision sighting:
  “We could see two legs moving…and it was moving. 500 yards...in like a matter of like 10 seconds.” — Adam (18:55)

• Describing the encounter at the striker:
  “We can feel something like moving up against the striker, like scratching it…pushing it. The suspension is like moving ever so slightly. It’s a 20 ton vehicle…not light.” — Adam (22:07)

• Military reluctance to discuss:
  “If you kept talking about it, they would…write you off as like a crazy dude.” — Adam (35:33)

• On Sasquatch’s nature:
  “I think they’re probably…maybe somewhere along the…genome of…humans…maybe like ancient people…” — Adam (45:32)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Childhood encounter by river: 07:06–11:05
• Setting up the military exercise: 12:01–14:21
• First scream: 14:22–15:27
• Second scream and visuals: 17:41–19:50
• Physical contact with the vehicle: 22:07–23:55
• Reflections on military/cultural context: 29:30–37:43
• Discussion on what Sasquatch might be: 43:51–47:13
• Adam’s closing thoughts and intentions: 49:10–50:38

Episode Tone and Style

The conversation is earnest, reflective, and at times tense but grounded in a soldier’s pragmatic recounting. Adam speaks with authenticity, sometimes nervous but always sincere. The host, Robert, maintains a respectful, intrigued, and at times humorous tone, gently encouraging honesty while validating the strangeness of such experiences.

For Listeners

Adam’s dual encounters—first as a vulnerable child, later as an alert and skeptical adult on military duty—highlight the profound and persistent mystery of Sasquatch in the Pacific Northwest. The episode powerfully communicates both the region’s weight of centuries-old folklore and the present-day unease and awe such experiences provoke, especially among those trained not to scare easily.

End of Summary.