Modern Witness

Derek Randles

Olympic Mountains outdoorsman whose direct 2026 interview recounts an August 1985 encounter that preceded his later decades of Sasquatch research and Olympic Project work.

Olympic Mountains, WashingtonAugust 1985
Location archiveWashington
Profile overview

At a glance

Encounter periodAugust 1985
RegionOlympic Mountains, Washington
Direct visualReported yes
Primary sourceEp. 380 — Derek Randles!
Media / source records1
Encounter & observations

The encounter

August 1985 · Olympic Mountains, Washington

Derek Randles reported encounter

Randles said that in August 1985, at age 20, he and friends hiked roughly eight to nine miles up the Skokomish River trail in the Olympic Mountains and moved several hundred yards off trail to camp. He recalled rocks landing first to one side of the group and then the other, with the final rocks visibly arcing from the tree line. As the group retreated down the ridge, Randles stopped and looked back. He said a large upright silhouette had stepped from the timber and was watching him from roughly 60–100 feet away near dusk, moving side to side. He identifies this event as the encounter that led him into long-term Sasquatch research.

What the witness reported

Source-linked observations

  • Rocks reportedly thrown from a tree line while the group prepared camp
  • Several rocks were reportedly seen arcing through the air
  • Large upright silhouette stepped from the timber
  • Estimated viewing distance roughly 60–100 feet
  • Observation occurred near dusk
  • Figure reportedly moved side to side while watching the witness

Original source ↗

Media

Watch, listen & read

1 source record0 playable here0 transcript located
Audio / podcast interviewAugust 17, 2026

Ep. 380 — Derek Randles!

Bigfoot & Beyond with Cliff and Bobo

Direct 2026 interview in which Randles recounts the 1985 Olympic Mountains encounter that he says initiated his Sasquatch research.

TranscriptProvider transcript available
Open original source ↗
Sources & chronology

Source chronology

August 1985

Reported encounter

Randles said that in August 1985, at age 20, he and friends hiked roughly eight to nine miles up the Skokomish River trail in the Olympic Mountains and moved several hundred yards off trail to camp. He recalled rocks landing first to one side of the group and then the other, with the final rocks visibly arcing from the tree line. As the group retreated down the ridge, Randles stopped and looked back. He said a large upright silhouette had stepped from the timber and was watching him from roughly 60–100 feet away near dusk, moving side to side. He identifies this event as the encounter that led him into long-term Sasquatch research.

Research assessment

Research assessment

Documentary strengths

  • Named first-person witness
  • Specific month, year and trail context are stated
  • Two friends were reportedly present during the rock-throwing sequence
  • The interview provides a timestamped public transcript

Limitations

  • The figure was seen near dusk and primarily as a silhouette
  • The companions’ independent firsthand accounts were not recovered in this pass
  • The detailed public retelling is decades after the reported event
  • Later research experience should not be treated as corroboration of the original encounter