Around late July in 2017 or 2018, a group of four friends from Colorado—Billy, Chuck, Dennis, and Maria—set up a large two-room blackout tent on a gravel wash in Rainbow Basin, situated at the northwestern corner of Lake Nerka within Wood-Tikchik State Park. After encountering deep, sub-audible grunts that physically vibrated their folding chairs and a series of sharp, crisp whistles that closely shadowed Dennis and Maria during a walk, the group constructed a wide 50-foot perimeter using fine fishing lines rigged with 12-gauge shotgun shell proximity alarms. During a rainy midday nap, small rocks continuously pelted one side of their tent. Chuck investigated with a shotgun, catching a glimpse of a dark brown form in the brush that immediately triggered one of the alarms, causing a deafening explosion as the entity barreled away like a freight train.
Soon after, a sharp whistle emanated from right behind their tent; the group turned just in time to watch a massive brown figure, roughly matching the height of the 12-foot background alder trees, retreat into the willow line. As night fell, the terrified group huddled around a bonfire in a defensive formation passing a bottle of whiskey. Suddenly, a hellacious, low-and-high-pitched hybrid scream erupted, forcing them to cover their ears. Seconds later, they observed glowing eye-shine reflecting from the firelight high up in the brush just 40 feet away, prompting Chuck to fire a warning shot into the air.
Before dawn, the entity pestered them by perfectly mimicking Chuck's highly distinct, loud laugh from the shadows. The harassment continued into the morning when a small pebble struck Chuck's aluminum coffee pot right as he set it down, and another hit Billy's shoulder as he reached for a rifle, accompanied by brief silhouette sightings of the creature darting away at extreme speed. Paralyzed by panic, the group packed their gear and endured a grueling 10-mile hike down to the Joe Creek cabin at Ott Bay, constantly feeling pursued by rocks and whistles until the safety of the beach area was reached.
