Prospector has possible morning encounter on east side of Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation witnessed in Humboldt County, California

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In 1978, I was alone and gold hunting up behind the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation. I had to take a side trip across the mountain to avoid some heavy snow and brush. I found this trail that was going up the mountain, where their were large steps in the trail that were throwing my climbing stride off. At this point, this side of the mountain, that I was on, was bald and it was open ground with no trees or brush close by to hide behind. Suddenly, I had this very bad feeling. Then the hair on the back of my neck stood up straight up! I never had that happen to me before or since. I believe this happened for no other reason except fear. I then left this out of stride trail. Actually, I ran off the trail feeling terrified of something that was coming down this same trail. I only got a short way off, when I went down on my knees and covered my face and eyes with both hands and tried to hide. At that moment I heard an animal on two legs come down the trail, a few yards from me, it stop an...