Heather Recalls Childhood Bigfoot Encounter Alongside Family Truck

A creature charging a truck and then standing up in the road to stare down the passengers? That's the kind of encounter that makes you sit up and pay attention, and it's exactly what one woman described in a recent podcast episode that crossed my feed. The story comes from a woman named Heather, who shared her experience from the mid-1980s when she was a sophomore in high school. The setting is Rubidoux, a community in Riverside County, California, right near the 60 freeway. For those unfamiliar with the area, Rubidoux sits in the Inland Empire region and was considerably more rural back in the 1980s than it is today. The Santa Ana River runs through the area, and there were still working ranches and farms scattered around, which makes the location all the more interesting for a sighting like this. Heather and her brother were riding in the bed of their dad's V8 truck on a fall evening around Halloween, heading to youth night at their church. It was just getting dark, probably around 6 or 6:30 PM. They had just passed through a three-way stop and were heading up a hill when Heather heard something that caught her attention: panting and growling coming from her right side. What she saw next was no dog. A dark, lanky figure covered in blackish-brown fur came charging at the truck from a vacant field. Heather initially thought it might be a dog chasing them, something she found amusing at first. But the creature didn't launch at the truck. Instead, it ran around to the back of the vehicle, and that's when things got really strange. As her dad started gaining speed going up the hill, the creature trotted out into the road on all fours and then stood upright. Heather described it as looking like a cross between a werewolf and a Sasquatch, noting she was familiar with the Sasquatch legend but didn't know much about other cryptids at the time. The face had dog-like qualities, and the build was tall and lanky with thick fur covering the body. No clothing was visible. Her brother, sitting on the other side of the truck bed, saw it too. Heather mentioned his eyes were wide open in shock. Interestingly, their dad, who was driving with the windows down on a warm evening, claimed he didn't see or hear anything, though Heather found that odd. One fascinating angle to this story is the skinwalker theory. Heather's brother later suggested that's what they encountered, and the family does have Native American ancestry. For those unfamiliar with the concept, skinwalkers are figures from Navajo and other Southwestern Indigenous traditions, described as shapeshifters who can take on animal forms. The Navajo Nation reservation does extend into areas near the California border, and the geographic connection Heather mentioned, with the 60 freeway heading toward the I-10 and eventually crossing into areas where Navajo lands exist, adds an interesting layer to the story. Heather and her friend went back to the area the next day to investigate but found nothing unusual. The field was a large rectangular plot, kept mowed for fire safety, with no trees or structures to hide in. The road was a simple two-lane paved road with houses scattered around but plenty of open space. What makes this encounter particularly compelling is the aggressive behavior. Most Sasquatch reports describe these beings as elusive and avoidant of humans, but this one actively pursued a vehicle with people in it. The vocalizations, the panting and growling, suggest something agitated or territorial. And the fact that it stood up in the road to look at them shows a level of boldness that's rare in reported encounters. The vacant field, the rural setting near ranching land, the Halloween timing, and the proximity to areas with deep Indigenous spiritual traditions all combine to make this a story worth paying attention to. Heather came across as a credible witness, someone who wasn't seeking attention but simply sharing something that happened to her family decades ago. If this story piqued your interest, definitely check out the full episode. Heather goes into more detail about the encounter, and there are some additional questions and observations that add even more texture to what she experienced that night in Rubidoux.