An account in Buncombe County, North Carolina

in the fall of 1986,i was driving up a mountain road near barnardsville n.c. the road turned to dirt and gravel about half way up it.about 35 to 40 feet after i dropped off the pavement,i noticed something standing beside a big tree.at first i thought it was a bear maybe scratching itself on the tree,but as i got closer it didnt run off.i've drove up on bears before and they always ran off.except this animal didn't run,it just kinda of watched me go by.it was about dusk dark and i really couldn't make it out that well. it stood on its legs upright like a man.it had long darkish hair hanging from its arms and legs.its head came to kind of a point at the very top of its head.if i had to guess i'd say it stood between 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 feet tall and weighed between 400 and 500 pounds.it turned its head kinda watching me drive by.i hit my brakes but was already passed it,so i went on quickly to the end of the road and turned around.i drove back down the road and as i neared the tree i slowed down and rolled down my window,determined to see what this was,but it was gone.i could not bring myself to get out of the car and inspect the area.at least not then. i went back the next morning to look for tracks.as i went up the road i saw people coming down it.i saw one of my friends and he was waving me to stop from his open window.i stopped and asked what was going on? he said the road was blocked.the big tree in the bend had fell across the road.i didn't know at the time til i got up there,that it was the exact tree that thing was standing beside.they were some folks with chaunsaws cutting the tree out of the road.in doing so obliviating any tracks there may have been.