Report 20231: Camper Awakens and Sees Two Creatures in the Laurel Snow Pocket Wilderness

This particular incident happened to me about 3 years ago. An event that I had kept to myself for at least a year before I even told any of my closest friends about. Like the majority of people who have an experience like this, the fear of being ridiculed and labeled "nuts" has kept me quiet. Stumbling upon your website and reading other reports prompted me to give my account. Being from the South I have always been active outdoors; fishing, hunting,camping and spelunking. I was on a solo camping trip on the Cumberland Plateau. It was early morning, very dark and my campfire had long been extinguished and my propane lantern was spent. I was asleep in my 2 man tent when I suddenly awoke to the feeling that someone was approaching me. I had strategically set my tent up so that I could see the end of the 40 yard, steep incline that led to my campsite. Sitting up I saw the silouette of a humanoid figure at the top of the trail.(The closet comparison I can make would be similar to the alien in Predator.) I strained hard to make sure I was relly seeing what my eyes were telling me I was seeing. The figure had apparently stumbled upon me by chance and stopped. As I was looking, I first noticed the height to be 6 1/2 to 7 foot tall, bi-pedal and shoulders that were the widest I had ever seen. It was then that I saw a second figure of equal proportions directly behind the first. At this point, the second figure moved left as if to outflank my tent. That is when the sudden rush for urgency swept over me. I quickly started feeling around for the .44 Magnum and flashlight that I had in the tent with me. What seemed like forever but only took 3-5 seconds, I located both and shined/aimed it in the direction of the trail and it was gone. I stayed in the tent and replayed the events that just happened over and over becoming more and more convinced that what I saw were actually 2 Bigfoot creatures. The size, stealth and intelligence of these creatures was humbling. There are black bear that inhabit the woods also, but being familiar with the species and the fact that the two figures stood bi-pedally still and silent for an extended period of time and the intelligence to outflank me solidifies my belief in this encounter. I eventually went back to sleep with the thought that I was no longer in danger and that I had probably startled them as much as they did me. I left the area that morning knowing I had experienced something unlike any other experience in the wild that I had ever had.