Fireside Chat: 15 year old's first brush with the unknown

A random  Bigfoot conversation...

Date: Summer of 1978
Location: 2 lane mountainous road in Oregon
Witnesses: Two teenagers, ages 15 and 17
Context: Witnesses saw something large and dark at the edge of our headlights (my side) LEAPT out of the Ditch at the side of the road. "Both my cousin and I screamed and he instinctively swerved into the other lane to avoid this thing."
Source: www.abovetopsecret.com

[...]
During the Summer of 1978 when I was 15, my family (total of 7 people - 2 adults, 5 children ranging in age from 9 to 17) drove a motor home from Florida to Alaska as a Summer Vacation. Our route was to take us across Country to California and then North. Having decided to drive "round the clock" most of the way there and back - it was decided that the 3 eligible drivers would take shifts with one other person in the passengers seat as a "Navigator" - My assignment as Navigator (since I could not drive) was with my 17 year old Cousin.

One of the shifts my cousin and I were assigned was the midnight to 6am shift that would take us from Northern California well into Oregon. We were experienced travelers and the family had taken driving trips around the US, Canada and Mexico since I was 9. I had visited every State in the US except Hawaii and Alaska by this point in my life.

We were traveling on a 2 lane mountainous road in Orgeon around 3 am, we were the only vehicle on the road and had not seen another car for a couple of hours. My cousin and I were making small talk (trying to keep it down becuase everyone else was asleep) when we rounded a turn....something large and dark at the edge of our headlights (my side) LEAPT out of the Ditch at the side of the road. Both my cousin and I screamed and he instinctively swerved into the other lane to avoid this thing. As we passed this thing (15-20 ft. from me) it turned and I assume leapt back into the Ditch/woods. It was hard to see any details as we passed because we had a light on inside the cab but it was DEFINITELY standing erect and had a head, shoulders and arms..and was HUGE - The most vivid memory that has stayed with me from this was the sight of its right shoulder and arm as it turned while we passed it.

The screaming and commotion woke everyone up and we were well down the road before my mother made us stop the vehicle. My mother was concerned that there might have been an accident and that this might have just been a very large man needing help...it was my argument that if this were the case that he had asked for it the WRONG WAY..but over our protestations she took the wheel as we went back to the spot where the incident occurred. A VERY quick inspection of the "Ditch" showed no signs af any accident or sign of the "thing" - what was interesting was that this "Ditch" was actually a steep sloping bank down to a water run-off or small stream and was a good 4 plus feet deep. No MAN could have made that LEAP out of this ditch.