Sasquatch Mountain Resort – Skiing

Sasquatch Mountain Resort – Skiing

Sasquatch Mountain - learn to ski with the sasquatchDo you like the idea of a ski resort that is within easy reach of Vancouver, that is pretty, has powdery snow and that is faaaar cheaper than Whistler? Well, it’s worth having a look at Sasquatch Mountain.

Sasquatch Mountain is located in the Fraser Valley to the East of Vancouver (past Mission and near Harrison Lake.) Up until 2017, it was called Hemlock Mountain, and although it is a similar distance from Vancouver as Whistler, few of my friends seem to have heard of it. This means even at the weekend, the slopes are wide and empty, even when the snow conditions are fantastic!

Sasquatch Mountain overview

Sasquatch mountain has two main peaks with two long ski lifts, as well as a smaller lift for beginners, and a magic carpet on the bunny slope for total beginners. There are 35 downhill ski-runs, with a range of green, blue and black diamond runs.

How to get to Sasquatch:
It’s a pretty easy drive from Vancouver – 2 hours East on the Lougheed Highway (7). There is plenty of parking when you get there. Alternatively, there is a shuttle bus from Abbotsford, Mission or Sandpiper Golf Course
Facilities:

There is a cafeteria, a pub, a shop and washrooms in the lodge.
Ticket Prices:
$64 (or $48 early in the week)
Amazing deals on tickets:
Mondays = Man-day $20 for blokes to ski all day
Tuesdays = 2 for 1
Wednesdays = $20 for students and first responders
Thursdays = Ladies day $20 for women to ski all day
Friday = $20 for a family of four (from 4pm-8pm)

I read online that if you have a seasons pass for Cypress Mountain you’d get a 25% discount at Sasquatch. We did try this, but the lady at the ticket office refused to give us the discount. 😞

I took a photo of the Sasquatch trail map above, but you can see this online here.

Sasquatch Mountain – How busy is it?

The best thing about Sasquatch Mountain is how calm it is! We are used to crazy queues in Whistler and Vancouver’s North Shore Mountains, so it was a pleasant surprise to arrive at Sasquatch and be able to buy tickets without waiting at all! Then, once we made it over to the closest ski lift, there were only a few people waiting in front of us (and more than half of these people were there to set up equipment for ski clubs.)

We arrived when the mountain opened at 9am. Things did get a little busier a couple of hours later, but we never had to wait more than a couple of minutes for the lifts.

Sasquatch Mountain – the lifts

We started off on the Sasquatch Triple, and then spent a while exploring the other side of the mountain on the Skyline Double. The lifts are quite slow compared to the ones we are used to. They all seem a little old and creaky. BUT we didn’t mind this as we didn’t have to spend time waiting for the lifts,  we still had more time on the slopes.

I used the time on the slow moving lifts to take photos…so I have loads of lift piccies!!

Sasquatch Mountain – Green runs

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ll know that I only started learning to ski last year. I am still a bit of a newbie, so sometimes I forget how to ski(!) I get a little nervous at the start of the day, so we began by exploring the long green run, “East View Road”. It is a really lovely ski slope that winds it’s way around down the mountain. The green runs are really well groomed and smooth, so I quickly gained confidence to move onto the harder runs.

Sasquatch Mountain – Blue runs

The blue runs on Sasquatch are not scary at all. We started on the appropriately named “Big Foot” run, and then explored my favourite run, “Roddy’s”. These slopes are all quite wide, so you can have great fun zooming down the mountain with wide curves.

Just look at these views! Can you see why I liked it!? The blue runs were even less busy than the green runs so I often had a whole slope to myself!

What is the snow like?

It snowed the previous night, and there was still a bit of snow falling when we arrived in the morning, so we were really lucky with the conditions at Sasquatch. The snow feels quite different to Vancouver’s North Shore mountains, mostly because it is less wet (as it is further inland.) This means it is a bit less icy, and more powdery. We found that there were some big clumps of snow, especially on the blue runs, but they were not hardened into ice, so you can smash through them.

We did try to find a run called “Snags,” but we found ourselves stuck in such deep powder! This is the one moment when I fell over quite a lot! I’m not used to skiing in deep powder, so my skis kept getting stuck in snowdrifts! We gave up and made a sideways path back to Roddy’s! I did see other snowboarders having a blast in the powder, so I guess I just need to learn how to cope in those conditions!

Some of the blue runs join up with the green runs for learners at the bottom of the mountain. So, just be aware that you need to be careful and go a little more slowly once you reach those sections of the mountain.

Ski or Snowboard?

Normally, it seems like there are half and half skiers vs snowboarders, but Sasquatch mountain was reeeally popular with snowboarders! I think snowboarding must be harder than skiing, as they seem to sit down a lot. They sort of treat the mountain like a giant bed, and sit or lie down at the strangest moments! I have learnt to be careful if I ski behind a boarder, as I have to be ready to go around them if they sit down suddenly!

Next we headed over to the other side of the mountain, on the Skyline Double lift.

So many Black Diamond Runs!

The other side of the mountain is a bit steeper, so there are quite a lot of black runs. Now, I have attempted a black run on Mount Seymour, but I failed spectacularly, so I wasn’t sure if I should could manage more of that.

However there is one black diamond run called the “ridgeview,” that goes along the top of the mountain, dropping down to several other slopes. It turns out, I *can* manage that black diamond!

The ridgeview leads onto a couple of blue runs, which were sooo pretty. I love stopping to take in the mountain views! The other blue runs on this side of the mountain were also awesome. I especially liked the “timber cruiser” with its undulating slopes.

Sasquatch Mountain Lodge

There is a lodge where you buy your tickets when you first arrive. It also houses a cafeteria, a pub, washrooms and a shop full of ski/snowboarding gear.

Molly Hogan’s Bar & Grill

I really liked the pub. It is cozy, has super friendly staff and had a decent range of pub food to warm you up after several hours in the snow. I thought it was great that if you order a burger, you can choose to have it with soup or fries.

To be honest, the quality of the food isn’t amazing. The burgers we tried are not as tasty as the epic Whiskey Burger on Cypress Mountain. Having said that, it is way better than the terrible grub on Mount Seymour!

All in all, we all had a fantastic time visiting Sasquatch Mountain. I hope we can come back on a clear day so I can attempt some more of those black diamond runs, and see the views without so much mist!

If you like non-busy slopes and bargain prices, you should definitely give this ski resort a try too!

Or, if you prefer people watching on busy slopes, here are some other places to ski within easy reach of Vancouver:

Sasquatch Mountain - learn to ski in the Fraser Valley  Sasquatch Mountain - learn to ski with the sasquatch  Sasquatch Mountain - perfect empty slopes

68 thoughts on “Sasquatch Mountain Resort – Skiing

    1. I know! That $20 night skiing is a complete bargain!

      I saw on the news that they also gave free ski passes to hundreds of elementary school children that live near the slopes. No wonder there were so many happy children up there!!

    1. It’s funny, it’s not too far away, but half my colleagues had never heard of it either! They have huge expansion plans in the next 10 years, so I guess everyone will hear more about Sasquatch soon. In the end it will be double the size of Whistler!!

    1. Don’t worry, they had a bunny run (like a super easy green run) as well 😀

      I’m not brave at all…but we spent so many hours learning to ski, that now the easy runs no longer seem steep!

    1. You can if you like the idea!! I am still a little in shock that I can ski after just a year. I thought it would be much harder!!

      (If it makes you feel better, I have terrible balance and coordination…I bet you’ll be better than I am!)

  1. Oh this is great! I’m going to BC soon (yay, so excited!) so I’ll defintely keep this in mind! 🙂

    1. If you like the idea of it, there was snowshoeing too! 😉

      The North Shore Mountains are much much closer, it’s just they get very very busy in the first two months of the year, so we normaly spend more time queuing than skiing!!

    1. Oooh you could go snowshoeing April! That way you get to see more views, and you’ll deserve a hot choccy! 😉

  2. I have always wanted to ski Whistler, but figured it would be over-priced and crazy busy — this seems like a great alternative! Looks like you went on a fantastic day and not having to wait in many lines is the DREAM!

    1. It’s not as big as Whistler (and to be honest, i like Whistler even more, despite the lines) BUT I did love Sasquatch!

      There are plans to make the resort bigger. In the end it’ll be double the size of Whistler! It’ll be interesting to see how the feeling of it changes as it grows…

  3. This looks amazing, what a great alternative to Whistler! I’ll need to put it on the bucket list for when I visit Canada next 🙂

    1. Do you ski already Emily? It is a great spot for newbies, but it’s even better if you can zoom up to the top of the mountain!

    1. I’m the same! Especially on the blue runs. I am less scared when they are wide open and I don’t have to worry about crashing into someone!!

  4. I’m not much of a skier, so I always feel intimidated when I go to places that are packed with people who know they’re doing ad go zooming all of the mountain around you. This place sounds like a nice, off-the-beaten-path ski area for beginners like me!

    1. Yeeees! It is so much easier when you don’t have to worry about crashing into other skiers!

      You just have to watch out for the sudden sit-downs of the boarders! But there is enough room to go around them. 😉

  5. I’m moving to Spokane later this year and am trying to discover all the awesome ski resorts out there, so I’m super glad I stumbled upon your post! Sasquatch seems like the perfect size with the perfect mix of runs for different skill levels. While I LOVE Whistler, it can sometimes feel overwhelming because it’s TOO big, and I think for a weekly/regular ski resort, I’d prefer something smaller like Sasquatch. And it sure doesn’t hurt that they have amazing deals every day of the week!

    1. Oooh I just googled Spokane, it looks both close and pretty far away! But we can totally share notes on ski hills!

      We are planning to explore Mount Baker next, so at least that one will be your side of the boarder!

  6. I’ve skied at Whistler, but I missed out on skiing at Sasquatch. I love to ski, so I’m definitely keeping this one in mind for next time!

  7. What a pretty ski resort! I like how you can have awesome skiing without the crowds of Whistler and that it’s mostly snowboarders. Great info on spending a day at Sasquatch! 😁

  8. I might be a really bad Canadian as I’ve never gone skiing. I had no idea this place was so close to Vancouver. It honestly sounds ideal for me if I did want to give skiing a try as I’m so daunted by all the pros and would be pros around Whistler and the other Vancouver mountains. The fact it’s potentially quieter at sasquatch is perfect

    1. If you fancy learning from scratch, I have a feeling the local hills near Vancouver would be even better. We did our first never-ever lesson on Mount Seymour. It was a little more gentle slopes so easier for getting started. Sasquatch would be good for beginners too, but I think it’d be more fun for a second day on the slopes, once you have got the hang of snow-plowing and turning.

    1. Lol it is a is bit of a freaky friendly face isn’t it!! I am sooo sure you’d love skiing once you give it a try. It’s just terrifying the first time you slide down a hill!

  9. How beautiful it is up at Sasquatch Mountain! I haven’t skied since I moved to South Carolina 7 years ago, so I’m rusty. Do they have a bunny slope? I think I need to start over, lol!

    1. They do have a bunny slope with a magic carpet, and there is a lift to an beginners slope too. I bet you’d get back on your feet very speedily if you have skied before.

    1. It is really fun! I only started earning in 2018, so I can promise first hand that it is brilliant to learn as an adult. It’s just a bit scary to get started…

  10. Only ever seen snow once in my entire life so this is definitely sending my into SERIOUS WANDERLUST. It definitely looks like tons of fun there! 😍

    1. Oooh where did you see snow last time? I have to admit, I have never seen deep snow before we moved to Canada. I love how smooth and beautiful it makes the mountains look.

  11. Looks beautiful! I’ve actually never attempted skiing… perhaps something to try to learn when I make it to Canada!

    1. YES!! I only started learning once we moved here. Don’t worry there are plenty of adults learning here…it is just embarrassing when you see the children whizzing past!

    1. Did you ever go to Hemlock? That is what Sasquatch used to be called. Some of my colleagues here in Vancouver knew that name, even if they had never visited.

  12. You guys have really come a long way in just a year! Great job already taking on some black diamonds, I would be terrified. I would probably still be terrified even if I took lessons for like five years.

    See any sasquatch?

    1. Nah, if you learned for five years I bet your miiiles better than me. To be honest the only reason I even attempted black diamonds was because I reeeeally wanted to see the mountain views from the top! I improved more since we visited Sasquatch, but I am still always scared on black diamonds…

  13. First of all, how did I not know there’s a mountain called Sasquatch?!?!? Second, what an great place! The views are spectacular! Third, and most important, kudos on the black diamond -that’s pretty amazing in my book!

  14. Okay how did I NOT know there was a place named Sasquatch Mountain when I lived in BC?! Awesome name aside, this really looks like such a fun spot! I didn’t go skiing nearly as much as I should have when I lived out in BC but not having access to a car made it difficult haha. I know EXACTLY what you mean about the snow drifts. I went fat biking a few years back and I wiped out on every single drift – luckily the fluffy snow breaks your fall!

    1. Lol Yes!! The fluffy snow is comfy to fall into, it’s just so hard to get up again!!

      Sasquatch used to be called Hemlock, until they re-branded a few years ago. Maybe you went when it had a different name?

  15. Oh wow that really IS a bargain. It looks like so much fun!! Despite growing up in arctic Norway I only do cross country skiing, but I definitely have to try downhill sometime soon 😅 it just looks so scary to me 🙈 great guide though! Saving it for later 🙂

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