Bear Behind Lodge

27/09/2021

Well, no one said it was cheap to own a log cabin. 🙄

We strive to keep on top of the place and make improvements along the way. Often, they're relatively unnoticeable changes that go unheralded. Like replacing bedsheets, comforters, a new TV. Once a year we tend to do something more significant to increase the cabin's efficiency and/or enhance its overall appeal. Last year we made a big upgrade by replacing the three large view windows in the master bedroom.
This year we blocked-off the entire month of September and got to work on Bear Behind's logs themselves! 💸
Employing the help of Superior Log Restorations, all the exterior logs on the building were sanded and beautifully stained. And the results are stunning! It feels so good now that this huge job is finally done. We think Bear Behind Lodge looks amazing and we hope you think so too!

04/07/2021

We often ask guests to the lodge to keep all doors with access to ground level closed when unattended. This is another example of why.
Jason had finished cleaning the lodge after our latest guests had checked-out. He came home for a few days and then returned to Bear Behind to attend the fire department's First Responder training. He found the front windows were dirty again. 😒

He checked the doorbell camera footage and found this... 🐻

18/06/2021

05/04/2021

Wow! What a winter this has been at Hemlock Valley and Sasquatch Mountain Resort. 🌬🏔🏂

So many bookings that had been made before November for the pending ski season gave us the confidence that our busiest time of year wasn’t going to disappoint. But most of those arrangements ended up being cancelled in November due to tighter health restrictions put in place. 😷🤧 Instead of staring down a winter with high hopes, we grew worried that this ski season might end up like the last one ended. Abandoned.

But the snow kept falling, the resort opened as planned and guests with smaller groups started filling in the available dates.

It turned out to be an extraordinary season filled with more intimate gatherings at Bear Behind than could have been hoped for! Smaller groups celebrated special meals together at the lodge’s new dining room table, snuggled up to see what’s streaming on the new OLED TV and relaxed as always sharing wine, games and conversation in front of the crackling wood fireplace. 🍷🃏🎮

And of course, there was the deepest snow I’ve ever fricking seen! ⛄🌨

The skiing was fantastic, the line-ups were virtually non-existent and the tube park was super-fun!

As the resort closes on Easter Monday, we can say that this season has been the very best! And, I think more than a few guests we’ve hosted would say the same. Multiple visitors have queried us about real estate in Hemlock Valley since their visit and we know of at least two that have already come back and purchased a place of their own in the village.

What a winter this has been! Thank you everyone for sharing it with us and we hope to see you again soon. 🙏👏🍁

06/12/2020

We've been preparing the lodge for Christmas! 🎅🥂

And maybe the best part is, 2020 will soon be over‼️🍾

06/11/2020

Gold passes are already sold out! 🏂

🥈Silver Passes are now almost 70% sold out, make sure to get yours while quantities last for the most flexibility this season.​
For more information on season passes please visit https://bit.ly/2HRkeMd​​
We're back on track for our projected November 15th Day Ticket reservation release 🙌 Snow School Packages will also be released on this date. Due to limited capacity, please ensure you book your tickets and lessons well in advance during our peak periods! (Christmas, New Years, Family Day). Stay tuned for details on our new lesson packages and procedures.

02/11/2020

It's been very cool on the mountain this October. Cool enough for some early snow!
Freeze/thaw temperatures are expected for the next little while, which can make for some fantastic hikes. 🌄👌

17/09/2020

It's been a busy first summer for us 👷‍♂️🚧👷‍♀️ at Bear Behind. Jason is hardly home before he's heading up the mountain again to get more done and I've been joining him as much as I can, even working on the hill between guests and conference calls to repair trim, repaint walls and upgrade furnishings.
We just replaced the dining room table and chairs this last week.
But one of the larger projects we had heading into the season was to replace the three large windows in the master bedroom.
The original windows were unacceptably inefficient and temperature fluctuations were often extreme. The large picture window had condensation between the panes and none of them opened for egress and fresh air.
Finally, we got our ducks in a row and blocked the Lodge's calendar months in advance. Westeck Windows and Doors delivered and Lacey Construction installed.
The result has been dramatic. The views are even better, the temperature on the third floor is hugely improved and the added airflow breathing into the space is so refreshing!

22/07/2020

We were cleaning the lodge for our next guests when Jason came running up the steps. "There's another bear behind lodge!"
He had been fiddling with the futon in the family room on the first floor and sat on it briefly when he was done, facing the exterior door which was only a few feet away at most. The door's center is largely glass and just on the other side of it looking back in at him was this black bear!
Darn that Jason had left his phone upstairs. It would have been a really cool pic. Alas, this will have to do for this occasion.
Listed prominently in our House Rules is the importance of keeping all exterior doors with access to ground level closed when unattended.
It's to keep out insects and mice, and bears too! 🐻😲

24/06/2020

In case you were wondering about the double meaning to the lodge's name... 👀

We stayed there for Fathers Day 2020. Jason had been up already doing maintenance and improvements to the place and we thought it'd be nice to have time up the hill with him as a family.
What made it super-cool was spotting this big black bear behind the lodge not long after Tristan and I had made breakfast on that Sunday morning. 🐻
Arianna followed Jason to the back porch and he recorded what he could with the tablet.
The bears in Hemlock don't usually stand on their hind legs, reveal their beastly teeth and unleash murderous roars of displeasure unfortunately. So, at least in that respect, the video is not very theatrical.
The truth is they're most often grazing like cattle, pausing for a good scratch once in a while and then they soon saunter off back into the bush.
So far, everyone here kinda gets along.
Later that day, Jason and I hiked up the hill and right around the top of the yellow ski lift we stumbled upon another bear. It could have been the same one. We just don't know. But it was suddenly there less than thirty feet from us.
If it had been that bear's desire, it could have charged us and we'd be in trouble. But it hardly showed any interest and started feeding on more green vegetation while we watched.

We watched real careful while excusing ourselves back toward the village. 😬

So, now you know where Bear Behind Lodge came from. As for any double entendre... 🤭

16/06/2020

Just a little evening sun on the hills, viewed from the master bedroom. ☺

It's another charming perk to working on the lodge during the day and staying for the night. With great cell coverage and free high-speed internet via WiFi with no data limits, you could work remotely from the lodge too (no painting required)!

25% discount for minimum week long stays and 50% for a month. 🌄

05/06/2020

Well, the snow is gone and the decks are suddenly empty. Unlike our calendar.
There's lots of maintenance for us to do on our Bear Behind in the summer months, and improvements too that we'll be posting about soon. And suddenly it appears as though people are travelling again as bookings have returned! 😃

We had to get busy and add some patio furniture for our guests to enjoy cozy gatherings in the fresh air and mountain views. A great place for that evening nightcap, or morning margarita. Or coffee, if you're more into coffee. 🤷‍♀️ We're not judgy.

07/05/2020

Things have been quiet around our Bear Behind since March, leaving us with a lot of uncertainty for the next while. This has put a hold on some of the larger investments/improvements we were hoping to make to the lodge this summer.

During these times, there's no sense in overextending our resources and risking our family's financial future.

However, that hasn't stopped us from doing repairs and making modest additions to the place.

Jason finished fixing the oven (it wouldn't stay heated) and then installed this Canadian flag in the stairwell. It used to hang in his childhood bedroom. But once we moved into our first place together back in 1997, there was nowhere to display it.

His proud maple leaf remained folded and forgotten, until now! 🇨🇦😁

17/03/2020

Sad that it had to end this way, but happy that we had so much fun this winter. Wishing everyone a comfortable, unremarkable spring. Stay healthy and stay hopeful for better days ahead! 😊

We have made the difficult decision to halt operations for the season effective immediately. Thank you so much to our passholders and loyal guests who came out this season to make it so fantastic.

Please read our full statement of closure posted on our website here https://sasquatchmountain.ca/covid-19/

Looking forward to seeing you all next season. Happy Spring 🌻

16/03/2020

Dr. Bonnie Henry is British Columbia's Health Officer and this is a 40 second clip from a recent interview on CBC.

https://vib.by/v/XJZ3PZseet

Doctor Henry says that life can't stop and people should be going outdoors with their families, including activities like skiing during the COVID-19 outbreak

15/03/2020

We've been communicating with guests that have booked or are considering booking Bear Behind recently. Given all the publicity and fear directed toward the Coronavirus, it's not at all surprising. It's an understandable affliction to have right now, fear. And while every new day seems to be awash with more confirmed cases, more government and regulator advisements and dire warnings, and growing signs of an inescapable recession, our response to our guests has been unchanging.

While we can't guarantee that the Coronavirus is not present in Hemlock Valley, we can confirm that Bear Behind is thoroughly cleaned from toilet to door k**b before your arrival. We maintain that in these restrictive times, there is no better place to be than in the mountains. It is without doubt safer and more relaxing to be with your family or friends here than in any public space in the city, the airport, the ferry or the border crossings.

Guests can cozy up in front of the fire and play games, puzzle, eat and drink, share stories and LAUGH!! Don't let yourself forget to do this. Leave your troubles behind. Sit back and turn your head to see the beauty just outside the lodge, feel the warmth from the crackling fire and breathe easy in the company of loved ones.

Getting stir-crazy? The likelihood of catching the virus outdoors is less than when you're indoors. It's cold out there. People are wearing their snow gear, including gloves. Apart from Sasquatch Mountain Resort's day lodge, social distancing on a ski hill is a foregone conclusion.

Did you know that fresh clean air outside is a natural disinfectant? US Ministry of Defense scientists proved it in the 1960s. Here is a link to a recent article on the subject:

https://medium.com/.hobday/coronavirus-and-the-sun-a-lesson-from-the-1918-influenza-pandemic-509151dc8065

The health benefits of sunlight is also much talked about in times like these.

And, if the resort should close unexpectedly, there're still many trails to explore. Hike or snowshoe among the tall trees, the rippling creeks and snow-capped peaks. If there's no skiing, then the whole mountain becomes your free range. Use your snowmobiles, if you have them. And you don't need the resort to have fun sledding whenever you want!

We're going to be stuck with an onslaught of bad news for the predictable future. It's important for us all to be vigilant in stopping the spread of Coronavirus. It's even more important to stop the effort from bringing a sense of unending gloom into our lives.

We wish for you good health, a good attitude and comfort wherever you choose to be. But try and remember your happy place.

It could be your Bear Behind... Lodge. 😊

06/03/2020

Jason's second favourite toberfest of the year... 🥨🍻😁

05/03/2020

Sounds like fun! 🍀

05/03/2020

Hemlock Valley Road progress for first week of March 2020.

It's looking good and quickly becoming one of the smoothest sections winding up the hill. 🤗

01/03/2020

I'm in!

We want to hear from you! Please complete this survey for the chance to win a Sasquatch Mountain/Berezan Hospitality $100 gift card! Survey will close and draw will be done on Friday, March 13th!

Link below 👇👇👇

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SASQUATCHMTN

28/02/2020

It's good to be here! 🙌🏔⛷

It seems like pretty much everywhere in the west has been getting slammed this month… except California! Which is why there are no Californian resorts in this list. Resorts in the PNW are the…

27/02/2020

No bears today, but we do have a lot of Snow Behind Lodge!

Jason had to climb through a window with shovels to clear the doorway. The back patio has no fence or barricade in the summer and shoulder seasons, but in the winter it does have this rather impressive seven foot wall of snow. 😜

26/02/2020

Yup, we still have snow in Hemlock Valley! 🏔☃⛷

24/02/2020

In heavy snow, they call this stretch 'The White Serpent'.
We really need a better marketing department. 🤨

Crews are still working hard and the road is looking better every day! 👍

11/02/2020

People snowshoe, cross-country ski and snowmobile up these manicured trails. I love this place! 🏔⛷☃

07/02/2020

Sasquatch Mountain is opening again tomorrow!
https://sasquatchmountain.ca/

06/02/2020

156 signatures are still needed!

06/02/2020

This is the damaged stretch of Hemlock Valley Road. It's located only a short distance from Morris Valley Road. Crews have been working hard 24 hours a day to repair it so Sasquatch Mountain Resort can reopen.

04/02/2020

We had blocked off availability to the cabin over a month ago so Jason and I could be here for my birthday week. 🤗
Since we bought the place, we've really worked hard to make it ready and comfortable for guests. We haven't been able to just sit back and enjoy it much. And once we got here last week, it was so awesome that I didn't want it to end!

Then Friday's storm happened and the power went out and the only road here suffered significant damage, preventing us from leaving! 🥳 (you'd think that was a bad thing, but you'd be wrong)

Despite the power failure, we were having a great time! We have a three burner Camp Chef grill that we used for cooking and making hot water. We had the barbecue too. Inside, we have a gas fireplace on the first floor that made the space toasty and we have the high efficiency wood fireplace on the main that heats the rest of the house.

We had Jason's yummy barbecue steaks and mashed potatoes for my birthday supper, followed by chocolate cake and champagne in front of the fireplace. 🍾🥂🔥

With the resort closed indefinitely, we took our time on Sunday and hiked up the ski hills and wandered around the trees and streams. The only marks in the fresh snow around us were from rabbit(s) and bobcat(s). It was so peaceful and gorgeous.

When the power returned, I was able to work remotely. With my laptop in our living room, I could look up and watch the helicopters come and go with people escaping the mountain and returning to reality below. 👎

But we can't stay away forever either and now, as I write this on February 4th, we're still not sure when the road will be safe enough for single lane alternating traffic to pass. Without that basic means of access, Sasquatch Mountain Resort cannot open and Bear Behind Lodge cannot accept guests. 😭

We'll see what the next update brings. Whatever it is, we'll pass it along here. 🤞

26/01/2020

Waking up to this view is the most awesome start to a holiday in the hills. I love this place!🤗❄️🧘‍♀️⛷🏂🇨🇦