So, I just came across this gem of a video from the Small Town Monsters YouTube channel, and let me tell you, if you're into Sasquatch research, this one is absolutely worth your time. The crew heads up to British Columbia, Canada, to investigate a ski resort that literally renamed itself after the very creature people come looking for. We're talking about Sasquatch Mountain Resort, formerly known as Hemlock Valley Resort, nestled in an area they call "Mystery Valley" near Morris Mountain and Weaver Lake.
The video kicks off with something that got my heart racing right away. They're going through the Patterson-Gimlin film footage, frame by frame, with someone who clearly knows the history inside and out. If you're familiar with the famous 1967 Bluff Creek footage shot by Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin, you know this is considered by many researchers to be one of the most compelling pieces of evidence ever captured. The discussion in this video touches on details like the film stock issues from that year, Bob Gimlin's thoughts on the coloring, and even the horses they had with them that day. There's mention of Roger riding his horse "Peanuts" and the pack horse being much smaller. It's the kind of granular detail that true enthusiasts live for.
But then the video shifts to the main investigation, and this is where things get really interesting. The team meets up with Brad Trent, who takes them up to the resort. They sit down with Brandon, the marketing assistant manager, who gives some fascinating background. The resort started in 1969 as Hemlock Valley Resort and was rebranded to Sasquatch Mountain to honor the Sts'ailes (Sahalis) indigenous band whose territory this is. The Sahalis people have their own deep-rooted legends about these beings, and the resort wanted to pay respect to that heritage. I love that they did that.
Here's the part that really stood out to me. They discuss a roadside sighting from 1989 involving Betty Anger and Betty Younger along with her grandson, who was about 9 years old at the time. According to the account, they were driving down from the resort during winter when they came around a switchback and saw what was described as a roughly 7-foot hair-covered creature crossing the road with a "bewildered" expression, as if wondering what they were doing there. The creature then went up over a high snowbank and disappeared up the hillside. Thomas, a researcher, had previously investigated this and made a YouTube video about it, which the Small Town Monsters crew got permission to include. The grandson would be in his early 30s now, and I'd love to hear if his account has changed over the years.
What really makes this video compelling is the terrain discussion. Brandon talks about how most of the back of the mountain is completely untouched, and how at night, if you're driving up that narrow, winding road, you look into the trees and just five meters in, it goes completely black. Easy for something to disappear into if it wanted to. And then he says something that gave me chills. When asked if he ever stops and thinks there could be something out there watching, he says, "Oh, yeah. And sometimes I feel like something's watching me."
That kind of admission from someone who works up there every day? That's not something you just throw out there casually.
The crew also explores the steep terrain themselves, noting how difficult it would be to move through, how quiet and remote it is, and how the whole environment just sets itself up for stories. Honestly, after watching this, I'm adding Sasquatch Mountain Resort to my bucket list. If you're a believer, this place is practically calling your name.
Do yourself a favor and check out the full video. The combination of the Patterson-Gimlin film analysis and the on-the-ground investigation at a resort literally named after the subject makes this one a must-watch.