The last trip up the hill during 2021 saw Mouat Extreme Outdoor education take their new snowshoes for a test drive (thanks Mouat PAC!!!) The brave adventurers rode the blue chair to the top of the hill, and then traversed along the ridgeline all the way to the green chair. Along the way Sasquatch’s main man, Kuba guide extraordinaire, led the excursion and taught the students about avalanche awareness, safety, and control. The students did a little offroading on steep terrain and deep snow, as they travelled through lush forest and frozen creek bed all the way from the top to the bottom of the mountain. The afternoon was spent completing the much easier base loop, learning about and digging snow shelters, and enjoying a little well deserved hot chocolate (the verdict is still out on whether it is better made with regular water or gatorade…) Outdoor Education students please leave a 100 word blog response below.
Mouat Extreme Outdoor Education 
It was a very fun experience, although it was very challenging. The view that we got at the top of the alpine loop made all the gruelling climb up to it worth it, even though it was hard sometimes to remember to look up and not look down while walking up. I was able to face my fears of steeper inclines especially when we went off-roading even though I spent most of the the off-road time having no control of where my feet were going and slipping and sliding, I still was able to learn lots and it was very fun, it was very interesting also to hear about how they do avalanche control and how certain runs are more controlled than others due to angle. Being able to do the base loop at the end of the day was very nice, and digging the snow caves and learning how we could keep insulated from the elements and survive if we were to be stuck. All in all the trip was a very good experience and it feels good to have accomplished the alpine loop, and getting out of my comfort zone and going on a very fun little adventure.
What an amazing day on the mountain. Definitely harder than I thought but everyone, including yourself, did awesome on the hill!
I had an amazing first-time experience snowshoeing on March 11th, which I would say was the most perfect day ever for the trip. Though it was exhausting, I had a great time snowshoeing with my friends and I really enjoyed learning about what to do if you were on your own and got stuck in the snow in the middle of nowhere. Something I learned on this trip was that when snowshoeing, you really need to pace yourself especially when you are continuously ascending and descending steep terrains because if you go too fast you will burn out very quickly, but if you go too slow, you might stray from your group. One thing I wish I had done differently on this trip would be that I would bring more lighter layers instead of one big jacket and a sweater because I feel like it would have made my bag a lot lighter. Overall, I had an awesome time snowshoeing at Sasquatch.
I thought you did great on the trip and you are right that this was the perfect day to snowshoe on the mountain!
I’ve never done snowshoeing or any other snow sport before this trip (the closest I’ve done is sledding). Definitely one of the coolest trips I’ve ever done. First time on a ski lift too, turns out my group wasn’t strapped in half the ride and could’ve easily fallen right out of the seat. Surprisingly, that was probably one of my favourite parts. Going down the hills with really thick snow was also really fun because no one had a really good grip and we’d just slide most of the way down. This trip was a huge self accomplishment considering I was tired after climbing down the bus stairs when we arrived at Sasquatch. Snowshoeing was a solid 10/10 experience for me.
I agree that this trip was a little more difficult than climbing down the bus stairs 🙂 You did awesome and I’m glad you had fun!
This was my first time snowshoeing, and it was definitely an interesting experience. Though there were times during which I wished nothing more than to flop onto the nearest snowbank and dramatically instruct everyone to continue on without me, not doing so was made worth it by both the views and the fun descent back to the lodge. I learned that I can push myself harder than I previously thought, and I learned a bunch about snowshoeing (while climbing a hill, trusting the snowshoes is a good idea) and snow safety (tree wells are not your friend, unless you are lost without shelter), as well as how to properly use a chair lift (though I learned that a bit later than I wanted to). Overall, I’d say this was fun learning experience that fully equipped me with the tools to go on a snowshoeing trip again with my family, and while I would definitely go snowshoeing again, I might pick a shorter trail..
Fantastic insight and description of the experience! Though I kind of wished the dramatic snowbank flop had happened simply for the great story it would have made for.
During the snowshoeing I had a great time. I learned a lot of things and had a lot of firsts on this trip. I learned how to snowshoe for one thing, I also learned how to increase my snow fort building abilities. One thing that I learned about myself was how long I can actually go on enjoying snowshoeing. I thought I would be done by the first hour. It just got better the longer we shoed through the resort. The only thing I would change about this trip was the snow that got in my boots around halfway in the trip. That kind of soured my mood for a bit before I got used to it. I would prevent this from happening by bringing better snow pants next time. Otherwise i give the whole trip ★★★★☆.
– Finn Toews
I’m glad you came and that you enjoyed the trip more than you expected!
Snowshoeing is way better than I thought. To be honest, I only signed up for the experience, thinking it will be a boring walk through the woods. It wasnt! I never would have thought that hiking in snowshoes would bring me so much joy. We first did a guided tour which took us about 3 hour. We hiked through deep snow, on prepared slopes and from the top of the lift to the other. After lunch Mr. Rahe showed us another route and we stopped to have hot chocolate as a reward for the igloos we had to dig. The worst part was hiking up the steep hill only 100 metres away from the lodge we came from.
I am really grateful for the chance and the guide, beacuse without him we probably would not have made it that far. I hope I will get a chance to snowshoe again!
I’m glad you enjoyed the trip so much. It definitely lends a different perspective on the mountain and allows you more time to realize the beauty of your surroundings!