The tale of the Goat Chicken.

A long, long, time ago, a horrific beast called the Canadian Rockies home. The beast was as hideous as it was frightening. Half goat, half chicken. While we’re not quite sure the exact form of the horrendous goat chicken, legend has it the horrid monster had the head of wild chicken, the body of a goat, the wings of farel rooster, the curled horns of rabid goat, and the claws of a chicken. 

Nested in the shadows of the Rockies the fearsome creatures caused havoc as they ran amok in our resort’s early days. In the days before the Sunshine Gondola, the loathsome creatures would terrorize the upper Sunshine Access Road (now the ski out) in the quest to sustain their diets which consisted primarily of blown out tires and sweat ripe with adrenaline from terrified skiers. 

Over the decades (between 1945 and 1979) in which buses would transport skiers up to our village, countless incidents were reported by both our bus drivers and our guests. Comments and concerns relating to creatures with beaty red eyes stalking the ski bus would flood our mailbox. Usually from guests aboard the first or last bus of the day. Drivers would complain about animals popping out of nowhere, of tires suddenly going flat or steering columns losing all response. 

Kept quiet by spooked skiers, the uncomely goat chickens were responsible for most mishaps that occurred on the mountain. To this day nightmares of the unsightly creatures still haunt the bus drivers who drove skiers up to our resort pre gondola. 

One old time Sunshine bus driver, a Mr. Bowlyou recants his experience with the demonic creature. Late one winter’s eve, Mr. Bowlyou was driving a school bus up the Sunshine road. When at Goat’s Eye he heard a nefarious laugh. A wicked cackle pierced his ears and made every hair on his body stand straight up. 

Focused on the road, Mr. Bowlyou recalls seeing an army of red eyes staring hungrily at his vehicle. In disbelief of the sight in front of him, Mr.Bowlyou pinched himself first lightly, then harder to wake himself up and make the vision disappear. No such luck. The animals squealed with wicked glee as they charged the school bus. 

Ever prepared, Mr. Bowlyou radioed for help as he reached for the can of bear spray he always kept with him. As the monsters attacked the bus, Mr. Bowlyou fled the vehicle cursing in French while spraying the creatures with the potent pepper spray. Mr. Bowlyou’s quick thinking bought him enough time to escape the heinous demons. 

In the safety of the morning, Mr. Bowlyou returned to sight of the incident to recover his vehicle. Except for a couple of hub caps, a spark plug, and a few miscellaneous bolts the bus had all but vanished. 

From that night on, Mr. Bowlyou refused to drive the sunshine ski out alone in the dark on a night lit by the full moon. 

To this day, on a quiet night, when the sky is dark, the moon is full, and the gondola stops for a minute or two if you look down to the tress of wolverine you might still see the beaty red eyes of the ghastly creatures searching for the next meal.