OPENING DAY – DECEMBER 10TH!
FERNIE ALPINE RESORT ANNOUNCES OPENING FOR WINTER SEASON 2020/21!
Fernie Alpine Resort will open for skiing & snowboarding on December 10th, 2020 at 9 am.
Our team has worked tirelessly to prepare our operations for your arrival, and we are looking forward to kicking off the 2020/21 skiing and riding season. While we all share the joy for sliding on snow, this season will look different. We have put in place a comprehensive COVID-19 Safety Plan developed in collaboration with the Canada West Ski Area Association.
This set of rigorous procedures and operating plans is to help ensure our guests, staff and community have a safe winter in Fernie. Our plans have been reviewed by Interior Health, the Elk Valley Hospital and they lead the way in North America for Best Practices for Winter Operations 2020/21.
We understand that many of us in our community feel the uncertainty of this pandemic. We recognize that opening the resort will make some of us anxious and stressed. That is why it is everyone’s responsibility to follow the guidelines that we have put in place, as we all want a long season, and a safe skiing and riding experience.
Due to our safety protocols surrounding the COVID Virus and looking to create a safe environment for our guests, this season we will be closely monitoring lift capacity and ticket sales to help ensure that we can manage daily the number of people at Fernie Alpine Resort. Day lift tickets will be available at our resort ticket windows daily. On high demand days, only a certain number of day tickets will be sold – so one should use the opportunity to pre-purchase your lift tickets online to guarantee you get the ski day’s you want on those days. We do anticipate some periods of higher demand, so to avoid disappointment, it is recommended that you pre-purchase your lift tickets online and in advance as some dates may sell out.
Skiing and snowboarding provide a much-needed outlet in winter, providing mind and body benefit, and we are looking forward to sharing our wide-open spaces with each of you.
To adapt our operations for this winter, we have made many changes, including the following:
1. Masks are required to be worn throughout the entire resort, inside all buildings, in lift lines, while riding lifts, in shuttle buses, parking lots and our Plaza.
2. Reservations are required to dine in any of our indoor restaurants.
3. We have eliminated all outdoor shelters and gathering places, like the fireplace at Bear’s Den, Slopeside Café Patio, Yurts, etc.
4. Our lift loading procedures will ensure physical distancing.
5. We have eliminated touch points in systems and transactions.
6. We have eliminated bag storage in all buildings.
7. Seasonal lockers will be for ski/snowboard storage only, no boots or clothing.
8. Our teams are required to be fully outfitted in masks with filters, shields where needed, and Plexiglas barriers to protect all.
9. Dining spaces will be separated by Plexiglas where needed.
10. Washrooms will have reduced capacity to ensure no crowding.
11. Childcare will not be offered.
This season will look very different. By following these procedures and with your patience and respect, we will have a snowy, fun ski & snowboard season.
Please take the time to read the Know Before You Go section on our website for more information and any updates – https://skifernie.com/covid-19/winter/.
Please keep in mind that early season conditions do exist on the mountain. Take your time and continue to pray for snow.
Thank you!
- Published in Blog, Fernie, Press Releases, Winter
Culvert City
If you follow us on any of our social media platforms, then you will see all that our Resort has to offer through the summer and winter months. What you don’t always see is all of the work that goes in behind the scenes to make it happen.
We have a lot of Crews – Trail Crew, Bike Trail Crew, Lift Ops Crew, Lift Maintenance Crew, Saw Crew, Brush Crew, Shop Crew, Patrol Crew – who all work together through the summer and fall to make it all come together.
This summer, our Trail Crew, who are the Swiss Army Knife of employees (they can do anything that’s needed on the mountain), have replaced the old wooden culverts with sparkly (👈 my word, not theirs 😉) new ones.
This culvert at the bottom of Lower Bear at the Boomerang Chair was installed in 1984.
HISTORY LESSON – Back in the ’80s, to make a culvert the Trail Crew used their only machine, the skidder. They would find a couple of the huge old Larch trees (24″-36″ diameter) that were lying around in the forest and lay those along either side of the creek.
They would then place timber – mostly from Cedar trees (12″-16″ diameter) – across the Larch to cover the creek. They had a gin pole rigged on the back of the skidder so that they could pick the trees up and back them into place.
Along with a peavy, and some brute force, they could build a bridge over the creeks that would then be buried with dirt. Most of these culverts lasted about 30 years before the top logs began to fail.
That brings us to this past summer; it was noticed that the culvert near the Boom Chair was starting to fail, so our team went in, dug the whole section up, and replaced it with a new one. No trees were harmed in the making of this culvert.
One of the biggest changes happening at the resort is going down in lower Currie Bowl. This past spring, May 31st to be exact, we had very heavy rainfall that followed some very hot weather, and a consequential mudslide in Currie Bowl. As the debris flowed down, it damaged and plugged multiple culverts. Our Trail Crew, along with assistance from Fiorentino Bros and Ground Tech Engineering were able to get in there to repair the culverts.
Turning adversity into improvements, the spring mudslide remediation enabled us to improve the exit from Currie Bowl and widen the Gilmar trail.
From 👈 to 👉 with wonderful assistance from Fiorentino Bros and Ground Tech Engineering.
As we move closer to winter, we will continue to bring you updates from around the resort, and the work that goes in before we can open our doors lifts.
O’Bellx comes to Fernie Alpine Resort
RCR is proud to partner with MND Safety Solutions on a Remote Avalanche Control System (RACS) for the installation of an O’Bellx hydrogen exploder for the Dancer 5 slide path off of Polar Peak at Fernie Alpine Resort.
The O’Bellx Unit will provide the Fernie Alpine Resort Snow Safety Team with a remote control device to stabilize the Dancer Slidepath which runs from the top of the headwall off of Polar Peak, down into Lizard Bowl. This will improve safety for our Ski Patrol and provide confidence for opening the Lizard Bowl.
NEW Uphill E-Bike / Enduro Route
Why take the chairlift if you’ve got an e-mountain bike! New this summer, we now allow uphill bike traffic (e-mountain bikes* or regular mountain bikes) on our specified uphill route at the Fernie Alpine Resort Bike Park.
E-mountain bikers will love the convenience of quick laps on this uphill only route, which accesses the Elk Side downhill trails as well as Lower TNT (from Rock Landing only) on the Timber side. Your laps can be short – deke off at access point A to rip down Honeybee, Eville, Holo Bike and Phat Larry’s – or take the longer pedal on up to access point B or C to access the rest of the DH trails in the bike park. Of course, those who like to pedal under their own power are also welcome! It’s a great way to stay and get fit, and enjoy the adrenaline of our DH trails too!
Uphill riders MUST have a valid Uphill E-Bike/Enduro ticket, or mountain bike season pass/day ticket in order to access our bike park trails. Please visit Guest Services to purchase your ticket.
*E-mountain bikes permitted in the bike park are Type 1 (pedal assist) e-mountain bikes.
Please note that the uphill route is open only during regular bike park hours:
Monday – Friday: 10:30am to 4:30pm (to 7pm on Thursdays)
Saturday & Sunday: 9:30am to 4:30pm
Please visit our website’s bike park trail map to see the new uphill route.
We Welcome You Back!
Hello Fernie!
As our Summer Season opening was announced last week, I want to take a minute to tell you where we are as a resort and how we got here.
First of all, everyone at Fernie Alpine Resort shares in the admiration, respect and concern for our medical community and essential workers. Many of us have spouses, partners, parents or kids who are working long, stressful hours to help make sure we are safe and cared for if needed.
The last two and a half months have been the strangest in my 48-year career, and we all know how much the stress and uncertainty have affected our families and our community.
After deciding as a company to cease operations on March 16th, our community, our team and frankly the entire mountain tourism industry have worked tirelessly to get to the exciting announcement that we will be opening for summer operations on June 27th.
All of us at FAR want you to be able to enjoy the mountains, lakes, rivers and pathways that define our home. Our team put their efforts into high gear to figure out a way forward since that crazy day in March and now feel we have a summer program we can be proud of while ensuring the safety of our guests and our staff.
Some things will be very familiar at the Resort while other aspects of our summer operation will feel different, even strange. But rest assured, with an abundance of caution and a goal for a safe, sustainable program, we will offer Mountain Biking, Hiking and Sightseeing seven days a week from June 27th to September 7th. Legends Mountain Eatery will be open for dining and relaxing, and Bike Rentals and Retail Goods will be offered.
We will continue to confer with Fernie’s local Health Care community about our operations and ensure that we are in step with their needs and guidelines.
Opening a mountain resort during these times is a complicated, challenging exercise, one in which every aspect of human interaction needs to be thought through.
Some of the changes you will encounter this summer are:
- When you arrive at the Plaza or Lizard Creek Lodge, you will see signs and team members asking you the basics: Are you experiencing symptoms of COVID-19? Have you been out of the country in the last 14 days? Do you live or work with anyone who has any symptoms?
- The purchasing of lift tickets, food and bike rentals will be handled at our ticket windows or Guest Services Desks in the plaza.
- You will be able to purchase meals and drinks at the ticket windows and receive a voucher to give to your server at Legends. These will already include taxes and gratuities.
- Our vast selection of seasonal gear will be available in the Retail Cabin, now reserved for you to have the time you need to make the best choice in apparel or equipment.
- You can buy your lift ticket and bike rentals at the ticket window and hand over your rental voucher in the bike shop, now located in the Slopeside Deli.
- You will be riding the Elk chair by yourself unless two or more people from the same household are together.
- Your tickets will be scanned through a distance and barrier system.
- Line ups will be spread apart to meet provincial health guidelines.
- Thursday Night Races will go ahead. The event will take longer so that we can ensure safety but will still be super social and fun!
- We do expect there to be longer wait times during busier periods and hope that you understand the necessity of this process. Our commitment to providing top-notch trails will remain the same.
- Dining and drinking will be offered both indoors and outdoors, and tables will be spread apart to ensure our guests and staff safety.
- If dining at Cirque Restaurant or Legends Mountain Eatery does not fit, we can deliver delicious meals, beverages, beer, wine, liquors and a complete menu of groceries to your home, condo or room. Our delivery staff are waiting to hear from you! We will deliver your order at your direction to ensure you are safe while visiting us. Our menus will be available on our website. You will be surprised at the depth of choices, but again, our primary goal was to make sure you are safe and comfortable.
The smiles will be real, the appreciation great and the welcome warm. We are proud to be a part of this community, and we will always be there.
We do anticipate that changes will continue to happen and will adapt as necessary.
We look forward to a great, safe summer and know that the Ski Season is just around the corner.
All the best!
Andy Cohen and the Entire Team at Fernie Alpine Resort
Community Togetherness
Fernie has always been strong in community spirit. The majority of people that you ask in town will tell you that they moved here for the snow but stayed for the community. When the threat of COVID-19 first arrived in Fernie, it didn’t take long for the townsfolk to stand up. We have come together and, through many community initiatives, to support those in need, the best we can.
Help If You Need It
The taskforce, Elk Valley COVID Support Team, was created to help keep our community stay safe by minimizing social contact while providing essential physical, emotional, and spiritual support to those who are isolated or quarantined due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
They aim to ensure people’s essential needs are taken 
care of including:
– Picking up and delivering groceries and medications
– Emotional support through phone call check-ins
– Pastoral care such as pastoral counselling, prayer and grief support
You can visit their website www.evcst.com for more information, to volunteer or donate.
Shop Local
I love seeing all of the brilliant ways our local businesses have come up with to move their stores online, by phone order, and even providing delivery.
Many of our restaurants are now offering take out services and freezer meals. If you are able, this is a great way to continue to contribute to the local economy and take the worry out of what’s for dinner tonight.
Fernie Catering Co has been curating goods from the local food community to create Artisan Food Baskets. They are amazing! What’s included changes every time, but you can follow along on their Facebook page to grab one for yourself and support local businesses.
Images from Fernie Catering Co Facebook page – @ferniecateringco
Music Will Bring Us Together
Shred Kelly hosts a weekly Saturday Night Cocktail Party on Facebook Live. Every week features different musical guests, and for one hour, they shower us with good times, funny chat and great music.
We may be a small city, but we have a mighty music scene, and these talented artists are working hard to continue to bring live music to our ears.
It’s a wonderful way to feel a sense of togetherness, have a virtual drink with your buddies, get the kids dancing, and feel like you ‘did something’ on a Saturday night!
The Stream Fernie – Online Events Calendar Facebook page is a great resource that has brought all of the live streaming events, activities, parties, classes, etc. together in one place. From trivia to online exercise classes and library programs, everyone is sure to find the next fun event to attend.
Community Spirit
Can you hear the cheers and horns? From Isabella Dicken Elementary’s teacher parade to the Fernie Birthday Train, you will often see, or hear, the spirit of the community. Having a birthday in isolation can be lonely, so the Fernie Birthday Train is rallying members of the community to join in and help make everyone feel special on their big day.
Image from The Loaf’s Facebook page
They also organise drive-by appreciation for our essential workers to show gratitude and love by driving by our grocery stores, hospital, ambulance and police station. What an awesome bunch of people!
Lifting spirits is so important during this uncertain time and I love seeing so many windows (on both houses and businesses) adorned with posters and decorations that do just that. I especially love seeing The Loaf’s window display which was painted by the Gadd family. It is a great way to put a smile on your face.
Need More Info?
Tourism Fernie has a list of our local businesses stating whether they are open, closed or have adjusted hours and online/pick-up purchase options. You can find it here.
It is inspiring to see how we can band together and bring strength and hope to the town.
Brighter days are coming.
COVID-19 Precaution: Fernie Alpine Resort Closed for the Season
Dear Guests,
Further to our March 15th decision to suspend Ski Area Operations, after careful consideration of the quickly changing circumstances around Coronavirus (COVID-19), Resorts of the Canadian Rockies has made a decision to suspend ski resort operations for the remainder of the 2019/20 ski season at our Western Canadian Resorts, including Nakiska Ski Area, Fernie Alpine Resort, Kimberley Alpine Resort and Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. Here at RCR our number one priority is the safety, health and well-being of our Guests, Team Members, and the Communities which we live, work and play in. As tough a decision as this has been, we feel it is the right thing to do under the current circumstance.
In an effort to limit social interaction we will not be opening our guest service and ticket offices for the time being, both at resorts and our Calgary office. For questions regarding purchased products please email the address below (In response to this situation we are receiving an overwhelming volume of calls and emails, your patience is appreciated as work respond to these requests).
We sincerely apologize to you our guests for this inconvenience. As always, we truly appreciate the support which we receive from you and thank you for that. We will look forward to welcoming you back to our resorts and Mountain Communities in the future.
Sincerely,
John Shea
President/Chief Resorts Officer
Resorts of the Canadian Rockies
- Published in Fernie, Press Releases, Winter
COVID-19 Statement – Ski Operations Suspended
Dear Valued Guest,
After careful consideration of the quickly changing circumstances around Coronavirus (COVID-19), Resorts of the Canadian Rockies has chosen to suspend ski resort operations effective at midnight, Sunday March 15th, for a one-week period. This suspension will be in effect at all of our Western Canadian Resorts, including Nakiska Ski Area, Fernie Alpine Resort, Kimberley Alpine Resort and Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. Here at RCR our number one priority is the safety, health and well-being of our Guests, Team Members, and the Communities which we live, work and play in. As tough a decision as this has been, we feel it is the right thing to do under the current circumstance. We sincerely apologize to you, our guests for this inconvenience.
As always, we truly appreciate the support which we receive from you and thank you for that. We will evaluate a possible re-opening date for our resorts later in the week, and will look forward to welcoming you back to our resorts as things permit.
Thank You,
John Shea
President/Chief Resorts Officer
- Published in Press Releases, Winter
Ski & Snowboard Rentals
Our Sports Alpine Rental Shops offer a variety of High-Performance and Mid-Performance skis and snowboards from Rossignol, Dynastar, Head and Burton.
We also have a selection of snowshoes, cross-country skis, telemark skis, and winter fat bikes for rent.
Check out the video below to see what our Rental Shop has to offer for your next adventure!
Memories Made in the Mountains
Life in the mountains is filled with beautiful moments, and every now and then, there are those times that you will never forget.
The best run of your life, the sweet, sweet feeling of the perfect pow turn, the first time you successfully went down a black run, standing on top of a ridge and seeing for miles and miles… those memories will forever be with you.
They help shape who you will become, and often, they will inspire a lifetime of adventures in the mountains.
Recently, Isla Gray, a 10-year-old shredder who spends a lot of time here in Fernie, wrote a school assignment on just that feeling, and we are excited to share it with you here. She did an excellent job of describing the feeling you get when you step out of your comfort zone and create a memory that will last forever!
Anaconda Glades
Isla skiing on Polar Peak
By: Isla Gray
I peered fretfully down the narrow, steep chute. A dusting of powdery snow covered the run. I was vibrating so hard because I was slowly slipping down the slope. My hands clutched my poles tight. I took a deep breath and set off down the slope.
Earlier that day, I was skiing with a big group of people when they decided to go to Anaconda Glades. My parents asked me if I wanted to do something easier. With a look of determination glinting in my eyes, I told them, “ I want to do what everybody else is doing.”
To get to Anaconda Glades, you have to cross a long bumpy traverse. The traverse itself scared me out of my wits. I was shaking so hard I nearly fell off the narrow, bumpy ski tracks. Mainly out of fear, I clutched my poles in a death grip. Finally, we got to the top of the second chute along the high ridge. From here, you could see the town of Fernie, a glistening patch of light in the fog.
I looked down the run and came to the verge of tears. I didn’t even realize the soft powder pockets hidden along the run, only how steep it looked. At that point though, I had no choice but to set off down the run.
Isla about to ski down the Saddles
My skis made next to no track through the fresh snow. The steep chute was almost as narrow as my skis and I was having trouble turning. Anaconda really was like a snake, winding through the forest. Deep down in my stomach, I no longer felt like crying but enjoying myself.
After the first part of the run, it opened up a bit and the snow got less heavy. The fog had also lifted and the sun shone weakly through the grey clouds. I was glowing with happiness, so awed at what I had accomplished. All in all, doing Anaconda Glades was a good choice.
Twelve hours later it was my favourite run, although I had, at that time only done it twice. Along with Diamond Back, Morning Glory and Anaconda is a black run. They are the reasons I am such a good skier today.
_______________________________________
Keep up the great writing (and skiing!), Isla! We hope that you continue to love life in the mountains.
