Most people know the most notable numbers of Fernie, over 2500 Acres of terrain, over 1082 m vertical rise and 142 runs. But here are some other numbers to note from Fernie…
15
The amount of years Greg Barrow (aka G money/aka local legend) has been getting the coveted very first chair of the season. It all started with his tent being kicking off the resort, not Greg, just the tent. Read the
10
Lifts with the ability to move nearly 15,000 skiers around the mountain. Per Hour!
9
On mountain venues for your eating enjoyment. Including the family friendly Kelsey’s in the Plaza and Lost Boys Café at the top of Timber Chair with some of the best views of the resort.
8
Fernival year end parties. The tradition has been going for 8 seasons now, with a huge FREE outdoor concert to thank the community for the great support each year. Previous acts include Spirit of the West, Daniel Wesley, Trooper and 54-40, this year is featuring Platinum Blonde!
7 
Hundred! The amount of feet in the world record shot ski attempt. This happened at Fernie as part of a wedding in 2013. Don’t believe us? Watch the video on our YouTube channel.
6
Beers on tap at Fernie’s newest restaurant Cirque in Lizard Creek Lodge. Cirque (formerly the Great Room) in Lizard Creek Lodge has bar seating as well as restaurant seating for all ages, with a plethora of delicious cocktails to try and 6 beers on tap!
5
Huge Alpine Bowls full of powder to snack on! Whether your favourite bowl is Siberia, Timber, Lizard, Cedar or good ol’ Currie bowl, you’re almost guaranteed to find powder stashes in one of the 5!
4
Avalanche Dogs on staff. An important part of our Ski Patrol program is our Avy dog program, 4 dogs training with 4 members of our ski patrol staff assist daily and are always ready to help out in the event of an avalanche. Read more about our Avalanche Dog Program in ‘Fernie’s Furry Hero’s”.
3 
Story building – how much Fernie’s annual snow fall amount can cover (11 m/37 feet)!
2
Epic Après ski bars, located right in the plaza at Fernie Alpine Resort – check out The Griz Bar in the resort plaza, known for ‘Keepin Rippers Ripped’ since 1962 and also home to live après music weekly and some legendary parties. Or stop into Kelsey’s (especially if you’ve got some kids in tow), gather around the bar or hang out in the restaurant with the littles while enjoying your après beverages.
1
Legend of the Griz. There is one ‘person’ in Fernie credited with bringing the amazing powder to the resort each and every year. It all started with a baby boy born in a bears cave, followed by a battle and finally ending with a musket being shot into the cloud. Read the full Legend on our website.
0
HOW MANY FRIENDS YOU HAVE ON A POWDER DAY IN FERNIE.
Words: Cali Sammel
Photos: Robin Siggers, Sage McBride, Mark Eleven Photography, Dylan Siggers, Fernie Alpine Resort
1. Hot Chocolate with Sprinkles
Take a break from shredding the slopes and warm up with a cup of hot chocolate, piled high with whipped cream and topped with sprinkles! You can find this treat for kids of all ages at Kelsey’s, Lost Boys Cafe, Cirque Restaurant and Slopeside Coffee Shop.
2. $5 Meals at Kelsey’s
Taking the family out for dinner doesn’t have to break the bank. Every day at Kelsey’s, kids 12 and under eat for $5!
3. No School Ride Days
School District 5 kids are out of school on February 5th, 8th, 26th and March 28th and you need to keep them busy! Drop them off at the hill for a No School Ride Day hosted by our Winter Sports School. $55 will get them a full day lift ticket and lesson, $29 for a half day. Come in to the WSS desk at Guest Services, call 250-423-2406 or email snowschool@t.skifernie.com for more information and to register.
4. Night SkiingEvery Saturday night from now until the end of March, come out and spend an evening with your friends on the Mighty Moose from 4-9pm. Lift tickets from that day are valid for night skiing. Children and Youth (up to age 17) can pick up a free night skiing ticket at the rental shop.
5. Mommy Ride Day
Does Mom need a break? Drop the little one off to have fun at our daycare while you head up for some ski time. Half-day daycare, half-day lesson and lift ticket for $69, available Monday-Friday. Contact Winter Sports School to book. (Don’t worry Dads, this deal applies to you too!)
6. Riglet Boards
If you’re wanting to get your little ripper onto a snowboard this year, head to the Rental Shop and ask about our Burton Riglet Snowboards. Our rental professionals can get them outfitted and our Winter Sports School instructors can provide top level instruction to get them started on the right edge. Riglet boards are intended for kids from age 3 and up, you can check out http://burtonriglet.com/ for more information.
7. Griz Kids Carnival
Saturday, March 12th is the Griz Kids Carnival! The plaza will be full of activities, games and entertainment that the whole family can enjoy. The best part of this carnival is that it’s all free!
8. Weekend Clubs
Keep the kids busy and improving their skills on the weekend. Starting February 20th and running every weekend for 6 weeks, these programs are designed for ages 3-18. They will be skiing or riding with kids around the same age and ability level, and will be with the same instructor every week. For more information and descriptions of the camps available: https://skifernie.com/rentals-lessons/telus-winter-sports-school/kids-clubs/
9. Kids Birthday Parties
Celebrate your birthday at Fernie Alpine Resort! Available Saturdays during night skiing, you get access to Slopeside Cafe, Deck and Fire Pit. $10 per Guest gets one slice of pizza, veggies and hot chocolate. For more information and to book, please contact Stacey at 250-430-7163 or scharest@t.skifernie.com
10. Secret Kid’s Area
If you turn left off of the Deer Chair and go down the Meadow run you’ll find the Minute Maid Secret Kid’s Entrance. Head into the trees and try to spot the mascots for all the RCR ski hills.
Written by Jordan Johnson
Photos: Vince Mo, Mark Eleven Photography, Jordan Johnson
Fernie is our first favourite…
Like many skiers/boarders in Fernie during the winter, you’re driving here from Calgary. Just 3 hours away makes it easy enough to travel to after the Friday work day, so arriving late may be an unavoidable situation. If you’re coming for the sole purpose of catching some pow at the resort, you may choose to drive straight to the resort to settle into your ski in/ski out accommodations and while there are some places to dine on mountain, choosing to stop in town can provide you with a fun experience and the opportunity to spend time in one of the most authentic ski towns in North America.
The Brickhouse
401 2nd Ave.
Simply put, the Brickhouse has delicious food and good beer. With a kitchen open until around 10/10:30pm you can grab your later at night meal here and not have to give any sacrifice to taste. With healthy and hearty options to choose from, it also focuses on local, organic ingredients and even has some pleasant surprises like the Nut Free Grilled Chicken Pesto Sammy, conveniently listed as nut free on the menu, a huge bonus for people with food allergies (like me).
http://thebrickhousefernie.com/
The Loaf
641, 2nd Ave.
Just down the street from The Brickhouse (literally), is one of the town’s favourite bakeries which doubles as a delicious restaurant, you can pop in to buy baked goods/bread for a snack – or there a few tables to sit down and order off their menu, providing a great spot for breakfast, lunch, dinner or Après (they’re a licensed facilities with $5 happy hour)!
http://www.loafbakery.ca/
Blue Toque Café
601 1st Ave, in Arts Station
Slightly off the beaten path you might not notice it because it isn’t located on 2nd ave or 7th Ave. Blue Touque is located in the Arts Station (1st ave). Their corporate and mission statement, as written on the blackboard above their coffee bar reads “good eats & a cup of joe”, a simply and meaningful statement. Preparing everything from the freshest of states, you will feel full and happy after tasting something off their hearty and very vegan/vegetarian gluten free friendly menu. This quaint café is on the smaller side, but if you’ve found yourself waiting for a table just put your name down on the list and occupy yourself by taking in the art that decorates the hall walls.
Eating On Mountain
NEW Cirque Restaurant & Ice Bar
Located in Lizard Creek Lodge
This is one to add to your Fernie food bucket list for sure! Cirque is the new restaurant and bar in Lizard Creek Lodge, home to the iconic fireplace it recently underwent a gorgeous renovation, making the new great room a comfortable and trendy place to enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner or après drinks. Plus, Cirque is home to the new Ice Bar presented by Stoli, whether you are a vodka connoisseur our not this is one experience not to miss! Get donned in provided Helly Hansen parkas and enter the Ice room (literally a room made out of ice) to taste the world’s finest vodkas the way they were meant to be enjoyed, in sub zero temperatures and learn about them too!
Learning about the best vodka at the new Ice Bar at Lizard Creek Lodge in Fernie
Griz Bar
Located in the Fernie Alpine Resort plaza
The Griz Bar has been an icon of Fernie Alpine Resort since it opened under its original name, Fernie Ski Valley, in fact it’s been ‘keepin rippers ripped since 1962”. Being one of the hottest spots for Apres, it has indoor and outdoor seating, an infamous table and a wonderfully simple menu (nachos and beer) and is often featuring local bands for live après entertainment. Darcy has been running the Griz Bar for years and is the brain child behind the NEW ‘peak to pint’ challenge, read more about Darcy on Fernie Alpine Resort’s Facebook page and find out more about the Griz Bar on the website.
Eat too much? Don’t worry , there’s a run (or two) for that!
Words & Photos by Cali Sammel
Wondering what else there is to do in Fernie? Check out “The Top 7 Things to Do this Winter While Visiting Fernie“
Today kicked off another great season at Fernie Alpine Resort and continuing with a long standing tradition (15 years!), Greg aka G-Money camped out at the resort in order to be first in line to be first on the lift and first off the lift to take the sweet initial turns of the winter.
Greg ‘G-money’ in known in the community, not just for nabbing first chair each recent ski season, but also for owning Edge of the World, a popular board shop located on 2nd ave in the town of Fernie. So just how did this tradition for Greg begin? In his own words…
15 years ago…
He [Barrow] had pitched a tent at the bottom of the Timber chair the night before Opening Day. He wanted to be on the first chair of the season. The security guard told him to camp in the designated camping area. Barrow started negotiating.
“I can’t get first chair from up there.”
“You’re gonna camp for first chair?” the guard asked.
“Yeah,” Barrow replied. “Well, can I stand here?”
“Yes,” the security guard said. “But you can’t camp here.”
“He goes: ‘I am not gonna call my boss at 2 in the morning and wake him up because some fool is trying to camp.’
“So, I just went and put my tent in the car and then went back and stood there.”
Read the full story on the Globe & Mail website.
These days, we allow Greg to camp out in hopes of getting first chair, anyone who has that type of dedication and love for a sport deserves it! That’s what we think anyways.
Here’s Greg on first chair last season (2014)
First Chair 2014!
And 2013….
2012!
2011
You get the idea…
We’ll be officially open for the season this Friday, December 4th! Fernie has received 116 cm of snow season to date, with 14 cm of that coming in the last 7 days, currently the settle snowpack at the Bear Plot is at 67 cms. Lifts operating starting Friday, will include the Elk Chair, the Bear Chair and the Mighty Moose. These lifts will provide over 2,500’ of vertical skiing, with skiing on the Bear to mid mountain, and down the Lizard run to the base. We currently have very good coverage with loose packed and machine groomed terrain/snow, it will be a great opportunity to get out and get your ski legs going in advance of the full mountain opening! There will be a variety of on mountain services which will be open from Friday, including the Daylodge, Griz Bar, Sports Alpine Retail Shop, Rental Shop and Guest Services. The new Cirque Restaurant & Lounge at Lizard Creek Lodge, will officially open with the start of the new season, make sure that you drop by to experience Fernie’s newest and best food & beverage experience.
FERNIE ALPINE RESORT OPENS DECEMBER 4TH AT 9AM
[wpdevart_countdown text_for_day=”Days” text_for_hour=”Hours” text_for_minut=”Minutes” text_for_second=”Seconds” start_time=”1448917656″ end_time=”3,18,0″ action_end_time=”show_text” content_position=”center” top_ditance=”10″ bottom_distance=”10″ ]FERNIE ALPINE RESORT IS OPEN! See our online snow report for the latest updates.[/wpdevart_countdown]
From grinders to Burlapzzz – not many people can brag about how awesome their life is like Dylan Siggers can (and trust us, he has rights). Let us tell you why;
Dylan’s Dad
Dylan is what we refer to as a true Fernie local, meaning he is born in Fernie to parents who have been living here for some time (even though we technically don’t consider them locals)! Dylan’s Dad, Robin Siggers made his discovery of Fernie Alpine Resort while powder seeking, coming from Vancouver, he settled in Fernie and never left. Dylan, growing up in an incredibly outdoorsy mountain town, the adventure roots run deep in Dylan’s blood. In fact, Dylan’s Dad – Robin, is the mountain operations manager at Fernie Alpine Resort, allowing him to fall in love with mountain biking and skiing in a way few can.
On top of absolutely mastering the art of skiing (and mountain biking), Dylan’s passion is also in videography and photography. Branching into this industry with his strong background in the sport has brought Dylan and his crew around the Powder Highway and the world in their efforts to snap the greatest images, put together the most adrenaline pumping videos – all while seeking the greatest powder they can find.
Check out one of Dylan’s most popular ski videos ‘Kootenay Influence Episode 5, with over 60,000 viewson the Fernie Youtube Channel. His Dad, Robin, is also no stranger to producing viral videos, check out his most popular one with over 15,000 views First Run of the 2010 – 20111 Season also on Fernie’s Youtube channel.
With Dylan’s success filming in Fernie, B.C – his talents have expanded to Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, Kimberley Alpine Resort, Nakiska Ski Area as well as doing work for Biglines, Line Ski and more.
Burlapzzz, Dylan’s most recent and more personal project focuses on having fun and has taken him and his ‘coworkers’ Josh & Brody Mcskimming to places across British Columbia and Canada with hopes of taking it even further (like the entire world!) and soon.
Dylan, slaying some pow
Not only an accomplished filmmaker, Dylan is in fact an amazing skier and community member – he’s won multiple Freeski comps, most recently placing first in the signature Wrangle the Chute event at Kicking Horse in 2014. His passion also runs deep within the community in Fernie, not only is he sponsored in his riding by many local businesses, he’s also one of the main organizers of the Wam Bam Dirt Jump Jam an annual celebration of mountain biking and music combined into one awesome festival.
Check out more of Dylan’s videos on his Vimeo Channel and stay tuned for more epic pow videos to come from him this winter!
Words by Cali Sammel
Feature Photo by Robin Siggers of Dylan Siggers
Fernie is full of passion. Arguably, first and foremost, many are die hard skiers or snowboarders and enjoy all the perks that come with having Fernie Alpine Resort in their backyard. However, outside of the resort there are plenty of other fun things to do and see in Fernie, B.C. If you’re looking to venture further into the Fernie culture, here are some suggestions to help you plan the perfect Fernie itinerary:
Ghostriders Hockey Game
Named after the Legend of the Ghostrider, the locals in Fernie are super into their hockey and extremely (borderline obsessively so) supportive of their team – similar to the rest of Canada. If you’re in town during a Ghostriders game it would be an outrage to not see it!
Check out the Ghostriders schedule on their website. Photo courtesy of Ghostriders flickr.
Read about the Legend of the Ghostrider.
Take a Hot Tub Time Machine Tour
That’s right, Hot Tub Time Machine. The popular 2010 John Cusack movie was filmed largely in Fernie, some of the filming locations include Main Street (2nd Ave), The Brickhouse on 2nd Ave, The Plaza at Fernie Alpine Resort. Stop by and see if you can recognize Fernie disguised as the fictional Kodiak Valley from the movie.
Visit the Miners Tour & City Hall
Fernie, like many B.C towns, owes a lot of their history to mining. Outside the architecturally pleasing City Hall is a shrine to the miners that made its history, paved with 300 bricks with the names of miners and mining families. Walk through the set up and read educational plaques and learn about history through interactive features.
Also nearby for a visit are the Fernie Courthouse, Museum, Arts Station and Heritage Library. More info.
Go for a Winter Bike
New this season, dedicated trails and rental bikes for Winter Fat Biking! Monster tires and low gearing means biking in the snow is easy and fun for both first timers and seasoned cyclists. Take a tour – the resort will offer rental bikes and tours/lessons with guides this winter. More info.
Eat Delicious Food
Like most cool little towns, Fernie has a thriving food industry. With many places to dine including some gems like The Loaf or The Brickhouse on ‘main street’ or Yamagoya Sushi. Stay tuned for another article featuring the best places to eat in Fernie!
Visit the Spa
With a few spas to choose from in Fernie, you can stay on mountain and enjoy the Lizard Creek Lodge spa or venture into town. What better way to feel great after a long day of riding the pow than to have a relaxing massage? For a full list of available spas visit the Tourism Fernie website.
Snowshoeing/Cross Country Skiing
Fernie Alpine Resort and the surrounding area has an extensive network of cross country ski trails and snowshoeing trails. The trails at the resort are regularly maintained (groomed & trackset) and are multi-use trails, free of charge. Snowshoe and Nordic ski rentals as well as guided tours are available at the 
resort, or roam around on your own and enjoy nature’s tranquility (maps and signage on the trails will let you know where to go). In addition, the Fernie Nordic Society maintains a great network of trails at the provincial park and golf course (membership or day use fee required).
For more information on what to do while visiting Fernie visit the Things to Do in Resort or Things to Do in Town sections on our website or the Tourism Fernie website.
Words by Cali Sammel
Photos by Fernie Ghostriders, Fernie Alpine Resort and Cali Sammel
Imagine this; you wake up from your slumber early, really early. And you’re not getting back to sleep. What do you do? What do most of us do? Grab our smart phones. Now, when you grab your phone you’ll have the ability to get the most up to date information for snow conditions, weather reports, trail maps, resort info and more from one handy app for Fernie Alpine Resort (and our other RCR resorts).
Your next problem – it’s going to be a powder day!! Time to call in sick and head out to the mountains!
For more information on our App read our Press Release.
If you’re spending time in Fernie this Winter Season, you should be planning ahead for at least one memorable night out on Downtown Fernie’s vibrant 2nd Avenue. The ingredients for the Perfect Aprés Ski Party? How about: delicious food, fantastic ambience, great friends and fun.
Fernie favourite, the Loaf, can deliver all the goods! Loaf has an excellent local reputation for casual fine-dining with great service. Their range of Italian-inspired menu items and freshly prepared dinner specials are available nightly alongside their award-winning, stone-baked, Italian-style pizzas. Loaf is a great choice for families and groups – they can accommodate large parties, private functions and even arrange live music and entertainment to make your party a memorable one. Just call the Loaf on (250) 423-7702 to discuss your requirements.
See www.loafbakery.ca for details on brunch, $5 Happy Hour, dinner times and menus, including Loaf’s super-easy-to-use online take-out service.
Snow, that’s why! We’re off to a snowy start here at Fernie Alpine Resort, with the snow in fact first falling at the beginning of September right as we were closing down our summer operations! While it made a brief disappearance so far in October, it returned this week and is a great sign for the upcoming ski season.
It started with a brief dusting overnight the weekend
Photo from the Top of Bear Chair – October 26th (morning)
And continued into Tuesday!
Top of Whitepass – October 27th (Credit: Thomas Hopkins)
So get ready to get in line for first chair! Opening date is tentatively scheduled for December 4th, stay tuned to our online events calendar for updates closer to the date.
