Fernie and Fernie Alpine Resort Winter Season

Thank You for a Great Winter!

Hello Everyone!

And with that, our winter season has come to an end.

The 2020-21 winter was a unique one, to say the least. We are so happy that we had the opportunity to open and that you, our valued guests, were offered 123 days of skiing and riding.

Thank you for your patience and understanding this season. Thank you for following all of our safety protocols and respecting our staff and each other.

We all worked hard to get to the end of the season, and it was the combined efforts of our community, our staff and our guests that successfully got us here. We are grateful and hope that all of this translated to a great winter season for you and your family.

We are getting geared up for our Early Bird Winter Pass Sale for 21/22 – keep an eye on our website and social media for details!

Stay safe. Enjoy our wonderful outdoors, and we hope to see you on the mountain soon!

Andy Cohen & the Fernie Alpine Resort Team

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Announcing our Winter 20/21 Bonus Week!

Snowboard Euro carve at Fernie Alpine Resort
We have an exciting announcement regarding our season here at Fernie Alpine Resort.
 
In celebration of our passholders, your patience, understanding and commitment to us, and our Fernie community, who rallied together when the chips were down, we are moving our closing date to April 11th, 2021 (weather/conditions permitting).
 
This winter has been one like no other. Our community was one of the fastest to recover from a COVID-19 cluster, from 97 to zero cases in a few short weeks. The hard work and perseverance of our community was commendable.
 
Thank you for saving our community and our ski season. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you.
 
We hope to see you enjoying the wonderful spring skiing!
 
Thanks all,
 
Andy Cohen and the Fernie Alpine Resort Team
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The #FernieStoke Ski Shuttle 2020-21

Fernie Stoke Shuttle

Catch a ride from Fernie to the Ski Hill!

A Shuttle Season Pass is available for $299 plus tax.

Only available from the Fernie Alpine Resort Guest Services desk.

#FernieStoke Ski Shuttle Schedule 2020-2021 

The daily #FernieStoke Ski Shuttle will operate daily between 7:50 am and 11:30 pm from December 16, 2020 – April 4, 2021. Please see the schedule for bus stop locations and pick up/drop off times. 

Fares:

  • $5 cash only each way
  • Kids 5 & under ride free with paying adult/caregiver
  • $35 for a 10 Ride Booklet*
  • A Shuttle Season Pass is available for $299 +tax

The individual bus fare can be paid in cash on the bus with exact change only, no change is provided, or with a voucher from a 10 Ride Shuttle Booklet*.

*Booklets cannot be purchased from the shuttle drivers. Please pre-purchase them at the Guest Service desk at Fernie Alpine Resort.

Need to Know –

  • Masks are mandatory
  • Window seats only
  • The Buses are sanitized throughout the day
  • No Storage on the hill, so please avoid bringing extra luggage on board
  • Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. No pre-booking of seats is available.
  • Reduced capacity during COVID-19 restrictions.
  • Bus pull over locations may vary slightly due to excess snow or parking/pull-over ability.

All details and schedule are subject to change without notice.

Please call Guest Services for more information, 250-423-2435.

The shuttle program is a partnership between the City of Fernie, Fernie Alpine Resort, Tourism Fernie and the Fernie Chamber of Commerce.

Two 24-passenger buses will be used in the operation.

The service is being operated by Fernie Alpine Resort. Funding for the purchase of the two buses was through the Resort Municipality Initiative.

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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!

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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.

 

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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.

The O’Bellx will be operational for the 2020-21 Season.
Thanks to AvaTek Mountain Systems Inc., MountainTek, and  6point Engineering who are onsite performing the installation process.
We are very excited to have this new state of the art RACS system here for demonstration and use here in Fernie.
Watch the following video for a demonstration on how O’Bellx works.

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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).

[email protected]

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

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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

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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!

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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.

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