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
Confession – before my wife and I had kids I would walk across a few football fields of parking lot to get to the lifts if it meant my efforts would be rewarded with fresh tracks. However now that I have a family, the expression “ski in-ski out” has the same dreamy connotations for me as the words “free beer.” Except unlike the latter, ski in- ski out actually exists. It took me just a couple of trips across the ski resort parking lot, with multiple pairs of skis stacked in my arms like firewood, while coaxing kids with promises of hot chocolate before even completing a single run, to truly realize that the way accommodation is situated in relation to the lifts can make a huge difference to the quality of a holiday at the ski hill.
Options like this are not available to everyone
That’s why, Fernie Alpine Resort got it right when they designed and developed the chalet style Lizard Creek Lodge, one of the first luxury boutique ski-ski out lodges in Fernie when it first opened in 2000. The Lizard is convenience defined. If you want, you could soak in the lodge’s outdoor hot tub and almost carry on a conversation with a friend about to board the Elk Chair a few ski lengths away. That’s how close and convenient Lizard Creek Lodge is to the action the slope. The lodge’s legendary great room is undergoing a transformation for this season, that will retain the space’s warm mountain aesthetic but with the added touch of an ice lounge and sushi bar.
Ski in – ski out also defines the aptly named Slopeside Inn near the resort plaza, and the Thunder Ridge Chalets, beautifully arranged in wooded settings next to the Elk Chair. And if you want an extended lunch or mid-day beverage, slide to a stop at the base area’s Mountain Plaza, warm up in Kelsey’s On The Mountain or polish the tables with the sleeves of ski sweater at the hallowed Griz Bar. Afterward, click into your bindings and slide down to the lift and hop on, or to the door of your lodge. It may seem like a small detail, but it’s one that counts. At Fernie you want to leave it all on the slopes, whether it’s exploring powder lines and steeps in the resort’s five Lizard Range alpine bowls, or lapping top to bottoms with the kids on the Elk Chair – after all who wants to schlep across parking lots, with tired kids in tow, when you can ski in and ski out. Words that are magic to any family’s ears.
Words by Andrew Findlay
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.
Tyler Werry is on the ‘Road to Korea’! Tyler, born and raised in Fernie is about to start his second year on the Canadian National Ski Team – his goal is to make it into the XXIII Olympic Games being held in Korea in 2018. Help support Tyler on his Road to Korea by attending a fundraiser to help offset his Alpine Canada Team fees on November 1st in Calgary.
More about Tyler Werry;
Tyler grew up skiing in Fernie where he joined the Fernie Alpine Ski Team (FAST), from a young age he always had a desire to go fast! Making the provincial team in 2008 and moving onto the national team in 2014, Tyler has had two very successful seasons at the NorAm level.
In 2014, he placed 1st in the Super G standings, 2nd in the Alpine Combined standings, and 3rd overall in the NorAm Standings, winning his first Canadian Championship Title in GS that same year.
In 2015, Tyler finished 1st in the Downhill standings, 3rd in the super G standings, and 2nd overall in the NorAm Standings, this past season he also had my first top 30 result on the World Cup circuit, finishing 26th in Wengen’s Alpine Combined!
For more information about the fundraiser contact – [email protected]. We hope to see you there!
Images courtesy of Tyler Werry.
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.
Dogs have been man’s best friend since they were domesticated some 40,000 years ago. Since then their role in society has been shaped by their loyalty and ability to work closely with their human owners. Dogs have been used in avalanche rescue situations since at least the early 1900’s. With their heightened sense of smell, tracking abilities and agility outdoing all human efforts they are some of the greatest rescue assistants.
Meet our avalanche rescue dogs who live and train with lucky members of our ski patrol team. They are a vital asset when there is an emergency situation on the mountain and have helped out on more than a few occasions.
Tarn – showing off some of his more graceful skills.
Steve & Tarn riding the lift to their patrol shack
Tarn
(ski patrol assistant – Forest)
Like many avalanche dogs, Tarn started training to be able to find people in an avalanche situation at just 8 weeks old. Now 6 years old (turning 7 in January 2016) him and his human assistant Forest are daily companions. They ride the lift together in the morning, (occasionally mixing it up with a snowmobile instead) and ski down to the base at the end of the day. On a usual day at work for Tarn, there’s time for a little bit of play at the patrol shack at the top of the mountain although he’s always ready for a rescue mission if need be. Watch our Youtube video to learn more about the ski patrol program at Fernie and to see Tarn working and playing around on the mountain.
Neko
(ski patrol assistant – Steve)
Another one of our veteran avalanche rescue dogs, Neko – now 5 years old, has taken part in several rescues. Working closely with his human assistant Steve, they have over 35 years of combined search & rescue and ski patrol experience.
Neko is an extremely friendly and personable dog, here he is (below) teaching us about his job during our Avalanche Awareness Days, held annually each January (and getting in a photo bomb while he’s at it). This season’s event is scheduled for January 16th, 2016, check out our online events calendar for more information closer to the event date.
And now introducing some of our junior program members, training to take their certification courses soon;
Mogul & Tabor
Mogul is a one and a half year old German shepherd (left) he’s in training to become an avalanche rescue dog and has his exam this January on Whistler. His human assistant, Megan Kelly, has been a ski patroller for nine years at Fernie. When not training, Mogul loves playing with his favourite toy a ball on a rope. You can see him and Megan from Wednesday’s to Friday’s 
at the top of the mountain practicing his obedience and having lots of fun! Tabor and his human assistant Sean (right) are training for his exam, coming up soon. This will be Tabor’s first winter season at Fernie Alpine Resort – welcome to the team Tabor! Tabor fun fact – him and Neko are half brothers!
Find out more about our Avalanche dog & ski patrol program at on our Ski Patrol page.
Did you know?
Cats also assist our team at Fernie, watch this super serious and definitely informative video here.
Words by Cali Sammel with contributions by Steve Morrison, Jeni Pearson & Megan Kelly.
Photos by Fernie Alpine Resort Ski Patrol & Vinnie Mo.
Feature photo by Dave Watts.
We’re up in the first round in the 4th annual Ski Town Throwdown by Powder Mag! VOTE for Fernie now, voting for the first round only runs until this Thursday Oct 15th at 7pm MST!
VOTE now —-> http://ow.ly/TlFOL!
Fernie is a place of firsts. Years ago pioneering mountain guides like Bruno Engler discovered a powder paradise in the Lizard Range. Then in 1962, on land donated by Galloway Lumber, Fernie Snow Valley Ski Resort was born, a mom and pop ski hill guided by the vision of the legendary skiing couple. Heiko and Linda Socher. In the years that followed the resort underwent an epic transformation from local powder hound’s secret to world class Fernie Alpine Resort, with the addition of new lifts and accessing of five alpine bowls that built on the resort’s already existing appeal for skiers and boarders wanting deep snow and steeps. But as the resort evolved, the developers paid close attention to the visitor experience beyond ski lifts and vertical -they wanted to ensure that a stay on the mountain was memorable, like an immersion in mountain culture. That was the simple but beautiful logic behind the creation of Lizard Creek Lodge, one of the first boutique ski in-ski out lodges in the Canadian Rockies.
Concept Rendering
“Now we are at it again- setting the stage, a Mountain Lifestyle destination deserves a great place to gather! So here is to ‘Gathering More’ – we want you to celebrate ‘Together Time’ in the mountains with us at the new Lizard Creek Lodge at Fernie Alpine Resort as we begin renovation on the great room!
For more images and updates on the renovation visit the Lizard Creek Lodge website.
View the full Press Release online.
Image this. Standing on the edge of a massive alpine bowl, peering down at the absolutely epic vastness of it and nearly drooling at the pristinely perfect powder it laden with below you. Now imagine not 1, not 2, not even 3 of these bowls but five huge alpine bowls (all in one spot), and you’ve got Fernie Alpine Resort.
Fernie Alpine Resort, located in Fernie, B.C., is one of those places people would refer to as a hidden gem. The masses haven’t yet discovered it, and as a result, it is a large ski resort with a massive amount of terrain known for its uncrowded slopes (and, of course, for up to 37 feet of powder a season). Most people who have been lucky enough to discover Fernie, or even luckier yet, to live in Fernie, have a strong opinion of their favourite terrain to ride at the resort and why.
Here are some tips on where to check out (but you didn’t hear this from us):
Currie Bowl
No, not the food. The more extreme rider loves Currie Bowl. Drop into Currie for some of the best steeps on the mountain.
“I love Currie Bowl for many different reasons. The famed Currie rope drop, the whole Concussion zone and Alpha Centauri just to name a few. But the main reason is it accesses the Big 3. For me, there is no better situation at FAR than being the first track down Skydive on a pow day. Top to bottoming that beast is the best feeling in the world. You definitely deserve some Griz Bar pints after picking off all 3!”
– Kieran Summers, Owner Giv’Er Shirtworks
Timber
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a rider who doesn’t love White Pass or Surprize. Timber is laden with challenging terrain coming in through the trees but also has some slightly easier and wide open spots, like Shaky Acres. This bowl accommodates almost any skier/rider (plus, you get to show off your skills for all those on the chairlift as you pass below), and everyone likes a show-off, right?
“Timber is sick because of the trees that catch the pow pow. You can access the trees from either the Timber Chair or the Whitepass Chair. If you hit Whitepass and drop skiers right (lookers left), you can grab that pow hidden in the trees rapid fire over and over again, and it gets boring fast…….NOT.”
– Mark Kowalchuk, co-owner of Artschool Skateboards & Clayman Ltd.
Siberia
Siberia Bowl is known for its long and vast runs, where you might not see another rider for days. If you’re looking for untouched, hidden powder, Siberia Bowl is the place to check out.
“A lot of people think that as soon as you get off the chair, you should instantly go right instead of heading straight – they would be wrong.”
– Lynch from X92.9 Calgary’s Best Rock Alternative
Lizard
Arguably, the favourite bowl at Fernie Alpine Resort, Lizard, is great for the thrill seeker. Home to the locals’ favourite area, Easter Bowl, Lizard is also the location of the Headwall, where pro athletes gather each season in an epic race and compete for great prizes in the Monster Enemy Lines event.
“The Lizard Bowl is like falling for the girl in the hot miniskirt and realizing she’s as kind as the girl next door”
– Tyler, Fernie Ski Patrol
Cedar
Cedar Bowl is a local favourite with lots of natural rollers and fall lines, providing amazing vistas and views. Snake Ridge stays freshest the longest, and you can get in some great long laps.
“Haul Back, Boom, Repeat!”
-Paul Whitham, Sales at RCR
With over 2500 acres of skiable terrain, many of which are in the bowls, possibly the only problem you’ll run into while riding at Fernie Alpine Resort is not having enough time to ride it all. But that’s okay; it just gives you another excuse to come back!
