Jan 18th: Got up early for first lift in the hope of some steep and deep from the top of the Face lift, which dissapointingly has an "Open at 1pm" notice stuck on it :( Spent the morning eating a massive fry up and generally cruising around the pistes until 1 o'clock arrived. The queue at the Face lift was massive (by Fernie standards), but when it finally opened it was worth it.

The extra vert accessed via the Face Lift

It seems that word had spread and all the locals were out in force to take full advantage of the extra powder. The couple behind me in the queue worked at one of the restaurants in Fernie and were meant to be working that afternoon but didn't seem bothered; "we'll just tell them the Face lift opened". This seemed to be a common attitude amongst locals, apparently if there has been a heavy overnight snowfall all the shops and offices shut in the morning until everyone has had their fix and work resumes in the afternoon (sounds sensible to me). I did 6 runs off the top of the Lizard bowl through waist deep powder before retiring to the hotel with a satisfied smile on my face.

View from the Day Lodge at the base of the hill

19th Jan: So far we'd had 3 days with no snow and blue skies, somewhat unusual apparently! Spent mostly of the day in the Timber and Currie bowls in search of more fresh snow. It's still possible to find fresh tracks days after a snowfall in Fernie, due to the massive amount of terrain accessable, although it's often neccessary to hike for 5 or 10 minutes (small price to pay).

20th Jan: Decided to explore the Cedar Bowl, which we had previously ignored, due to the rather complex 5 lift cycle needed to get in and out of it. There are loads of tree runs in the Cedar Bowl, as there are in the Currie bowl. Fresh snow was still in abundance, although a bit of searching and the advice of a local  was needed first (to introduce yourself just ask "Are you American?"), this seems to get them talking.

21st Jan: Our last day in Fernie, before transfer (via Calgary Airport) to Lake Louise. Found some outstanding tree runs in the Currie bowl to keep me occupied for the entire day. Our week in Fernie complete, we'd already decided to come back next year. Continues on next page.