DougKoran
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Ridgemont Trails riding well.
The mountain bike trails in the Ridgemont area are mostly dried up and riding well. On the weekend the Fernie Trails crew cleaned up deadfall on Splitting Bears and Hessian. We will be cleaning up the Mount Fernie Park trails in the next several weeks.
Proctor Mountain Trails
The trails on the south slope of Proctor Mountain are free of snow and in great shape for cycling. Mad Cow and Swine Flu are the recommended rides right now. Best to climb the double-track on the northeast side of Fairy Creek and then turn right along the fence line after walking through the barb wire fence gate. This will tie you into the Mad Cow single-track climb.
Hyper Ventilation – South Castle trails open for cycling
Hyper Ventilation, Castle Mountain and South Castle are open for cycling now. The Fernie Trails Club cleared out the deadfall on these trails on Wednesday. There is a five minute snow walk on the Castle Rocks traverse but Castle Mountain and South Castle Trail are clear from the summit down to Cokato Road.
Cycling Trails around Koocanusa
Cycled Elk Rim and Dorr Road single-track on Saturday, March 27. The trails are all in very good condition with only a few muddy sections.
North Tunnel Creek Slidepaths
Ian, Jack, Dave and Pat toured up North Tunnel Creek to the Tunnel Creek and Morrissey slidepaths today. Stability was good and we made two runs off of Tunnel Ridge in excellent powder conditions. At the top of the ridge there was 2.25 meters of snowpack. It appeared that no one had ventured into this basin this season. A very impressive avalanche had bulldozed it’s way several weeks ago down North Tunnel Creek and left vertical walls 3 meters high on both sides of the drainage. This route made for easy climbing and all the alder was nicely buried.
Big Sand Creek – First Peak
Skiing has been quite good up in the Grizzly Basin below First Peak and above Big Sand Creek in the Sand Creek Range. Several of us skiied there on Friday, January 29 and found good powder on the short 150m to 200m descents. Access is through the Galloway Mill and just past the Bull River mining camp. A sled ride of 10 kilometers and 850 vertical meters gets you to the powder zone. The road rides good now but will probably be filled in when the next big storm comes along.
No Membership Required to Book Cabins This Season views: 694
Fernie backcountry cabins are now easier to book: no membership is required to reserve Thunder Meadows or Tunnel Creek for overnight stays this season. We’ve moved to a simple flat nightly rate to streamline accounting and bookings. That said, we encourage you to purchase a $5 membership—it helps maintain the huts and supports backcountry-access advocacy […]
Tunnel Creek Cabin Fall Maintenance Update views: 158
Nine dedicated volunteers made the trek up to the Tunnel Creek Cabin this week for a full day of fall maintenance and cleanup. The crew completed a deep clean of the hut, installed a new chimney, added snow stops to the roof, and took care of extensive brush and weed trimming around the cabin, outhouse, […]
Thunder Meadows Summer 2025 Upgrade views: 200
The Thunder Meadows backcountry cabin received its yearly update this July, thanks to the dedicated efforts of Fernie Trails and Ski Touring Club volunteers. The beloved hut, a cornerstone of the local backcountry experience, now offers improved safety, comfort, and long-term sustainability for the upcoming winter season. Key Improvements This summer’s work focused on both […]
2025 Fernie Trails & Ski Touring Bursary Recipients views: 1557
The Fernie Trails and Ski Touring Club (FTSTC) 2025 Avalanche Bursary Program awarded a total of $2,400 split equally between six recipients. FTSTC President Magnus Leckenby commented, “We’re happy that our bursary program is supporting individuals who will contribute to a safer backcountry.” Each year, bursaries are available to help further avalanche education in the […]
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