Ski Touring
Recent Articles
Little Sand Creek
Did some good powder skiing up Little Sand Creek (Powder Cowboy)on Sunday with Mitch and Linda. Same old short runs but excellent sunshine and powder. The area is closed for cat skiing this year and was highly used by sled skiers this weekend. From the Galloway Road it is a 16 kilometer and 1000 vertical meter sled ride to the powder zone. Worth it for some early season touring.
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.
Tunnel Creek. Jan 03. 10
Three of us toured up Tunnel Creek on Sunday, met up with two other groups. Had a lot of settling on the way up and were triggering large slabs (50-80 cm ) down the back side of Sunnyside. Wind loading on top of suface hoar. We stuck to sunnyside for three runs.
P.S. Some of us from the Ski Touring Club usually go out on Sundays, Anyone interested in joining us we meet at Freshies before 9:00 A.M. or call Ian @ (250)423-0726
A.G.M.
The Fernie Trails & Ski Touring Club will hold its A.G.M. on Thursday, January 21, 7:00 P.M. at Freshies Coffee Shop. 561 2nd ave Fernie.
Items to be discussed will include all old business, Thunder Meadows and the new winter shelter for Tunnel Creek.
Everyone with an interest in Summer Trail use and Winter Ski Touring is invited to attend. Hope to see you there.
Ian
Tunnel Creek, Dec 30, 2009
Pat Gilmar, Ian Stokie and Jack Mckay. 2hrs 40mins to Tunnel Creek Summit. Ran into two other groups.One run down Home Run and Tunnel Creek gully. Great powder, good stability.
Wishing all the members a happy New Year.
Tunnel Creek Update
Tunnel Creek Winter shelter application has been approved. The AGM will be mid-January at Freshies, date to be decided and will be posted on this site.
A Cabin Crisis: The Economy of Toilet Paper views: 2146
Deep in the heart of the Fernie backcountry, at the legendary Thunder Meadows, Tunnel Creek, and Harvey Pass cabins, a shadowy barter economy thrives. No, it’s not trading trail mix for dry socks or a thermos of coffee for a warm seat by the fire. It’s something far more primal: toilet paper. Yes, in the […]
Fernie Trails & Ski Touring Club Annual General Meeting 2026 views: 352
The Fernie Trails & Ski Touring Club invites members and anyone interested in ski touring and four-season cabin use in the Elk Valley to attend the 2026 Annual General Meeting. Who: Anyone interested in ski touring and winter/summer use cabins in the Elk Valley What: 2026 Annual General Meeting Where: Fernie Seniors Centre, 562 3 […]
January 15 Booking Release Opens for Fernie’s Backcountry Cabins views: 916
The January 15 booking period for Fernie’s backcountry cabins opens Thursday, January 15 at 6:00am MST, releasing February 1 to April 30 overnight inventory for Thunder Meadows Cabin and Tunnel Creek Cabin. This is the second and final winter release for the 2025–26 season and typically fills quickly. What’s Being Released on January 15 Thunder […]
2026 Fernie Trails & Ski Touring Avalanche Bursary Recipients views: 770
The Fernie Trails and Ski Touring Club (FTSTC) 2026 Avalanche Bursary Program awarded a total of $2,500, with funding allocated based on the cost of each recipient’s training program. Applicants this year reflect the breadth of avalanche education being pursued in the Elk Valley, from first-time courses to continued skill development. FTSTC President Magnus Leckenby […]
Tunnel Creek Cabin Fall Maintenance Update views: 710
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, […]
Bring it back!!!