Ski Touring
Recent Articles
Fernie Mountain Culture Award
Ian Stokie presented Fernie Mountain Culture Award
Ian Stokie, President of the Fernie Trails and Ski Touring Club, has been awarded the Fernie Mountain Culture Award for 2014. There were four generations of Stokies at the presentation to celebrate with Ian. We can all thank Ian for is years of hard work and dedication to our community, ski racing, ski instructing, building […]
Fernie avalanche conditions
Got a little scared today…
In this last work shift, it has been difficult for the South Rockies field team to find safe terrain for making snowpack and avalanche observations. We chose itineraries that mostly avoided avalanche terrain, and we still got to see some surprising avalanche events. Our day turned into an enactment of what the SPAW (special public […]
Cedar Valley – Cabin Bowl Avalanche
A very large avalanche storm released this week down the south side of Cabin Bowl from the Orca Rock starting zone. It carried on across Lizard Creek, up through the Old Growth Forest and onto the Cedar Valley road access to Island Lake Lodge. No people involvement reported. Cedar Valley Avalanche http://blogs.avalanche.ca/category/southrockies/
FTASTC 2014 AGM
The FTASTC 2014 AGM will be held Wednesday, February 19 at Freshies Coffee at 7 PM. Agenda Items will include Ski Hills boundary expansion Plans ( entire Lizard Range north to Island Lake Property) Hut Bookings and Online Waivers. (Seasonal Memberships) Sponsorship of Ski Mountaineering Event Addition to Tunnel Creek Hut Financial Report Summer Trail […]
Avalanche involvement near Coal Mountain on January 5.
by Tamara Hynd – The Free Press posted Jan 6, 2014 at 1:00 PM Sparwood Search and Rescue (SAR) was activated at 3:30 pm by the Elk Valley RCMP on Sunday, January 5 to rescue a backcountry skier who sustained minor injuries after being caught in an avalanche in the Corbin Road area approximately 25 […]
fernie avalanche
Test results on a critical avalanche layer
On December 24th in the Harvey Pass area, a skier triggered the facet/crust layer from a sparsely treed slope at treeline. This slab propagated well above the skier releasing the slab from the ridgeline around 2288 m. This avalanche was reported as a size 2. Here is Gord ND Jen assessing the weak layer:
Fernie avalanche conditions
Surface Hoar Layer in the Flathead Subregion
On December 19th the Southern Rockies Avai team observed the late November surface hoar layer in our Flathead sub region. The firm snow above the weak layer has formed a slab that may be sensitive to sled and ski triggering. Watch Gord Ohm locate the failure of the layer during a snowpack test.
January 15 Booking Release Opens for Fernie’s Backcountry Cabins views: 593
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: 467
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: 541
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, […]
No Membership Required to Book Cabins This Season views: 1793
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 […]
Bring it back!!!