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Avalanche involvement near Coal Mountain on January 5.

Filed in Ski Touring by on January 7, 2014 • views: 3317

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 […]

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Test results on a critical avalanche layer
fernie avalanche

Test results on a critical avalanche layer

Filed in Ski Touring by on December 28, 2013 • views: 3781

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:

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Surface Hoar Layer in the Flathead Subregion
Fernie avalanche conditions

Surface Hoar Layer in the Flathead Subregion

Filed in Ski Touring by on December 20, 2013 • views: 3231

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.

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The Bridges of Lazy Lizard

The Bridges of Lazy Lizard

Filed in Ski Touring by on October 28, 2013 • views: 3805

It’s been a busy year for trail building and upgrading. One of the most significant projects this year has been the new Lazy Lizard trail. This trial when completed will be a 100% single track route from Mt. Fernie Park to Island Lake Lodge and will all be a 10% grade or less. The trail […]

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Thunder Meadows Work Party a Success
ski touring hut

Thunder Meadows Work Party a Success

Filed in Ski Touring, Thunder Meadows by on September 19, 2013 • views: 3818

The Thunder Meadows Work Party was a success as all of the list items were completed and we had some fun celebrating the cabins 20th anniversary. The anniversary work party saw the rebuild of the cabin front deck, re-plywooding of the kitchen floor, painting of the entire interior (including benches and tables), a new kitchen […]

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Thunder Meadows 20th anniversary get together and work party
fernie

Thunder Meadows 20th anniversary get together and work party

Filed in Ski Touring, Thunder Meadows by on September 9, 2013 • views: 3578

The weekend of Sept 14 to 15th is the planned date for the Thunder Meadows 20th anniversary get together and work party. With an adequate work party we home to make significant improvements to the cabin. To participate you can hike up for a day or the weekend. With limited sleeping space in the cabin […]

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It’s September and Mountain Bike Bridges Are Flying!

It’s September and Mountain Bike Bridges Are Flying!

Filed in Biking by on September 9, 2013 • views: 5243

We pre-fabed 6 bridges this summer, the majority for the new Cedar Valley connector trail. Last Sunday we loaded and trucked these bridges up to the Island Lake lower parking lot. The trucking was done for us by TER Contracting at no charge to the FTA. A big thanks to Terry Polacik for his low […]

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January 15 Booking Release Opens for Fernie’s Backcountry Cabins views: 455

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: 354

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: 483

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: 1722

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 […]