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December 20, 2023

72 Hours in Fernie this Winter

Follow the Powder Highway to historic Fernie, home to Fernie Alpine Resort – with its five, legendary, powder-filled bowls. Enjoy the jam-packed days at this renowned Canadian Rockies mountain community during your family winter getaway this season.

Photo by Destination BC/@anatoletuzlak (Photo was captured with a registered drone. Photographer is licensed to fly the drone and he had legal permission to fly in this area.)

DAY 1

  • No Fernie session is complete without a fresh breakfast bagel from the local favourite, Big Bang Bagels. The Griz breakfast bagel with an espresso on the side is a sure bet to kick off your ski trip.
  • Ease into the first day of your powder session at Fernie Alpine Resort (FAR). A few laps on the Deer Chair and the Elk Quad will give your family the most green and blue run options to warm up the legs for your ski holiday. Your kids will session the Minute Maid Kids Trails all day if you let them, and your teens can grind off their edges at the RCR Rail Park on Deer.
  • A late lunch or apres-ski burger and beverage at Legends Mountain Eatery right in the ski area base plaza will set you and the kids up for an afternoon on nordic skis at one of four top-notch, groomed trail systems in the Fernie area; or go fat-biking on the Ridgemont & Montane Trail System
Fat Biking in Fernie; photo by Dave Heath
  • If an indoor afternoon is on the agenda, take in a movie matinee or evening showing at Fernie’s totally updated Vogue Theatre.
  • If you can get a table or a private tatami room, Yamagoya Sushi is an authentic Japanese dining experience not to be missed. You’ll see (and taste) it when you close your eyes and look back on your Fernie ski holiday.
  • Be among the first to sample the latest cocktail creations at Fernie Distillers, which straddles the exquisite line between informal and refined. Take home a souvenir bottle of one of their exquisite locally inspired liqueurs or spirits, such as the Earl Gray Tea infused Fernie Fog liqueur. Or, if you enjoy craft beer the Fernie Brewing Company is about as passionate and thirsty for making great beer as you can get.
Fernie Fog; photo courtesy of Fernie Distillers

DAY 2

  • The Eggs Benny at the Bridge Bistro is calling you, but their pancakes and bacon will also knock your ski socks off.
  • Another day on the mountain! Day 2, now you’re ready to stretch your legs and explore Timber and Currie Bowls via the Timber Express Quad and White Pass Chairs. From White Pass Chair you can watch the locals push their limits in the double black diamond Knot Chutes, then find your own version of powder paradise in the glades of Pillow Talk. Don’t fear the traverses, as they lead to more, untracked powder!
  • Lunch it up at Lost Boys Cafe at the top of the Timber Express. That way you can stay high on the mountain right up until last chair. The bacon mac and cheese is a fave with kids of all ages, and the Rocky Mountain view across the Elk River Valley will keep anyone happy.
Views of the Kootenay Sea (valley below) from the Fernie Alpine Resort; photo by Henry Georgi
Photo courtesy of Tourism Fernie
  • After a family dinner at The Curry Bowl, continue the ice theme with a Fernie Ghostriders game. This scrappy KIJHL team has rivalries with nearly every neighbouring community, resulting in fast-paced, fun hockey!

DAY 3

  • With everything from breakfast burritos to Panko French toast, and of course coffee, lots of coffee – Mugshots is a perfect kickstart to your last morning in downtown Fernie.
  • Back to Resort! With the kids set up for the morning with the awesome instructors of Fernie’s Wintersports School, you’re ready to hit the endless black diamond turns of Currie Bowl, and maybe even the Polar Peak Chair if you’re feeling brave!
  • After a late fill up on some sustaining wraps, curries and hearty home-made meat stews at The Lunchbox downtown, and discover the rich history and stunning mountain environment of Fernie with an exhilarating interpretive snowshoe tour at Fernie Alpine Resort.
Historic downtown Fernie; photo by Henry Georgi

Overnight options for Fernie. | Other dining options in Fernie. | Read more: “Family Time in Fernie This Winter”.

 

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