The Mogul Smoker party has been a beloved Fernie tradition since 1976. Born out of the brilliant minds (and a flair for creative intoxification) of Barry Hulbert and Ian Stokie, it all started with a legendary drink—the Mogul Smoker—and an equally legendary excuse to party. Two ounces of rum and Kahlúa topped with coffee and hot chocolate? Of course it was a hit. Fueled by this rocket fuel, the party took off.

Then something magical happened. After a couple of these gatherings, Barry and Ian noticed a suspiciously strong correlation between Mogul Smoker parties and massive snow dumps. Coincidence? Absolutely not.

Fernie’s mythical mountain man, the Griz, was clearly pleased with the offering of spilled drinks, burnt skis, and sacrificed brain cells. Snow Valley was blessed with epic powder.

Seeing the results, Barry and Ian cemented the Mogul Smoker as an annual late-autumn ritual. And like magic (or rum), the snow kept falling. Fernie’s powder reputation grew, and all was well. Then—tragedy. The party was canceled. The reason? Lost to time. The result? A devastating three-year snow drought. It was brutal. Some blamed new ownership, but locals knew the truth: you don’t mess with the Griz.

Luckily, a new generation of skiers and snowboarders resurrected the ritual, cranking it up with a psychedelic, 70s-inspired twist: lasers slicing through the night, costumes that defied explanation, music thumping, lights flashing, props flying, and pure chaos at every corner. The Griz smiled.

And like clockwork—boom—powder blanketed the valley, and Fernie rejoiced.

Huge thanks to the legendary organizers who threw an absolutely world-class party.

Here are a few shots from this year’s incredible Mogul Smoker: