Fernie is known as a mountain biking destination with over 250kms of singletrack riding and home to the Fernie 3 and Fernie Enduro. In the winter these trails have traditionally been used for snowshoeing and now the snowshoer’s are grooming the mountain bike trails for snow biking!
In Fernie there is a trend taking hold of the cycling community–not a new product, but definitely an adventure gaining momentum. Fat bikes have been around since the late 1980’s in Alaska and are now the fastest growing segment of the bike industry. The bikes have over-sized tires (typically 3.7” or larger and rims wider than 44mm), designed for proper riding over unstable terrain such as snow, or in warmer climates of sand and desert. The bikes are built with frames that accommodate the wider rims. Snow biking uses these fat bikes for winter trail riding.
The snowshoer’s are leaving a perfect track for snow biking, similar to the groomers on the ski hill. As the mountain bikers continue to build new trails to the benefit of snowshoer’s, the snowshoer’s are now giving back—thank you!
Here are few pics from Fernie’s newest trail, Lazy Lizard, beginning at Island Lake Lodge’s gate and in the near future continuing to the lodge. This trail is being built by the Fernie Trails Alliance. Enjoy!
