[djmorris]

Here are a couple of other options, which may or may not work for you:
http://www.ourfernie.com/forums/transpo … elk_valley

http://www.helpful-solutions.com/results-frame.htm

[djmorris]

If it is hard to get to Cranbrook, you could consider coming through Calgary if it is easier to get a bus that way. Athough it is a much longer drive there are likely many more flights to Vancouver available from Calgary then from Cranbrook, and relatively cheap flights are not uncommon.

Driving to Vancouver is an option, and Highway 3 which is the shortest route from Fernie to the coast is quite slow and twisty – although not by UK standards (I’m guessing that’s where you are from by your spelling…). The scenery is spectacular if you are traveling during the day. If you are traveling at night, be sure to watch for large windshield height mammals (e.g., Deer, Elk) appearing out of the darkness when you least expect them.

The biggest problem with driving at this time of year is the possibility of nasty Winter driving conditions and road closures. If your plans are flexible enough to allow you to wait out any storms this might be a good option. With luck the roads will be clear if you choose to drive, but the potential for poor driving conditions should not be taken lightly, especially if your schedule is tight.

[djmorris]

Lot’s of good info here: http://far.redtree.com/cgi-bin/far/index.py

I don’t see that many snow blades on the hill, so I would be surprised if they are available at the rental shops. You might contact the hill and the Ski Base first to check it out.

It’s usually pretty easy to book lessons at the hill, you might want to call them directly and compare the price with what you are being offered through your tour operator.

[djmorris]

"adventuresource" wrote:

I have seen more cougars in the last week than I have in my life.

Which bar were they in?

[djmorris]

I would suggest giving Blair Craig a call at 250-423-7226. Blair runs one of the local rafting companies (http://www.canyonraft.com/). If he doesn’t offer training himself he might be able to sort you out with someone who does.

[djmorris]

"bradlee" wrote:

Perhaps you would like to have the Haulback going at the same speed as the Timber??

Now -*that*- would be kewl!

Thrills and spills on the way down, and on the way back up!

[djmorris]

There is a large assortment of high quality tools available for setting up internet forums, and most of them are free (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison … m_software). As a consequence, it is easy for a webmaster to add a forum to his or her site – and many of them do.

The webmasters of the various “Fernie” sites are no exception. A quick search turned up a couple of other forums, plus a number of “Fernie” sections in other more general forums.

The other forums don’t look any more lively than this one, the forum at “OurFernie” seems pretty quiet (http://www.ourfernie.com/forum), and the forum at “Virtual Fernie” (http://www.virtualfernie.com/) doesn’t even seem to be running right now.

I believe that the problem with all these forums is they divide up the “Fernie” traffic, so none of them get enough traffic to reach the “critical mass” required to become a vibrant on line community.

I suggest the webmasters of the various sites throw all their weight behind a single forum so the traffic doesn’t get spread out. They should also spend some time patrolling the forum and posting replies if necessary.

Hopefully once people see some activity they will start visiting, and contributing, on a regular basis and the single forum would be able to sustain itself.

I realise that this is easier said than done, and it might be hard to get the webmasters to agree on a single forum – after all, they all want to drive traffic to their sites. But I do think it’s worth a try.

[djmorris]

"catshoe" wrote:

Hi there – how is access all areas if you aren’t too hot on drag lifts? What are the Head Wall and Haul Back lifts like?

You can get by pretty well without the face lift (aka the meat hook) – it is seldom open, and when it is, it doesn’t service much terrain. Riding that thing is a bit of an acquired taste – but it does make it a little easier to find soft snow sometimes.

You can get out of Cedar bowl without riding the haul back, but this involves either a long slow traverse out, or climbing up on foot. Neither of these options is ideal, and you will find that riding the haul back will save both time and effort.

[djmorris]

"bri_uk" wrote:

it does say here it’s only available to Canadian residents only. I suppose that cuts us out then being from the UK.

Can you get the pass(es) sent to your Canadian address?

After all, you will be “resident” in Canada whilst skiing in Fernie!

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