Skiing in Canada’s Powder Highway should be on every skier and snowboarder’s bucket list.
Fernie is a hidden gem of the Powder Highway tucked within the Rockies of British Columbia (BC), Canada. The Powder Highway is a region in the Rockies with the most snow and Fernie’s slopes are well endowed with massive powdery snow.
Fernie got its name from a pioneering coal prospector known as William Fernie. Following his discovery of rich coal deposits in this region, a mining colony started which led to the development of a vibrant community.
As coal mining thrived and grew in size, so did the population. However, the town got razed down by fires in two separate incidences. But the resilient Fernie residents persevered against adversity and the great depression of the 1930s, rebuilding the town into the spectacular historical place it is.
While at Fernie, mountains tower in the sky in all directions. The awesome ranges and ridges are incredibly hard to miss and inspire a sense of extreme alpine adventure. This magnificent location is known as “The Land of the Raven,” a mystical name given to it by the Ktunaxa people of Canada’s BC.
The Fernie ski resort boasts an incredible dynamic terrain that favors snow lovers of all abilities and levels. Its major perk is that it is relatively less known and therefore, you can expect fewer lift lines. It also has an expansive trackless terrain.
Services
Mountain Features
Resort Features
Fernie Ski Field is estimated to be open
Between the dates of December 05 2022 and estimated to close on April 14 2023 for the 2022/23 season.
Ski life Services at Fernie open as early as 9:00 AM and the last to close is at 4:00 PM.
The resort has five massive bowls that collectively contribute to about 2,504 acres of skiable terrain. It also features a 1,082-meter vertical, enough to give daring adventurers an adrenaline rush and pleasant thigh burn.
The ski field has more than 140 named runs, not counting the many gullies and ungroomed chutes. The official stats for the 142 kilometers of slopes are:
Fernie Ski Resort has slopes for all skier and snowboarder abilities and levels. Notably, it has a great beginner terrain where newbies can learn under patient instructors. The slopes are also gentle with great surface lifts to allow children and absolute novices to learn at their own pace while having lots of fun.
Beginner slopes are located on the Mighty Mosse sector, which is located close to the resort’s base area. The beginner zone features excellent progression routes aided by the Deer and Elk Chairlifts.
Most of the intermediate terrain is further upslope towards the summit sector. The principal access lift in this sector is the fast Timber Bowl Express. This lift also gives direct access to the Timber and Siberia bowls, as well as the piste-linked White Pass chairlift, Polar Peak, and the Currie Bowl.
On the other end of the spectrum, Fernie has great off-piste and backcountry opportunities. The resort is a free rider’s dream with pristine powder hidden deep within the Siberia Bowl. The Timber Bowl also has challenging terrain where riders get to shred powder among scanty powder-laden trees. It also includes easier sections on areas such as Shaky Acres which have easier spots.
Advanced riders enjoy testing their limits on Currie Bowl. This section is famous for its steeps which delight skiers and snowboarders, especially on powder days. If it is your first-time skiing in these sections, the resort offers free familiarization tours chaperoned by its own Sports School team.
Most of the off-piste and backcountry terrain is inbounds, meaning it’s closely monitored and controlled for adverse events such as avalanches. However, there are still areas beyond the monitored areas for the absolute daredevils. However, you can only access these areas with the appropriate safety gear and at your own risk.
To make Fernie more attractive and accessible, the resort’s management has undertaken several major and minor improvements. They’ve especially done some upgrades on the lift infrastructure as well as glading on some slopes.
The resort has a network of 10 different ski lifts that whisk eager thrill-seekers up the mountain. The lift system is conveniently placed to get the different kinds of riders to their desired slopes.
Intermediate skiers and snowboarders ride the Elk Quad and Deer Chair to the freshly groomed blue pistes. After a short but thrilling ride on the Elk Quad, they can hop on to the Great Bear Express to access the Boomerang Triple.
More confident intermediates can ride the Timber Bowl Express to access more challenging pistes. The 2.6-kilometer ride is long at 11 minutes but riders get treated to great views of the surrounding landscape and the mountains.
The Timber Bowl express primarily transports advanced and expert riders to the red pistes at the apex end of that lift. Here there are heart-stopping challenging chutes and steep bowls. More daring advanced riders can ride the Polar Peak Chair which whisks them to the summit of the mountain for breathtaking views and adrenaline-spiking terrain.
The lifts are classified as follows:
Getting a Fernie Alpine Resort pass is easy. You just need to visit their website and order your pass online. However, like most ski resorts, you will still need to check in at the base camp to get your pass card which you’ll use to scan at the lifts.
Keep in mind, though, that online ticket sales cut off 48 hours prior, although you still have the option to purchase your ticket at the resort.
You can get the following ski passes:
This is a great way to ski at Fernie, where you get to pay once and ski all season long. With a typical season lasting 120 days, you can ski as often as you wish or as Fernie says it “as much as your legs can take.”
The season pass also has certain member benefits including:
With this ticket, you pay once and get a pass for skiing for 100 days in four resorts. You get to ski/ride at Fernie Alpine Resort, Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, Kimberley Alpine Resort, and Nakiska Ski Area all season long. Early birds get amazing discounts on these tickets.
This is a super pass offered in two flavors: the Epic Pass and the Epic Day Pass. The epic day pass allows you to ski up to 4 days consecutively from the date of ticket purchase. The epic pass allows you to ski the Canadian Rockies resorts, including other North American resorts such as Vail, Park City Utah, and Whistler-Blackcomb.
You may also get the Super Pass which also allows you to ski for 100 days in the five resorts granted by the epic pass, with the addition of Lake Louise Ski Area.
Curious to know what the snow is like today at the Fernie Ski Resort?
The following is a live webcam feed of the slopes at the resort. We’ve curated the best views to show you the current snow conditions from around the resort.
Fernie Ski Resort has great snow and it is the highest among the resorts in British Columbia. It is often described as a snow mecca and is the ultimate snow adventure destination for snow lovers.
The resort receives an impressive average seasonal snowfall of 9 to 11 meters. The snowiest time in Fernie is around mid-December when snow conditions peak.
The resort also enjoys less extreme temperature differences, making skiing and snowboarding here very pleasurable.
In the following live graphic, you can see the current estimated snow Depth for the Fernie Ski Resort.
Knowing the projected weather conditions at and around the resort can help you plan your trip better. The following graphic shows an updated forecast for Fernie Ski Resort’s weather.
The Fernie Alpine Resort is a holidaymaker’s paradise with some of the best amenities in Canada. A walk about the town is like a walk down memory lane. Its historical significance is attested by the old-style beautiful brick buildings.
There aren't many restaurants and pubs at the ski resort’s on-mountain accommodation. However, it has plenty of Condos for weary thrill-seekers. There are also a ton of hotel-style and ski-in/ski-out lodging options in the ski village.
For more lodging and dining options, you can try Fernie town which is just a few miles from the resort. The hotels here cater to a wide range of budgets and needs and feature great apres-ski and nightlife. If you don’t have a car, you can use the many taxis and shuttles that connect virtually every part of the resort, including between Fernie town and the ski field.
Fernie town’s crown jewel is the award-winning Lizard Creek Lodge. This facility offers a variety of services including hotel-style suites, fine dining restaurants, an upscale bar, and a day spa.
Some great on-mountain dining options include:
For off-mountain dining, you can try the following places:
The Fernie Alpine Resort is a holidaymaker’s paradise with some of the best amenities in Canada. A walk about the town is like a walk down memory lane. Its historical significance is attested by the old-style beautiful brick buildings.
There aren't many restaurants and pubs at the ski resort’s on-mountain accommodation. However, it has plenty of Condos for weary thrill-seekers. There are also a ton of hotel-style and ski-in/ski-out lodging options in the ski village.
For more lodging and dining options, you can try Fernie town which is just a few miles from the resort. The hotels here cater to a wide range of budgets and needs and feature great apres-ski and nightlife. If you don’t have a car, you can use the many taxis and shuttles that connect virtually every part of the resort, including between Fernie town and the ski field.
Fernie town’s crown jewel is the award-winning Lizard Creek Lodge. This facility offers a variety of services including hotel-style suites, fine dining restaurants, an upscale bar, and a day spa.
Some great on-mountain dining options include:
For off-mountain dining, you can try the following places:
Fernie is located in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, in the Lizard Range section. It is situated in the East Kootenay Regional District of British Columbia and lies on Canada’s Powder Highway, an area renowned for its great snowfall and dry powder.
The resort is far from major cities (“out in the sticks”) which makes it less crowded than the other resorts in BC. Fernie is the nearest town, which lies about 5 kilometers away from the resort. Alberta and the US border are over 60 kilometers away.
There are four airports through which international visitors can access Fernie. They include Calgary International Airport, Cranbrook airport, Kalispell Airport in Montana, and Spokane Airport in Washington.
Transfer options from the airports include taxis and shuttle services. You can book taxis or shuttles online or at the airport on arrival. Getting to the resort is a breeze on the well-maintained Highway 3. Passengers get treated to amazing landscape views and the road itself has few mountain passes. Approximate driving times differ and depend on weather conditions and traffic.
As a taxi transfer to the resort would be very expensive we recommend hiring a car or taking the bus to the resort.
Fernie Alpine Resort is located in British Columbia Canada, in the East Kootenay Regional District. It is nestled in the scenic Canadian Rockies, far from any major cities.
Fernie receives a high average seasonal snowfall of between 9 and 11 meters. This is higher than any resort in British Columbia and results in amazing terrain covered in deep powder.
Fernie has an expansive 2,504 acres of skiable terrain, which rises up a 1,082-meter vertical.
Yes, there is ample parking at Fernie. Parking next to the Day Lodge is provided at a fee. However, if park further down, the parking is free, although you may have to walk a short distance to the lifts.
Yes, Fernie Ski Resort is the best place to learn skiing and snowboarding. There are gentle beginner-friendly slopes near the resort’s base next to the surface lifts. There’s a great ski school and a crèche where parents can leave their kids as they search for more challenging terrain.
Yes, the local administration in British Columbia requires all vehicles driving up the alpine areas to have fitting snow chains.