Fernie ‘Master the Mountain’ Course #2 – Week 1
By Karen Rice
Disclaimer: Nonstop did not tell me to say any of the following, but only bribed me with a pitcher of beer!
Fernie was glad to see us coming, as we clearly were responsible for healthy dumpings of snow that fell this week. Most of us arrived in Calgary on Feb 26th representing England, Ireland, Australia, and the US. We are a relatively small group with 14 people, but that turned out to be a good thing, thanks to small instructor/student ratios and immediate group bonding. Many of us are staying in a lodge with the rest of the Nonstoppers, others in a private house. I’m in the lodge, and I must admit the accommodations are better than I expected. The rooms are hotelish, while common areas give it more of a very clean hostel feel (if such a place exists). Some important details – I have one roommate, we each have a double bed, a nightstand, and a large set of drawers. There is a TV and free wifi (albeit slow) in every room.
We even have a small deck with a great view of the mountains, which should come in handy when the springtime temps hit. In the lodge there is a kitchen with microwave and dishwashers, dishes, cutlery and pans, a lounge with sofas and a TV, a rec center with pool table, a movie room, equipment tuning room, boot storage room, sauna, hot tub, and indoor pool (small though – don’t think about laps). Downside – there are only 3 washer/dryers for roughly 80 people, and only 3 computers if you didn’t bring your own. The lodge is also home to a restaurant/bar/lounge, the site of our buffet breakfasts and 3 course dinners. I think the food is good most days, and have heard Fernie has the best food of all the Nonstop sites.
Our first day included a walking tour of Fernie. Ahh Fernie…seriously, this place rocks. People planning to stay only for the season often never leave. Maybe I’ll be one of them. Those who live here have jobs and families, so there is a true sense of community. And the best thing? Life here total revolves around the mountains. It is a hardcore ski town, which is one of the reasons I chose it. This is not a resort area filled with hotels and fancy restaurants, occupied by snow bunnies from everywhere but Canada whose ski days last from 10-1 (aka Whistler). However, it still manages to have everything a skier/boarder needs – good eats, cafes, bars, gear shops (where Nonstoppers get 10% discounts), a library, and necessities like a grocery store (ironically named Overwaitea), post office, banks, and a hospital.
Most importantly, Fernie has an awesome ski area with challenging, diverse terrain, and LOADS of powder (bring your fatty skis). Lift lines are short to non-existent, the resort is huge, and Canadians are in the majority. Locals know how to rip it, as this ain’t no pussy mountain. If a 6 yr hold whizzes by you on a double black, don’t flinch. Back in town, everything is within walking distance, so no need for a car here. Nonstop provides tranpo to and from the mountain during the week in stylish school buses, but there is also public transpo to the hill via one bus, which runs hourly. If the bus is broke down, expect to get picked up in a white stretch limo (no joke). The guy that drives it is “The Griz” (more about him later).
So back to our first day. After touring Fernie, we headed up to the hill to pick up our season passes and throw our skis and boards in the very handy Nonstop locker room – no lugging gear back and forth every day!! Tonight we had a welcome dinner, with our VIP, the Mayor of Fernie. Without knowing that, I asked her what her role was at Nonstop. Surprise! Feelin’ the love…where else but Fernie would the Mayor drop by for dinner?
As for the rest of the week, it was kickin’. 4 days of lessons – 10-4 with an hour break for lunch (buy or bring your own). There was so much pow this week, we were getting freshies everyday – ALL day.
Evenings were packed too. We had a tech session where we learned how to tune our equipment, went to Ghostrider hockey games (Fernie has an Olympic developmental team whose rink is across the street from our lodge), and went to/participated in Griz Days. Griz days is an annual Fernie tradition celebrating snow (gotta love that)! According to local legend, the Griz is this old guy with a long white beard who, when he shoots his musket into the sky, causes the clouds to open up, blessing Fernie with its epic powder. One of the highlights of Griz Days is the parade.
Nonstoppers participated with a float of our own, filling a decorated school bus dressed in “Eurotrash” ski clothes, hanging out the windows, rocking it back and forth like a pimped up lowrider. Then it was off to the pubs for some merry-making.
Friday we had a day off. I don’t know about you all, but back home, the only thing I do in my free time is ski. Fortunately for me, others in the group felt the same way (though it is perfectly acceptable to sleep the day away). Knowing a big dump was coming Thursday night, some in our astute group decided to hire a guide for fresh tracks Friday morning. It was $40 per person but sooo worth it. We were on the hill an hour early with our guides who knew where to find the powder stashes. After a short traverse to appropriately named Steep in Deep, we jumped in for the runs of our lives. Skiing top to bottom in thigh deep powder was the ultimate rush.
Saturday was back to work, but this time in the classroom. We all gathered for a day of avalanche safety training (AST). We learned highly useful and important information – how to use transceivers, probes, and shovels, evaluate avalanche risk, and perform searches, among other things. We also watched some great DVDs which really engendered respect for the mountains and their potential hazards.
Okay – that sums up week one. If you’re still not convinced Nonstop is for you, stay tuned for next week’s installment. Time to go “throw some sick shit” and “rip up the gnar gnar”.
TO READ WEEK 3 CLICK HERE
