Some of my friends were traveling out west for a week-long snowboarding trip to the powder highway, Fernie and Kicking Horse Resort. Naturally, I took this opportunity to join them but only for the first half due to my limited days off. I’ve never heard of Fernie, BC until our trip planner, Donald mentioned it. But I was quick to learn that this part of the Canadian Rockies is known for its powder. 

Day 1 – Sunday, March 6, 2015

I flew to Calgary to meet up with the group and we ate at Smash Burger before we shopped for groceries at Costco. We then thought we were running out of time to pick up lift passes so we literally dashed into a nearby T&T supermarket to picked up an Asian essential, instant noodles and other non-wholesale things. It was a funny scene to see Joyce, Ivan and I run into the market in search for items on our list. Ironically that rushing was unnecessary since the pick up office was closed on Sundays. I got my fix of Canadian coffee and donuts at Tim Hortons before our 3-hour drive to Fernie, BC. We checked-in into our lodge and heated up the Shepherds pie and wings for dinner. 

Day 2 – Monday, March 7, 2015

After a big home-cooked breakfast, we hit the base area to pick up lift tickets. It was a beautiful clear blue sky day! We were determined to get to the peak and enjoy the view. 

We started with a small green run from the deer chair before advancing to the timber chair and made way to Polar Peak. Given that it’s a Monday and a less-touristy resort, there were no lines and barely anyone on the mountain. It was amazing to have the mountain to ourselves. 

The peak was in the clouds but we could see a clear view of Rockies just before the peak’s lift. The air was fresh and the snow was soft and well-groomed. We went down the polar bowl, a rare blue-rated bowl… Although it was still steep, it was do-able. 

The east-coasters teased me since I complained about “too much powder” one day out west and in comparison they barely had any snow in Ontario. But joke’s on them, they finally knew what I meant when they kept falling on this soft yet packed deep powder run and struggled to get out. It wasn’t that fluffy but they understood how challenging snowboarding on too much powder is and how it’s like quicksand trying to get up. Too much powder became an ongoing joke as the trip went on. 

We continued onwards exploring the left side of the mountain until 1:30pm when we joined a mountain tour. A guide showed us the best trails with the best conditions of the day. 

When we got back to our lodge, we scarfed down snacks and hit the outdoor hot tub before making a steak dinner and playing a card game called “Code names”. It was a cozy fun night. 

Day 3 – Tuesday, March 8, 2015

We woke up to grey skies and snow but we were now excited to do first tracks… And doing it at 10:00am is unheard of since the mountain is so quiet! 

Our first run was perfect. The snow was fresh and untouched. We made first lines with the ideal amount of powder on a gentle slope and wide run… Oh, and no one else in sight. 

We were hooked to the powder and Donald convinced us to hike up to this area that the guide suggested yesterday for a sample of backcountry snowboarding. I was hesitant but motivated to try it.

We started the climb with our snowboards on our backs. It wasn’t that far up but when you’re climbing uphill in soft snow… It felt like forever. It was tough and exhausting… How do people do it?

We finally made it after about 30 minutes but we were anxious to go down as there is no trail and you make your own route. Stan and I went first with our GoPro cameras to capture the group. There was so much soft light snow and it was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. I can see why people hike up mountains for this. 

The other runs were incomparable after that but the snow was still fresh because of the nonstop flurries coming down. 

We continued with some great runs but also some bad ones. We accidentally went down a steep black diamond but we survived with our falling leaf technique. But that wasn’t the worst compared to hitting two flat runs. My calves were exhausted from the black diamond and then they were destroyed by the last run that had flat sections covered in wet snow that slow us down. Since my legs were so tired, I couldn’t heel properly and that leads to catching edges on the flat runs… which means you’re stuck on flat terrain and need to hike until you can board down. It was brutal! We were all done by then and went back to the lodge to enjoy some instant noodles before hitting the hot tub for recovery. We went out to dinner that night at The Brick House, which was mediocre but good company.  

Day 4 –  Wednesday March 9, 2015

We cleaned up, packed and checked out of the lodge. I was taking the bus back to the airport while the others continued on the Powder Highway to Kicking Horse. 

What an amazing short trip! Our first blue bird day was beautiful for seeing the mountains and capturing photos whereas the second day we experienced fresh snow. Spending time with these guys was so much fun and we had some great jokes and laughs… Oh and plenty of photos opportunities. 

And we were worried that Fernie wouldn’t have much snow given the warmer weather but clearly we had nothing to worry about. The resort is quiet so it was great to focus on snowboarding and being on the mountain alone with no lines. It’ll be a different experience when I head to Whistler, a top ski/snowboard destination in the world during Easter long weekend but Canadian Rockies, I can’t wait to see you again in a few weeks!