Really appreciate you Andy! Also... What a beautiful quote dude. Sounds like something out of the mouth of ski bum in a 90's film with a doobie in hand.
I live in Calgary and ski Fernie every chance I get. I've been going there 25 years and it never gets old. I always find something new to ski or a different combo top to bottom as the options are seeming infinite. I've had 9 of the 10 best ski days of my life at Fernie. Biggest downside is the weather can be bad (i.e. warm up) causing poor conditions, but usually doesn't take long to improve because of the amount of snowfall. My best advice, if the skiing is bad in one bowl, try another as the conditions can vary dramatically. You can almost always find good conditions somewhere.
@@riseandalpine What he said. The temperatures differ from bowl to bowl. Some get more sun, etc...Also compared to Castle it's not windy, but it gets pretty windy there too. I've slow-mo'ed it down Falling star into stiff wind. Hood up, kinda stuff.
From Oz. First skied Fernie in 98/99. Loved it then and only more so in the 3 following trips. This vid’s inspired us to make the effort for at least one more before TMB disease (too many birthdays), fully takes hold.
My favourite part of Fernie is having almost 0 worries about the line im lookin at carving leading somewhere thats hard to get out (Traverse or Hiking). 99/100 you are getting funneled back to a nice blue groomer. Cant understate the nice variety and just being able to catch a ride up and point tips down while enjoying anything that comes up. can't wait to make the yearly trip up later this month.
Just finished up my first week back here since 2001...just so impressed with the mountain. It cannot be overstated how amazing it is to just point your nose/tips downhill and know you'll get to the village (except cedar bowl of). So if you are tracking a new chute, you know access back at the bottom is most likely a blue groomers, not a mammoth hike you need a map for. So frothing to come back here again. I think I'll ski more next time as tracked out powder is a lot less fun on a board. Awesome review man, it all tracks with my experience
I've never skiied Fernie, but I remember it being promoted as one of the 4 B.C. Rockies ski destinations in ski magazines of the early-mid 80s. I've heard it has some of the best snowfall of any resort (back then) and now I'm hearing other positive things about it. There must be a reason I love these downhill ski resorts reviews from a fellow greater Vanouverite.
definitely agree but I don't seem to mind slow lifts as much compared to others, I think they're great because they keep the crowds down since no one wants to go on them
Took a trip to Fernie two seasons ago, absolutely loved it. It’s a skier’s mountain. Had a beer with the head ski patrol in The Griz. Ended up taking a day to check out Castle Mountain per his recommendation. Can’t recommend it enough!
I skied a 3 ft powder day that was an out of body experience at Fernie and then the next time I cancelled my trip due to the rain/ice accumulation there.great mountain when the snow is good.
I’m lucky to have family in pincher creek because I get to ski fernie with them every year, and have a free place to stay. Love the mountain grew up skiing it
I'm going to Fernie next week to ski for a few days, pretty excited. I mountain biked there a couple years ago and it was beautiful, saw a griz on one of the ski runs.
Lift system is very important and interesting. Keep talking about it please. I like to ski terrain the same way you do. A steep chute up top leads to some glades that then dumps you onto a blue groomer back to a D-line 6 pack chair that travels up hill at 16 mph (about 25 kmh). Pound out that vert.
Love that fernie is so wide at the top of the lifts when you “taxi” around. it doesn’t funnel riders down a single path immediately. Epic powder resort. Oh look another 25cm, guess we’re not driving back tonight
loving these reviews man! if you end up on Mt Cain this season be sure to do as much back country touring as possible. haven't done any of it myself but looking off the peak of the resort into the back country is incredible
@@riseandalpine I will, one day! Thank you for great videos and hard work! (Great content programming this off-season, too!! It’s what I would have done as well. Title/thumbnail etc)
100% care about lift infrastructure at resorts. Makes a huge difference on experience. And there's always context, like sometimes slow lifts are justified and sometimes they're experience ruining
It's on the hit list! Last years snow was rough so I couldn't rationalize the ferry cost to the island but I really want to check it out this season! Slack country looks epic.
Lift info is important, especially considering that we are technically spending most of our time on them. Definitely have felt the regret of of landing on a slow lift on a pow day, so knowing some optimal lift circuits would be nice.
I first skied there when it was just 2 t-bars and just one bowl ("The Bowl"). Cedar was unserviced and a long ski out; Currie was a full-day traverse and hike out. Incredible powder on a fantastic mountain.
I love Fernie! From my home in south Calgary it’s only an extra 45 minutes to Fernie then to Louise. You are being to kind about the lift infrastructure. It sucks. Why? It’s owned by RCR who would rather lose business than upgrade the lifts. I wouldn’t be caught dead at Fernie on a Weekend. I hear it’s insane. The staff are awesome, the runs are great, and on a weekday it’s heaven. I was lucky enough to get 3 runs on Polar Peak last time we went and it was so much fun. It is a safety reason why it’s only open around 20 times a year. The winds can be crazy up there and if cloudy you could go off a cliff really easy. If Fernie had the lifts that say Marmot Basin in Jasper has it would be amazing. Great video!
Always love the locals perspective! I'm sure the more and more you go to Fernie, the more you get tired with the lift setups. Also interesting to hear that the lineups can be bad on weekends!
How's that truck running, buddeh? Solid review. 20+ days at Fern last year. Lots of great trees. Good patios. Lost Boys at the top of Timber, serves in frosty mugs. 100% been an epic 2 years splitting home hill advantage between Fernie & Castle. Bucket list years for sure. Steep learning curve for a gnoobz. The one negative - Patchy weather. Up & down warm & cold cycles. You scored some decent ski days, for a well below average snow year, boss-man. Lots of grooming equipment issues last season, as well. Few weeks last year big portions of the upper mountain went ungroomed for long stretches, and it was getting gnarly with a capital G. Falling Star is awesome to just open up that throttle and swing out giant arcs, tho. So many good ridge runs, and open bowls, usually scary deep. Don't fall off your paddle board... Also, terrain does close when it snows heavy. There is what they call the "triangle" which is from Bear chair, picture a triangle down wards to the bowl edges on either side of Bear. That is all that is open immediately after a dump, so that mid section gets tracked out & congested quick. Timber usually opens up soon after, too. Ropes drop only after they shoot, tho. Wifekin and I happened upon a good handful of "mini-lanches" all over that damned place. Fun Fact - Fernie's dynamite budget is highest of Canadian resorts. They have 4 Ava-launchers. It is a significant amount of avalanche prone terrain to control on high tides. When you're there next day or 2 is when ropes drop, and rooster tails bloom.
Love all the local intel. I was absolutely awe struck imagining patrollers fire cannons at the snow wall. I even saw patrol cuts on top of the wall which was freaking me out... Maybe it was a pinwheel, maybe it was the beers, but I'm pretty certain I saw ski tracks cut down the wall. Do they rope up and stand on top of it?
@@riseandalpine Yup, and heli bomb where the cannoons can't _penetrate._ And yah, I've also witnessed some tracks down from "how the f" territory. That elephant's head & the Lizard headwall are really something to behold getting off each respective chair...Love watching the trains roll through the valley from up top. First time we skied there we stayed in te Lizard lodge, and awoke to the sound of dynamite. Needless to say that was when the wifey got giddy, and I realized we weren't in Kansas no mo'...Crazy to think we live in bounds of that nonsense, now...We still pinch ourselves on the daily.
@@riseandalpine ua-cam.com/video/BC7Z_NIImAI/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/i-vGogzOw00/v-deo.html Often times vis is the issue. Shots are at fixed points.
I am kind of a lift nerd so my views of the lift overview are great! I don't think that many people that care about lifts but me and my buds really care about resorts we go to having gondolas or bubble lifts (mainly because there's only one bubble lift in PA 😢) Anyways as always a great review and getting stoked for ski season!
I am based in Calgary, this season myself and a friend we are doing a 2 days tski trip, we are thinking about doing either Panorama or Fernie + Lake Louse, we are both intermediate level. Very helpful content, appreciate it.
Wonderful watch. Fernie really is a solid option for outsiders like myself. Staying clear of Whistler is evident. I have decided on Panorama for my 🇨🇦Canada ski trip in a the coming years; interested now in seeing your views on the resort in a review like this one.
Panorama is good! I love the old mining vibe at fernie though... It's becoming more commercial but IMHO still has that old charm that appeals to someone coming from overseas and wants a real canuck experience (ingore the fact that most staff seem to be aussies/kiwis haha.. I'm Aussie too)
Excited to go to Fernie for the first time this year with family... your videos are a really helpful orientation. You mention about passes that they're on Mountain Collective, but they aren't listed on MC's own site.
Fernie should be a blast! I might have messed up and meant RCR. Sorry! I tend to know more about the skiing part of things and not the logistics. Always best to double check.
Hey James, thanks for doing these reviews! Love your vids. We're (2 advanced skiers) planning a powder highway trip next Feb and are debating between 2 days of Revy vs 2 day of Fernie, any advice? PS please do keep including lifts in your reviews, the more info the better. Keep it up bro!
Revy has more consistent snowfall and better tree skiing imo. Revy is also steeper but has hella tree wells. Fernie powder days are legendary but it gets dry between each storm cycle and gets rained on a lot more. Both are great options in general however revy is the way to go imo!
Thanks Jean! This channel is kind of like my own little TV show in a way. I always used to dream of being a host on one of those classic fishing channels. Just go out and fish new places and talk about stuff. Super fun I'm doing it for a sport I like even more than fishing.
I remember when Fernie was just the Lizard Bowl and Cedar Bowl. Siberia, Timber, Curry, and another bowl on the other side of Cedar (Can't remember the name), were all very accessible out of bounds skiing!
Picture for a moment, if you will, absolutely pinning it down the Lizard bowl, on a set of 225's... Not that chill, until you slide those planks into the Griz bar for a chilly one...
I've been running Zeal goggles for the last year and really like them. I got a few discount codes if you want a hookup. Just fire me a DM on insta with your email address.
Fernie is the Canadian equivalent of kirkwood lmao, all the terrain is spread out off the top of a long ridge and its pretty hidden compared to other cali resorts
So with your penchant for tree skiing, do you have any troubles with 'Tree wells' ? Being from Australia i did not know about them. I recently saw a video of some being rescued from one and it looked terrifying 😳. P.S. keep up the lift info, its a very important part of skiing.
I never have issues with tree wells but it is good to know the snowpack, be aware and ski with buddies. The danger is elevated on big storm weeks but is much less of a concern when the snow is harder packed. Best thing you can do is not fall. Some mountains and areas are much worse than others depending on the type of tree. Momentum is your friend and if you're going to stop and stand in the trees, best to do it away from a well.
I have the Optic 104 and love it. If I added the Rustler 11 to my quiver, what additional capacity would that give me, or would I just be duplicating the same strengths and limitations.?
Assuming you get the 114 width, you're getting a bit more float for sure. I notice a big difference between my 104 and 114 in terms of pow performance, but they are different builds. If you have the means you can never have too many skis ;)
This might be a stupid question but why are there tires in the first frame of the video? also I really like how you respond to every comment on your channel even though you're popular.
Those tires are put in that chute entrance to save your skis at low tide. It's a problem spot for coverage, but a sick zone to ski, so they put some rubber there for the scrapies...
Question about Corner Pocket(?) at Ferne, the run with the tires. Could you ski over the tires? Lol. Probably a crazy question. I think maybe the camera doesn’t fully capture the steepness, and it looks like there’s a drop right after you get past the tires. But I was wondering.
You could absolutely ski down the right or left side and straightline. It was marginal snow when I was there so I decided not to attempt with the ice. The tires stop your skis better than you think, so skiing over them could result in an eject, but.. I think you would have 50/50 odds if you leaned back and didn't clip an edge.
@@riseandalpine face lift was a Poma in the Lizard Bowl, acces from the Bear express to the bottom of the Wall of the bowl . The ski patrol cabin is located where the bullwheel of the machine was back in the days. Also, a metal ladder was bolted on the Wall of the bowl for the bravest of us for an inbeliveable pow experience but it turned out to be deadly for some... Anyways, Fernie is my Happy Place on Earth since 1997. Let it snow
Polar Peak - avalanches or ICE. Ice is where I got in trouble one day and was on my keester pretty much the whole way down. Nevertheless, bang-for-the-buck, Fernie's a gem.
Definitely keep reviewing the lift and layout. Me and my 7yo little ripper love your stuff man!
Glad you find it helpful. Say hi to the little ripper from me. So amazing having a sport like skiing to do with your kid!
I'm 14 and born & raised in Fernie- already hyped for the season!
Fernie is such a fun spot to be! Growing up there I bet you're an awesome skier already.
Fernie looks like a fantastic place to live and ski. Wait isn't that the same thing, living and skiing? lol
Really appreciate you Andy! Also... What a beautiful quote dude. Sounds like something out of the mouth of ski bum in a 90's film with a doobie in hand.
You are a beginner / low intimate skier what's the best resort in Canada? 😊
@@petermccarthy7974 Definitely and great question to ask James aka @riseandalpine He is way more knowledgeable than I on that sort of thing.
I live in Calgary and ski Fernie every chance I get. I've been going there 25 years and it never gets old. I always find something new to ski or a different combo top to bottom as the options are seeming infinite. I've had 9 of the 10 best ski days of my life at Fernie. Biggest downside is the weather can be bad (i.e. warm up) causing poor conditions, but usually doesn't take long to improve because of the amount of snowfall. My best advice, if the skiing is bad in one bowl, try another as the conditions can vary dramatically. You can almost always find good conditions somewhere.
Killer advice! If mountains are that big with that many aspects, there's always good snow somewhere!
@@riseandalpine What he said. The temperatures differ from bowl to bowl. Some get more sun, etc...Also compared to Castle it's not windy, but it gets pretty windy there too. I've slow-mo'ed it down Falling star into stiff wind. Hood up, kinda stuff.
You’re pumping out these reviews man, keep up the hard work loving it. Getting stoked for the season
Gotta get em' all out before the new skiing starts again. Glad this is getting you jazzed for the winter.
Please keep the lift info in your reviews, it really helps people to understand how the uphill capacity is. Great review!
Will do! Appreciate hearing that you enjoy it being included.
From Oz. First skied Fernie in 98/99. Loved it then and only more so in the 3 following trips. This vid’s inspired us to make the effort for at least one more before TMB disease (too many birthdays), fully takes hold.
Get out here before the TMB!!!!
My favourite part of Fernie is having almost 0 worries about the line im lookin at carving leading somewhere thats hard to get out (Traverse or Hiking). 99/100 you are getting funneled back to a nice blue groomer. Cant understate the nice variety and just being able to catch a ride up and point tips down while enjoying anything that comes up. can't wait to make the yearly trip up later this month.
Such a great point. I love the steep + groomer combo at the end. Makes for the ultimate run down.
Fernie is a special place. Some of the best tree skiing in country and the nicest, friendliest people.
I totally agree!
Just finished up my first week back here since 2001...just so impressed with the mountain. It cannot be overstated how amazing it is to just point your nose/tips downhill and know you'll get to the village (except cedar bowl of). So if you are tracking a new chute, you know access back at the bottom is most likely a blue groomers, not a mammoth hike you need a map for. So frothing to come back here again. I think I'll ski more next time as tracked out powder is a lot less fun on a board.
Awesome review man, it all tracks with my experience
Sick dude! Stoked you had a great time in Fernie. I really love it as well. Never a bad turn eh!
I've never skiied Fernie, but I remember it being promoted as one of the 4 B.C. Rockies ski destinations in ski magazines of the early-mid 80s. I've heard it has some of the best snowfall of any resort (back then) and now I'm hearing other positive things about it. There must be a reason I love these downhill ski resorts reviews from a fellow greater Vanouverite.
Fernie absolutely lives up to the hype! Stoked you're enjoying the reviews!
My favourite. There are places I would love to go ski but I am so glad Fernie is close enough for day trips for me.
Such a sick spot to be able to day rip!
Finally booked my first trip up to Fernie after trying to get out for years… so stoked
Unreal!!! Going to be bonkers this year.
Trust me…we care about the lift system. It’s really important. Keep talking about em. WHO DOESN’T WANNA HEAR ABOUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE?!?!
definitely agree but I don't seem to mind slow lifts as much compared to others, I think they're great because they keep the crowds down since no one wants to go on them
Thanks for chiming in. I'll keep the lift portion for sure!
Took a trip to Fernie two seasons ago, absolutely loved it. It’s a skier’s mountain. Had a beer with the head ski patrol in The Griz. Ended up taking a day to check out Castle Mountain per his recommendation. Can’t recommend it enough!
Castle and Fernie is a rockstar combo eh!
I skied a 3 ft powder day that was an out of body experience at Fernie and then the next time I cancelled my trip due to the rain/ice accumulation there.great mountain when the snow is good.
3 FEET!!!! That's nutty. JEALOUS dude.
I’m lucky to have family in pincher creek because I get to ski fernie with them every year, and have a free place to stay. Love the mountain grew up skiing it
That's sick!
Shaking in my (ski) boots I cannot WAIT for ski season to start!! Great video man
I've been sleeping in my ski boots to ensure my shins are ready for winter LOL
I'm going to Fernie next week to ski for a few days, pretty excited. I mountain biked there a couple years ago and it was beautiful, saw a griz on one of the ski runs.
No way! Crossing up a bear is wild in winter
Big time care about the lift infrastructure!!! The lift / shuttle situation with nelson + WW is why im writing you from the stoke!
Roger that! WH20 rocks
I live around Red / Whitewater, Fernie has and always will be a top 2 resort for me.
When it snows, she snows and she sends.
Fernie is so damn fun!
Lift system is very important and interesting. Keep talking about it please. I like to ski terrain the same way you do. A steep chute up top leads to some glades that then dumps you onto a blue groomer back to a D-line 6 pack chair that travels up hill at 16 mph (about 25 kmh). Pound out that vert.
Glad you like to hear about it. Even more glad you like to session mountains like I do. Sounds like we would be good ski partners.
Love that fernie is so wide at the top of the lifts when you “taxi” around. it doesn’t funnel riders down a single path immediately. Epic powder resort. Oh look another 25cm, guess we’re not driving back tonight
Fernie is so good!
Love the out-season reviews it keeps the channel alive!😊
Doing what we can and getting stoked for ski season!
loving these reviews man! if you end up on Mt Cain this season be sure to do as much back country touring as possible. haven't done any of it myself but looking off the peak of the resort into the back country is incredible
Keep it coming!! Great footage like this help people where to go. In my next ski trip, I’m considering sunshine, Fernie and one more.
Glad you're digging them. To be honest, there are really no bad choices. BC is so god dang good!
@@riseandalpine I will, one day! Thank you for great videos and hard work! (Great content programming this off-season, too!! It’s what I would have done as well. Title/thumbnail etc)
100% care about lift infrastructure at resorts. Makes a huge difference on experience. And there's always context, like sometimes slow lifts are justified and sometimes they're experience ruining
For sure! I'll be sure to keep including it. Thanks!
You really should visit the island sometime. Mount Cain is an absolute hidden gem.
I watched a short film on Cain, and the place looks legit AF.
Edit: it's called Frozen in Time and is on UA-cam.
It's on the hit list! Last years snow was rough so I couldn't rationalize the ferry cost to the island but I really want to check it out this season! Slack country looks epic.
Lift info is important, especially considering that we are technically spending most of our time on them. Definitely have felt the regret of of landing on a slow lift on a pow day, so knowing some optimal lift circuits would be nice.
Optimal lift circuits are key! Since I'm not a local at these resorts I've got no clue about optimal lift circuits on the mega pow and busy days
On my bucket list for next year! I am very exicted for this ski season best one yet hopefully!
Should be a sick year with the Nina rolling in!
I first skied there when it was just 2 t-bars and just one bowl ("The Bowl"). Cedar was unserviced and a long ski out; Currie was a full-day traverse and hike out. Incredible powder on a fantastic mountain.
So cool that you've seen all these places develop. Snow must have been endless if you were willing to work for it back then.
Great review pretty much spot on, I ran ski improvement camps at Ferine for seven seasons. Great people ...
Glad you think I did an okay job as a non-local. 7 years up there! What great memories. I'm sure ya miss it.
as a local- thanks!
I love Fernie! From my home in south Calgary it’s only an extra 45 minutes to Fernie then to Louise. You are being to kind about the lift infrastructure. It sucks. Why? It’s owned by RCR who would rather lose business than upgrade the lifts. I wouldn’t be caught dead at Fernie on a Weekend. I hear it’s insane. The staff are awesome, the runs are great, and on a weekday it’s heaven. I was lucky enough to get 3 runs on Polar Peak last time we went and it was so much fun. It is a safety reason why it’s only open around 20 times a year. The winds can be crazy up there and if cloudy you could go off a cliff really easy. If Fernie had the lifts that say Marmot Basin in Jasper has it would be amazing. Great video!
Always love the locals perspective! I'm sure the more and more you go to Fernie, the more you get tired with the lift setups. Also interesting to hear that the lineups can be bad on weekends!
How's that truck running, buddeh?
Solid review. 20+ days at Fern last year. Lots of great trees. Good patios. Lost Boys at the top of Timber, serves in frosty mugs. 100% been an epic 2 years splitting home hill advantage between Fernie & Castle. Bucket list years for sure. Steep learning curve for a gnoobz.
The one negative - Patchy weather. Up & down warm & cold cycles. You scored some decent ski days, for a well below average snow year, boss-man. Lots of grooming equipment issues last season, as well. Few weeks last year big portions of the upper mountain went ungroomed for long stretches, and it was getting gnarly with a capital G. Falling Star is awesome to just open up that throttle and swing out giant arcs, tho. So many good ridge runs, and open bowls, usually scary deep. Don't fall off your paddle board...
Also, terrain does close when it snows heavy. There is what they call the "triangle" which is from Bear chair, picture a triangle down wards to the bowl edges on either side of Bear. That is all that is open immediately after a dump, so that mid section gets tracked out & congested quick. Timber usually opens up soon after, too. Ropes drop only after they shoot, tho. Wifekin and I happened upon a good handful of "mini-lanches" all over that damned place.
Fun Fact - Fernie's dynamite budget is highest of Canadian resorts. They have 4 Ava-launchers. It is a significant amount of avalanche prone terrain to control on high tides. When you're there next day or 2 is when ropes drop, and rooster tails bloom.
Love all the local intel. I was absolutely awe struck imagining patrollers fire cannons at the snow wall. I even saw patrol cuts on top of the wall which was freaking me out... Maybe it was a pinwheel, maybe it was the beers, but I'm pretty certain I saw ski tracks cut down the wall. Do they rope up and stand on top of it?
@@riseandalpine Yup, and heli bomb where the cannoons can't _penetrate._ And yah, I've also witnessed some tracks down from "how the f" territory. That elephant's head & the Lizard headwall are really something to behold getting off each respective chair...Love watching the trains roll through the valley from up top. First time we skied there we stayed in te Lizard lodge, and awoke to the sound of dynamite. Needless to say that was when the wifey got giddy, and I realized we weren't in Kansas no mo'...Crazy to think we live in bounds of that nonsense, now...We still pinch ourselves on the daily.
@@riseandalpine ua-cam.com/video/BC7Z_NIImAI/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/i-vGogzOw00/v-deo.html
Often times vis is the issue. Shots are at fixed points.
I am kind of a lift nerd so my views of the lift overview are great! I don't think that many people that care about lifts but me and my buds really care about resorts we go to having gondolas or bubble lifts (mainly because there's only one bubble lift in PA 😢)
Anyways as always a great review and getting stoked for ski season!
Bubble lifts are pretty comfy on the stormy days and provide a few other benefits as well......
Would love to see you come to some of the best mountains in the U.S, these reviews are great!
US trips are 100% on then radar this season. Super stoked.
@@riseandalpine Awesome, would love to see you shred some of my home mountains in Tahoe
I am based in Calgary, this season myself and a friend we are doing a 2 days tski trip, we are thinking about doing either Panorama or Fernie + Lake Louse, we are both intermediate level. Very helpful content, appreciate it.
So glad it was helpful. have a wicked trip!
Cant wait for the Whislter review
Did one last season! Check er' out here ua-cam.com/video/aNyVStrI_BI/v-deo.html
Wonderful watch. Fernie really is a solid option for outsiders like myself. Staying clear of Whistler is evident.
I have decided on Panorama for my 🇨🇦Canada ski trip in a the coming years; interested now in seeing your views on the resort in a review like this one.
Sick! Panorama is GOAT. Video coming on it soon.
Panorama is good! I love the old mining vibe at fernie though... It's becoming more commercial but IMHO still has that old charm that appeals to someone coming from overseas and wants a real canuck experience (ingore the fact that most staff seem to be aussies/kiwis haha.. I'm Aussie too)
Excited to go to Fernie for the first time this year with family... your videos are a really helpful orientation. You mention about passes that they're on Mountain Collective, but they aren't listed on MC's own site.
Fernie should be a blast! I might have messed up and meant RCR. Sorry! I tend to know more about the skiing part of things and not the logistics. Always best to double check.
We really care about the lift system. Please keep going!
Will do!
Personally I appreciate the lift overview
Sick! Sound like were keeping it :)
Love the lifts. Got to know how to get around ! Ski fast burn ass
Wicked! Gonna keep ranting about the lifts!
People also ski the Lizard headwall. There has been some pretty epic lines down there in the past.
That is sick!
Yeah - lifts are great info! Great reviews!
Sweet! I'll keep including them.
Fernie had the deepest powder I have ever skied!!! It was awesome
Stoked for you!
Go before March. Gets too warm earlier than other places that basically serve Calgary.
Great tip!
Was there at really low snow point last year when a lot of the mountain was unskiable. Need to try it again on a better year.
Darn. I must have hit some really good days last year. Worth going back for sure.
Hey James, thanks for doing these reviews! Love your vids. We're (2 advanced skiers) planning a powder highway trip next Feb and are debating between 2 days of Revy vs 2 day of Fernie, any advice? PS please do keep including lifts in your reviews, the more info the better. Keep it up bro!
Revy has more consistent snowfall and better tree skiing imo. Revy is also steeper but has hella tree wells. Fernie powder days are legendary but it gets dry between each storm cycle and gets rained on a lot more. Both are great options in general however revy is the way to go imo!
Both are going to be sick if you've never been, I'd toss a coin TBH.
Leave it in the hands of ULLR
Definitely care about lifts, keep up the detailed opinions! 😎👏
I'll keep em' coming
We care about the lift info for sure 😊
I'll keep it coming!
Great review. I could see you on real TV commenting on everything about ski/montain, dos and don't....
Thanks Jean! This channel is kind of like my own little TV show in a way. I always used to dream of being a host on one of those classic fishing channels. Just go out and fish new places and talk about stuff. Super fun I'm doing it for a sport I like even more than fishing.
Keep the lift intel in your reports!
Will do!
Banjo vibes for sure. I’d slip and slide, delicately of course.
We abandoned Whistler for Fernie and love it! (Our wallets are happier too!)
I don't blame ya, Fernie is wicked! Cost of living near Whistler is impossible.
The big white wall is called the Head Wall by the locals! That's where you get your dopamine!
Love that!
Skied there on Sunday Dec 8, 2024. 28cm overnight, unreal day
Glad you caught that storm! Looked amazing.
The lift system is an important part of the hill, Like you said better lifts more vert! Keep talking about them
Will keep including them!
I definitely want to go to fernie one day, but this year i'm not gonna move too far from apex, maybe i'll go to baldy or big white
Baldy and BW are both wicked and not to far from you!
Fernie is divided into 2 sides - the old and the new. The old is Cedar and Lizard bowls. The new is Siberia, Timber, and Curry bowls.
I remember when Fernie was just the Lizard Bowl and Cedar Bowl. Siberia, Timber, Curry, and another bowl on the other side of Cedar (Can't remember the name), were all very accessible out of bounds skiing!
@@sycpup Fish Bowl is the out of bounds one next to Cedar. I'm guessing there was a hell of a lot less tourists back then 😉
@@Kthomasritchie Oh yeah! Never seen a lift line longer than a couple of minutes. I think the lift tickets were under 50 bucks, too.
Super cool! It must have been so chill back in the day.
Picture for a moment, if you will, absolutely pinning it down the Lizard bowl, on a set of 225's... Not that chill, until you slide those planks into the Griz bar for a chilly one...
I don't really worry about chairs that much, as long as they get the job done i'm satisfied
Hell ya!
hey man, i was just wondering what ski goggles you’ve got? just wondering cause i need new goggles desperately haha
I've been running Zeal goggles for the last year and really like them. I got a few discount codes if you want a hookup. Just fire me a DM on insta with your email address.
@@riseandalpine thanks!
Fernie is the Canadian equivalent of kirkwood lmao, all the terrain is spread out off the top of a long ridge and its pretty hidden compared to other cali resorts
I guess that means I'll enjoy Kirkwood eh
If anything I'd like more about the lift infrastructure and resort flow
Wicked!
Ha Ha Ha. " don't Fall " thats a good one😂
The most sound advice
So with your penchant for tree skiing, do you have any troubles with 'Tree wells' ?
Being from Australia i did not know about them. I recently saw a video of some being rescued from one and it looked terrifying 😳.
P.S. keep up the lift info, its a very important part of skiing.
I never have issues with tree wells but it is good to know the snowpack, be aware and ski with buddies. The danger is elevated on big storm weeks but is much less of a concern when the snow is harder packed. Best thing you can do is not fall. Some mountains and areas are much worse than others depending on the type of tree. Momentum is your friend and if you're going to stop and stand in the trees, best to do it away from a well.
I’d recommend going to polar peak in march so it’s open
Good call!
We need more lifts
Never hurts. A bottom to top gondi would be ideal eh?
I have the Optic 104 and love it. If I added the Rustler 11 to my quiver, what additional capacity would that give me, or would I just be duplicating the same strengths and limitations.?
Assuming you get the 114 width, you're getting a bit more float for sure. I notice a big difference between my 104 and 114 in terms of pow performance, but they are different builds. If you have the means you can never have too many skis ;)
Talk about the lifts! I care about the lifts!
I'll keep the lift talk coming!
This might be a stupid question but why are there tires in the first frame of the video? also I really like how you respond to every comment on your channel even though you're popular.
Those tires are put in that chute entrance to save your skis at low tide. It's a problem spot for coverage, but a sick zone to ski, so they put some rubber there for the scrapies...
It's a popular spot so can get scraped out and icy/rocky. The tires allow people to climb down when the conditions are unfavourable!
@@riseandalpine Thank you i never knew that!
@@BeetsByHometownBrew thank you!
My man.
This our home mountain. Great review. Keep up the stellar content. You're crushing it. Next time reach out to shred some laps.
Would you consider going south of the border and exploring WA, OR, and ID at some point?
100%
Question about Corner Pocket(?) at Ferne, the run with the tires.
Could you ski over the tires? Lol. Probably a crazy question. I think maybe the camera doesn’t fully capture the steepness, and it looks like there’s a drop right after you get past the tires.
But I was wondering.
You could absolutely ski down the right or left side and straightline. It was marginal snow when I was there so I decided not to attempt with the ice. The tires stop your skis better than you think, so skiing over them could result in an eject, but.. I think you would have 50/50 odds if you leaned back and didn't clip an edge.
@@riseandalpine
Lol. I figured it was a dicey prospect, but my wacky side thought it seemed possible.
I care about the lifts!
Awesome! Thanks for the input. I'll keep including them.
FIRST!
Yeeehawww
hey. wondering what map you are using to show runs in this video.
This was FATMAP. Gone forever now :(. Thanks STRAVA.
I need to know how to shred revy tho
Here's the review I made last season! ua-cam.com/video/bs_JjJNZf9g/v-deo.html
How about half an hour to an hour from ur house
Lucky guy
My school goes to Fernie every year and it’s absolutely awesome, but i wish they had a proper terrain park with jumps because they don’t.
RCR resorts has issues about liability.
@@BeetsByHometownBrew yeah i know, some dude on the chairlift who knew the owner told me the whole story about it and other stuff so
Really eh. I was wondering why the parks were so mellow at all the RCR resorts.
I miss the face lift at Fernie
Where was it?
@@riseandalpine face lift was a Poma in the Lizard Bowl, acces from the Bear express to the bottom of the Wall of the bowl . The ski patrol cabin is located where the bullwheel of the machine was back in the days. Also, a metal ladder was bolted on the Wall of the bowl for the bravest of us for an inbeliveable pow experience but it turned out to be deadly for some... Anyways, Fernie is my Happy Place on Earth since 1997. Let it snow
Fernie is terrible!!!!! Don't go.
I agree
Fernie sucks dont come here 😂
Total trash eh
Polar Peak - avalanches or ICE.
Ice is where I got in trouble one day and was on my keester pretty much the whole way down. Nevertheless, bang-for-the-buck, Fernie's a gem.
Ice up there would be gnarly. Glad your keester helped break your fall.
My man.
This our home mountain. Great review. Keep up the stellar content. You're crushing it. Next time reach out to shred some laps.