Fernie Snow Conditions 2017 - 2018

[OOC ZigZag]

Not for long lol. See ya Sat Doug.

 

[ferniesnow]

Not for long lol. See ya Sat Doug.

Sorry Jay, I have other commitments for Saturday. Did lots of tracking on Thursday and Friday.

 

[ferniesnow]

Sure nice to see Corporate sponsors acknowledged for the community to see. Great PR all the way around. Win-win.

This is a great plaque in the new Wrangler's cabin along with the recent addition of the new Blaze King stove..................great work FSA!!

 

[AxysAssault]

Yup great rides Thursday and Friday in the rolling hills. Found untouched both days. Little windy and cloudy on Thursday but visibility was good. Friday was mostly sunny.
Buddy made friends with a couple trees at once. Hooked the ski and the tunnel on its side haha.
Bumper deep in the trees. It's a little difficult playing tag with a bike though.


Unfortunately I took the bike for a rip for the first time.........I may have to make the switch. So much fun. And less tiring.

 

[catrutt]

Years ago it wasn't so hard to find fresh snow all over in Fernie. Paid people bring guys with GPS in from other provinces and they bring friends and so on and so on. I guess I am old and bitter but man this area that seemed so huge years ago is small now.

 

[AaronQ]

Years ago it wasn't so hard to find fresh snow all over in Fernie. Paid people bring guys with GPS in from other provinces and they bring friends and so on and so on. I guess I am old and bitter but man this area that seemed so huge years ago is small now.

It was bound to happen. Guys are getting more adventurous than years past. Wasn't very long ago everyone was scared to get more than a few miles way back into stuff just cause sleds weren't very reliable and couldn't do half the stuff we do with them now. Good riders on old 600 rnk and 670 rotax would find good snow every weekend. The rest of us went to the notch.

 

[ferniesnow]

It was bound to happen. Guys are getting more adventurous than years past. Wasn't very long ago everyone was scared to get more than a few miles way back into stuff just cause sleds weren't very reliable and couldn't do half the stuff we do with them now. Good riders on old 600 rnk and 670 rotax would find good snow every weekend. The rest of us went to the notch.

With the large increase in membership (from under 100 when the grooming program started to over 500 last season), the easy drive from the prairies, the sled show marketing, the great grooming, the new cabins, and the business like attitude of the executive, it is like Aaron said, "it was bound to happen".

It is a huge area and in a normal year there are numerous reloads making past winters great. This winter, the traffic has been really noticeable due to the fact of a poor snow year. Everything, from sleds, to electronics has had a big effect on accessing the back-country in all areas (from McBride/Valemount/Revelstoke/Golden/Sicamous/Pemberton/etc.etc.). Another 15-20 minutes sitting in the truck gets one into relatively new/unused areas like 29Mile, Howell, Harvey, MacLatchie, Shep, Ram, Cabin, Storm, Little Sands, McDermit, and others.

 

[ferniesnow]

With all the logging being done in the Rolling Hills, new zones are continually opening. This area was recently logged (over the last couple of years) and we ventured into it prior to the weekend for my first time.. Lots of potential with continued logging. With the lack of snow depth this winter, one still feels lots of hazards. When the logging debris settles, this will be a nice area.

 

[BLUE PLATE]

With the large increase in membership (from under 100 when the grooming program started to over 500 last season), the easy drive from the prairies, the sled show marketing, the great grooming, the new cabins, and the business like attitude of the executive, it is like Aaron said, "it was bound to happen".

It is a huge area and in a normal year there are numerous reloads making past winters great. This winter, the traffic has been really noticeable due to the fact of a poor snow year. Everything, from sleds, to electronics has had a big effect on accessing the back-country in all areas (from McBride/Valemount/Revelstoke/Golden/Sicamous/Pemberton/etc.etc.). Another 15-20 minutes sitting in the truck gets one into relatively new/unused areas like 29Mile, Howell, Harvey, MacLatchie, Shep, Ram, Cabin, Storm, Little Sands, McDermit, and others.

Doug, please do not mention the names of the non club operated areas. Not cool.

 

[ferniesnow]

Doug, please do not mention the names of the non club operated areas. Not cool.

I understand where you are coming from. Secrets were tried years ago and they still came. Sparwood with no grooming still has pretty much exclusive rights to the Alexander. There are lots of "secret places" for us locals to ride in Fernie but I will admit, I am my worst enemy with taking people out.

There is the point of spreading the tourists around and getting them out of honey holes.

 

[ferniesnow]

An interesting clip of wind blown and hoar............

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu1T5_VgWGW/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1y0azi7iek5bc

 

[Summit 934]

And with very low snow levels on the AB side of the border most of the traffic that goes to Atlas, York and Castle are driving right by and going to the Rolling Hills which I’m sure isn’t helping with the big increase in traffic there.

 

[takethebounce]

Doug, please do not mention the names of the non club operated areas. Not cool.

Not one of those places he mentioned is a secret. Maybe 10+ years ago.

Non managed areas will always exist and there will always be new ones for those who are willing to “create” them.

It’s funny where we ride in the Kootenay’s, we ride zones that I can guarantee have never seen a sled and sometimes we have some locals along and they are amazed at the %10 we show them. If you have the ability and willingness to push into these new zones you will reap the rewards.

 

[AaronQ]

Both posters above have valid points. There's a lot of places we got back into when I was young. I can kinda remember where they are but I'd be hard pressed to find them again without some effort and exploring.
Same goes for the areas on the AB side. And besides. If someone isn't happy with people coming to ride would that same person be ok with the extra revenue being brought into town going to another small town?

 

[BLUE PLATE]

Not one of those places he mentioned is a secret. Maybe 10+ years ago.

Non managed areas will always exist and there will always be new ones for those who are willing to “create” them.

It’s funny where we ride in the Kootenay’s, we ride zones that I can guarantee have never seen a sled and sometimes we have some locals along and they are amazed at the %10 we show them. If you have the ability and willingness to push into these new zones you will reap the rewards.

Not secret to some, sure...but to many on here they have never heard of any of those places and now will be curious to explore. Some things are better left unsaid on the internet. Been reaping the rewards of pushing into new zones for years. Broke into a new one this February out in the west koots. We were the only people in the zone on sat/sun of family day weekend, blower pow all weekend! The point of it all is don't out right advertise locations, let people figure them out for themselves. Half the fun is google earthing, summer exploring, and trying to figure it out.

 

[catrutt]

True that!!!

Not secret to some, sure...but to many on here they have never heard of any of those places and now will be curious to explore. Some things are better left unsaid on the internet. Been reaping the rewards of pushing into new zones for years. Broke into a new one this February out in the west koots. We were the only people in the zone on sat/sun of family day weekend, blower pow all weekend! The point of it all is don't out right advertise locations, let people figure them out for themselves. Half the fun is google earthing, summer exploring, and trying to figure it out.

 

[ferniesnow]

Not secret to some, sure...but to many on here they have never heard of any of those places and now will be curious to explore. Some things are better left unsaid on the internet. Been reaping the rewards of pushing into new zones for years. Broke into a new one this February out in the west koots. We were the only people in the zone on sat/sun of family day weekend, blower pow all weekend! The point of it all is don't out right advertise locations, let people figure them out for themselves. Half the fun is google earthing, summer exploring, and trying to figure it out.

IMHO, this day and age, I don't think it really matters. Big maps at the cabins (all the major trails are there in bright red), cell phone photo shot, go home and explore on Google. They'll find it one way or another. The more the riders are spread out, the less noticeable they are. The one big advantage locals have is the fact that when there is a dump, it is a snow day and we get the jump on the weekend warriors. It is extra sweet when the dump comes at the beginning of the week.

There isn't a riding area in the province that has maps like in the Elk Valley. 20 years ago, Peter did GPS tracks, summer and winter, and laid out the mapping for the entire valley from the US border to the Elk Lakes. There isn't much that is secret other than a few honey holes and it is only going to get more traffic with the great work that the FSA is doing.

 

[OOC ZigZag]

Had a blast Doug. Lots of tracks but lots of fresh tracks to be found jus had to look. New Wranglers looks great. Pitch in the roof could have been steeper as I can see the total amount Fernie has gotten this winter on its roof. Might need a taller stack on that one. The snow is making it hard for that thing to breath lol. Club is doing a great job in the area. Trail was like a hiway in an out. Grooming there has come a long way past few yrs. Cheers

 

[Old-Soul]

Hopefully heading out this weekend for a couple days for what'll probably be my last blast of the season.

 

[tstams]

Not one of those places he mentioned is a secret. Maybe 10+ years ago.

Non managed areas will always exist and there will always be new ones for those who are willing to “create” them.

It’s funny where we ride in the Kootenay’s, we ride zones that I can guarantee have never seen a sled and sometimes we have some locals along and they are amazed at the %10 we show them. If you have the ability and willingness to push into these new zones you will reap the rewards.

Also just want to add as they are not secrets. Some of these places are access only with proper logging channel radios. DO NOT GO UP THE LOGGING ROAD WITHOUT A RADIO AND PROPER CHANNELS. This will wreck it for everybody that follows the rules.
Thanks