Outdoors
Racers' Corner - Christine Misseghers, Mountain Biker
This column began a few months ago in an effort to uncover individuals in Fernie that manage work, families, social lives, and a training regime.
Fly Fishing in Fernie by Wayne Osborne
Photo by Dave Brown & Fernie Fly Fishing
The weather has been cool and wet but the fishing has been hot on dry flies. The Elk has been on fire.
Through July, as a general rule, Stoneflies were coming off in big numbers earlier in the day, with massive Mayfly hatches in the afternoon followed by Caddis hatches in the early evening. That's not unusual, but the Mayfly hatches were exceptional.
Floating the Elk River - Fun, But Safe?
Lee-Anne and family floating the Elk River
Fly Fishing in Fernie by Wayne Osborne
The rivers opened on June 15 after being closed since April 1 to protect the spawning season for wild Westslope Cutthroat Trout, for which the Elk Valley is famous. July is the month that fly anglers from all over the globe start to descend on Fernie to enjoy a truly unique and incredible dry fly fishery. The rivers streams and lakes around Fernie provide fly fishing opportunities that are simply as good as it gets.
Nature Sites to See Before the Summer Dies
Summer is Fernie’s shortest season. With ‘Monsoon June’ over, locals have roughly eight to ten busy weekends to pack in nature’s summer highlights. Here are some must see features before the first flakes fall around the Elk Valley.
Racer's Corner - John Merritt
Flying down Oh Dear, just about to take a corner I hear Emily scream ahead of me and see something small and black at her feet. “Is it a bear cub?” I ask until I realize it’s a dog. Then I see a sweat ridden John Merritt running towards us asking between breaths which trail he’s on. My bike partner thought it was the strangest site, but to those of us that frequent trails in Fernie it’s a farily normal occurrence.
Chipping, Save Shots around the Greens
by Scott Shouldice CPGA Professional FGCC
For golfers of all skill levels, one of the easiest ways to knock strokes off your score is to improve your chipping from around the greens. Chipping the ball close can help you save par and lower your scores.
When approaching a shot close to the green, the first thing you should do is decide what type of shot you are going to play. The three most common types of chip shots are the bump and run, pitch shot, and lob shot or flop shot.
Wild Beauty For a Lifetime
While walking in the woods the other day my attention was captured by a flash of purple. Closer investigation revealed a small, irregularly shaped flower with heart-shaped leaves growing from its base. Delicate black stripes drew my gaze to its centre. This early blue violet was heralding the arrival of spring.
Defining Community by Place, Plants, and People’s Passion
“What community are you from?” When asked this common question how do you answer? I typically say, “I was born in Saskatchewan, raised in Springbank, studied in Edmonton/Victoria, but since 1983 I have lived in the Elk Valley/Crowsnest Pass.”
Hot Doggin' Free Skiers
by Jenn Johnson and Keanna Webber