Outdoors
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
Spring Skiing
What do goggle-tans, mogul skis, and sun pits all have in common? Those are the tell tale signs that it is spring on the mountain. Although it’s T-shirt weather in town, there is still a lot of excellent skiing to be had in the mountains. Warm days and cool nights have created legendary spring skiing conditions!
Green Play, Fun Conservation
Which is a greater threat to nature: chainsaws, bulldozers, motorized off road vehicles or the television/Internet? In my opinion, screens whether big or small are the greatest threat to nature, especially when pondering the fact that on average Canadians spend weekly 26.8 hours in front of the TV and 13.4 hours on the Internet (CRTC, 2007).
Fix's Top Ten Winter Fernieisms
Photo by Henry Georgi
Keeping your Body Balanced
Most people harbour imbalances in their bodies from the activities they do in daily life without even realizing it.
Fernie Free Skiing
Fernie is just one of those special places, a place that is still waiting to live up to its full potential while fully enjoying the slow rise to stardom.
Weather Watching
Each morning of the ski season, the Ski Patrol is engaged in ongoing avalanche risk assessments. Of the multiple daily chores, one stands out for its precision, tradition, and importance: The Standard Weather Observation.
Strategies for Sport and Survival
Canadian athletes train years, weeks, months, days and hours to achieve the Olympic motto of “Citius, Altius, Fortius”. Wildlife in the Canadian Rockies has evolved over millennium to simply survive winter. Which animals have the swiftest, highest and strongest adaptation strategies?