Claire Smallwood

Fernie might be a six-letter word for casual, because since I’ve moved here, I don’t think I’ve worn high-heels to a single function. Hey, I’m not complaining! But with that in mind, sometimes taking a little more forward approach to a dinner party can be a fun occasion. 

The Year of the Rabbit in Chinese astrology symbolizes patience and luck. The pork shoulder is patient while you sleep or ski powder (should you need to leave it unattended) and preparing it will bring you the good fortune of a versatile protein that can be used many different ways. Hopefully the pork shoulder will summon the good graces of the Griz with more powder days this winter! 

If you’ve been following this column in the Fix for the past few months, I’ve been sharing some concepts and opinions around mentorship in the mountains. I wrote about learning how to lay the perfect skin track with my friend Grania, the Queen of the Selkirks (December 2021), I shared that mentorship often is inaccessible by those who need it most (January 2021), and last month I explored some risk management and decision making techniques for backcountry skiing.