MyWestworld

The Kootenays: Eight Reasons to Head to Fernie This Weekend

Posted on 29. Apr, 2010 by Sonu Purhar in BC

by Dave Quinn

As I write this it is early March – and the hot sun streams in my window, made hotter by reflections off the meltwater puddles on the street in front of my house. The first flowers of the year are coming out on the warm hillsides in the valley below.

This is not your typical Kootenay winter.  Maybe there is something to this “global warming” thing after all.

The annual Fernie Powder 8 Championships will go ahead full steam on Saturday March 13, 2010. Courtesy Resorts of the Canadian Rockies

However, though the bikes and skateboards are out in force in town and there has not been an appreciable snowfall for weeks, the high mountains are still covered in a blanket of white. In other words, the skiing is still incredible – and the annual Fernie Powder 8 Championships are going ahead full steam on Saturday March 13.

What you’ll see: On an untracked run, pairs of skiers will ski in tandem to leave as many 8s – or an unending infinity sign – as they can.  Skiers are judged on their style, synchronicity and the general appearance of their tracks. Of course, as is the case in Fernie most weekends, the Powder 8s are the catalyst for a fun weekend of skiing for some, heckling for others and partying for all.

Now all we need is some snow.

Lead photo courtesy Resorts of the Canadian Rockies

Tags: B.C. Skiing, Fernie, Fernie Powder 8 Championships, Kootenay Skiing