Outdoor Life
HITTING THE TRAILS
FERNIE GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB | PHOTO BY V. CROOME
Nordic Skiing at the Fernie Golf and Country Club by JULIE KELLY, FTA
Distance: 10-12 km Time: Approx. 1-1.25 hours Difficulty: Green
T
his is a great time of year to celebrate how lucky we are in Fernie to have so many winter activities to choose from. Each sport has numerous locations and terrain choices. Specifically for Nordic
skiing, you can choose from the Fernie Golf and Country Club, Island Lake Lodge, Elk Valley Nordic Centre, Fernie Alpine Resort and the Montane area. A great place to start early season is the Fernie Golf and Country Club. They generally open early, depending on snowfall of course. It is easily accessible from town with parking available at the Clubhouse. And the terrain is mostly flat, making it suitable for all levels. From the parking lot I like to go down the hill by the Clubhouse, continue straight then stay to the right and loop around. Once you get back to the Clubhouse
continue straight and take the left up the hill that parallels Fairway Dr. I like to do a few hill repeats to work on technique and get the heart pumping a little bit. Head back down the hill, continuing straight following the track, which parallels Fairway Dr. Loop back to the Clubhouse with one final push up to the parking lot. If you don’t have a Fernie Nordic Society season pass there is a box by the Clubhouse to deposit your $10 daily fee. Please respect the No Dogs policy. If you would like to bring your pooch along please check out Montane or Fernie Alpine Resort’s Nordic trails.
FERNIEFIX.COM
41