Fernie, British columbia
Snow pain, snow gain
A day on the slopes has its ups and downs
Franklin D. Roosevelt famously said that “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” In the tradition of government amendments, I would like to add pain and looking foolish to the list of things to fear.
LEAVING THE NEST: After a bit of help, Tanya makes the turn as Jake watches like a proud mother bird. —photo by Rusty Gahr
Check out the Snow pain, snow gain gallery.
When I first took on the task of writing a regular adventure blog, I was—and I remain—excited by the possibilities of trying new experiences that I might not otherwise have the chance to do. I was inspired by the George Addair quote on the front page that said everything I wanted was on the other side of fear. I’ve taken that to heart and have eagerly accepted every challenge—which is how I found myself hurtling down the slopes on a snowboard at Fernie Alpine Resort.
By hurtling, I probably mean inching. I had signed up for my very first lesson in snowboarding. I have skied in the past and in my memory, I was pretty good. I seem to recall a few wipeouts, but overall, I was able to stop, turn and stand up with some semblance of competence. So I was confident that I would be able to figure out snowboarding in the two hours with an instructor.
My husband Rusty and I arrived early for a quick tour of the facilities with Karen Pepper from guest services. Fernie Alpine Resort has become a favourite destination for skiers from around the world, particularly for the Aussies. There were almost as many Australian accents as Canadians. As well, we met several Europeans, Americans and dedicated downhillers from the U.K. So walking through the resort village was a little like being at an alpine U.N. meeting. The village has a lot to offer for pre- and aprés-ski enjoyment: restaurants, pubs, shopping, coffee shops, rentals, on-site daycare that provides lessons for wee ones and much more.
The hill itself is magnificent. As a skier, I had taken in the powder in the Cedar Bowl several times as well as the many meandering tree trails and slopes where you can really turn on the speed. The scenery is truly awe-inspiring. Fernie is located right in the Rocky Mountains so every direction you look is going to be spectacular. And if you can make it up to the top of the lift, I am told the combination of mountain views and pristine powder is unbeatable.
For me, however, I must first master the snowboard.
My instructor was Jake Strachan from Bristol, U.K. Jake is a patient, chatty and easy-going young man (note: when did I start referring to adults as ‘young’?) and he was an excellent teacher. We started with the basics: bindings, edges, how to stand up—really an important lesson—how to move with a board fixed to your leg and so on. From there, we covered tow ropes (much harder than you might think), how to make the board go where you want to go (much, much harder than you might think) and how packed snow feels on one’s…pride…if you catch your downhill heel edge (just about as hard as you might think—times 10).
After getting down some of these basics, we worked up to turning on the boards. This can be a bit of a trick because it involves moving your body in a way completely opposite to almost any other activity. Veteran skateboarders probably have little difficulty, but it was something of a challenge for me. Jake told us that the trick is to centre oneself over the board and look out over the extended downhill arm and then, essentially, to point your arm and look where you want to go. After an especially jarring fall on my…pride…I started pointing to the pub. Jake, however, was very encouraging and was ready to offer constructive tips to improve my technique as well as boost my ego, even while my…pride…was still throbbing.
There is a saying among snowboarders that the difference between a beginner and an expert is three days. This seemed to be the case with Rusty. He had a few prior snowboarding experiences that had left him frustrated and feeling clumsy. However, Jake's instruction had given him what he needed to be at one with the board. So while I was standing—sitting would be out of the question for the rest of the afternoon—in the coffee shop with a post-lesson latté, Rusty was carving the slopes. When he found me later that day, he was pink-cheeked and elated.
“I’m a snowboarder,” he said.
He managed to find a little bit of powder along the way, and he described the sensation as riding on a cloud. In fact, that's almost the exact analogy that every other snowboarder uses. It sounds so appealing, so thrilling, that I’m determined to figure this pastime out. However, I may need to let go of my fear of looking foolish and just wear a pillow strapped to my backside, because the fear of packed snow runs deep.
By the way, I did eventually follow my finger that was pointed to the pub and enjoyed a mug of Fernie Brewery’s First Trax Brown Ale. I’m pleased to report that while there, I didn’t fall down even once.
For more information visit: www.skifernie.com
