| One hunter,
dressed in a buffalo calf skin, stayed in front of the herd and cried out
like a baby, urging the females on. Other hunters in coyote and wolf skins
stalked the herd from behind.
The night before
the herd was to be run over the cliff, a special ceremony took place. In
a tipi, sweet grass burned while hunters rubbed themselves with sage to
remove their mortal smells, and sang the song of the iniskim (buffalo stone).
The next day, a hunter would place himself behind the buffalo and light
a fire in a horn he carried at his side. The smoke blew toward the bison
in the strong wind, leading the buffalo to believe that there was a prairie
fire behind them. This caused a stampede toward the cliff – buffalo have
bad eyesight and couldn’t identify that the land gave way to a steep precipice
until it was too late.
It’s hard to
imagine going to that much trouble for a good meal these days. The displays
in the interpretive center provide further information about the Native
People of the area and their beliefs, the buffalo hunt and what happened
after the bison had been killed. It provides a clear insight into a custom
long since discontinued, but not forgotten.
Burmis Tree
From Fort Macleod,
head west on Highway 3, keeping your eyes on the right side of the road.
About 75 km after Fort Macleod, you’ll come to one of the most photographed
trees in Alberta, if not the world. The Burmis Tree stands proud on a small
tuft of land, framed by open fields and the start of a mountain pass in
the distance.
The Limber
Pine is more than 300 years old, and it looks every one of its distinguished
years. Three bare, thick branches reach toward the sky. From each of these
twisted limbs extend thinner and more fragile branches. They look like
bits of dry, dead twig you’d collect to use as kindling. The tree’s fragility
is emphasized by one metal pole, now required to hold up the tree’s lowest
bough.
Frank Slide
It’s impossible
to miss the Frank Slide as you drive along Highway 3. The scenery changes
drastically from hills and fields to an area covered completely with rocks.
To the left, steep Turtle Mountain stands tall – although not as high and
thick as it once was. The boulders that surround the highway were once
a part of the mountain. And what lay under them was once a town – Frank,
Alberta.
In 1903, Frank
was a prospering mining town nestled at the base of Turtle Mountain. Unfortunately,
the geological structure of Turtle Mountain was unstable. About 60 million
years ago, layers of limestone were pushed upwards into what is known as
an anticlinal fold (an A shape or arch). The old limestone was then sitting
atop younger rock – sandstone, coal and mud. This was a problem in itself,
never mind the aggressive mining taking place near the mountain.
Many believe
the last straw to have been an unusually heavy snowfall in March. That
April saw warmer weather that melted the snow and filled the cracks on
the mountain’s summit with water. The night of the landslide, the temperature
dropped to well below freezing and the water in the cracks turned to ice.
At 4:10 a.m.
on April 29, 1903, Turtle Mountain released 90 million tons of rock on
the town of Frank. In about 100 seconds, boulders covered an area
of three square kilometers. In some places, the rocks were 100 feet deep.
To put things into perspective, imagine 679 American football fields covered
by three stories of rock.
Seventy of
Frank’s 600 residents were killed and 2000 meters of the Canadian Pacific
Railway was destroyed. The rock avalanche devastated the town of Frank
- and it’s all still visible today. You can clearly see where the rock
slid off Turtle Mountain, and most of it still lies where it landed. The
Frank Slide Interpretive Center provides an excellent view of the whole
area and shows two remarkable films detailing the disaster. From here,
head west through the Crowsnest Pass until you cross the Alberta/British
Columbia boundary.
Fernie,
B.C.
What sets Fernie,
British Columbia apart from other Canadian ski towns? Maybe it’s that Fernie
Alpine Resort (FAR) has been named 2004 Resort of Year, and is home to
the Fernie World FreeStyle Cup. Although it has only recently become a
world-famous four season resort, this unique mountain town has 100 years
of development behind it. On July 28th, 2004, Fernie celebrated its centennial,
another milestone in the string of events that makes the mountain resort
what it is today.
I, in fact,
grew up in this small mining town and did everything I could to escape
it once I’d graduated from high school. It took me almost eleven years
of traveling around the rest of the world to realize what a rare hometown
I’d left behind. I thought everybody lived in valleys 3300 feet above sea
level surrounded by the glorious Rockies and had rivers running through
their backyards. Don’t deer, moose and even bears pad across everyone’s
lawns?
I only have
to open my curtains in the morning to watch the sun bring the Three Sisters
to life. Fernie’s most regal mountain, the Three Sisters gets its name
from its three striking sections – two pointy peaks flank a central, rounded
summit. I’ve never seen another mountain like it.
Everywhere
you look in Fernie, you see The Rockies. One of Fernie’s other stunning
mountains, The Ghostrider, has a bit more of a history behind it. Settlers
came here in the late 1800’s because of the promise of black gold, or coal.
Fernie’s famous legend of the Ghostrider stems from the early days of searching
for this precious resource. The tale begins when William Fernie and his
group come upon an Indian Princess wearing a beaded necklace of coal. Fernie
agreed to marry the princess if the Indian Chief would lead him and his
party to the black gold.
The Indian
Chief lived up to his end of the deal, but William Fernie refused to marry
the princess once he knew where the riches were located. In revenge,
the tribe placed a curse of fire, flood and famine on the valley; a curse
that was all too soon forgotten with the prospect of riches.
The dark shadow
of the Indian Princess riding on a horse, with the Chief trailing behind
her in search of William Fernie is still visible on Mount Hosmer ( when
it’s not covered in snow). Ask any local and they’ll proudly point out
the shapes representing Fernie’s famous legend. And yes, we’ve had fires
and we’ve had floods.
Part of Fernie’s
appeal is that there are endless activities to keep you busy all year round.
Tourists flock to Fernie in the summer to golf on the 18 hole Fernie Golf
and Country Club’s luscious greens with dramatic views of the Rockies.
A new, elite golf course, with the backing of golfer extraordinaire Greg
Norman, is planned for 2006.
Mountain High
River Adventures offers white water rafting trips on Fernie’s Elk River
and nearby Bull River that vary from the calm “Wet Your Appetite” to “Wet
Your Friends” to the more adventurous “Wet Your Pants” in kayaks. Or, you
can do what the locals do and head to OK Tire. They sell huge inner tubes
for about $20. As children, we’d simply walk down to the river, plop ourselves
on the tube and float along the current, taking in the mountains, forests
and wildlife that we saw along the way. Just make sure you have someone
waiting at a pre-arranged spot downriver.
If standing
at the side of the river with a fly rod in your hands is more appealing,
The Elk River is the place to be; the river and its tributaries are among
the best cut throat trout waters in North America.
If land is
more your thing, take a hike. Fernie and the surrounding area offer dozens
of scenic hiking trails. Climb through the Rockies on groomed trails, scramble
over rough mountain ridges or walk in mountain meadows. Be sure to bring
your camera as you’ll share the trail with the mountain’s wild inhabitants.
Biking trails abound in the area as well. In the summer, FAR operates several
ski lifts that will transport you to the top of the mountain for hiking
and biking. From here, you have an unbeatable view of the entire region
– Fernie snuggled in the valley, the river winding through the forest and
the majestic Rockies spread out as far as your eyes can see. It’s a view
that’s equally as enthralling in the winter.
Fernie’s Snow
Valley Ski Hill opened on January 17, 1963 and eventually became Fernie
Snow Valley. The hill has undergone a continual pattern of growth during
the past four decades, culminating in the purchase of the hill by Resorts
of the Canadian Rockies in 1997. Since then, Fernie Alpine Resort has rocketed
into international fame as one of the world’s top skiing destinations.
It used to
be when I traveled internationally and people asked me where I was from,
I’d say, “Oh, just a small Canadian town I’m sure you’ve never heard of.”
And I was always right – no one had ever heard of Fernie - until about
three years ago when I met an Australian in Morocco. When pressed for the
name of my town, I finally relented and was met with an excited stare.
“Fernie! I’m a travel agent and I send loads of people there to ski!” In
my eyes, Fernie was immediately transformed from “location of my family
and friends”, to “desirable destination”.
And why wouldn’t
it be? Fernie is legendary for its fluffy powder. The average yearly snowfall
is 29 feet – that’s enough to cover a three story building. The ski
season usually starts in late November or early December and continues
until mid April. FAR offers professional instruction in alpine, cross-country
and telemark skiing, as well as snowboarding for all levels. Fernie’s famous
powder falls on five enormous bowls, but if you’ve had enough of the slopes,
cross country skiing and snow shoeing offer enjoyable alternatives.
If you care
to venture off the beaten track and explore rougher, undiscovered terrain,
try heli-skiing or snowcat skiing. Snowmobiling in the back country
is another option if you haven’t yet got your fill of the snow.
If you want
to act really Canadian, head to the arena for a game of hockey – Canada’s
favorite pastime. Our local team, The Ghostriders, play throughout the
winter.
I came back
to Fernie last July for a “short visit”, and haven’t left yet. Fernie has
changed so much in the past decade that it’s hardly recognizable, commercially
at least, as my hometown. What can never change is its natural beauty and
environment. Fernie offers enough of the holiday necessities to make you
feel like you’re on vacation, but there are still plenty of local people
and businesses that allow you to appreciate Fernie’s culture and hospitality.
Maybe that’s why I’m still here.
The following
is a list of articles that Dawnelle has written for the magazine:
|
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