A few crisp mornings and the kids returning to school punctuated the season. The dog days of summer are gone, but Fall can be invigorating and renewing. The cool air signals the leaves to turn, and reminds us to get out and enjoy outdoor activities before the first snow. It’s a fantastic, fleeting time of year.
If you do find yourself in Fernie soon, be sure to enjoy the world-class mountain biking, a few rounds of golf, or some spectacular autumn hikes. Get after it while you can.
Mountain Biking – Featured Fall Ride
A family favorite for mountain biking is the Lazy Lizard Trail that winds its’ way up to Island Lake Lodge. The trail was recently completed, and now runs all the way from Fernie Provincial Park, to the beautiful Lodge. It’s a great outing, with a gradual, but steady, climb the entire way. The reward is a great meal at the Lodge’s outdoor patio, overlooking the beautiful Island Lake, and surrounding mountain peaks. With a short uphill section out of the way early, on the return ride, you can cruise back to the start, on a flowing, smooth trail. If you need something more (or less) challenging, Fernie offers 110 named rides in six different areas. Three of these areas can be accessed from The Timbers.
[Island Lake Lodge is open for lunch and dinner until the end of Canadian Thanksgiving]
Fall Golfing Around Fernie
For golfing in the area, try the Fernie Golf and Country Club. It’s fun to play this mountain course, with 360 degree views of the Lizard Range, and the green fees ensure a great value. As well, and many folks are not aware of this, the Wilderness Club golf course is just 45 minutes away in Montana. It is a destination course that was ranked # 1 in Montana by “Golfweek” in March 2016. Take a Nick Faldo Design, and add spectacular views of the Canadian Rockies, the White Fish Mountains, and the Purcells, and what you will get is a very memorable golf experience. You can also tack on some skeet shooting and horseback riding at the Wilderness Club, or golf a second round at the up-and-coming Indian Springs golf course nearby. With these three courses you can still make a great golf outing happen soon.
[Closing – Fernie – Oct 10, Wilderness Club and Indian Springs – end of October]
Featured Fall Hiking in Fernie
If you want to take in some fall hikes around Fernie, Island Lake is a fantastic option, with over a dozen trails you can access. You can drive up to the Island Lake Lodge until Oct 2 as this road closes for Cat Ski Operations in the winter. An easy hike takes you on a stroll around Island Lake, after lunch at the Lodge. That trail also links up to the moderately easy Old Growth Trail, where you can hike through ancient cedars. Or you can do advanced hikes, such as Spine Back, or the Mount Baldy Loop, into higher country to gain panoramic views of the area and see the colors of the season.
The Timbers
The changing weather always puts us in a gear to get The Timbers ready for the busy winter season. There are a lot of things that are hard to get done when buried in snow! We have some outside work to complete, and as it gets cold we will move indoors to add some artwork and new lighting. We will definitely grab the opportunity to hike, bike or do a round of golf, on warm afternoons, when we can!
Let us know if you want to rent this Fall – a few weekends are still available. For autumn we are promoting longer stays, offering 4 nights for the price of 3. And if you need a winter block, contact us soon – December is almost sold out and 2017 winter bookings and inquiries are getting busy. You can view the calendar at www.skithetimbers.com/availability.
Enjoy the season! Dave