Kootenay Road Trip 2020 Scenes: A Fiery Farewell From Fernie!

Fernie had been very good to us and we felt sorry it was time to move on. After a full week you would think we had seen all the amazing scenery we could take — from moody mountains shrouded in clouds to snow-capped peaks glowing in the warm light of sunrise to waterfalls and alpine streams.

But Fernie had one more treat in store for us on our last night. The day had been gorgeous, with a beautiful sunrise (that I’ll likely feel compelled to share at some point - any interest?) and agreeable weather for repairing our trailer (long story) and getting ready to travel. Then came sunset, and the sky fairly exploded in yellows, oranges and pinks — like watching the aurora borealis while it was still light out. The longer it went on, the pinker the sky became.

So, yeah, I took a few (hundred) photos. All the while I kept thinking “no one is going to believe this is real”…and it still concerns me that you might think today’s photo is contrived. But this is what we really saw.

The mountain surrounded by fiery skies in this post is Mount Hosmer, located just north of Fernie. Local legend says you can see the Fernie Ghost Rider on the mountain’s face when the light is just right. We didn’t see it, which means we need to go back for another visit!

Kootenay Road Trip 2020 Scenes: Do Go Chasing Waterfalls in Fernie

Of course, we couldn’t just sit and stare at mountains the whole time we were in Fernie. We also needed to get out and do some hiking.

When the weather permitted, we decided to tackle the Fairy Creek Falls Trail. Full disclosure: this is a really easy hike that even the local tourist guide describes as “family friendly” (which depends on your family, I guess). But it advertised a “picturesque waterfall” at the end, so it seemed like a reasonable thing to do. Besides, the trailhead is at the Fernie visitor centre, which is located very close to (ahem) Fernie Brewing Co.’s brewery and tasting room. So there was that.

The trail, as advertised, was quite easy but not without hazards. Not bears, not cougars…mountain bikers. Several times we were happily walking along only to have the air rent by woo-hooing mountain bikers heading down the mountain toward town. Not that I blame them — it looked like a lot of fun and most gave some sort of warning. It just meant we needed to be light on our feet. (Which was good practice for the side trail we took on the way back…while the main trail was an easy grade the side trail was family unfriendly and nearly vertical…or so it seemed.)

The falls themselves were really pretty, if a little overrun with people from time to time. In the photo I’ve included above you can see some folks taking in the scenery. But for bonus points, can you spot the other people in this photo? Let me know what you see in the comments.

I’ve also included a photo below of more fall splendor in Fernie. What can I say? It was beautiful!

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Kootenay Road Trip 2020 Scenes: There’s Something Magic About Water, Fall Colors and Mountains…

If you had to write the formula for a scene you could sit and stare at for hours, what would it look like? For me it would be: Mountains + vibrant fall colors + rushing water + a cool tang in the air = contentment.

I know, some people like white sand beaches and cloudless skies. Some people like shopping malls. Some people even like amusement parks run by anthropomorphized rodents. Not me. I’d much rather spend the day enveloped in fall colors, smelling the nascent decay of leaves. Sweater weather is better weather.

Given that, you’d think fall in Fernie (and the Elk Valley generally) would be perfect for me. And you’d be right, as you can see in today’s photos. At the top of this post we’re again looking across the Elk River toward the Three Sisters (yes, I did move from that spot…but not often) as the sun lights the mountains and leaves alike. Below we’re looking up Boivin Creek in Elkford toward the community’s volunteer-run ski hill.

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