Feeling at home in Fernie
It’s been a little less than two weeks since we landed in Fernie and we’re starting to feel at home here. In truth, it hasn’t been all that difficult. We just needed to replace our flip flops with snow boots and acquire some warm clothing (plaid, of course) so that we looked the part.
The time that we invested in creating resumes, writing cover letters, and applying for jobs has paid off, at least for Rebecca. In the short time that we’ve been here, she has managed to secure not one but two jobs! One of which even has a plaid shirt as a uniform. Cool, right? I, on the other hand, have yet to gain employment but I do have an interview on Tuesday at the company that I’d like to work for. Hopefully, that works out.
The relaxed outdoor vibe of Fernie suits us well. It’s a town where riding a fat bike down the street in a snowstorm isn’t looked at as being unusual. The day before yesterday we attended a film festival which featured skiing, biking, and other adventurous activities as the subject matter. Last night we attended a birthday party where all the conversations revolved around the local biking and running trails, and who was training for what race. Like I said, it’s been pretty easy for us to fit in.
As evidence that we’re starting to feel at home, the images in this post were taken yesterday when we were out riding in the snow, exploring some new-to-us trails. It was a fantastic day!
How are 3″ tires on snow?
On trails that have already been packed down, they are fine. We’ve had about 20cm of new snow today so won’t be going out on the trails until the fat bikers and snowshoers have been out for a while first.
Sorry to hear about the sudden end to your bicycle trip but sounds like Fernie is a nice alternative.
Just wanted to say hello from the middle of the jungle in Costa Rica. It will be a shock to the system when we return to the Ottawa Valley in a few days but looking forward to spring there.
Paul
Thanks, Paul. Change is a constant so we just need to embrace it.
I’d recommend staying in CR until July to minimize the shock. 🙂
I am curious, do people ever camp overnight in the snow there? Or is it just too cold? It would be interesting to see if you could do a trail camp in that climate, or if people do it. The pictures are beautiful! Thanks for keeping us updated.
Hi Steve. I don’t know about here specifically but people definitely camp in the snow. I remember doing it as a youth when I was a boy scout.
I just came across this article which addresses the subject:
https://www.apidura.com/getting-started/bikepacking-in-the-snow-survival-guide/
This is also a good article that I had bookmarked:
http://www.bikepacking.com/plan/winter-bikepacking-guide/