Season highlights

OK, ok... so what happened to March and April? Well, they just flew by for us. So much so, that we seemed to neglect this little bit of cyberspace for which we apologise... profusely.

I've had a little rummage through the four hundred or so pictures we seem to have taken this season and tried to find a selection of images to highlight what has been a wonderful season here in Fernie. Now that the hill has closed and the snow is beginning to melt (I say beginning to melt as it snowed at the top of the mountain last night - crazy) it's time for us to move on and hand the noble role of being a Snow Valley Lodge host to the next lucky so and so's.

Fernie, we salute you.

Leaving the UK for our new jobs (which we are now dubbing Best Job In The World TM) as the hosts at Snow Valley Lodge. Seems like such a long time ago now *sob*


Arriving at a very autumnal and not very snowy Fernie. This is the corner of 6th and 10th Aves - what would be our new address for the next six months.


Our first visit to the mountain, sans snow, and hiking one of the many cat-tracks in November.


First major dump in town - the street outside the Lodge suddenly got really white in a matter of hours. When it snows here, it hoons it down!


One of the many visits to Sparwood, and the big green truck known as Titian.


Our first trip to the Ice Hockey - the Fernie Ghostriders had a pretty awesome season, and what with the ice rink being a mere hop, skip and jump from Snow Valley Lodge, you can even avoid the queue for the toilets and go home for a pee between periods!


We hiked the hill a few times before the mountain officially opened... yes, we were that desperate to go snowboarding! It's worth doing - it gets you super fit before the season starts and gets those legs back in shape.


Yet another hike, this time up to the Whitepass chair. Look at all that lovely, untouched powder. It doesn't stay untracked for long once the mountain is up and running every morning.


Trying to keep up with writing the blog - and failing miserably!


Christmas Day and the epic Jamie Oliver extravaganza of a lunch that the hosts cooked (even if we do say so ourselves!)


It's all very well getting large dumps of snow, but we had to do a LOT of shovelling... (kidding! Just kidding!) We had a nice wall of snow around the hot-tub by the end of December - good for privacy, y'know!


And here is the wonderful hot-tub, in all it's glory. This is an absolute godsend, I tell you - Best Invention Ever!


The infamous Face Lift - a real rite of passage for anyone, particularly those on one plank, instead of two! It gets easier, we promise.


The Dummy Downhill 2006 was a great event - completely crazy nutters made cars, planes and all manner of wierd vehicular stuff and then rode them headfirst down the Deer run.


We managed to fulfil one of our ambitions whilst here and saw some Moose - a mother and a calf pottering around by the Elk river. That was pretty special.


Jethro shows off his new skillz, innit. Springtime slushy snow and the inevitable end of the season meant that everyone started to go much bigger and ride much harder.


The last day on the hill, where everyone gathered for a drink or three and reminisced about a wonderful season.


Another beautiful spring day in Fernie. The river is getting higher as more and more of the snow melts.


Time to swap the skis and boards for bikes.