Trail update, events and Big Blue is back!!
Grooming:
The golf course and rodeo grounds have been closed for the season. The trails at Island Lake Lodge are still being groomed and are still in great shape. The trails at Fernie Alpine Resort are in good shape except for that BIG hill at the parking lot. You might want to walk that one unless we get a lot more snowËœdirt is showing at the bottom.
St. Patrick’s Day:
If you want to attend the St. Patrick’s Day Pot Luck festivities at the Senior Center (across from City Hall - next to Mugshots) but haven’t signed up yet, just show up at the door with $10 and a hot dish or dessert. We will be selling wine and beer, playing games and doing some potentially dreadful singing.
This is a last call for volunteers to attend the CCC/CCBC/ICC Clinic.
The dates for the CCC/CCBC Introductory to Community Coaching Clinic will be March 30 and 31. The clinic will be held here in Fernie. If you plan to attend but have not yet confirmed this please contact Megan Walsh at your earliest convenience at: 423-7212, walsh.megan@gmail.com <mailto:walsh.megan@gmail.com> and THANKS to everyone for participating.
Happy Skiing!!
BIG BLUE’S DAY OFF
Big Blue had a heck of a time Wednesday night and Thursday as well. He escaped from the maintenance shop (with the help of a couple of young thieves) and went for a joy ride –all over the place. He spent the night hidden in the barn up Coal Creek – future home of the Blackstone Golf Course—I guess Big Blue was overly anxious to start grooming there and didn’t want to wait for next season.
Anyway, he went for another joy ride on Thursday morning and by this time was being tracked by Doug (not Dog) the Bounty Hunter—well, not really a bounty hunter—just trying to save FNS the $1000 deductible for a stolen snowmobile. With Ray and Patrick on the radio and Doug (not Dog) hot on his tracks, suddenly Big Blue appeared on the Coal Discovery Trail up near the dump and just sort of buzzed Doug—then he went to hide in the barn, but Doug found him and he was taken back to the Golf Course by Patrick on his nice trailer and told to STAY THERE UNTIL NEXT SEASON!!
We are really glad to have Big Blue back safely and are super grateful to Doug for tracking him down. Here is Doug’s description of the day:
“Ray called me and said the RCMP had traced the Big Blue’s tracks for awhile but thought I should try tracking him on skis. We found we could tell our machine’s tracks by width and the fact that they kept running it on gravel, something you would avoid if you had actually paid for the snowmobile. I ended up tracking it for three hours and eventually, wrapped back towards town thinking, “I must be crazy, but I swear I’m still on itâ€?. Then some kids came along riding the thing.
I tried to block the trail with my poles but they gunned the engine and got away. I followed that track to the barn and called the RCMP. Kids ran off. Snowmobile safe.�