Tuesday, August 16, 2011 (Mt. Fernie Provincial Park, Fernie, BC)

Holy Cats!  They weren’t kidding when they said a cold front was moving through!  It was freezing when I got up this morning...it had gone down to 5C/40F during the night...no wonder the furnace kept coming on. 

Our plan for today is to go hiking up at Island Lake Lodge but first we are going to drive into Fernie and get propane (again) and also gas for the generator. By the time we got back the sun had burned off the clouds and warmed things up considerably and it was time to change into shorts before heading up to the lodge.

Island Lake Lodge sits on about 8000 acres (so we were told) of privately owned land. I`d say it is a rather high-end resort offering snow cat-skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer...check out their website http://www.islandlakecatskiing.com/

The drive up to the lodge leaves a lot to be desired, though, particularly in our truck.  It is 8.9 kms of gravel road that is winds up the mountain from the Provincial Park.  It took us awhile to reach the lodge as we dodged potholes and pulled over to let smaller vehicles pass.  It was about noon when we arrived, parked and went into the main lodge to get a map of the hiking trails.  There are a number of big gorgeous log buildings that make up Island Lake Lodge...one is registration and where dinner is served; another is where lunch is served...both with huge decks, with tables and lovely huge hanging flower baskets.  The other buildings are for accommodation...I would love to have seen inside some of the rooms.

Before hitting the trails, Steve took lots of pictures...what beautiful log buildings.

We started off on the Lake Trail which circles the lake...and once almost all the way around, there is a junction where the Fir Trail heads off through the old growth forest of the upper Cedar Valley...

Which way shall we go??...

That's the Lodge across the lake in the trees...

Onto the Fir Trail...

Steve wanted me to move over so that I was in the middle of the tree...but...there was quite a steep cliff...I'm actually hanging onto a branch in this picture (just a little reassurance...)...

 Awesome view from one of the viewpoints...

Once completing the Fir Trail, we re-hiked a portion of the Lake Trail and then continued the rest of the way around the lake...and finally back to the Lodge.  Can you see the May-Flies in this picture?...

After 6.5 kms and 1hr 45min of hiking, we decided to go into the lodge and sit on the deck, relax and have a beer.  Ahhh...beautiful!  But...there had been a May-fly hatch...there were thousands of them!  At least they don`t bite...just rather annoying.  At one point, Steve`s light coloured t-shirt was just covered with them!  If they had been mosquitoes or black-flies, there is no way we would have been sitting outside!

On the way out, we took a look at one of the snow-cats...very cool...

We got home shortly after 3:30...time to sit outside and take in some of the late afternoon sunshine.  Steve was still busy, though...he was getting his fly fishing gear ready for tomorrow.  We have one more day here before we head to Elkford Thursday...and Steve is going to spend it fly-fishing on the Elk River.