5 pm
Meet at the lower parking area.
Snowcats depart at 5:30 pm.
Your Island Lake winter guide
Bring your boots.
We’ll take it from here.
The trip, at a glance
A little planning.
A lot to look forward to.
A snowcat ride into the forest. Full days with your guides. Dinner with the people you have been skiing beside. Here is how to arrive ready for all of it.
Boots
Powder skis or a snowboard, poles and guest safety equipment are provided.
About 5 pm
Back at the lower parking area after a final day of skiing.
All times are local to Fernie. This is a typical multi-day tour; follow the timings and arrangements in your booking confirmation.
Getting here in winter
The last eight kilometres
are part of the trip.
In winter, the lodge is reached by snowcat from the lower parking area. Arrive there at 5 pm on the evening before your first ski day, ready for the 5:30 pm departure.
Plan to reach Fernie the day before if you can. Winter roads and flight delays need breathing room, and airport transport is arranged separately from your ski package.
If you are running late, call reservations promptly. A later transfer cannot be assumed, and an overnight stay in town may be necessary.
From first light to last call
Find your winter rhythm.
The first morning begins with safety training. Later days settle into an easy pattern: breakfast, skiing, après and dinner. Open each day for the details.
Arrival eveningSettle into mountain time.
- 5 pm
Meet at the lower parking area.
Check in for the snowcat transfer; the lodge is 8 km up the winter access road.
- 5:30 pm
Your ride to the lodge.
Snowcats depart for Island Lake. Call reservations as soon as possible if you are delayed.
- 6–6:45 pm
Make yourself at home.
Find your room, take your boots to the Bear Lodge locker room, and head to the Bear Bar.
- 6:45 pm
Meet the team.
A welcome and ski-conditions briefing before dinner.
- 7 pm
Your first dinner.
Gather in the Tamarack Dining Room, then linger over a drink or turn in for the morning.
Your first ski dayA good day starts with the basics.
- 7–8:15 am
Breakfast in Tamarack.
Fuel up before meeting the guides.
- 8:30–10 am
Mandatory mountain safety training.
Meet at Bear Lodge for equipment instruction, avalanche rescue and tree-well training.
- 10 am–4 pm
Out on the mountain.
Follow your guides into the terrain. Sandwiches, snacks and drinks travel with you in the snowcat.
- After skiing
Ease into the evening.
Après in Bear Lodge, a sauna or a pre-booked massage, then dinner at 7:30 pm.
A full ski dayBreakfast. Powder. Do it again.
- 7–8:15 am
Breakfast, with time to stretch.
Optional 20-minute stretch classes are normally offered at 7:15 and 7:45 am.
- 9 am–4 pm
Ski with your group.
Your guides choose terrain for the snow, weather and group. Lunch and warm breaks happen in the cat.
- After skiing
The other half of the day.
Compare favourite runs at the Bear Bar, visit the spa or settle in by the fire.
- 7:30 pm
Dinner in Tamarack.
A three-course dinner and another evening together.
Departure dayOne more day on the mountain.
- 7–9 am
Breakfast, pack and check out.
Leave your packed luggage as directed by the lodge team before heading out to ski.
- 9 am–3:30 pm
Your final turns.
The final day still includes skiing, with time afterwards to change for the journey home.
- 3:30–4:30 pm
Change and say your goodbyes.
Showers and changing facilities are available before departure.
- 4:30 pm
Snowcats leave the lodge.
Expect to reach the lower parking area around 5 pm. Allow for this transfer when planning onward travel.
A sample three-day skiing tour. Two-day tours have one fewer full ski day; four-day tours have one more. Weather, snow conditions and the guiding team’s decisions shape each day.
Equipment & packing
We bring the powder gear.
You bring the boots.
Use our ski or snowboard fleet, or bring your own setup. Let reservations know what you need ahead of time so the team can help with fit and availability.
Included with your tour
Ready at the lodge.
- Powder skis or a snowboardOur fleet includes skis from Völkl, DPS and Salomon, and boards from Jones and Salomon. Ask about sizes and the current selection.
- Ski polesAvailable with your equipment.
- Guest safety equipmentRadio, avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe, with mandatory instruction before your first run.
- A place for your kitPersonal lockers in the lower level of Bear Lodge, with boot and glove dryers.
Your packing list
Make yourself comfortable.
- Your own ski or snowboard bootsWell-fitting boots are essential; boots are not supplied. Bring your bindings if bringing your own snowboard.
- Helmet, goggles and glovesPack spare goggles and gloves for changing conditions.
- Layers for mountain weatherBase layers, warm insulation, an outer shell and a neck warmer.
- A small day bagCarry spare layers and personal essentials in the cat. Add sunscreen and lip protection.
- Something for off the mountainSnow boots, comfortable lodge clothes, slippers and swimwear for the hot pool.
Before carrying a phone, camera or other electronic device while skiing, speak with your guide about transceiver interference. Chest-mounted action cameras are not permitted. Read the equipment guidance
Back at the lodge
The turns are only
half the story.
Come home to Tamarack, Cedar or Red Eagle Lodge. Hang up your gear, warm up in the sauna, and let the evening unfold.
Breakfast and dinner are served in Tamarack. Lunch rides with you in the snowcat, with sandwiches, snacks and drinks ready between runs. Tell reservations about allergies and dietary needs before you arrive.
At the Bear Bar, the last run can turn into a long conversation around the fireplace, a game of pool or an evening of music.
After the last run
A little recovery.
Reserve a 50-minute massage ahead of your stay. Winter appointments normally fall between skiing and dinner, with limited availability; arrival and departure days are excluded.
Plan your spa timeBefore the next one
Start with a stretch.
Bear Lodge has a fitness centre for cardio, strength and mobility. Optional 20-minute morning stretch classes usually run at 7:15 and 7:45, except on your first morning of safety training.
Inside the gymYour trip in photographs
Take the day home.
The on-mountain photography program is included in multi-day tours. A photographer joins your cat for one day, capturing individual turns, the group and the scenery. Your edited digital collection follows after the trip.
Before you leave home
The small things that make it easy.
- 01
Tell us about your skiing.
You should be a strong intermediate skier or snowboarder or better, comfortable in varied, ungroomed snow and fit for consecutive full days. Share your experience, equipment needs and any concerns with reservations.
- 02
Complete your pre-arrival registration.
Use the registration and waiver link sent with your reservation. Read the risk information before travelling; the team also reviews the waiver during your first morning’s safety session.
Read the winter safety program - 03
Arrange the extras early.
Book airport transport and spa appointments separately. Share dietary requirements, check your onward travel timing, and review the booking terms that apply to your tour.
- 04
Check in with the mountain.
Read the guides’ latest conditions report. Snow and weather change, and your guides select the terrain each day. Come ready for the mountain as it is, with room for a few surprises.
Read the latest guide report
Your next step
Find your days in the mountains.
A conversation is the beginning
Who would you
bring here?
Tell us your dates, your group size, and what you have in mind.
Our concierge will help you plan the stay.