Hiking time in Fernie BC

All that snow last winter was great for catskiing, but has meant a slow start to the hiking season in Fernie B.C.  Here at Island Lake, we now have the Rail Trail, Old Growth Trail and now the Tamarack Viewpoint hiking trail open.  There is still a little bit of snow on the Tamarack trail, but we have put up a bit of blue flagging tape to show the way.  The View of the Lizard Range is one of the best in the whole area.  Here are a few photos from a couple days ago.

Our Trail at Island Lake Lodge are some of the best maintained and marked in the region.
Hiking around Fernie BC

New Summer Menu = Inspired Deliciousness

Our head Chef Keith Farkas has been busy creating a new summer menu and I must say that I have not been this excited in awhile.  The offering includes some specialty meats like Elk and most creations have some sort of delicious sauce to accompany them. In keeping with our "Best place to eat in Fernie" direction, the items below are a few of the immediate favorites and should be sampled...   Stay posted for more items as well as the lunch menu.

Tuna Carpaccio - coriander crusted ahi, salsa verde, coconut crème, fried chickpeas, micro greens

Braised Lamb Leg

apricot and nutmeg jus, wild arugula and toasted almonds, orange vinaigrette

Seared Qualicum Bay Scallops       

grilled artichoke, gnocchi alla romana, braised kale, parmiggiano reggiano
fennel cream, sundried tomato pesto, carrot and leek, parmiggiano reggiano

Elk Osso Bucco         

slow braised on the bone, truffle cheddar polenta, roasted vegetables, gremolata

Mushroom and Walnut Ravioli 

dining in fernie bc

Summer Specials

Check out these specials - don't miss out.


Monday is Date Night
Bring your partner up for a romantic dinner! Get 2 entrées, 2 glasses of wine
and an appetizer or dessert to share and for just $70.

Wine Tasting Wednesdays  

5 course tasting menu with 5 wines for $79.95 per person.  

Each Wednesday we will feature a new and old world wine from our diverse cellar.

Wine Makers Dinner - “Varietal Showdown”
Enjoy 5 courses paired with select boutique B.C. wines
Saturday, July 21st , 2012 - call for details


Ph# 250-423-3700


* Dear Guests - Due to a high volume of weekend events, we strongly suggest that 
you call ahead to inquire about reservations and availability.  


www.islandlakecatskiing.com

Sweet Summer Packages

Winter is not only only season at Island Lake Lodge. After Catskiing comes summer fun.  Check out our latest summer accommodation packages.  

Mountain Romance

Experience two relaxing nights in a deluxe lodge, our mountain buffet breakfast and gourmet dinners. Package includes a 90-minute couple’s wellness spa treatment, a bottle of local BC wine and chocolate & fruit plate awaits you upon your arrival.  Enjoy full use of our lodge facilities, as well as miles of pristine hiking trails in our remote mountain setting. Perfect for anniversaries!

Package price with deluxe accommodation $799.00 per couple

Essential Spa Getaway

Indulge in this glorious getaway in the mountains. The package includes 2, 60-minute spa treatments of your choice. Spend two nights in one of our deluxe lodges, enjoy two gourmet dinners and our mountain buffet. Enjoy full use of all our lodge facilities and all the untouched beauty Island Lake has to offer.

Package price starting at $449.00 per person, (based on double occupancy)

Mid-Week Fly Fishing Trip

Island Lake Lodge is surrounded by some of the best dry fly fishing rivers in North America. Warm up on our private lake and then fish the famous Elk River.  This package includes 2 night’s accommodation, breakfast, lunches and 2 days with a drift boat/guide on the world famous Elk River.

Package price $699.00 per person – (based on double occupancy)

Discover Island Lake

Let one of our guides show you the wonders of the Cedar Valley.  Natural history, flora and fauna as well as trail navigation will all covered by one of our guides on your introduction to Island Lake.  The Package includes: A private hiking guide for 1 day, 2 nights accommodation and all meals for 2 days.

Package price starting at $329.00 per person, (based on double occupancy). 

Heiko’s Trail Hiking Package

Heiko’s Trail is the signature hiking trail in the Fernie area. The trail starts up Hartly Lake road and is a approximately a 20 kilometer hike over high passes, mountain meadows, caves and waterfalls - ending at Island Lake Lodge.  The Package includes: A private hiking guide for the 1 day hike, 2 nights accommodation and all meals.

 Package price starting at $429.00 per person, (based on double occupancy). 

We can also put together a custom package for you.

Call and talk to one of our friendly reservation agents  1-888-422-8754

Hiking in Fernie

Opening for summer June 16th

Island Lake Lodge will be opening for summer on June 16th.   Join us for our annual Fathers Day Brunch - Sunday, June 17th,  10:30 am – 2:00 pm $26.95 - Kids $14.95  (Reservations Required).

See you there!

That was a big snow year.

Kinda sad, but the 11/12 catski season has ended.  Looking back it was one of the best years in the last decade.  Hard to beat the 10/11 season, which was the best in 12 years, but we came close.  We ended up with a 5 metre compressed base at treeline and about 13 metres of accumulated snowfall on the Lizard Range!!  Yes - that is about 43 feet of snowfall.  We had various memorable storms, including February 26th when we had 1 metre or over 3 feet of snow in 24 hours.  The powder was low density blower pow and our catskiing guests were simply amazed.  Then there was the epic storm of January 17th & 18th when we received 150 cms in 48 hours...or 5 feet of snow.  This was an unusual storm in that a warm front collided with a cold front and stalled right over our catski terrain.  It stayed about -20 the whole time. I have never seen so much snow fall at such a low temp.  We did hear the phrase "too deep" from some guests.  All in all it was a spectacular season and we thank all the guests that were able to experience Island Lake Catskiing at it's best.

www.islandlakecatskiing.com

The Island Lake Reunion Catski Tour

2013 is the 25th anniversary of Catskiing at Island Lake and we have a few special projects on the go for next year.  This past March we invited a few of the key athletes and shareholders from our past for a reunion tour.  Past shareholders Mark Gallup, Beth Gallup, Jason Ford, Scot Schmidt and Jake Blattner spent 4 days with us doing some filming and powder shredding.  It snowed the whole time, so we were not able to film on some of the classic alpine spots, but we did slay plenty of powder lines.  Keep your eyes open for some special anniversary projects coming out this fall...

A few photos:

                               Jason Ford - both

                               Jake Blattner

                               Scot Schmidt

                  Mark Gallup, Scot Schmidtt, Jason Ford & Jake Blattner

               Jimmy Chin chasing Scot Schmidt down some glades
Photos: Mike McPhee


Book Catskiing:
www.islandlakecatskiing.com