Thread: STEAMBOAT OR FERNIE ? WHO'S BEEN TO BOTH PLACES ?

This year we have narrowed it down to Fernie or Steamboat. We are thinking of early January so if you have been both places your feedback would be much appreciated !
Peace !

I spent a year in Steamboat, has great snow but the terrain is lame as shit and it is jam packed with gapers. Never been to Fernie but no way in hell it could be worse

Big Balls Fernie! Little or no Balls, Steamboat.

Never been to Fernie, however Steamboat is not the GNAR for steeps at ALL. They get a lot of snow, there is good tree skiing and IMO a cool vibe in town.

If your going for GNAR it's not Steamboat, if your going to have a great vacation with your family with the potential for good snow, good town, good "family" terrain.... Steamboat is a good choice.

Another word of caution, unless you know someone who works at the Resort deals on tickets etc... are basically 0, and Steamboat isn't really "cheap" (again IMO)

I've skied both Fernie, 75 days, and Steamboat about 10 days . Fernie is your best bet hands down. Way more killer terrain with backcountry that blows Steamboat away. Having said that, i've had some great deep blower pow days at Steamboat but there is only really one steep zone worth hitting on pow days. The chance of rain is Fernie is possible in January whereas its virtually non existent in Steamboat in Jan.

Go with Fernie.

Had a great time when I went to Fernie with a buddy. We met up with a group of young locals that showed us around all week. Very friendly, especially since they were hanging out with us "old guys". We stayed at at new hotel that had two great hot tubs outside facing the mtn for killer views and an indoor waterslide that the youngins were surfing a laudry basket down. It was so cold that our beers were freezing on the balcony. Lot of traversing to the different bowls, but defintely some nice terrain. We were going to split the trip with red mtn, but snow there was lacking.

Fernie hands down.

I have been to both and Fernie is better by far. Steamboat has some fun slackcountry, but overall I prefer Fernie.

I've made 3 trips to Fernie and only one to Steamboat. And we caught Steamboat with great snow.

steamboat's got fun aspen trees. but liquor stores don't sell 30 racks so fuck it, go to fernie.

fernie may catch you with a deadly snowpack and/or rain in january. I have seen the entire mountain come down in the first week of jan, leaving a whopping 3 or 4 runs open. Fernie may also grant you a week of blower with non stop steeps and bowls.

fenie just put in a new lift that really should improve a number of issues,
basicly reducing opening times for a large amount of terrain.

wot a shame that after 8 seasons there I just committed too the horse only.
good think we got dem sleds eh????

Originally Posted by bamboocoreONLY

steamboat's got fun aspen trees. but liquor stores don't sell 30 racks so fuck it, go to fernie.

24+6=30 or 18+12=30

24+6= two hands 18+12= 2 hands 30=one hand....

Been to both, fernie easily.

If you plan t post post-trip, fernie has fewer letters then steamboat, so it'll make writing kick ass trip reports a little easier.

Just something to think about!

Everyone I know that has been to Fernie has loved it. I have not been there, so I have take their word for it. I would say go to Fernie.

I have skied one day at each resort.
While I was impressed with the terrain at Fernie, I went on a day when the snow, if you could call it that, was kind of funky. It was like skiing on an inch or two of fresh BBs or ball bearings. The place would be fantastic with better snow.
Even though there wasn't much in the way of steep terrain at Steamboat, I had a great time the day I skied there. There was a foot of fresh, a ski patroller and a long-time local showed us where to find the goods. Also, at the end of the day I rode a lift with a local young lady who after commenting on my skis (Lhasa Pows) invited me to ski an out of bounds run I think was called the golf course. Keeping up with her made for a high speed roller coaster ride through trees and gullies in more fresh powder. It was hard not to like the place.
While Fernie and Steamboat have very different personalities, it would be difficult to go wrong with either place. I would base my decision on snow.

another vote for fernie here...might be a bit biased, as i hit prime skiing conditions for the 4 days i was at fernie, and i was pretty early season at steamboat for the week i was there. steamboat seems like there's lots of potential if they get a few big dumps consecutively. fernie is steeper & less posh/expensive than steamboat, if that means anything to your decision....

Fernie. 110%

I have been to both.

Been to both. Better terrain is at Fernie. More reliable snow & better lifts at Steamboat. Steamboat is like a really big, fat, hill, while Fernie is more like a mountain with chutes, steeps, bowls & some good sidecountry. I have only spent a few days at each, but my time at Fernie I had really cold with blower snow & almost rain within a few days. Both places have some great tree skiing.

steamboat has champagne powder (r) snow!

fernie's pretty cute, I drove through a few weeks ago. surprising lack of after 5pm non-fast-food food.

Fernie for awesome terrain with warm temps and rain, Steamboat for better snow with lame terrain. Can't go wrong either way.

I wouldn't go to either, try Kimberly mtn, great terrain and legendary bumps/pow.

Originally Posted by big snow balls hater

I wouldn't go to either, try Kimberly mtn, great terrain and legendary bumps/pow.

Sure a Snowballs chance in Hell !


OK THIS GUY IS AN IDIOT but thanks to those that have given some great advice !

Originally Posted by big snow balls hater

I wouldn't go to either, try Kimberly mtn, great terrain and legendary bumps/pow.

JONG.....