Fernie & Elk Valley Culture Guide Fernie & Elk Valley Cultural Guide - Winter 18-19 | Page 27

FEATURE AUTHOR
Terry Nelson
As a teenager, Terry Nelson moved to Fernie
with his family after many summer visits. By
the early 80’s he was bushwhacking through
alder thickets and seeking out hunting and
game trails in pursuit of now well-trodden
peaks including the Three Sisters and
Castle Mountain.
He recalls some of the first trails in Fernie –
the Moccasin on the face of Mt Fernie and a
series of interpretive trails at the current site of
the Montane Trail System. Local trail luminaries
including Barry Hulburd, Sean Staplin, Heiko
Socher, Pat Gilmar, Gerry George, Eric
Mutcher and others began to extend the trails
and forge new routes for hiking and biking in
and around Fernie. The Fernie Ski Trails and
Touring Club was the first official trail club
for Fernie. With funding from the BC Forest
Service, trails at Fairy Creek and Olivia Creek
were two early community projects.
As the president of the Fernie Trails Alliance for
the past 7 years and instrumental in many trail
building initiatives long before that, Nelson has
long advocated for an extensive trail network
for the Fernie Area. He recognized a need for
a guide book and started work on the project
several years ago. The Fernie Area Hiking Trails
and Natural Plant Compendium will assist
hikers in locating trailheads, assessing difficulty
and navigating mountain terrain. A keen plant
enthusiast, Nelson has included a compendium
of plants that he has identified in the area,
along with quotes and anecdotes to enhance
the narrative. The book
FERNIE AREA
is not intended to be
a definitive guide, he’s
&
keen to note – more of
NATURAL PLANT
COMPENDIUM
a companion to assist
hiking enthusiasts in
making the most of
Fernie’s incredible trail
system. Watch for the
launch event to be
TERRY NELSON
announced online!
HIKING TRAILS
FB: /terrynelson.581525
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