We here in Fernie Snow Valley have not always been graced with the fine snow conditions we now enjoy. Not until recently did we come to realize how we became the beneficiary of some of the best packed and powder skiing in Western Canada. As the legend goes, a baby boy was born back in the year of 1879 in the midst of a cruel and bitter winter. It is said that the baby was born in a grizzly bear's cave high in the mountains. Sometime later the resident bear awoke, mean and ravenously hungry. A terrible battle ensued between the two - one fighting for his life and the other for his dinner. Well folks, as the story continues, the people went into the mountains the very next day to discover the source of all the noise from the previous night. They looked high and low on the mountain now known as Snow Valley. Once one of the men thought he saw a little boy wearing a bear coat and hat nimbly leaping from rock to rock up on the lofty peaks. His friends laughed at him and jokingly accused him of seeing things and the incident was soon forgotten. Just recently, some of our avid ski tourers were ascending the peaks above the Snow Valley Ski area in the midst of a heavy snowstorm. While taking a short breather they happened to glance up at the peak they were climbing. There, on the very summit, stood a fantastic sight. While of standard height, this man had shoulders six feet wide and carried an enormous musket eight feet long. The bulk of the man's estimated 300 pounds was made to look even more awesome by the bristly, grizzly coat he wore. A bear hat was pulled down, shadowing his eyes. As the skiers watched, he stood shooting the giant musket into the clouds and still more snow fell from the sky above. This, of course, delighted the skiers who loved that special brand of powder snow. The skiers schussed down the mountain and excitedly told everyone they met of their experience. Some of the town's elders remembered the sighting of a little grizzly-clad boy so long ago and the discovery of massive, bare-footed tracks upon the snow-covered peaks. In recognition and admiration of the man who became known as "GRIZ", the town's people held a festival all week. Sporting events, competitions, parades and gatherings marked the gala week. The citizen who embodied the spirit of "GRIZ" through that week was made honorary "GRIZ" for the rest of the year. To this day, this festival continues every March in tribute to our powder king.
