Active Pursuits

Fishing

Eighteen area rivers, including the Elk River, St. Mary River, and Kootenay, are often rated among Canada's top fishing destinations. Trophy fish are taken all season long. For lake fishing, Moyie Lake, 30km (19 miles) south of Cranbrook, has a good stock of kokanee, rainbow, and bull trout.

Golf

The St. Eugene Mission Golf Resort (tel. 877/417-3133 or 250/417-3417; www.steugene.ca) is an 18-hole, Les Furber-designed course with a links section. Golf Digest has rated the St. Eugene Mission course as one of the top three new courses in Canada. High-season greens fees are C$60 to C$81. The Cranbrook Golf Club, 2700 Second St. S. (tel. 888/211-8855 or 250/426-6462), is a long-established 18-hole course with greens fees starting at C$49. The Mission Hills Golf Course (tel. 250/489-3009) has 18 holes and a par-3 rating, plus a clubhouse and restaurant. The course has recently added a full-length, all-grass practice facility, plus a 3-hole practice loop. Greens fees are C$24.

Skiing

Ninety-three kilometers (58 miles) east of Cranbrook, on the western face of the Rockies, is one of the best skiing and snowboarding areas in British Columbia. Fernie Alpine Resort, Ski Area Road, Fernie (tel. 250/423-4655; www.skifernie.com), is a relatively unheralded resort that's popular with in-the-know snowboarders. Average snowfall is about 9m (30 ft.), with a vertical drop of 857m (2,812 ft.). There are 107 trails in five alpine bowls, with a total of more than 1,013 hectares (2,503 acres) of skiable terrain served by four quads, two triples, two T-bars, a Poma, and a handle tow with the capacity to handle 13,716 skiers per hour (but it's never that busy). Adult lift tickets are C$76. Amenities include lodging (tel. 800/258-SNOW [7669] for reservations), restaurants, rentals, and instruction. The resort, lodges, and lifts remain open in summer, with hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding the main activities.

Twenty minutes west of Cranbrook is the Kimberley Alpine Resort (tel. 800/258-7669 or 250/427-4881; www.skikimberley.com), a family-friendly ski resort with over 60% of its 80 runs rated beginning and intermediate. The slopes offer a vertical rise of 751m (2,464 ft.) with 729 hectares (1,801 acres) of skiable terrain serviced by five lifts, including a high-speed quad. There are a number of ski-in, ski-out accommodations here, including the new and very comfortable Mountain Spirit Resort and Spa (tel. 877/432-6006, or 250/432-6000; www.mountainspirit.ca).