Real-Time Fernie Alpine Resort Lift & Run Alerts
Built by a Local, for Locals
I've been skiing Fernie for almost 20 years. I've always found it frustrating when I miss terrain and lift changes. Even today, you still have to pull your phone out, look at FAR's mobile website or web app and scan all the lifts and trails to see what has changed.
I never wanted to ski with a patrol radio. But I still wanted to know when lifts and runs were about to open. So about 12 years ago I built a private desktop app that scraped the lift status page and pushed alerts to my phone via text. It worked great, but only for me.
Now that I'm retired, I decided to learn some new skills and turn it into something other people could use. FARAlerts is the result — a proper web app with push notifications that land on your lockscreen and smart watch.
This isn't a corporate product. I hate enshittification and I didn't do this to maximise profit. There's no tracking beyond anonymised Cloudflare web analytics which you are free to block, no ads, no data selling. It's a solo project run on a single server. I built it because I wanted it, and I'm sharing it because I think other Fernie skiers will find it just as useful as I do. If it saves you from checking the FAR website while you're standing in a lift line, it's done its job.
I am planning on charging a modest fee to pay for server costs and beers. But for a limited time and a limited number of signups it is free. All I ask in return is feedback.
Questions? [email protected]
What is FARAlerts?
FARAlerts monitors every important lift and bowl at Fernie Alpine Resort and sends you push notifications the moment something changes. Open lifts, standby holds, closures — you'll know as soon as FAR makes an update.
How Notifications Work
- Choose which lifts and runs you care about — exclude the rest
- Get instant alerts on your phone lockscreen and smart watch
- Two notification options: Pushover (more reliable, has viewable history) or web push (no extra app needed)
- One tap to turn alerts on in the morning; they auto-reset at 4 PM
| Pushover | Web Notifications |
|---|---|
| Most reliable | Can be blocked by system notification settings |
| Works the same on Android and iOS | On iOS, you must first add FARAlerts to your home screen |
| Large numbers of alerts display correctly | Long alert lists may be truncated |
| Full alert history — scroll back any time | No alert history |
| Requires installing the Pushover app | No app to install |
| $5 one-time fee after a 30-day free trial | Free |
| Best for: Power users | Best for: New or casual users |
See It in Action
