Grouse Mountain

Sorry to be late posting, but have just said good-bye to friends who have been visiting from Wales.  The grand finale of their trip was a visit up Grouse Mountain to see the spectacular view of the city of Vancouver in both daylight and at sunset when the lights came on. 

Grouse Mountain is one of the North Shore Mountains of the Pacific Ranges in the District Municipality of North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Exceeding 1,200 m in altitude at its peak, it is the site of an alpine ski area, Grouse Mountain Resort, which overlooks Greater Vancouver with four chairlifts servicing 26 runs. In the summer, Grouse Mountain Resort features lumberjack shows, a birds of prey wildlife demonstration, a scenic chairlift ride, and a 2.9 km hiking trail known as the Grouse Grind, as well as helicopter sightseeing. Year-round operations include a 100-seat mountaintop theatre and a wildlife refuge. Public access to the mountain top is by a Swiss Garaventa aerial tramway, or by the Grouse Grind hiking trail.

We took in the lumberjack show, always a comical way of demonstrating what lumberjacks did in the olden days, a scenic chairlift ride to the peak of the mountain where we watched people paraglide (tandem-style with a professional) off the top of the mountain to soar over the treetops, watching the grizzly bears wander around their huge enclosure, and a lovely dinner overlooking the city of Vancouver and the Burrard Inlet flowing into the Georgia Strait.

carvings of lumberjacks

Hope you take advantage of the views from the top of Grouse Mountain if you ever come for a visit.  It is well worth it to spend at least half a day up the mountain.