| Up, up and away .. for sky-high adventure atop Grouse Mountain - a must for seasonal good times. Board the air tram, climb to 3700 feet and marvel as the city grows smaller and smaller - and the view gets bigger and bigger. Up top, there's a playground, and tempting hiking trails. Pack a picnic, or check out the restaurant or pub. In the summer, enjoy logger sports shows, peak chair rides, helicopter and mountain bike tours, horseback riding, tandem paragliding, alpine meadows and wildlife. A star attraction is the Hiwus feasthouse - an authentic First Nations log house in which you'll be treated to Coast Salish story telling, dancing and cuisine. Food is authentic and eaten with your fingers, out of a traditional bentwood box which you keep as a memento. Come winter, this is a magnet for skiers, snowboarders, skaters, snow-shoers and those who like to sit back and enjoy a sleigh ride. Keeners may want to tackle The Grouse Grind - a 2.9 k (1.8 mile) hike up the side of the mountain. It's a very `cool' Vancouverite pursuit. But don't let the distance fool you, it's nearly straight up and they call it a grind for a reason. Wear decent hiking boots and carry water. If you're in good shape, it takes about an hour. An average time would be between 90 - 120 minutes. It's free to hike, but if you don't want to hike back down, it's CDN $5 to take a gondola back down with all the other sweaty bodies who couldn't make the return trip on foot. |
