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Grouse Grind
One of Vancouver's most famous hikes has to be the Grouse Grind
and if you get a chance to hike it you won't be disappointed.
"Mother
Nature's Stairmaster"
Advertised as "Mother Nature's Stairmaster," the Grouse
Grind is one of those things you should do when you're visiting
the Vancouver area and require a good cardio workout. The Grouse
Grind is open from late spring to early fall, dependent on weather,
snow conditions and trail upkeep.
District
of North Vancouver
The start of the hike is located at the base of the Grouse Mountain
Skyride in the District
of North Vancouver. The overall length of the hike is 2.9 km
(1.8 mile) long with an altitude gain of 853 metres (2,800 feet).
This trail climbs up to the top of the Grouse Mountain Skyride at
a very steep angle into the headwaters of Mackay Creek
Take
plenty of water
If you plan to take the trail, please take the usual precautions
of having good shoes or boots, pack lots of water and take your
time as the route is quite steep. Also you might want to consider
rain gear in case the weather changes and starts to pour.
Warning
Signs
There are some warning signs along the way up letting you know at
what point on the trail you are at if you find it too hard going.
Plus, remember with the North Shore rains, some rocks could become
loose and fall apart, so be cautious when walking on some of the
stone stairways.
100,000
people
There are few downsides of the trail. If you like solitude, don't
expect to find it here! According to the Federation of Mountain
Clubs of British Columbia (FMCBC), the Grouse Grind has at least
100,000 people using the trail each year.
Straight
Up
Also if you like trails with terrain change, reconsider taking this
trail as it is quite vertical and, most of the time, you'll be staring
at the next place to place your foot, especially through the gnarly
sections.
Allow
yourself two hours
It will all depend on what shape you're in but allow at least 1½
hours to complete the trail from the bottom to the top. The recommendations
of Grouse Mountain Resort suggest that if you are a novice, allow
yourself 2 hours.
Skyride
Grouse Mountain Resort recommends that you use the Skyride to make
the descent back to the base parking lot rather than hiking down.
There is a nominal cost of five dollars to Grouse Mountain in order
to ride the Skyride down.
Waterfall
on Mackay Creek
While you're on the Grind there are some interesting things you'll
want to see and check out. One is the Skyride tower about halfway
up, another is the waterfall on Mackay Creek around the three-quarter
way marker. Just remember, if you do explore be careful; people
have died over the years by being unprepared.
Fastest
times
For people who are competitive and enjoy a challenge, remember these
statistics when doing the Grouse Grind. Michael Simpson, age 22
of North Vancouver, set the new course record of 26:26 in September
2005. Then Kelly Matoul set the women's official time record at
32:54 in the 2002 Grouse Grind Mountain Run. Unofficially, there
was a record set by Jonathan Wyatt at 24:22 in June 2004.
BCMC
Trail
If you want more exploring that goes to the top of Grouse, there
is the BCMC Trail which starts at the same location as the Grouse
Grind. Look for the signs to indicate the start of the BCMC Trail
near the start of the Grind.
Baden
Powell Trail
You can also access the section of the Baden Powell Trail which
goes to Mosquito Creek. This makes a nice loop trail utilizing the
BC Hydro Transmission line coming from Skyline Drive back to the
Grouse Grind parking lot.
District
of North Vancouver
Please check with the District of North Vancouver office at 355
West Queens Road and receive the up-to-date Trail Map for the Grouse
Grind and other trailhead locations located in the area.
Information
on Grouse Grind
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