When Bob first approached me to post on this site, I remember asking him.... 'What the hell would I post?' Bob's response was, "I dunno...write about the Grouse Grind or something...' Well after 185 pages of posts, after posting about stuff like parking spots, fruit, and places where kids drink...I'm finally doing what I was told to do....
Vancouver is one of the most active cities in the world, if not the most active one. In any other city, if they were to put a staircase in the woods, do you think thousands of people would hike it every year?
It's one of the best workouts you can do, it's outside, it's pretty much impossible to coast through it, yet pretty much anyone can do it.
Admittedly it can get pretty busy, but everyone is really civil as long as you don't smoke or bring your dog up. Still I try to avoid crowds so a rainy day is perfect. You actually don't get that wet because you're in the trees half the time, it's cooler, and it gives you that much more incentive to get it over with already!
This is actually my favourite part, it's just solid stairs so you get into a 'little train that could' rhythm and you just plow right through it. They've done a lot to upgrade the trail, you always see guys working on it and you think it's no big deal until you wonder how they got 12 solid cedar railway ties there.
Doesn't look like much, but it's the bright light at the end of the tunnel. The end!
OK...one downside...on a rainy day...the view ain't so great at the top...
But you get a decent view on the way down. Moments before this was taken I had such a Vancouver moment...
I wanted to get a good seat on the tram, so I let everyone ahead of me, I'd be first in line on the next tram. There was one more spot and I offered it up to the person behind me....
'You go'...
'No...no...you're ahead of me...you go...',
'No..no don't worry...I WANT to take the next tram.'
'Well you were ahead of me....'
'Listen...I am going to take the next tram so I get a good seat so I can take a NICE PICTURE!'
I pretty much had to push her through the turnstalls.....
The driving version of this is the Vancouver four way stop procedure ....what I find I do now is take my hands completely off the wheel like I'm getting car jacked...they usually get the picture and proceed.
PS....under an hour.....including photos....
