North Vancouver features three North Shore Mountains amongst them being Grouse Mountain. Its highest peak with an altitude of more than 1200m above the sea level overlooks the Greater Vancouver area. In the early 1920s, the Scandinavians constructed the first lodge on this mountain. Construction of ski runs, access roads and chairlifts followed in later years, especially the 30s and 40s.
The F -86 Sabre U.S Air Force plane that crashed on 12th February in 1954 occurred on this mountain; several parts of the crashed plane like the engine are still at the crash site. Currently, it is a ski area, features lodges and a wind turbine that produces about 1.5 megawatts of power.
During winter (December to May), the alpine ski area, located on the highest peak of this mountain, takes places on its slope found to the south; it features four chairlifts that can allow for twenty six runs. This snowboard and ski area is accessed through a tram. There exist runs for beginners, intermediates, advanced and expert hikers, meaning this is an activity for all. In addition to skiing, other great winter activities on this mountain are ice skating and Snowshoeing.
There are also summer and all-year round activities that take place on this mountain. The public has access to this mountain through the Grouse Grind hiking trail (also known as the aerial tramway of Swiss Garaventa ) it is well known for. The various facilities and attractions of this place include a wildlife refuge and a theatre at the top of the mountain; these are operational throughout the year. The theatre can accommodate up to one hundred visitors at once.
The hiking trail, Grouse Grind, is steep and covers 2.9km at an altitude of 795m above the sea level. It runs from the gate at the lower end to the mountain top at the Grind Timer; it runs over 17 and 30 degrees on various sections. As a result of the terrain that is mountainous and the steep slopes, this hiking activity is very grueling. Depending on one’s fitness level, a hiker can reach the top of the Grouse Mountain in a range of 30 to 90 minutes.
