Grouse Mountain
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Grouse Mountain | |
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magic carpet | |
Website | www |
Grouse Mountain is one of the
History
Original ski area
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Grouse Mountain gets its name from the sooty grouse commonly found throughout the mountain. It was named in October 1894 by the first hikers to reach its peak, after the sooty (blue) grouse, a game bird of the area.[1]
Grouse Mountain's first lodge was hand-built by Scandinavians in the 1920s. They hauled planks up what would become the Grouse Grind hiking trail for the venture. Another company wanted to build a funicular railway for a private resort on the mountain, though that venture never materialized. By the 1930s, a toll road was built to the top via the slope of what is now the mountain's primary ski run, the "Cut", to access the lodge.
The area at the bottom of the "Cut"—one of
In 1949, the mountain's first double
Present-day lodge and ski area
After a fire destroyed the original lodge in the winter of 1962, the two original lifts were removed in the 1970s. The
Ten years later, the mountain was purchased from its original owners by the McLaughlin family in 1976. The new ownership provided additional funding for the construction of a second aerial tramway, built by
The Peak and Blueberry Chairs, which were both created in the 1960s and early 1970s, as well as the additional Inferno Chair, which was built in 1976, were featured in the new ski area. The McLaughlin family had only partial ownership of the mountain until they acquired complete ownership in 1989. They then expanded the current lodge to build Canada's first high-definition theater, known as the Theatre in the Sky, in 1990.
As the Inferno, Blueberry and Peak Chairs began to age in the 2000s, all three lifts were removed due to insurance issues, beginning with the Inferno in late 2003 and the Blueberry and Peak the following year. All three were effectively replaced by Grouse Mountain's second high-speed and detachable quad chair built by
In 2008, Grouse Mountain constructed two new quad chairs; one to replace the Courtesy
Climate
Grouse Mountain has an humid continental climate (Köppen climate type Dfb), falling exactly on the borderline with subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc).
The average annual precipitation is 2730mm. Autumn is the wettest season with 421.4 mm (16.59 in) of precipitation falling in November alone. Winters are cool and snowy, with an average of 868.7 centimetres (342.0 in) of snow falling annually.
Winters are not cold by Canadian standards, due to how the mountain is moderated by the Pacific Ocean. However, due to its elevation, winters are by no means as mild as the Lower Mainland. In December (the coldest month statistically), Grouse Mountain has an average high and low of 1.3 °C (34.3 °F) and −3.2 °C (26.2 °F) respectively. This freeze/thaw cycle can allow for large amounts of rain to fall on some occasions every winter. Nonetheless, heavy snow is more frequent in the winter, which allows for a deep snow-pack, lasting on average from mid-November until early May.
Summer is warm and relatively dry. August is the warmest month, with an average high and low of 17.7 °C (63.9 °F) and 10.3 °C (50.5 °F) respectively.
Climate data for North Vancouver (Grouse Mountain Resort) (1981–2010) (Elevation: 1,103m) | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 14.0 (57.2) |
16.0 (60.8) |
17.0 (62.6) |
25.5 (77.9) |
32.1 (89.8) |
38.6 (101.5) |
40.3 (104.5) |
40.0 (104.0) |
36.2 (97.2) |
26.0 (78.8) |
17.5 (63.5) |
17.0 (62.6) |
40.3 (104.5) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 1.9 (35.4) |
2.5 (36.5) |
3.6 (38.5) |
6.7 (44.1) |
10.2 (50.4) |
13.6 (56.5) |
16.9 (62.4) |
17.7 (63.9) |
14.9 (58.8) |
8.5 (47.3) |
3.3 (37.9) |
1.3 (34.3) |
8.4 (47.1) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | −0.4 (31.3) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
1.0 (33.8) |
3.6 (38.5) |
6.9 (44.4) |
10.0 (50.0) |
13.2 (55.8) |
14.1 (57.4) |
11.4 (52.5) |
5.9 (42.6) |
1.0 (33.8) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
5.5 (41.9) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −2.6 (27.3) |
−2.6 (27.3) |
−1.6 (29.1) |
0.5 (32.9) |
3.5 (38.3) |
6.3 (43.3) |
9.4 (48.9) |
10.3 (50.5) |
7.9 (46.2) |
3.1 (37.6) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
−3.2 (26.2) |
2.5 (36.5) |
Record low °C (°F) | −23.4 (−10.1) |
−24.8 (−12.6) |
−16.9 (1.6) |
−12.8 (9.0) |
−7.5 (18.5) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
1.1 (34.0) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
−12.6 (9.3) |
−18 (0) |
−24.6 (−12.3) |
−24.8 (−12.6) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 357.0 (14.06) |
228.2 (8.98) |
232.5 (9.15) |
192.4 (7.57) |
168.2 (6.62) |
173.5 (6.83) |
91.7 (3.61) |
114.8 (4.52) |
155.8 (6.13) |
305.3 (12.02) |
421.4 (16.59) |
289.5 (11.40) |
2,730.3 (107.49) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 185.9 (7.32) |
103.4 (4.07) |
93.1 (3.67) |
90.0 (3.54) |
155.5 (6.12) |
173.2 (6.82) |
91.7 (3.61) |
114.8 (4.52) |
155.4 (6.12) |
292.1 (11.50) |
301.0 (11.85) |
105.5 (4.15) |
1,861.5 (73.29) |
Average snowfall cm (inches) | 171.1 (67.4) |
124.8 (49.1) |
139.4 (54.9) |
102.4 (40.3) |
12.6 (5.0) |
0.3 (0.1) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.4 (0.2) |
13.2 (5.2) |
120.5 (47.4) |
184.0 (72.4) |
868.7 (342.0) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 18.7 | 14.9 | 16.2 | 16.4 | 14.4 | 13.5 | 9.2 | 8.4 | 10.6 | 15.8 | 20.2 | 17.1 | 175.1 |
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 7.7 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 8.5 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 9.2 | 8.4 | 10.6 | 14.8 | 11.5 | 4.7 | 114.4 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 13.5 | 11.3 | 12.3 | 9.5 | 2.3 | 0.13 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.08 | 2.4 | 11.8 | 14.5 | 77.7 |
Source: Environment Canada[3]
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The Eye of the Wind
Grouse Mountain has built an observation deck (accessible by elevator)[4] on a 1.5 megawatt wind turbine of Leitwind LTW77-1500 type with 65 metres hub height and 76.8 metres rotor diameter at the peak of the resort. The facility, which is anticipated to eventually supply 25% of the resort's electricity, is the first wind turbine built in North America in an extreme high altitude location.[5] The design was recognized in the 2011 Consulting Engineers of British Columbia "Awards for Engineering Excellence".[6]
Construction of the turbine began in September 2008 as a participation between Grouse Mountain and Italy's Leitwind Technology.[5] It was inaugurated on February 5, 2010, by BC Premier Gordon Campbell prior to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games. Tours of the facility officially began on February 26, 2010, and the turbine was connected to BC Hydro's transmission system on September 22, 2010.
The turbine weighs more than 250 tonnes and rises 65 metres from its base to the top of the tower.[4] Three 37.4 metre, fiberglass reinforced polyester blades sweep an area of 4,657 square metres.[4]
The project has had its difficulties: a dispute with BC Hydro over safety equipment was not resolved until late 2010, so the project generated no useful power until then.[7] The turbine is conspicuously visible from much of the city of Vancouver, and some are ambivalent about its effect on the skyline.[8] There were also concerns about the rapidly moving turbine blades hitting wildlife,[9] but as of 2015, no bird or bat deaths had been observed. The turbine foundation created a home for the American pika.[10]
Questions were also raised about claims made by Grouse Mountain Resorts about the power generation capability of the mill, estimated by GMR at 25% of the resort's needs, or enough energy to power 400 homes.[11]
Ski and snowboard
The ski and snowboard area, located on the southern slope of the mountain, operates in the winter months between December and May, approximately. Accessed by taking the tram from the base to the mountaintop chalet and lodge, it features four chairlifts (two high-speed quads, the Screaming Eagle and Olympic Express; and two quads, the Greenway and Peak Chairs) facilitating 33 runs, half of which are lit for night skiing and snowboarding.[12][13]
The most prominent run on the mountain is the Cut, one of two beginner runs, which is easily visible from the Vancouver area. It runs alongside the Screaming Eagle chairlift.[12] East of the Cut are several intermediate runs, which take skiers and snowboarders down to the Olympic Express, which accesses the mountain's easternmost expert runs, most of which originate from the mountain's 1,231-metre (4,039 ft) peak.[12] Altogether, Grouse Mountain features four green (beginner), sixteen blue (intermediate), seven black diamond (advanced) and three double black diamond (expert) runs.[13] There are also three freestyle terrain parks—the novice to intermediate Rookie Terrain and Paradise Parks, as well as the intermediate to expert Side Cut Terrain Park. Depending on snow conditions, there is also another terrain park for experts called the Cut Jump Line, which is located on the left (east) side of the Cut.[14] In 2022, a dedicated handle tow was built to service the Side Cut Terrain Park.[15]
Grouse Mountain is also home to the Tyee Ski Club,[16] an organization for training children and youth to become competitive alpine ski racers in slalom, giant slalom and super-giant slalom skiing.
In addition to the 305 centimetres of annual natural snowfall, the mountain uses 37 snow guns, covering 75% of the ski and snowboard terrain, for artificial snowmaking.[13] With the capacity to extend the snow season into the spring and account for fluctuations in weather, the mountain invested in a self-reported $7 million in snowmaking equipment over a decade spanning the mid-1990s and 2000s.[17]
Snowshoeing
The Munday Alpine Snowshoe Park includes four main groomed snowshoeing trails—the beginner-intermediate Blue Grouse Loop and three trails circling Dam Mountain and Thunder Bird Ridge.[18]
Ice skating
Adjacent to the mountaintop chalet and lodge is an 8,000-square-foot (740 m2) outdoor ice rink.
Summer operations
Grouse Grind
Grouse Mountain | |
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Highest point | |
Howe Sound Group | |
Topo map | NTS 92G6 North Vancouver |
Grouse Mountain is also the location of a popular hiking trail known as the Grouse Grind.
Don McPherson and Phil Severy built the Grind in the early 1980s as a 'climber's winter conditioning trail', unauthorised by the Greater Vancouver Regional District (now Metro Vancouver) or the owners of the nearby Grouse Mountain Resort. McPherson also supervised the FMCBC-sponsored first rebuild of the Grouse Grind in the early 1990s, which Grouse Mountain Resort assisted with. Between 2010 and 2015, the rebuild of much of the Grind as rock and wood stairs, plus annual trail maintenance, contributed to the length of the Metro Vancouver seasonal closure of the Grind for six to seven months during winter and spring. The land is owned by the Greater Vancouver Water District (GVWD) arm of Metro Vancouver, but as of May 1, 2017, 185 acres were designated a Metro Vancouver Regional Park.[21]
The fastest recorded ascents as of February 2019[update] were:
Event | Person | Time (min:sec) | Date |
---|---|---|---|
Overall Unofficial Record | Sebastian Salas | 23:48 | August 24, 2010 |
Annual Grouse Grind Mountain Run (Men's) | Sebastian Salas | 25:01 | September 19, 2010 |
Annual Grouse Grind Mountain Run (Women's) | Leanne Johnston | 31:04 | September 21, 2007 |
(The unofficial record is on the Grind Trail only, while there is a slight additional distance to the finish line for the Grind Mountain Run; the unofficial record was properly timed but on a shorter course.)[22][23]
The current record holder for most grinds in one day is Wilfrid Leblanc who completed 19 grinds on June 22, 2019.[24] Previous record holders include: Ian Robertson of Vancouver who completed 17 grinds on June 20, 2017; Oliver Bibby of Vancouver who completed 16 grinds on August 7, 2013;[25] George Sterling with 15 grinds on October 5, 2011;[25] Sebastian Albrecht of Vancouver completed the grind 14 times on June 29, 2010,[26] and previously (shared with Vicki Mann) completing 13 climbs on June 22, 2009.[20][27]
The start of the Grouse Grind was relocated in 2011 to a location on the Baden-Powell trail closer to the gate; previously it started on the B-P Trail 130 metres east of the gate (and timer), and the new position is only 20 metres east. Hikers wishing to use the original alignment can still find the original start point close to the BCMC Trail. The difficulty of the trail is often underestimated. The District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue conducts many rescues each year of hikers who collapse on the Grouse Grind, or begin too late in the evening and are unprepared to find their way in the dark.[28] As a result, in recent years the Grouse Grind gate has been closed to visitors 90 minutes before sunset each evening.
In order to avoid paying fare for the tram, climbers sometimes hike down the mountain as well. Since the BCMC trail starts and ends roughly in the same location as the Grouse Grind trail; this can be done without disturbing upward climbers on the Grind. Hiking back down the Grouse Grind can result in a fine issued by Metro Vancouver's Grind Patrollers.
Photo gallery
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Mountain Zipline
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Skyride in October
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Closeup of the Skyride
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Wood carving (October)
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Trees
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Bear habitat
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Vancouver as seen from Grouse mountain
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The Grouse Grind Trail
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View of Grouse Grind and North Vancouver from the tram
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Grouse Mountain lift
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Grouse Mountain base station
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Paragliding on Grouse Mountain
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Grizzly bears Grinder and Coola, Grouse Mountain
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Grouse Mountain view from Vancouver
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Lumberjack Show at Grouse Mountain
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Grouse Mountain Lumberjack ax throwing competition
Appearances in film and television
The aerial tramway used as a main plot point in the 1989 MacGyver episode "Cease Fire", standing in for Geneva, Switzerland.
Grouse Mountain and its aerial tramway stood in for the fictional "Skyland Mountain" in the Blue Ridge of Virginia, in the 1994 The X-Files episode "Ascension". Actor David Duchovny also dangled himself off the sky ride for a scene of the episode.[29][30]
The Grouse Mountain ski lodge and facilities were used in the filming of the modern film adaptation of the popular cartoon Mr. Magoo.
Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado filmed the video for her single "Spirit Indestructible" on Grouse Mountain.[31]
Grouse Mountain was used for the filming of the midseason finale of the third season of Arrow, "The Climb", serving as the location of the duel between Oliver Queen and Ra's al Ghul.
Grouse Mountain was used as the fictional ski resort "Summit Peaks" in the movie American Pie Presents: The Book of Love.[32]
See also
References
- ^ About Us | Grouse Mountain - The Peak of Vancouver
- ^ See Tramway Titan—Byron Riblet, Wire Rope and Western Resource Towns
- Environment Canada—Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010. Retrieved October 5, 2016.
- ^ a b c "Grouse Mountain Resort's Eye of the Wind begins producing power". Journal of Commerce. 2010-09-22. Retrieved 2011-02-24.
- ^ a b "Construction nears completion on mountaintop wind turbine near Vancouver". Journal of Commerce. 2009-11-23. Archived from the original on 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2011-02-24.
- ^ "Structural Engineering Company Receives Award of Merit For Innovative Eye of the Wind Turbine". Wind Today. 2011-03-17. Retrieved 2011-04-29.
- ^ Sun, Vancouver. (2010-04-13) Dispute keeps Grouse Mountain's wind turbine from turning. Canada.com. Retrieved on 2014-04-12.
- ^ Sustainable Saunders » Blog Archive » Grouse Mountain`s Wind Turbine. Blogs.ubc.ca (2010-10-04). Retrieved on 2014-04-12.
- ^ Sun, Vancouver. (2010-04-26) Wind turbine threatens birds, bats. Canada.com. Retrieved on 2014-04-12.
- ^ "Vancouver's "Eye of the Wind" turbine builds on its wildlife-friendly foundation". 2015-08-10. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
- ^ Thomson, Stephen. (2010-09-23) Eye of the Wind turbine starts producing power for Grouse Mountain | Georgia Straight, Vancouver's News & Entertainment Weekly. Straight.com. Retrieved on 2014-04-12.
- ^ a b c "Grouse Mountain 2008 Winter Trail Map" (PDF). Grouse Mountain. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
- ^ a b c "Grouse Mountain Trail Map and Stats". Grouse Mountain. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
- ^ "Terrain Parks: A Cut Above The Rest". Grouse Mountain. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
- ^ "New Lift In Side Cut Park | Grouse Mountain - The Peak of Vancouver". www.grousemountain.com. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
- ^ Tyee Ski Club
- ^ "Snowmaking". Grouse Mountain. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
- ^ "Snowshoeing". Grouse Mountain. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
- ^ Information on the Grouse Grind
- ^ a b "Runner summits Grouse Grind a record 13 times". CBC News. 2009-06-23. Retrieved 2009-06-23.
- ^ Ebner, Dave (2009-07-25). "Doing the Grouse Grind". Globe and Mail. pp. T1/T4. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
- ^ CBC article
- ^ Grousegrind statistics
- ^ Plana, Vincent (June 24, 2019). "Man climbs Grouse Grind 19 times in 19 hours to break record". Daily Hive. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
- ^ a b "Grouse Grind Stats - Grouse Mountain - The Peak of Vancouver". grousemountain.com. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
- ^ Grouse Grinder breaks record for charity
- ^ McMartin, Pete (2009-06-23). "Tackling Grouse Grind 13 times in a day is an uphill battle". Vancouver Sun. pp. A4. Archived from the original on 2009-08-12. Retrieved 2009-06-23.
- ^ Jones, Tim (2005-03-18). "Grouse Grind open for hiking". North Shore News.
- ^ "Vancouver Sun - Local Entertainment". mjq.net. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
- ISBN 1-55152-066-4.
- ^ "Nelly Furtado's 'Spirit Indestructible' Video - Watch Now!". terra.com. 2012-07-19. Archived from the original on 2014-12-20. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
- ^ "American Pie Presents: The Book of Love filming locations — Movie Maps". moviemaps.org. Retrieved 29 June 2016.