Eagles and Whales and Bears, oh my!!! COMPLETED 3/4/2012 - Page 7 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Just catching up on your last few posts - love the pictures from the airplane. The mountains just look like they are sitting in midair....wonderfully clear day to get such great pictures.
Love the pictures from Vancouver - the suspension bridge and Treetop Adventures look so cool. What great views....those trees are just amazing. Reminds me of this story I read once about the gril living in the Amazon and her tribe living soley in the trees....I could see the same thing here - just bridge to bridge, tree to tree. What a wonderful experience.
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As we traveled on Jack told us that Grouse Mountain was where NBC Sports had its headquarters for the Vancouver Olympics a few years ago. We got to the parking lot and got in line for the Grouse Mountain Skyride that would take us up the mountain.
On the way up Jack told us that this was a very popular spot for walkers/joggers. They would go from the parking lot area, up to the top of the mountain (we would take the skyride AND the chairlift). Since it was dangerously steep no one would walk/jog down the mountain. They would ride down from either the very top (via the chairlift) and/or the main level (via the skyride). Therefore going up was usually not very crowded but coming down would be a different matter. More on that later.
We got to the top and Jack gave us some information on what was happening there today. There was a movie “Born to Fly” (we passed on that. If it had been raining or cold it would have been a great option). There were lumberjack shows, Grizzly bears (orphaned that can’t be re-introduced to nature), chairlift ride to the peak, birds in motion demo, ranger talks, wolves (adopted that roam freely within their large protected home), SHOPPING, a wind generator that has an observation deck, zip lining and paragliding. WOW, what a lot to do! Again, not enough time, but what we did was awesome.
Once we were up on the mountain we walked over to the chairlift. We passed the building which was headquarters for the TV coverage or the Olympics.
A map of the Grouse Mountain Peak.
I asked Jack how long the snow remained on Grouse Mountain and he took us over to a small patch that has yet to melt this year.
We began to see these wood carvings along the way. They are all a part of the 31 wood sculpture collection created by Glenn Greensides entitled, "Tribute to the Forest." They were all created from some of the most remarkable dead standing trees found in B.C., and they all pay tribute to the positive roles that humans play in our forest ecosystem. We would see more of them later.
As we continued to walk up we saw the platforms for the zip lines. There were some people there so we got to see them in action!
More tree carvings on the path.
We saw where the lumberjack show would be held.
Then we were finally at the chairlift. It was a beautiful day and the ride was very relaxing.
Here's a little bit of chairlift video I took on the way up.
We took lots of pictures as we went up. On the way up we saw the hang gliders in action. We found out later that they landed well past the park in a field that is really in the residential area outside the park. Not sure if I would have had the courage to do that. Thanks goodness we didn’t have time and therefore I didn’t have to worry about a decision!
We also went over part of the road that the walkers/joggers used below us. I forgot to mention that it is called the Grouse Grind. The trail is considered difficult, it is 2.9 km in distance, 853 meters in elevation gain and does not allow dogs!
Our feet, remind you of Soarin'?
Once at the top we walked up to the wind generator. This one was special as you could actually go up inside and to the top for more views. We, however, did not wish to spend the money to do that. One of our group, the lady from NY, did go up. Remember I said she was afraid of heights? Well I think she might be cured now!
We got some pictures of Vancouver from the peak. It was a bit hazy but pretty amazing nonetheless.
We also saw at least one of the ski areas from the peak. Of course it looked like a road to us, but we were assured that in winter the snow is at times, well above where the top of the trees were.
We decided it was time to head down from the peak. We were hungry and we knew we could get some food down at the next level. On the way down we saw some people who were actually walking down. Not an adventure I cared to attempt!
As we went down the lumberjack show was just about to start. It had gotten pretty warm that afternoon and as you can see the bleachers were in full sun and full. So, we decided not to go see the show.
Instead we saw at least one of the grizzly bears was out and active so we headed that way once we finished our ride. Grinder and Coola are orphaned bears that were both found in 2001 and transported to the wild life refuge on Grouse Mountain.
Grinder was found in 2001 in Invermere, BC. He was wandering alone on a logging road, dehydrated, thin, weak and weighing only 4.5 kg. His mother was never found so we’ll probably never know why he was alone. Grinder is outgoing and high-spirited. And he has established himself as the dominant bear despite his smaller size. If you see Grinder and Coola play fighting, you can bet he started it.
In 2001, Coola was found orphaned on a highway near Bella Coola, BC. His mother had been killed by a truck and, of her three cubs, Coola was the only one to survive. Coola is an easygoing bear who’s content to let Grinder take the lead in new discoveries. He can usually be found submerged up to his neck in the large pond, carefully feeling around for his underwater 'bath toys' - a log, large bone and favorite rock.
We were only fortunate to see Coola that day. We caught a glimpse of him as we came down on the chairlift.
Then we walked over to the bear habitat and watched Coola having fun in the water. Not really sure what he was coming up with from under the water but he seemed to be enjoying himself.
After our bear experience we wanted to get something to eat. As we walked in search of our lunch venue we passed a mountain snow plow.
We ended up at the “Rusty Rail BBQ” for our meal. It was all outdoors and it was difficult to find a place to sit in the shade. Luckily someone finished their meal and we were able to take over their table with umbrella. I headed over to order.
We did not go with BBQ, a hot dog for DH and Chicken Strips for me. Just what we wanted when we needed it.
The best thing about the Rusty Rail was – the view!
After we finished eating we knew we needed to be getting back soon to our tour bus. I took a picture back from where we can come from (you can see the snow plow on the right). There were lots of “grinders” done with their climb and ready to head back down.
Also on the way back we caught some of the lumberjacks getting ready for the next show. They were extremely easy on the eyes!
We also saw a sleigh, more wood carvings, views of the chairlift overhead, the cable car station below, and zip liners as we walked along.
One last stop to see the inside of the lodge where the Olympics were broadcast and, although I don’t have any pictures, to visit the GIFT STORE!
Done with our shopping we met up with our fellow tourists and guide and got in line to descend. They can only take 101 persons maximum at a time. And, getting up close and personal with 100 of your very best friends that you have never met (for the most part) who have spent the time climbing and jogging the mountain, well – you know!
At the bottom I had a short amount of time to take a few more pictures of the cable cars as they went up and down.
Also one last wood carving we discovered on the bottom but across the parking area.
When we got back on the bus it was time to head back to Vancouver, our tour was almost done. I got some pictures of some of the homes in the area of the mountain and of things we saw as we went back over the Lion’s Gate Bridge.
We were dropped at the Pan Pacific and that part of our day was over. I highly recommend this tour, especially if you can get Jack for your driver/tour guide.
Your day at Grouse Mountain sounded wonderful. So sorry we didn't make it up there while in Vancouver. I guess that gives us a good reason to go back one day !
Sorry for being MIA for so long. Who said retired life was all bon bons and relaxation?? Will be back with more asap (tomorrow at the latest!). Please come back and join the fun!
Ok, back to our regularly scheduled TR! Need to finish up the Vancouver part and get to the cruise. Sue has finished and Cheryl is well ahead of me! Here we go – When we returned to the Pan Pacific after our day out and about we still had some energy so we decided to walk over to the Vancouver Lookout.
I was hoping to catch a great sunset there. We got there and since it was late in the day I inquired as to whether or not they had any type of “Late Day” ticket so we could go up tonight and then also go up again the next day. Unfortunately there was no such option. But we went ahead and got tickets (Seniors had a $3 discount each!) just in case the weather changed and the next evening’s sunset wasn’t visible. A bit of history about the Vancouver Lookout:
The Vancouver Lookout opened on August 13, 1977. Astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, cut the ribbon and welcomed a crowd of dignitaries, Vancouverites, and visitors. The Lookout tops Harbour Centre which, at 168.8 meters (553.16 feet) high, is one of the tallest buildings in Vancouver and British Columbia. It’s only slightly shorter than nearby Seattle’s Space Needle that rises to 184.4 meters (605 feet). We headed up in the elevator.
Once up on the top the views were spectacular!
I got some interesting shots on the inside also.
As did Bob -
Then came the sunset!
Although there were buildings in the way it still was awesome.
These pictures are facing east with the setting sun shining on the windows of skyscrapers. I’m not sure what city this is but it could Mt. Baker and Bellingham WA. If anyone has any other info I’d love to know!
We stayed up there for some time, and we met a very nice young couple who were visiting the area for the first time. They had some questions about some of the things we had done this day and it was fun to give them the info. I hope they had as wonderful a visit in Vancouver as we did!
A few more pictures of the city as the lights came on for the night.
And a couple more shots of the inside and an attempt of a picture going down in the elevator.
Hunger got the best of us so we headed down and walked over to a restaurant called “Steamworks Brewing Company”.
It was close to the Vancouver Lookout and on our way back to the Pan Pacific. It was dark now and there were a few persons on the streets that made us a bit uncomfortable. The weather was mild so we decided to eat at the outside tables. Inside was very loud with music and conversations so I was glad they had some outside seating available.
Bob had a dish called “Butter Chicken” which was a curry dish. He said it was excellent (I’m not a curry fan). I went with Cheese Tortellini, also excellent.
We enjoyed our meal but since we were sitting right next to the sidewalk (separated by a Plexiglas wall), we began to notice that some of those strolling the street came by several times. We began to recognize them and knew they were part of the nighttime pan-handlers of the area. We didn’t feel threatened but really didn’t want to confront them after our meal.
When we were finished it was about 10 pm. It had been a long and extremely fun day! We headed back to the Pan Pacific and settled in for the night. Tomorrow we would be seeing Mark and Cheryl and their friend Joy. New adventures awaited us!
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