Hello from Vancouver (3) - The Grouse Mountain Experience

No visit to Vancouver could be complete withoutorphaned bears that found a permanent spacious
a real mountain experience. So after covering the5 acre home on Grouse Mountain. Unfortunately
Servas conference I left at 2 pm for downtown.the two animals, Koola and Grinder, were sleeping
To get to Grouse Mountain was quite ansomewhere under the trees and I only caught a
experience in itself, I got to take 2 busespeek at one of them when he stretched and
downtown, then I boarded Vancouver's light railrolled over to continue sleeping. Right next to the
rapid transit system, the Skytrain, which runsbear habitat is an area for timber wolves and I
underground downtown, just like a subway. Thenwas a little luckier getting a peak at these white
I hopped on the Seabus, a regular ferry thatcanines.
connects downtown with North Vancouver. BusesStaying along the animal theme, I checked out the
were waiting for passengers right when the ferry"Birds in Motion" Show that features 4 different
docked and I jumped on the #236 which takestypes of birds: two Harris hawks, a red-tailed
you right to Grouse Mountain, passing the famoushawk, a great horned owl and peregrine falcon.
Capilano Suspension Bridge. At the base ofThe birds have names like Arwin, Frodo, Chinook
Grouse Mountain I entered into another means ofand Rusty and they perform various maneuvers,
transportation: the Skyride, a 6 minute gondola /often sweeping closely over various audience
tram ride to the main complex at the top of themembers' heads. The show was hosted by a
Mountain.young woman who also injected a dry sense of
Grouse Mountain is also called the "Peak ofhumour into her performance.
Vancouver", and it offers recreational possibilitiesThe peak of Grouse Mountain, about 100 m up
all year long. The elevation at the top is 4100 feetfrom the tram station, still remained to be
and in the winter Grouse offers 22 runs for skiersclimbed. It's not a far distance, but it takes a solid
and snowboarders as well as 13 lit runs for20 or so minutes to get up to the top, which also
night-skiing. The top base of the gondola featuresfeatures a chairlift station. The view from the top
a fine dining restaurant, contemporary dining, ais astounding, and the snow covered peak of
more casual cafe as well as a gift shop and aMount Baker, an inactive volcano in Washington
store called "Outfitters" that provides all sorts ofState, mesmerized me. I heard that it is about
outdoor gear. The dining areas have sweeping150 km or 90 miles away from Vancouver and
views of the city all the way down to Washingtonwith its snow-covered peak it appeared like a
State.mirage in the distance.
I decided to check out the mountain attractionsOf course with all this mountain activity, hunger
and walked past a number of huge woodenset in and I went to the self-serve cafe which
carved statues, finally arriving at the Lumberjackhas a beautiful patio overlooking the city. I
Show. Two young strapping lads go at it in asplurged on of my favourite sinful indulgences:
variety of woodsman's competitions, includingpoutine, i.e. French fries with gravy and cheese
target throwing of a double-sided axe, aiming forcurds. I tampered down my nutritional guilt with a
the bull's eye, speed-sawing competitions involvingMediterranean salad and figured that the nutrients
a single-handled saw and later a speed-sawingand low caloric content of the salad might
contest with a double-handled saw that includes 2counterbalance the potato and fat-based calory
female audience participants.bomb. Well, not great nutritional decision-making,
There is all sorts of humorous competitive banterbut I savoured it anyways.
between the two guys, all coordinated by aI ended up talking to a local couple on the terrace
female emcee that tries to keep the (staged)who said I should check out a little neighbourhood
competition under control. Then the 2 youngcalled Ambleside, which is part of West
lumberjacks climb 2 large poles where they haveVancouver. So off I went, down the mountain
to ring a bell at the top and of course only one ofwith the tram and back on the bus. At the
them can be a winner. The show climaxes withbottom I had to connect onto another bus, and
one of the lumberjacks being pushed into whatduring the wait I ended up chatting with a local
appears like a deep well, water splashing out ofyoung man who explained all the different
the well as he apparently hits the liquid. Then theresidential areas of Vancouver to me and also
other lumberjack tosses a stick of dynamite intoshed some light on the real estate boom that has
the well, followed by a big bang and a huge splashcaused Vancouver's housing prices to sky-rocket
of water that reaches the front rows of theover the last few years. The escalation of prices
audience, usually accompanied by some socks oris not surprising, since thousands of new people
a torn shirt as evidence of the unfortunateevery year seek out the relaxed West Coast
lumberjack' s demise, all of the debris landing inlifestyle. With the Olympic Games coming to
the startled and delighted audience.Vancouver / Whistler in 2010, the situation can
To everybody's relief, the second lumberjackonly become tougher.
climbs out of the well, wet but intact, and theWhile waiting for bus number 3 I chatted to
two guys embark on their final competition: theanother local, asking him for directions to
log-rolling. A round piece of wood is located in theAmbleside. He said that close by there was a local
middle of a small pond and the two guys eacharts and craft festival and if I wanted he could
have a designated side for themselves. Then theyshow me where it is. So with his guidance I
start to roll the log, spraying and splashing eacharrived at the Harmony Arts Festival, held
other, performing all sorts of acrobatics whileannually, which apparently now attracts over
turning the piece of wood. The final winner is the60,000 visitors and showcases more than 250
guy that pushes the other guy off the log intovisual and performing artists. A band was
the water most often in 3 tries.performing Motown songs in a bandshell and
I talked to the young fellows afterwards, 2 nicehundreds of people were camped out on their
young men by the name of Mason Bischoff, a BCfolding chairs and beach towels in front of the
native, and Darren Hudson, of Nova Scotia. Bothstage. I decided to walk westwards along West
guys come from families of real lumberjacks andVancouver's Seawall, a much quieter version than
they often compete in lumberjack competitions.that of Stanley Park. I sat down to soak in the
Mason has only been doing the show for 5 days,sunset, watching the sun roll down behind the
very surprising since he performed somountain chain northwest of Vancouver.
professionally, and Darren has been at it for 5At about 9:15 I decided to head back to UBC and
years, working at Grouse in the summer, andtook a bus back downtown across the famous
doing some lumberjack shows in Australia in theLions Gate Bridge. The sky was pink and dark
winter. It was evident that both of them arepurple and a sliver of a moon was hanging low in
having an absolute blast doing this job -the western sky. And a bright star was located
performing a rather strenuous half-hour show 3right next to the moon on the left hand side.
times daily, 7 days a week. I found the showSomebody on the bus pointed it out and another
very entertaining, a great combination of physicalperson said that this was an extremely rare
strength, endurance, slapstick, and witty reparteeastronomic constellation, as a matter of fact this
between the lumberjacks and the emcee.particular constellation had never happened before.
Following this I checked out the famous bearIt was almost as if magic had blessed this
habitat, which has proven to be a refuge for 2evening.