Toll road, double chairlift, the blue Skyride, the red Skyride, the Grind – for a century people have pioneered different ways to ascend Grouse Mountain.
This summer the resort has introduced the most thrilling of all: “surfing” on top of the red Skyride. Imagine: soaring above the treetops with the fresh mountain air on your face while you gaze out at unobstructed 360-degree views of the North Shore Mountains, Lower Mainland, Pacific Ocean and all the way out to Vancouver Island. Acrophobists need not apply!
The journey starts at the base of the mountain where a knowledgeable Skyride Surf Adventure guide gives you some interesting info on the inner workings of North America’s largest and most travelled aerial tramway system.
A lovely university student, Leila Raye-Crofton, was my guide on a recent trip up. I learned from her how the Skyride’s main motor is really powerful, more than it needs to be, so there’s a gearbox that slows it down. Here’s a fun fact: 140 spins of the main motor translates to one spin of the drive wheel which pulls the haul rope and propels the Skyride.
Raye-Crofton also offered a reassuring fact: just in case the main motor fails, there’s the evacuation drive – a whole separate system that manually and slowly guides the Skyride back into the station.
Then she delivered one hard-and-fast rule before we set off on our adventure in the sky: “No hopping, skipping or jumping” once we’re on top of the Skyride.
We walked up a wide step ladder to the roof of the tram and settled in for some prime scenery viewing on a specially designed platform outfitted with a safety rail.
Taking in the refreshing breeze and watching the city below recede into the distance – from a truly unparalleled vantage point – reminded me of how lucky we are on the North Shore to have this natural respite right in our backyard.
Raye-Crofton pointed out key landmarks such as the man-made Capilano Lake, Cleveland Dam, British Properties, Stanley Park and UBC during the 800-metre elevation gain from the parking lot to the chalet at the top of the mountain.
We learned the tree species that we were looking down at included hemlock, cedar and “majestic” Douglas fir, and that 10,000 seedlings were planted by forestry students in 1976.
Riding on top of the Skyride sent a wave of nostalgia through me. Last week wasn’t my first time being up there. In fact, I used to belong to an exclusive club of Skyride surfers. Let me explain.
If you called Edgemont Village or Grouse Woods home in the late 1990s, there’s a good chance I’ve already met you – and about half a million other people stretching from North Van to New Delhi. That’s no hyperbole.
The hashtag “firstsevenjobs” has been trending on Twitter this past week. One of my first seven gigs just happened to be Grouse Mountain Skyride operator. A very unique job, indeed. And, well – a breath of fresh air – considering I’d been working inside a mall under fluorescent lighting.
While I hailed from the east side of North Van, it seemed to be a rite of passage for Handsworth secondary students to get their first job at Grouse. Free ski pass to boot? Done.
“Are you afraid of heights?” That was the first question in the Skyride operator job interview. Being 18 at the time, and feeling pretty confident after a few summers of riding the Coaster, the height factor didn’t seem to faze me. Neither did the public speaking part, a.k.a. the Skyride speech.
So there I was, in the summer of 1998, guiding tram loads of about 100 people – locals and tourists alike – up and down the mountain, at least 32 times a day. Double that amount if it was the peak tourist or ski season.
You can imagine I met people from all walks of life during my five years at Grouse and collected many interesting stories.
While working on the mountain I met late North Shore Rescue leader Tim Jones for the first time and saw firsthand his selfless dedication to the community.
Watching the Olympics right now, I’m reminded of a special connection to the 2010 Winter Games. Before Vancouver was awarded the Olympics in 2003, the International Olympic Committee was touring the city and made a trip up to Grouse Mountain. That day I was chosen to give the IOC a private Skyride trip, in what will go down in my memory bank as one of the most privileged moments of my life.
Grouse is hotbed for celebrity sightings, given that it’s a popular Vancouver tourist attraction and a unique spot to film movies, TV shows and commercials. My first month at the mountain, Hulk Hogan filmed a movie on the blue Skyride. Another time, I chatted with Cuba Gooding Jr.
One Canada Day, Nickelback played a free concert that, in part, attracted 10,000 people to the mountain. A more comical anecdote involved me meeting Stephen Baldwin while he was on a break from filming a movie. I just so happened to have a magazine with an article that put Baldwin on a worst dressed list. I asked him to sign it and he obliged with a laugh.
Ultimately, I’d have to say my favourite Grouse moments were during summer nights when I’d ride the Skyride up alone and watch the sun receding over Cypress with the twinkling lights of the city below.
With the introduction of the Skyride Surf Adventure, everyone can now enjoy that unique vantage point. Once we reached the top Skyride terminal on our recent ride, we disembarked via another wide step ladder and were off to explore all the mountain-top activities.
The Skyride Surf Adventure is available daily with morning tours starting as early as 8 a.m., along with evening tours starting at 7 p.m., all with advance booking. Riders must be age 12 or older. More details can be found at grousemountain.com/skyride-surf-adventure.
