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Grizzly bear growling

Our time in Canada was fast running out, we had to start making some priorities on what we were going to see and what we weren’t!

There was one item on our list that was essential and that’s something called the Grouse Grind. This is a ‘must do’ hiker trail that goes 2.9km up Grouse Mountain. By the time we reached the end of the 56% climb we certainly felt like we had been ground!

The ascent or “grind” up Grouse is fairly tough going, it’s heavily wooded and as you’re overtaken by the pros, whilst passing the broken, the only motivation you really have is the bum half a metre ahead of you. Luckily for me Mrs B was ahead of me lucky for her I was behind!

Once you reach the end of this demanding trek you can revive yourself by feasting on the great selection of carb-a-licious food available at the Peak Chalet, all while enjoying stunning views over Vancouver!

Grouse Mountain got its name in 1894 when a hunting party shot a blue grouse on the mountain. Today Grouse Mountain is used for different kinds of adventure. It’s a ski resort during the winter, but outside of the ski season visitors can ride the mountain ziplines, take chairlift rides, watch a variety of entertainment shows, paraglide and take a helicopter tour. You can also visit the “Eye of the Wind” which is a wind turbine with a glass 360-degree viewing pod that stands 58 meters above the mountain’s peak. With so much choice on offer, we opted to just take in the lumber jack show! This was good old fashioned fun for the family and (at times) pretty impressive too…

There’s also a wildlife refuge and education centre on Grouse Mountain, the highlights of which include two orphaned Grizzly Bears at the top of the mountain and a Timber Wolf habitat found at the base.

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On the way to Grouse Mountain we continued our quest for salmon by visiting the Capilano Salmon Hatchery. The hatchery is a hidden gem, full of facts and info about one of Canada’s most famous resources. The real highlight was the observation gallery where you can see wild salmon jumping the fish ladder. I could have stayed and watched the salmon jumping for an age!

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In between the Hatchery and Grouse Mountain we made a brief stop at Capilano Dam where we saw a couple of humming birds! This was a first and special experience which seemed to symbolise a special day, close to the end of a really special trip!

Humming Bird