(Note: this cache is not necessarily Terrain 4 - see "Accessiblity" below.)
GROUSE MOUNTAIN is one of the three historical & iconic ski / mountain recreation areas in the North Shore mountains of Metro Vancouver. Grouse Mountain is the most central of these three, rising above the west & central part of North Vancouver; the other two such areas are Cypress Mountain (sometimes called Cypress Bowl) to the west, and Mount Seymour to the east. Metro Vancouver is a very unusual among major cities in regards to having such alpine recreation areas so close to the urban area itself, moreso because Vancouver is a seafaring port city, not located inland. Grouse Mountain in particular is also directly accessible from the city's public transit system. Grouse Mountain easily overlooks the core of city due to its high altitude, and local residents have long been in the habit of regarding it from down below as a sort of visual landmark for a rough estimate of what direction is (roughly) north, particularly at night when the lights on the ski run are visible from a long distance away.
Grouse Mountain got its name in October 1894 thanks to Sydney Williams and his companions, the first (European) hikers to reach its peak, and who named it after the sooty (blue) grouse, a type of game bird which is found throughout the mountain area. Grouse Mountain exists on the traditonal territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlil̓wətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) indigenous nations. If local indigenous people had a name for it prior to that, that is not currently known - although there is one reported legend of a shaman who climbed the mountain and experienced a premonition of a huge city below the mountain, built by people from all over the world.
After Grouse mountain's naming, it attracted increasing interest from moutaineers, such as the famous Don and Phyllis Munday. In those years, North Vancouver was still mostly wilderness; there were no bridges to connect it to the rest of Vancouver, only ferries, and forestry operations were the main concern of North Shore settlements. Nevertheless, in the early 1900's, the demand for creating some sort of alpine recreation facilities began to take shape, so more informal cabins were built on its slopes, and access roads started to be built. Plans for railway lifts up the mountain were made twice, but each time abandoned, due to the outbreak of the two world wars.
The first & most well known ski run, "The Cut", was opened in the 1930's, with a village and chalet built at the bottom of it. It is still the most prominent ski run, being so wide and facing towards the city. In 1949, the first chairlift was built on the mountain's ski area, and in 1951 a chairlift was constructed to reach the bottom of The Cut from the top of Skyline Drive. Though long abandoned, the original pathway of this chairlift can be seen in the "scar" along the front face of the mountain below The Cut, now home to the Skyline hiking trail. The original chalet burned down in 1962, contributing to the abandonment of the old village, cabins, and chairlift.
However, the lift up the mountain was replaced in the 1960's by the aerial tram known as the Skyride, which runs from top of Capilano Road / Nancy Greene Way, above the Cleveland Dam & Capilano reservoir. That lift went directly into the new chalet building, which is still in use today as the upper base for Grouse Mountain activities. That blue Skyride was later joined in the 1970's by the even larger red Skyride on a parallel tram line, which today is still the main lift for accessing the upper mountain. In 2024, the old Blue Skyride was decomissioned, but a new blue gondola from the mountain base to the upper chalet became operational.
The chalet at the top of the Skyride is not on the actual peak of Grouse Mountain; that peak is actually further up, at an altitude of 1230 metres, and there are chairlifts above that provide access to it. Of course, on the ski area itself, as demand grew there were various phases of expansion and improvments of ski lifts and runs as well. Grouse Mountain was originally developed as an area for alpine skiing activity, and became quite popular as a place for more casual "day skiing", thanks to the easy access from the city. The ski area also developed the means for night skiing, using artificial lighting, and was the first of the three North Shore ski areas to feature it, though all three offer night skiing now.
However, over time, Grouse Mountain (and many other ski areas in BC) began to develop summer activities as an increasingly important aspect of their operations. Global warming is a factor that is harmful for winter sports which must depend on cold winters & snow to exist. Grouse Mountain's second most popular activity is hiking; the famous "Grouse Grind" trail is a steep trail running roughly parallel to the course of the Skyride, from the base of the mountain to the chalet area. Its yearly opening takes place once the snow has melted in the spring, and it stays open until snow begins again in fall and winter. "The Grind" became such a popular trail for hikers and fitness enthusiasts (and geocachers if you check the map) that it gets quite crowded during warm weather months. It was also popular enough to have spawned multiple imitators in place like Coquitlam and the Fraser Valley. The Grind is not the only trail up the mountain, of course; there are other trails like the BCMC trail and Skyline Trail further east. Grouse Mountain's upper area is also the access point for tougher hikes further into the wilderness, with trails to places like Goat Mountain, Crown Mountain, and the Hanes Valley. Other warm weather activities were added over time, particularly to appeal to tourists, such as zip-lining and wildlife demonstrations. Two well-known residents of Grouse Mountain are "Grinder" and "Coola", two orphaned grizzly bear cubs that were raised by staff and though fully grown now, are still taken care of in captvity. In 2010, a large wind turbine was erected and began to operate near the peak of Grouse Mountain. Called the "Eye Of The Wind", it is large enough to be a visible landmark from the city below. Although it can generate electricity, it is more of a technology demonstrator and tourism feature, not essential to providing power for the recreation area's equipment.
ACCESSIBILITY:
This virtual geocache is on the upper area of the mountain, at an altitude over 1000 metres, so some attention must be paid to when & how you plan to get there. Reaching the top of the mountain where the posted coordinates are can be done by various means, which are dependent on seasonal conditions, and which in turn affects the terrain rating of this geocache. The terrain rating is 4 only for those hiking up or down the mountain; if you take the Skyride up the mountain, the geocache posted coordinates are near the chalet, so the cache can be considered Terrain 2 or even 1.5, depending on the season.
Reaching the base of the mountain is easy. Those using vehicles should pay attention to the parking waypoint listed: above that point on the road is pay parking, in various parking lots; below it is free street parking (but be careful to obey the local regulations please). Public transit also leads directly to the mountain via the 232 and 236 bus routes. Bicycles can also go as far as the base of the mountain.
Your options for going up the mountain will depend on the seasonal conditions. In summer season, one can hike up the Ground Grind trails or other trails for free. It is a serious fitness challenge, so consider it terrain 3.5 or 4; please obey all trail restrictions, make sure to have proper footwear for hiking, and be careful to not push too hard for your health or abilities. The hike typically takes one about 2 hours to ascend the Grind, at a relaxed pace, and one should be prepared for a lot of stairs. Hiking up or down other trails like the BCMC, but they are also tough / steep trails, and not as well marked. Also be aware that the Grind and other trails are considered closed at night, so that people do not get lost or injured on the mountain. (A waypoint is provided for the Grouse Grind trailhead.)
Instead of hiking, one can ride upon the Skyride, but one has to pay for the use of that lift, or any of the other ski lifts on top of the mountain. Taking the Skyride reduces the terrain difficulty of this geocache to something more like Terrain 1.5 or 2. (It is also common for people to hike up the Grind, but then pay a reduced fee to take the Skyride down the mountain.)
In winter and early spring, the trail hiking options are reduced, and the Grouse Grind trail is officially closed if there is snow upon it, due to the hazards of snow and ice combined with the steep slope. That means access to the geocache area during the colder months will most likely be restricted to the Skyride.
GEOCACHE LOGGING REQUIREMENTS:
*As of July 2025, it seems Grouse Mountain resort has changed that large signboard again, added another, and fenced off our favourite bear ! *
1) Take a selfie photo of yourself in front of the grizzly bear statue at the posted coordinates, or showing your geocaching GPS device or your geocaching name tag at that location. Alternatively, you can post photo of yourself or your geocaching gear somewhere else on the upper portion of the mountain doing some kind of recreation or sightseeing activity (and mention where that is in your log). Post that photo in your Found log, along with a short commentary about your visit to Grouse Mountain.
Since this Virtual geocache involves posting a photograph, but network coverage on the mountain can be difficult, there is no demand for immediately logging your find while you are still on the mountain; you can log it when it is more convenient later. Just make sure to demonstrate that you personally visited the upper portion of the mountain, at the time when you claimed to have done so. (Logs based on old visits not related to finding this geocache, and logs using stock photos of Grouse Mountain taken from the internet, will be deleted.)
2) Separately from your Found log, use the geocaching message system to send me your answers to the following question:
Near the posted coordinates of the Geocache and the grizzly bear statue, there is a very large notice board with a map and other info showing the mountain's activities; in winter, this looks like ski runs and their status; in summer, it displays various trails.
Depending on whether you are there in winter or summer, let me know either the three word title of the bottom left area with a yellow background, or the three words on the map which are highlighted in yellow. ( *Or as of July 2025 with the unexpected new signage, on the smaller sign nearer the bear, the three word title of that sign with the red background.)
Please send me this answer using the Geocaching message system - do not post this information in your log or show it in a photo.
(If the sign is inaccessible due to construction, just send me a photo of that by geomessage.)
* Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025 *
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.
** First-To-Find (visit) distinction was earned by JuJu54, visiting here from NZ. Second-To-Find was Frenzymike. **