One of Those "Once in a Lifetime" Things

Looking out at the top of Whistler Peak

"Mother Nature's Stair Master"

Alright, so I did the Grouse Grind. For those who don't know, it is a 2.9 kilometre climb up Grouse Mountain, for an elevation gain of 853 metres. It has a total of 2830 "stairs" (and for those wondering the CN Tower is 1776 stairs). Rumor has it the view is worth it, but less so on a smokey day like we had. Now, this was quite the workout, and quite frankly reminded me of how I feel about running. You feel great after, but I personally spend the whole time thinking about how much I hate it. So, I went into "Sunday Stroll" mode, and tried to enjoy it the best I could, letting my friends go ahead of me. Needless to say, this is probably something I will only do once; I didn't enjoy it, but I don't regret doing it either. That being said, if I was ever back that way with someone who really really reeeeeaaaaallly wanted to do it, and didn't want to go it alone, I'd do it, for them.

View from Grouse Mountain. I bet it is better without the smoke!

Some Gondolas, Ski Lifts, and a Bridge

Kelsey and I at the top of the Whistler Suspension Bridge!
After a "fun" time up the Grouse Grind, and a gondola back down, we hit the road and headed to Whistler. In the winter Whistler is known for its skiing and snowboarding, but in the warmer months, it turns into a mountain biker, and hiker paradise. So, up the gondola we went, then to our next gondola which was the peak-to-peak gondola, which took us across to Blackcomb Mountain. We took in some views over there, before taking the gondola back to Whistler. This ride is about 15 minutes one way! The views both on the Blackcomb Mountain, and on the Gondola were spectacular! After arriving back on Whistler Mountain, we headed to the Peak Express Chair to take up to Whistler Peak, where the new Cloudraker Skybridge was located. This suspension bridge is 130 metres long, and spans from Whistler Peak over the Whistler Bowl, to the West Ridge, where there is a viewing platform called the Raven's Eye Cliffwalk. The view from up top was so incredible! As we did the Grouse Grind in the morning, we did not have enough time to do any of the hikes at Whistler, so, if I am ever back another summer, I will have to do a few of those!



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