Few locations offer sea-to-ski recreation like Vancouver, B.C. Paddle in the morning; hike or bike in the afternoon; and at night, ski under the lights. Located 140 miles north of Seattle, Vancouver also offers cultural and culinary opportunities that are second to none, complete with an international flair.
Paddle the Sea
The two most popular paddling destinations in Vancouver are False Creek and Indian Arm, both good day trips.
False Creek, just south of downtown, is as protected a paddle as you could ask for during the gray months. To reach another kayaker’s oasis, leave Deep Cove on the easternmost corner of the North Shore (just 30 minutes from downtown) and paddle up Indian Arm, a slender 30-mile-long fjord that stretches north from Burrard Inlet into the heart of the Coast Mountain Range.
Paddle though peace and quiet, stunning scenery, old-growth forest and waterfalls. Paddlers’ campsites are available in Indian Arm Provincial Park on the east side, including five elevated wooden tent pads at the North Twin Campground.
Back in town, the edges of Burrard Inlet and English Bay are also good paddling options.
Explore the Shore
For almost every good paddling destination above, there’s an equally good hiking or biking opportunity nearby.
Actually a tidal inlet, False Creek separates downtown from Granville Island and the Fairview neighborhoods, and is bordered by a paved walkway. It will take some self-discipline to walk or bike the entire route though, with many shops and restaurants calling your name.
The path passes the city’s houseboat community, marinas, Science World, the C&N Backpackers Hostel and the shoreline of three parks before ending at Kitsilano Beach and its views over English Bay.
If you tire before completing the loop, water taxis along False Creek will take you back to your starting place.
Indian Arm Provincial Park is home to four main hikes that are steep, rough and suitable only for experienced backpackers. The winter months do not provide ideal hiking conditions in the park – you’d be better off waiting until spring to tackle the trails.
The 26-mile-long Baden-Powell Trail is open year-round. Starting from the east at Deep Cove, it ends at Horseshoe Bay and crosses the Lynn Canyon suspension bridge.
Explore the seawall of Vancouver’s crown jewel, 1,000-acre Stanley Park, the largest city park in Canada. The most commonly used starting point is at the east-side entrance on Georgia Street. Walk, rollerblade, run or cycle to the parks many attractions, including a rose garden, rhododendron garden, children’s farmyard, outdoor theater and much more.
Or stroll along the seawall, which is 6.2 miles long and offers views of city, mountains, ocean and forest. There are also many interior loops, including those around Beaver Lake and Lost Lagoon. And if you visit in January, feel free to join in the 83rd annual Polar Bear Swim in English Bay.
Lighthouse Park on the outskirts of West Vancouver features the 1912 Point Atkinson Lighthouse perched on a rocky shore at the mouth of Burrard Inlet.
Although Stanley Park deserves all of its good reviews, the largest green space in Vancouver is Pacific Spirit Regional Park.
Adjacent to the University of British Columbia on the city’s west side at Point Grey, the 1,885-acre park includes forests, trails and beaches. The park wraps around the tip of the peninsula and borders the Fraser River, the Strait of Georgia and Burrard Inlet.
There are 21 miles of mixed-use trails (horses are not unusual) and 12 miles in the second-growth forest designated for foot traffic. Slow down long enough to walk the boardwalks and appreciate 12,000-year-old Camosun Bog, what’s left of the last ice age.
If you haven’t been there before, start at the Pacific Spirit Regional Park Centre on 16th Avenue near the university.
Other North Vancouver options include Capilano Suspension Bridge and Park, and Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre.
At Capilano, walk across the swinging bridge 230 feet over the water to get to a system of hiking trails. At Lynn Canyon, a narrow bridge suspended 166 feet in the air leads to clearly marked trails in the 617-acre park. Sometimes kayakers can be spotted below.
While there’s no paddling at North Vancouver’s Grouse Mountain, there is the Grouse Grind, a straight-up walk covering 3,700 feet of elevation gain in 1.8 miles. It’s heavy on exercise and light on scenery until the top, when your reward is panoramic views of downtown Vancouver, Mount Baker, the Pacific Ocean and Vancouver Island. And there’s no need to walk down: Take the Skyride gondola back to the base.
Ski the Slopes
Grouse Mountain, located just 15 minutes from downtown Vancouver, was voted “Best Urban View from a Ski Run” by Ski Canada magazine.
It offers 25 runs (13 at night), from the gentle to double-black descents, and two high-speed quad chairs that provide views of the ocean and the city. Getting an average of 102 inches of snow a year, Grouse Mountain has a base elevation of 900 feet and the ski slopes cover 1,260 vertical feet.
Two freestyle terrain parks cater to athletes of all abilities while five snowshoe trails appease those interested in less extreme snow activities.
The Grouse Mountain Refuge for Endangered Wildlife, which started in 2001 with two orphaned grizzly bear cubs, now includes peregrine falcons and former “Hollywood North” star wolves.
A definite perk to urban skiing is getting there via public transit: Busses to the base of Grouse Mountain leave every half hour from Phibbs Exchange and Lonsdale Quay.
Aprés Ski
No matter how you spend your day, your dinner choices are endless. Downtown Denman Street alone has more than 50 restaurants in seven blocks. International restaurants are peppered throughout the city. And if you need convincing about the quality of Vancouver’s food, just listen to Chinese cooking authority Martin Yan of San Francisco: “Chinese food in Vancouver ranks ahead of any North American city and is equal to Hong Kong.”
Good food is just one more reason to cross the border. See the resources to the left to begin planning your own adventure.
— Maggie Savage and Sharon Wootton are
freelance writers and co-producers of writing and
songwriting workshops in the San Juan Islands
(www.songandword.com).
Before You Go:
English Bay Polar Bear Swim: www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/parks/news/2002/021216rel.htm
Grouse Mountain: (604) 984-0661, www.grousemountain.com
Stanley Park: www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/parks/parks/stanley/
Tourism Vancouver: (604) 682-2222, www.tourismvancouver.com
Tourism British Columbia: www.HelloBC.com
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