Back to Vancouver and up Grouse Mountain

Back to the mainland today from Vancouver Island.  It was very foggy when we woke up this morning but we have learnt from experience that the sun will eventually burn the fog/cloud off and we will generally have not a bad day.  This theory proved more or less correct and we left on the ferry at about 11am for the hour and a half through the islands and into the pier at Tsawwassen.  On the way we decided, due to the good weather, to continue through Vancouver and head up Grouse Mountain.  As you can imagine Pam was a little apprehensive catching another gondola up a frozen mountain.  Got to the top and there was a bonus for us.  They had a couple of orphaned grizzly bears in a huge natural  enclosure.  One of the bears was a real poser and played up to the crowd.   Next was a chair lift to the peak of the mountain.  There was snow and a freezing wind.  The surprise I had for Pam at the end was a trip on the ‘Skyride’.  This is a lift up the centre of a wind turbine tower to the top of the world.  Pams response to this experience…she put her foot down, drew the line, told me no, and refused to take another step towards the tower. 

I did the right thing and went up in her stead and brought back heaps of photos for her viewing pleasure.  It was an interesting trip and with the blades of the turbine only a few feet away it gave a bit of an unsteady feeling.   By the time I got down to earth we were more than ready for the chair lift down to the visitors centre.  Had to have a hot coffee to defrost the fingers.  Wish we could have waited for the sun to go down, I’m sure the sunset over Vancouver Island would have been very photogenic.  To the hotel and a walk to tea. 

Leaving the dock on Vancouver Island.  Two ramps feeding 4 decks of cars/trucks.

And it just gets colder, even with the sun on my back.

Our sister ship, negotiating the narrow straits of the islands east of Vancouver Island.

Not warm at all.

Mount Baker in Washington, USA from the ferry.  About 3,000 metres tall and about 120 kilometres away.

In the gondola going up Grouse Mountain......why am I doing this AGAIN??!!

I'm here to check out the bears.

Hello there bear.

I'm loving it, tell them, I'm loving it.

Looking back down at the top of the gondola ride and the bottom of the chair lift.

Arriving on the chair lift, doesn't look too cold does it?

Looking through the Sitka Pines to the snow covered mountains in the distance.

Pam in need of a hot chocolate.

Not wanting to go closer to the turbine tower.

Maybe a ride on the zipline...we forgot to buy a ticket at the visitors centre so they wouldn't let us go on the ride.  Bad luck really.

Staying warm...a bit.

Not far to go now.

And we'll be up in that pod at the top.

Or someone could stay on the ground....notice the red coat?

Ranges from the top.

An idea of the experience.

Even more mountains.

Looking back towards the vistors centre.  Ski slopes on the left.

Vancouver Island in the distance from the top of the chair lift.  Vancouver city to the left.

Found this little man on our walk.

Sun going down behind the clouds.

Again, with container ships waiting to enter Vancouver Harbour.

Still not getting any warmer.

Our last glimpse before it's back to Vancouver.