Vancouver, Whistler & Vancouver Island - Washington, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - page 753

With a reputation for outdoorsy locals who love a lip-smacking feast of rice cakes for
breakfast, Vancouver is all about being active.

Grouse Mountain SKIING
( www.grousemountain.com ; 6400 Nancy Greene Way, North Vancouver; in winter adult/child $58/
25; 9am-10pm mid-Nov-mid-Apr; 236 from Lonsdale Quay) The North Shore's top out-
door hangout, family-friendly Grouse offers 26 ski and snowboard runs (including 14
night runs) in winter plus zip-lining, lumber-jack shows and grizzly-bear viewing in sum-
mer. A year-round highlight is the Eye of the Wind viewing tower. There are also a
couple of dining options here, plus the infamous, ultra-steep Grouse Grind hiking route.
Free shuttle from downtown in summer.

Cypress Provincial Park HIKING
( www.bcparks.ca ; Cypress Bowl Rd; dawn-dusk) Around 8km north of West Van via Hwy
99, Cypress offers great summertime hikes, including the Baden-Powell, Yew Lake and
Howe Sound Crest trails, which plunge through forests of cedar, yellow cypress and
Douglas fir, and wind past little lakes and alpine meadows. It's also a popular area for
mountain bikers, and Cypress becomes a snowy playground in winter.

Spokes Bicycle Rentals BICYCLE RENTAL
MAP GOOGLE MAP
( www.vancouverbikerental.com ; 1798 W Georgia St; adult per 1/7hr from $8.60/34.30;
8am-9pm; 5) On the corner of W Georgia and Denman Sts, Spokes is the biggest of
the bike shops crowding this stretch - these are the guys mostly responsible for all those
tourists wobbling across the nearby road as though they've never ridden a bike in their
lives. Spokes can also arrange guided bike tours of the city.
The park's 8.8km seawall trail is a great bike (or hiking) trail. And if you're inspired,
you can follow the seawall beyond the park's perimeter and check out False Creek as
well.

Ecomarine Paddlesport Centres KAYAKING
MAP GOOGLE MAP
( 604-689-7575, 888-425-2925; www.ecomarine.com ; 1668 Duranleau St; single kayak rental per
2/24hr $39/94; 9am-6pm Sun, Mon, Wed & Thu, to 9pm Tue, Fri & Sat; 50) Headquartered
on Granville Island, the friendly folks at Ecomarine offer guided tours (from $65) plus
kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) rentals. The center's Jericho Beach branch (
604-222-3565; Jericho Sailing Centre, 1300 Discovery St; 9:30am-dusk late Apr-early Sep;