VANCOUVER - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 79

suited to beginners and intermediates. Spectacular views take in Howe Sound and Van-
couver Island.
Cypress also caters to cross-country skiers and snowshoers, with 16 kilometers (10
miles) of groomed and track-set trails, some of which are lighted for night skiing. A pack-
age of cross-country ski rentals, a lesson, and trail pass costs $75. Snowshoe rentals are $20
per day.
To get to the resort, take the Trans-Canada Highway 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) west from
Lions Gate Bridge and turn north on Cypress Bowl Road. If you don't feel like driving up
the mountain, catch the shuttle bus that departs hourly from Lonsdale Quay and Cypress
Mountain Sports in Park Royal Mall, West Vancouver ($23 round-trip). For a snow report,
call 604/419-7669.
Mount Seymour
Thanks to having the highest base elevation of Vancouver's three alpine resorts, the snow
at Mount Seymour (604/986-2261, www.mountseymour.com , adult $51, senior $42, child
$24) is somewhat reliable, but the area's relatively gentle terrain will be of interest only to
beginning and intermediate skiers and boarders. Four chairlifts serve 20 runs and a vertical
rise of 365 meters (1,200 feet). You can also rent snowshoes ($20) and tramp along the re-
sort's trail system ($9 for a day pass), but the Saturday-night guided snowshoe walk ($57)
is a real treat—and not only because of the chocolate fondue at the end.
The resort is in Mount Seymour Provincial Park. To get there, head north off the Trans-
Canada Highway 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) east of the Lions Gate Bridge, following the
Mount Seymour Parkway to Mount Seymour Road.
SPECTATOR SPORTS
Vancouverites love their sports—not just being involved themselves, but supporting local
teams. With a long season and outside activities curtailed by the winter weather, ice
hockey—known in Canada simply as “hockey”—draws the biggest crowds (although the
official national sport is lacrosse), but the city also boasts professional football, baseball,
and soccer teams.
Hockey
In 1911 the world's second (and largest) artificial ice rink opened at the north end of Den-
man Street, complete with seating for 10,000 hockey fans. The local team, then known as
the Vancouver Millionaires, played in a small professional league, and in 1915 Vancouver
won its first and only Stanley Cup, the holy grail of professional ice hockey. After joining