The Grouse Grind

The Grouse Grind - First Quarter

All the pictures on the following pages were taken on June 3, 2007.

Watch for busses and cars as you head from the paved parking to the start of the Grouse Grind.

The gate is open during the summer from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Check the GVRD page for opening hours. Note that dogs are not allowed on the trail.

Just to the right of the gate is the "Grind Timer". If you purchase a Summit Seeker card you can swipe the card at the bottom and the top of the Grind and your time will be posted on a TV at the top. You can also check your statistics online.

The trail is comprised of steps made from rough logs, roots, stones, 2x8s and railway ties.

Trail runners are the ideal footwear, but many people just wear running shoes. I would not recommend wearing sandals of any type. Hiking boots, of course, are good, but you may find the extra weight of the boots very tiring.

The lower sections of the trail are among the least steep. You're in the shade the whole way, so don't worry about sunscreen or a hat unless you're planning to walk around at the top perhaps to visit the grizzly bear enclosure. You may want to bring mosquito repellant, though.

The lower sections of the trail are also among the darkest. The trees are quite tall and densely packed.

A couple of minutes from the start you will come to a fork in the trail (the only one you will face). Keep to the left to stay on the Grind. If you head to the right you can link up with the Baden Powell trail which runs from Deep Cove to Horseshoe Bay. However, most hikers going to the right are taking the BCMC trail (which ends in the same location as the Grind). The BCMC trail is a nice alternative if the Grind is too crowded. It is similarly steep until you get almost to the top. The last few hundred metres are much less steep. The BCMC trail is not nearly as developed and you have to be careful to look for the trail markers so you don't go astray.

Many of the steps are made with railway ties.

Be careful where you step when the trail is wet. There are very few perfectly flat places to step. Depending on your footwear, the rocks can become a bit slippery.

Many people bring their kids on the Grind. Be aware that although the kids will appear to have no difficulty at first, children typically do not have the stamina of adults. Also, given their much higher surface to mass ratio they will become dehydrated faster in the heat and cool much faster when it's not warm.

I would not recommend bringing children under 6, and even with children under 12 you might decide only to go part of the way the first time before turning back.

The lower part of the Grind follows a large gully on your right.

You will spend a fair bit of time scrambling over rocks, although much work is being done to make certain parts easier.

This section used to be quite tricky, but GVRD workers have very ingeniously created stairs using large stones. The amount of work required to create this is truly amazing.

In other places where the trail was getting badly eroded GVRD workers have created steps using railway ties and stones.

I guess some people were following the creek instead of the trail here, thus the overly large sign.

Apart from the bridge at the very start, this is the only bridge on the Grind. This is very close to the true 1/4 mark, if you keep a steady pace.

More stairs on a part of the trail that was badly eroded.

Parts of the trail are a tangle of roots, and stones. Pick your path carefully or you will find yourself trying to take steps that are very big.

Congratulations! You've hit the 1/4 Mark sign. This is actually closer to 1/3 of the way up the Grind. If it's your first time, triple the time you've spent already and you'll have an idea of how much further you have to go.

Next page -- the second quarter

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