Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1105981
tourismvancouver.com | 23 Capilano Suspension Bridge Snow sports People may be wearing short sleeves in the city, but up on the chillier heights of the North Shore mountains, the snow typically lingers into June. Ski or snowboard Cypress Mountain, Grouse Mountain and Mount Seymour Resort from December to April. Or just ride an inner tube down their snow tubing runs. No daylight? No problem! All three resorts are open in the evenings under floodlights for night skiing and riding. Grouse Mountain ANDREW MAGILL/FLICKR (CAPILANO SUSPENSION BRIDGE), SKYRIDE AND SKYRIDE SURF (SEA TO SKY GONDOLA), BRENNDAN LAIRD (DAVID LABISTOUR), (YUTAKA SEKI/FLICKR (MOBI BIKES), GROUSE MOUNTAIN SKIING Grouse Mountain Superskyride No sweat Get that mountain-high feeling without having to work for it. See the rainforest and canyon from the dizzying heights of the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Cliffwalk in North Vancouver. Then take the Grouse Mountain Super- skyride to the 1,130-metre level, ride a zipline and say hi to grizzly bears Grinder and Coola. For a breathtaking panorama of still loftier, perpetually snow-capped peaks, drive an hour up Highway 99 to the Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish. Better yet, take in the views of city, sea and summits from aloft on Harbour Air Seaplanes' Panorama tour. You can also set up a custom chopper tour of the North Shore mountains with Helijet International. DAVID LABISTOUR The CEO of Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC), Canada's leading retailer of outdoor gear, apparel and services, explores the city's active lifestyle. ¢ ¢ SNOW SPORTS: Whistler is my go-to for a day on the hills. If you're not a skier or snowboarder, Whistler offers many other activities and events including the Whistler Film Festival. A short docu- mentary MEC produced, Escape, was screened there in 2018. ¢ ¢ HIKING: Many tourists and locals come to the North Shore to hike the Grouse Grind, and for good reason – it's a great challenge. I've lived on the North Shore for many years and one of my favourite areas for hiking is Lynn Headwaters Regional Park. The park has plenty of quiet trails that weave through the forest. ¢ ¢ BIKING: I think the Lower Mainland, from Pemberton to the Fraser Valley, has the best mountain biking on the planet. The North Shore has some of the most extensive and thoughtfully maintained trails out there. Mount Fromme and Mount Seymour have large biking trail networks. ¢ ¢ FAMILY ADVENTURE: Fraser Valley farm tours are fun to do with kids in the summer. The Circle Farm self-guided tours are a great place to start and will connect you with farms, markets, and some unique heritage sites – so much good, local food to try along the way too. L O C A L I N T E L FOR THE BIRDS: Some 250 species of birds make their homes in and around the city. Prime birdwatching spots include the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Delta, Burnaby Lake Regional Park and Iona Beach Regional Park in Richmond. FIND THE FOREST GIANTS: You can still find groves of old-growth west- ern red cedar and Douglas fir as much as 70 metres tall, three metres in diame- ter and 500 years old in Stanley Park, Lighthouse Park and the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve. Mobi By Shaw Go