Looking for outdoor adventure that suits everyone in a group can be a difficult task. The fit regularly want to kayak, canoe or climb the odd mountain here and there.
The not-so-fit – me – fear going outdoors with the fit. We strive to enjoy the beauties of the forest without hiking 10 miles. We might prefer a swim over kayaking, or to look at skiers from the comfort of the lodge with hot chocolate in hand rather than trundling uphill with all that gear just to slide back down.
But among the outdoor offerings sure to please the adventurous and timid are the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mountain, about 15 minutes from downtown Vancouver, B.C.
Take the Capilano Suspension Bridge, for example. Most people, barring those who fear heights, can experience some of the beauties of British Columbia’s outdoors by merely taking a brave stroll across the 230-foot-high, 450-foot-long span above the waters of Capilano Canyon.
It’s always a strange sensation to step onto the planks and feel the sway of the bridge. Holding onto the cables makes for a steadier crossing.
Halfway across the bridge, which was built in 1889 and originally suspended on hemp rope, it’s time to breathe in the clear, crisp air. On a clear day you can see down to the river below where, if you’re lucky enough, you can spy fish jumping.
It used to be that once across the bridge I’d take photographs of the canyon and head back to the Canyon Cafe for a latte or some homemade fudge at the Trading Post. Then it would be a stroll around the exhibit and the “tree of life” totem poles.
But now visitors, and definitely the not-so-fit, can wobble all the way across the bridge and visit Capilano’s newest attraction, Treetops Adventure.
The 650-foot-long rainforest canopy walk is made up of a series of small cable bridges suspended between eight Douglas fir trees. The bridges connect viewing platforms. Some of the platforms are 12 stories, or 80 feet high. The canopy walk, which opened in 2003, is the first of its kind in North America.
The experience requires little effort, but feels very outdoorsy. Being up in the trees, high above the forest floor, is a first for not-so-fit me.
Don’t worry about whether the bridges and platforms can hold you. Each bridge is supported on one-inch-thick cables capable of holding 100,000 pounds. Builders used nonintrusive steel collars that support the platforms and the bridges without harming the trees.
Treetops Adventure is a one-way walk beginning at a log drawbridge, going through the trees, and ending on the ground for a loop around the pond.
The rainforest walk in the trees only takes about an hour. There’s plenty time to get back across the suspension bridge and visit the Big House Carving Center, where craftsmen share their art and culture with visitors.
Even after a couple of hours at Capilano, the not-so-fit have enough in them to head up the hill, by car or bus, to Grouse Mountain.
Known for its excellent skiing, Grouse Mountain is fun and inviting for everyone.
Park at Valley Station and take the Skyride, a two-car aerial tramway built in 1977, the largest of its kind in North America.
The red Skyride holds 101 passengers, taking them 3,700 feet up at a speed of 13.2 feet a second. The blue Skyride built 10 years earlier is not always in operation. It’s used for freight and in high winds, but can hold 44 passengers if needed.
Glide up above the trees on the mountain’s side, sometimes through a cloud or two, while getting a great view of Vancouver.
The Skyride stops at the alpine area. The fit – skiers and snowboarders, and other sports participants – can take a chairlift another 400 feet to the summit of Grouse Mountain.
The not-so-fit can check out the Spirit Gallery, with its native carvings, photographs and paintings, and the Theatre in the Sky that screens feature films. The Peak Chalet, with beautiful stone and timber architecture and floor-to-ceiling windows, is home to artwork and photographs depicting the history of Grouse Mountain.
A short walk from the Peak Chalet, past massive wood carvings leftover from the summer’s lumberjack show, is the Grouse Mountain Refuge for Endangered Wildlife. Gray wolves, grizzly bears and peregrine falcons can be found there.
The four wolves, not all gray in color, are retired film stars who were hand-raised and are now unable to live in the wild. They are a recent addition to Grouse Mountain. Eventually the wolves will share a bigger habitat with the refuge’s two grizzly bears, Grinder and Coola.
In winter, a sled takes 16 people on a 10-minute sleigh ride through the snowy forest. Reindeer can sometimes be spotted near the popular outdoor skating area.
Once those outdoor experiences have been accomplished, it’s time for a trip to Altitudes Bistro for a coffee nudge or chocolate dessert.
Lines form in the snow for the Skyride back to Valley Station during skiing season, so dress warmly.
After a quick descent to the parking area, travelers are back on the road to downtown Vancouver in minutes.
Reporter Christina Harper: 425-339-3491 or harper@heraldnet.com.
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