Pass the Pulses Please (click for article)

Caffeine Crave (click for article)

Radical Ruhbarb (click for article)

Pass the Pulses Please (click for article)

Radical Ruhbarb: click for article

Caffeine Crave

Crescent Beach is located in South Surrey right near White Rock, and for our family is a relaxing, low-key alternative to the hustle and bustle of nearby White Rock Beach in the summer.  It’s a great place for playing on the beach, swimming, kite flying, and looking for clams and crabs.  It’s also a great place for fish and chips.  There’s a pleasant gravel path that runs parallel to the beach in front of all the quaint beach-front cottages. 

There are a variety of trails through the park that take you past old growth Western Red Cedar and Douglas Fir trees. The trails are all fairly easy with only a few having a short hill to ascend or descend. Take a look at the park map at the trailhead and plan your route so that you do a circle through the park and end at the lighthouse.

For those who just want a short walk down towards the lighthouse, follow the wide trail for about 10 minutes. To the right of the picnic tables, a path leads up onto a rocky outcrop giving a view of the lighthouse just over the tree line.

Another picturesque location is at Starboat Cove. It’s a short 15-minute walk east from the lighthouse where there is a sign for a steep path that takes you down to the beach area. At low tide, this is the perfect area to have a picnic and enjoy the view that extends from the Lions Gate Bridge to the University of British Columbia to Vancouver Island on a clear day.

Head down to English Bay or one of the surrounding beaches to enjoy these spectacular firework shows.

2013 Schedule:

Saturday July 27th

Wednesday July 31st

Saturday August 3rd

The Grouse Grind® is a 2.9-kilometre trail up the face of Grouse Mountain, commonly referred to as “Mother Nature’s Stairmaster.” This trail is very challenging.

Hikers were first recorded on Grouse Mountain in 1894 when a hunting party shot a blue grouse bird and named the mountain in the bird’s honour. It wasn’t until the 1920’s and early 30’s, however, that Grouse Mountain saw the first big wave of adventurous hikers. Several thousand people flocked to the face of the mountain each year looking to reach the cabins located in the Grouse Mountain village at the foot of what is now known as The Cut ski run. 

Today’s Grouse Grind® was first developed in 1981 by mountaineers looking for a challenging, convenient aerobic workout to sustain them for their longer hikes. Seeking a steeper route than the British Columbia Mountaineering Club trail, they began following well-worn animal paths in the rough, completing the new trail in the winter of 1983.

Trail Facts

Length: 2.9 kilometres (1.8 miles)

Elevation Gain: 853 metres (2,800 feet)

Base: 274 metres above sea level (900 feet)

Summit: 1,127 metres (3,700 feet)

Total Stairs: 2,830 

Statistics: Annually, over 100,000 people hike the trail.

Average Time: On average it takes up to an hour and a half to complete the hike. For novice hikers, two hours is recommended.

Participants: Hikers range in age from 7 to 90, with an equal male/female split.

Located adjacent to Shannon Falls Provincial Park, alongside the Sea To Sky Highway 99 in Squamish, Stawamus Chief Provincial Park is extremely popular amongst rock climbers, and those who cheer them on. The Stawamus Chief is the second largest granite monolith in the world, providing a fabulous site as you travel the scenic highway from Vancouver to Whistler. Established in 1997, the 517-hectare park provides rock climbing opportunities of international significance.

Hiking trails to The Chief’s three summits offer rewarding views of Howe Sound, Squamish town site and surrounding mountains. This park has opportunities for camping, hiking, rock climbing and scenic viewing atop the Chief.

At last count there were 180 routes to climb on Stawamus Chief Mountain in Squamish, all of which begin from the base of one the largest free-standing granite monoliths in the world. Estimated to be 93 million years old, the Chief is one of the senior members of the local landscape, parts of which were laid down as lava a scant 12,000 years ago. Advanced and novice climbers alike look for appropriate routes on ‘The Chief,’ ‘The Squaw,’ and ‘The Apron,’ which together form the main climbing area.

Crescent Beach is located in South Surrey right near White Rock, and for our family is a relaxing, low-key alternative to the hustle and bustle of nearby White Rock Beach in the summer.  It’s a great place for playing on the beach, swimming, kite flying, and looking for clams and crabs.  It’s also a great place for fish and chips.  There’s a pleasant gravel path that runs parallel to the beach in front of all the quaint beach-front cottages. 

There are a variety of trails through the park that take you past old growth Western Red Cedar and Douglas Fir trees. The trails are all fairly easy with only a few having a short hill to ascend or descend. Take a look at the park map at the trailhead and plan your route so that you do a circle through the park and end at the lighthouse.

For those who just want a short walk down towards the lighthouse, follow the wide trail for about 10 minutes. To the right of the picnic tables, a path leads up onto a rocky outcrop giving a view of the lighthouse just over the tree line.

Another picturesque location is at Starboat Cove. It’s a short 15-minute walk east from the lighthouse where there is a sign for a steep path that takes you down to the beach area. At low tide, this is the perfect area to have a picnic and enjoy the view that extends from the Lions Gate Bridge to the University of British Columbia to Vancouver Island on a clear day.

Head down to English Bay or one of the surrounding beaches to enjoy these spectacular firework shows.

2013 Schedule:

Saturday July 27th

Wednesday July 31st

Saturday August 3rd

The Grouse Grind® is a 2.9-kilometre trail up the face of Grouse Mountain, commonly referred to as “Mother Nature’s Stairmaster.” This trail is very challenging.

Hikers were first recorded on Grouse Mountain in 1894 when a hunting party shot a blue grouse bird and named the mountain in the bird’s honour. It wasn’t until the 1920’s and early 30’s, however, that Grouse Mountain saw the first big wave of adventurous hikers. Several thousand people flocked to the face of the mountain each year looking to reach the cabins located in the Grouse Mountain village at the foot of what is now known as The Cut ski run. 

Today’s Grouse Grind® was first developed in 1981 by mountaineers looking for a challenging, convenient aerobic workout to sustain them for their longer hikes. Seeking a steeper route than the British Columbia Mountaineering Club trail, they began following well-worn animal paths in the rough, completing the new trail in the winter of 1983.

Trail Facts

Length: 2.9 kilometres (1.8 miles)

Elevation Gain: 853 metres (2,800 feet)

Base: 274 metres above sea level (900 feet)

Summit: 1,127 metres (3,700 feet)

Total Stairs: 2,830 

Statistics: Annually, over 100,000 people hike the trail.

Average Time: On average it takes up to an hour and a half to complete the hike. For novice hikers, two hours is recommended.

Participants: Hikers range in age from 7 to 90, with an equal male/female split.

Located adjacent to Shannon Falls Provincial Park, alongside the Sea To Sky Highway 99 in Squamish, Stawamus Chief Provincial Park is extremely popular amongst rock climbers, and those who cheer them on. The Stawamus Chief is the second largest granite monolith in the world, providing a fabulous site as you travel the scenic highway from Vancouver to Whistler. Established in 1997, the 517-hectare park provides rock climbing opportunities of international significance.

Hiking trails to The Chief’s three summits offer rewarding views of Howe Sound, Squamish town site and surrounding mountains. This park has opportunities for camping, hiking, rock climbing and scenic viewing atop the Chief.

At last count there were 180 routes to climb on Stawamus Chief Mountain in Squamish, all of which begin from the base of one the largest free-standing granite monoliths in the world. Estimated to be 93 million years old, the Chief is one of the senior members of the local landscape, parts of which were laid down as lava a scant 12,000 years ago. Advanced and novice climbers alike look for appropriate routes on ‘The Chief,’ ‘The Squaw,’ and ‘The Apron,’ which together form the main climbing area.