Venture Vancouver

Saturday 5th February 2011
Location: Grouse Mountain

I went skiing for the first time in my life today. I took a bus to Grouse Mountain. When I got there I put myself down to get a beginners lesson. I have a yearly membership to the mountain and I find it frustrating that my membership only gives me discounts to rental equipment and nothing else, where as people who don’t have membership can show up to the mountain and purchase a Lift+Rental+Lesson package for $122. If I were to purchase Lift+Rentals (with my membership discount) + Lesson, it would cost the same as it does for non members. So essentially my membership is useless when I have to pay the same as non members.

I also don’t see the value in season passes, all it does is give you admission to the mountain. You would still need to rent equipment and I am not sure if it even covers the costs of lift tickets. To make it worth while you would have to be go to the mountain more than twice a week, otherwise you might as well just get a Lift+Rental package or Lift+Rental+Lesson package.

I had a lot of fun learning to ski. About 10 years ago I had tried to snowboard and I did a beginners lesson. I thought snowboarding would be easy since I knew how to skateboard. I was wrong, I couldn’t even complete the beginners class and the instructor had to leave me behind because I was was holding up the class too much. This time I was the best at skiiing in the beginners class. The first time I have ever been first at anything in a class.

There are a lot of other winter activities to do on the mountain such as ice skating and snow shoeing. I think Grouse Mountain is a place for all tourists to this city to visit at any time of the year, but I think the snow season is probably the best.

Tags: canada, grouse, mountain, ski, skiing, snow, snowboarding, Vancouver

Saturday November 20th 2010, 10am, 0°C, snowy
Location: Vancouver

A nice walk ahead, originally uploaded by Venture Vancouver.

I woke up this morning to see snow covered roofs and streets. It was great to see. I had already gone to MEC to buy clothes so that I can layer myself for the winter cold appropriately. It isn’t as cold as I expected it to be, walking on the snow covered streets, but what I did find difficult was that the footpath (sidewalk) was a bit slippery. I walked on nature strips when I could instead cause it wasn’t as slippery where there is grass beneath. Our cats were quite intrigued by the snow outside and sat at our window watching people have snow ball fights outside.

Tags: burke, MEC, park, pinecone, snow, Vancouver