From the “I’d rather do the CN TOWER Stair climb anyday” Dept.

Jen and I woke up at 7:30 am Sunday.

We changed, ate a light breakfast, packed our Gatorade, water, and TREK drinks into my North Face Galileo day bag.

The drive up to Grouse Mountain is beautiful. You drive through Stanley Park, over the Lions Gate Bridge, and past the region of Capilano. The entire time you’re driving, you’re surrounded by mountains, water, fresh air, and tall trees.

The climb is 1250 metres high (according to the brochure) and 1100 metres above sea-level.

The route that people take is called the “Grouse Grind”. I was expecting something similar to the HardeKlum that Jen and I climbed in Switzerland. I figured it would be a trail that zig-zagged up the moutain with many look out points, etc.

What I got was a straight climb of 1250 metres up. Not side to side, but up.

Gosh, that was brutal.

Half way up, I felt my legs giving out on me. I even seriously considered stopping (fearing injury), but Jen convinced me to go on. It took us just over an hour and 50 minutes to climb to the peak. The best recorded time for doing the “Grouse Grind” is 27 minutes.

Damn.

At least a 75 people passed us, I think.

So I know what Byron meant about how he felt climbing up Mount Fuji. I didn’t even have to deal with thin air either. Damn, brotha—I know what you went through now.

Jen and I stayed on top for about 30 minutes. We finished the 1/2 litre bottle of Gatorade, but barely touched the TREK drink. It was absolutely disgusting. It tastes like Pocari Sweat, bit it’s super bitter.

Jen and I took the gondola down, and then drove to the Capilano Suspension bridge..but it was too busy, so we drove back to the condo and had lunch at a nice Italian restaurant.

From the “Blood is thicker than Water” Dept.

Jen and I were beat, but I had promised Jen that we’d go and pick up some things for her condo.

We went to Eatons and Sears and picked up some stuff (coat hangers, corningware, a Brita Filter, etc.). Then Jen and I took a nap.

Victor called me and I was like, “Yeah, what do you want?”

He wanted to apologize about the RPG convention and we decided that him and Janice and Jen and I would have dinner somewhere in Grainville Island.

We talked, had some good eats and the Bridge Restaurant. It was the first time I’ve seen Victor in about 3 years. So there was a lot of catching up to do. His girlfriend Janice is cool. Her parents are from Barbados, but now live in London, England. She lived in London until she was 12 years-old, and then she moved to Toronto to study. She run’s a Day Care Centre.

Oh yeah, she’s black too.

That’s totally cool with my generation, but my parents and his parents are going to freak.

-T