We’ve heard it a million times, but I’ll say it again… Vancouver is the absolute best! There aren’t many places in the world where you can get up from your office cubicle and in minutes find yourself barreling down the slopes. The local mountains provide an easy opportunity for people of all skill levels easy access to winter sports. There is nothing better than getting in a quick ride before or after work, it truly can brighten up an otherwise mundane winter day.
Did I mention all three of these mountains offer night skiing until 10pm!
Table of Contents
Choose Your Hill
For years local legends and local jerry’s have argued to which local mountain is the best. Truth is, they’re all great. A garbage day on the hill always beats the best day at work.
All three mountains offer fantastic terrain and unique vibes depending what you are looking for. I’ve broken it down in more detail below so you get an idea of their strongpoints and decide which one fits you best.
Cypress Mountain
“Home of the 2010 Winter Olympics”
Quick Stats
A short 30-minute drive from the city of Vancouver lies Cypress mountain. Cypress was one of the venues for 2010 winter Olympics and was the location of Canada’s first Olympic gold medal on home snow. Cypress mountain very fittingly, re-named the run “Alexandre Bilodeau’s Gold”
Cypress boasts the most vertical drop, terrain, lifts and highest ridable peak of all of the North Shore mountains. Funny enough there is no mountain named Cypress but the ski area is on Mt Strachan and Black Mountain. Cypress is named after the “Cypress Bowl” between the mountains.
The views from Cypress are fantastic, you’ll get a panoramic view of Howe Sounds blue water and the lights of the city while skiing. Sunset is always epic (just take a ride up the sky chair and you’ll catch my drift). They receive the least amount of snow yearly of the three mountains but this is not saying you won’t strike the occasional pow day. Cypress does require snow or M+S tires to get up to the parking lot (which can very often be packed). The road is usually plowed well but be aware of these winter driving conditions, and if this is not something you are prepared or comfortable with choose Grouse, or opt to ride the shuttle up the Cypress mountain road. If you’re a park Guy or Gal, Cypress has arguably the least creative/exciting of the three city mountains, but it’s getting better every year thanks to the great park crew who also create great terrain park options for beginners. Cypress is very popular among locals who have the weeknight pass who can’t be bothered to spend the big money on busy Whistler days. If you are multisport winter athlete and want to do a mix of riding, touring, snowshoeing and Nordic, look no further, cypress has got you covered.
So get on over to Cypress, shred some acres and finish you day off with a Nordic session or sunset snowshoe!
Check out the trail map.
Purchase A lift Ticket.
Seymour
“Most Snow On The North Shore”
Quick Stats
Seymour is the mountain is the mountain where many Vancouverites first put skis on. We all remember the Goldie rope tow…. But we don’t miss it. They have fantastic terrain for all levels, but best of all, an unbeatable small mountain locals feel ideal for that ski bum of any age.
for families and kids who want to venture off on their own without their parents. Usually has the smallest lines of the three mountains.
Seymour doesn’t participate in snowmaking and receives the most natural snowfall of the three, we should just be calling it SnowMore! All bad jokes aside, you don’t have to watch out for big patches of glue snow by the cannons or have snow blasting in your face on a clear night. Seymour offers great value and every year has really good rental + lift ticket deals for people just starting out. I also can’t forget to mention that they typically have the smallest chairlift lines of the three local mountains. The terrain is fantastic for beginners and expert skiers alike. You can find some good lines on the Brockton chair and the glades found all over the mountain can be sweet on those good snow days. If you’ve got some experience in the backcountry, Seymour has some fantastic touring and snowshoe options. The terrain park is fun, creative and challenging, it’s especially loved by park enthusiasts and pros who even travel across North America to give the features a try. Getting up to Seymour can involve a potentially snowy road, or a charter bus up, something to be prepared for.
Whether you’re looking for a great family location to get Jimmy moving on his first set of planks or you want to crush a couple caribous with the fellas before bagging a new trick, Seymour’s the play!
Check out the trail map here.
Purchase a Lift Ticket.
Grouse
“The Best City Views”
Quick Stats
Grouse is the most accessible mountain of the three. It’s located right at the top of Capilano road in North Vancouver. You won’t need snow tires to get up there as the elevation at the base of the Gondola is just about never snowy. You can also take regular public transit up to the mountain so no need to shell out extra cash on a charter bus ticket. Obviously, a clear downside, you have to take a gondola up. This can sometimes create additional lines to get on the hill and get off. The one upside is If you get up early and one of the first possible Gondolas up you will have the mountain to yourself for the first hour or two of the day. On weekends, people in lessons and the race/ski clubs get priority loading at the start of the day. They have also started allowing pass holders to do so.
Grouse is the biggest tourist attraction of the three as the view is breathtaking and the Gondola itself can be a unique experience for those who have never had the chance to ride one. You’ll meet as many locals up there as you do tourists some who even ski or hike every day of the week. Pretty much everywhere from the chalet, the screaming eagle and the peak chair you can see the city in the daytime and the glistening lights at night. I would recommend doing a sunset ski at grouse If you ever get the chance, you surely will not regret it.
Grouse doesn’t have the best beginner terrain, their bunny hill is very small and the slope isn’t consistent, the next step up, The Cut is a green run that rides more like a blue so you will constantly see newcomers walking down it who couldn’t quite handle it. The advanced runs on the Olympic chair at grouse can be super fun and there is some great steeps and tree skiing to be done in the skiers far left sections. The terrain park is mint, highlighted by the cut jump line which are L and XL jumps that with amazing city views which are perfect for getting unbelievable shots. Tuesday nights and weekends the bar up top always has live music and is a great way to shut your day or week down.
Grouse is the easiest escape around, you really have no excuse not to try it once.
Now What?
So now you’ve got some intel and can better decide which mountain to visit. It’s time for the meat of the article, the real lesson, the magic rule and one and only thing all locals do which makes them love the North Shore mountains. It’s a surprisingly simple trick.
The Secret
Set Your Expectations Appropriately!
This may not have been the secret locals advice you were hoping to hear but it’s no doubt the most important when planning a ride at one of these three hills.
I love the local mountains but I always hear a lot of negativity surrounding the three. These negative experiences usually involve a couple main factors – wet snow/ice, snowmaking, crowded lines and busy slopes. Yes, all of these are true and all of these can totally ruin a ski day.
The city mountains, should not be considered resorts, and are not to be considered resort destinations – they are a convenient opportunity to punch out more days on your skis close to home without bumming it at Whistler or Revelstoke for a whole season.
I can’t stress this enough – but to enjoy a day of skiing and riding at the local hills you have to plan and set your expectations appropriately.
What to Expect
- Expect huge lines on weekends in peak riding hours (10am-3pm)
- Weather is unexpected and can be really wet
- Snow Machines will almost always be running on the main artery runs at Cypress and Grouse
- Lots of beginners and first timers
- Food and Lift tickets are expensive
- Parking lots are insane on peak days & weekends
- Snow School get priority loading, so this will slow lift lines even more on weekends
- Night Skiing is very icy if it isn’t snowing
How The Locals Do It
Most locals will have a season pass or some variation of one. Having a pass takes a lot of pressure off trying to get your money’s worth. All of the pass options at these local mountains (especially pre or early season deals) are fantastic and of extremely great value. However not all of us ski enough to get a pass, so what to do?
- Go on weekdays
- The first few hours in the morning and night skiing are always significantly quieter
- If it’s wet bring rain gear
- Have a back-up plan (if lines are crazy, maybe try nordic or snowshoeing)
- When it’s cold or snowing in the city – it’s going to be good, these are the days you don’t want to miss
- Spring time Is the best time, less crowds, lots of soft and fun snow, lots of turns
If it’s warm and raining in Vancouver it’s probably slushy or raining up there. Make sure to check the weather report. Another tip – If the resorts weather forecast says snow in the morning but the temperature is going to hover around freezing, it will most likely be rain on many parts of the mountain. Rainy days can be fun if you are trying to smash some new tricks or want to avoid crowds but can be a total bummer if it catches you unexpected.
Ok Sweet, you’ve set your expectations and you are ready to shred. So, get out there!
All three of these mountains are awesome and they each have something to offer depending upon your taste. But I assure you, if you stick to weekdays, nights and mornings and don’t get caught in too much rain you are bound to have a fantastic experience. Just remember the beauty in these mountains is the convenience and can’t be compared to larger resorts or BC’s remote smaller mountains with better snow.
What North Shore Mountain Do You Prefer?
