 Poster: A snowHead
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I am fortunate enough to find myself with a free day on a trip to Vancouver at the end of next week. So, my question is should I head for a single day's skiing to:
a) Cypress Hill
b) Mount Seymour
C) Grouse Mountain
Have a car so distance no issue. Could, ostensibly, combine some or all of the above options!
I am probably best described as a strong intermediate skier and starting to enjoy playing off-piste. Have yet to ski double diamonds but would think a single diamond run is ok (as black runs in Europe generally fine).
Very grateful to any  replying
Bonne année
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Whistler or if you really want off piste Mt Baker
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@Dave of the Marmottes, Whistler for a day trip? Bit of a hike surely?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Thanks for swift replies, Whistler not quite on for day top plus it's MLK weekend.....
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@geetee, guess the Vancouver are currently out enjoying the conditions! Will check that thread and also add a 4th option:
d) Manning Park
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| Snowsartre wrote: |
| @geetee, guess the Vancouver are currently out enjoying the conditions! |
Too cold, too much snow! 
(Though I do have to go skiing up Seymour tonight, which is likely to be a little chilly!!)
You can do Whistler in a day without too much trouble, if you can start out early enough.
Cypress does indeed have the most terrain of all 3 of the N.Shore mountains, and is also the most "alpine" like, but also is the furthest - Since I live at the other end of the N.Shore (Mt Seymour), I always think by the time I've driven there I might as well have driven a bit further and gone to Whistler!
Grouse has the next most, then Seymour. All 3 are fun in their own different ways.
I have a season pass for Seymour mostly because it is only 10-15 minutes drive from my house, and my son trains there in the week. I'm not sure I recall skiing there for a whole day though. It was great last week with a ton of powder, and all sorts of little fun places to go
Grouse is easier to get to if snowing since you park at the bottom and get the skyride (tram) up the hill. It has a few interesting steeper runs.
Cypress is actually on 2 mountains (neither of which are Cypress Mtn!) so has quite a bit more terrain than both of the others.
No real double blacks as such on any of these mountains, but plenty of options for off piste, and ducking through the trees/glades - don't go out of bounds though as the topology of the N.Shore Mountains is pretty unforgiving.
As @geetee says, Manning park is a bit of trek. Hemlock is closer. Not been to either though so no idea what they are like.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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What he said. You can do Whistler on the bus for a day trip, but I would do cypress with a car, or grouse on public transport. You can do cypress on the bus too but it's more complicated.
Minus 30 in the valley today, but inverted so still good high up. Highways still sporting.
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Get up early and do Whistler.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Snowsartre, minor point - Cypress Mountain not Cypress Hill, although both are known to smell strongly of weed.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I always thought it was Cypress Mountain? Website (and the t-shirt bought when there last time) certainly indicate as such 
Anyway, from my limited experience I preferred Cypress to Grouse both in terms of terrain and variety, but very much depends what you are after and as pointed out Grouse is a lot easier to get too (I got the bus there last time I was in Vancouver downtown). Never done Seymour.
Also worth considering is what day you'd go, presumably the weekend? Perhaps someone else can give an idea which of the three is busiest with weekend crowds.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks for advice thus far. Mount Seymour has a ton of snow and more forecast, but consensus from replies is definitely Cypress hill. Any local got a view?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I'm not local, by I'm sitting in the bar at cypress right now taking a rest between the sunny day riding and the floodlit stuff to come. What can I tell you? Great snow, no untracked, but on and off piste all good. Food is Canadian canteen style with no decent coffee: it's not that funky. 30 minus drive from the waterfront Fairmont. Opens at 9, no real netted to get here then although it was soft have. Temperatures,
mild to me, maybe 5 below. Great views of the city. Not busy. Ticket 66 bucks, you can probably do it cheaper if it matters. Good beginner segregation. Looks like the local kids ski school starts late afternoon.
All city hills are in the same area: they get the same snow. There's another storm forecast, for the weekend. If temps stay cold all these places will get it. If you want fresh tracks then you need to ride in it as the city is here, so there is competition. That's also true of Whistler.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| philwig wrote: |
All city hills are in the same area: they get the same snow. There's another storm forecast, for the weekend. If temps stay cold all these places will get it. If you want fresh tracks then you need to ride in it as the city is here, so there is competition. That's also true of Whistler. |
Sort of...
East (Seymour) tends to get more I believe, but Grouse and Cypress have snow-making to give it a boost.
Anyhow, think you'll be fine with Cypress for a day. If you get some sort of super freaky heavy snow day, go for Grouse as you don't have to drive all the way to the top (note both Seymour and Cypress you have to drive up a designated mountain highway so you'll need winter/M-S marked tires)
If you don't want to drive (or are going at the weekend when it can get a bit busy, esp if it snows a lot more), I think there is a Cypress shuttle bus that goes from downtown somewhere and Lonsdale Quay (Seabus ride to the N. shore).
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Fri 6-01-17 3:10; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Just do Whistler.
Get the hammer down and leave early. It is 2hrs.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Yeah, the seabus gets to Lonsdale Quay from downtown (right here, in fact: waterfront), and you can catch a bus to either of the bigger hills from there. Been there, done that. The cafe at the bus station is good. I have done that in snowboard gear carrying only my boots - they have lockers at both hills so you can lock your shoes up whilst you ride, if you're careful like me (otherwise they're likely safe enough). No one bats an eye as you stride through downtown Vancouver in ski clothing.
Cypress was excellent today, I rode from first lift at 09:00 through about 17:00. The City people turn up after work, it seems. This was shot around 16:30 I think. Both hills (the one you can see and the one I'm on) are floodlit. I'm about half way from base to summit. Mixed ability here, but there's a very separate part for novices/ families which keeps the speed control all in one place. Pretty much tourist free: they're mostly very sheep like.
That's an unedited camera snap, but it looked pretty much like that to me. If I could have been bothered to take my goggles off (I *never* take them off until I'm done) then I would have shot slightly left of there and you could have seen the golden city. In the morning it was silver. To the right is water too. It's a privilege to ride here in good snow - it doesn't happen that often.
And now for some fine dining and a little city life.
The storm sounds like it's coming sooner than advertised. Currently minus 8 at Cypress base and plus 1 in Vancouver.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Yeah the one day I don't carry a decent camera.... the visuals were great this morning too.
---
Pictures, this is my approach:- Put the picture somewhere you can get it with a URL. FB will do.
- Type any old text then press "preview".
- Paste the URL in the preview window (doesn't work in the standard box)
- Wrap the URL with IMG open and close tags
- Press "preview" again and it's done.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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That's one of my favourite views anywhere @philwig, looking right to Howe Sound too is great from the mountain.
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@geetee,
Great, I'll give that a go - I'm not down with kids when it comes to all this new-fangled technology lark!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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and now I've got the hang of it, here was Seymour last Tuesday
(and yes it was really cold - nearly got frostbite taking this!! Brrrr!!!)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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FAQ
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