VANCOUVER
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鈥楾his is the place you really want to run through,鈥� advises my soft-spoken hiking partner, stepping up our already brisk pace on a rare stretch of nearly flat ground. 鈥淵ou save about 20 seconds, which can be a lot.鈥�
These aren鈥檛 the words I鈥檓 expecting to hear from the 73-year-old retiree who has graciously welcomed me on one of his early-morning treks up Vancouver鈥檚 notorious Grouse Grind.
Terry Byrne is no ordinary septuagenarian. He holds the second-place record for most ascents of the well-known trail 鈥� not to mention a commanding first place in his age category 鈥� having made nearly 1,700 trips up the infamously gruelling 2.9-kilometre mountainside trek.
The Grind, as it鈥檚 known locally, is a popular but demanding trail located right on the city鈥檚 back doorstep.
It鈥檚 6:30 a.m. and Byrne鈥檚 showing me the ropes on tackling the more than 2,800 strenuous steps to the summit.
Freshly cut yellow cedar stairs and railings 鈥� the most recent addition to the trail 鈥� infuse the crisp morning air with a sharp, delicious aroma, while the guttural thrumming of the hike鈥檚 namesake bird pulses out on occasion from the undergrowth.
Peering at the verdant canopy held up by towering old-growth trees, I鈥檓 momentarily distracted and slip on loose rock, which, along with jutting roots and the occasional set of wooden stairs, makes up most of the route.
鈥淐adence,鈥� Byrne offers, red-capped head bobbing with each stride.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to keep one, two, one, two. And know if you do this steady, you鈥檒l be there in an hour.鈥�
By 鈥渢here鈥� he means the Grouse Mountain chalet. It鈥檚 the end point for Grinders 鈥� a colloquial term for the hike鈥檚 tight-knit community of regulars. Many of them 鈥� Byrne included 鈥� enjoy flashing cards at timer stations at the trail鈥檚 beginning and end to record their speed and total number of treks. Today is hike number 1,695 for the energetic old-timer, who genially refers to his punishing pastime, launched about a decade ago, as nothing more than 鈥渁 walk in the park.鈥�
But the Grind, sometimes called Mother Nature鈥檚 Stairmaster, is a formidable exercise that can spell serious trouble for the unprepared. Metro Vancouver estimates up to half-a-million people tackle the trail annually through its May-to-October season, with 25 to 30 evacuations taking place during that time. Reasons for emergency responses range from sprained ankles to fatalities, such as a mid-hike heart attack that claimed the life of a 55-year-old man earlier this month.
Still, the Grind has never been more popular, drawing thousands of locals and visitors alike with its easy access to sa国际传媒鈥檚 stunning outdoors.
鈥淸It鈥檚] just the majesty of being amongst these trees,鈥� Byrne muses as he hauls himself up what has quickly become a nearly 45-degree incline.
鈥淭here are trees over here that are 500 years old 鈥� big monsters, as wide as this trail,鈥� he says, extending his sinewy arms to their full reach.
I wheeze at him in what I hope comes across as thoughtful agreement. The tops of railings and the occasional section of otherwise grizzled bark on trail-side trees are polished smooth through years of caresses by sweat-sodden hands.
Suddenly we break through the foliage and squint into the glaring sunshine at the trail鈥檚 end. Byrne pulls ahead in his bright blue sneakers and prances up the steps at the chalet鈥檚 base, where he flashes his card at the timer station.
An expansive view of the Lower Mainland greets us, with Vancouver鈥檚 glut of gleaming downtown highrises bordering the enclave of green that is Stanley Park, appearing small at our 1,127-metre vantage. The ocean is a sparkling sheet of electric tinsel reaching across to Vancouver Island, which is visible through nebulous wisps of cloud.
As we make our way to the gondola that will take us back down to the base of the Grind, Byrne is already talking about hiking up again.
鈥淚 plan to do the grind about twice today,鈥� he says, boyish eagerness painted on his face. 鈥淚t might be three. It just depends how [I] feel.
鈥淚 could go all day, actually,鈥� he adds, grinning.
Of that, I have absolutely no doubt. After all, he has a record to defend.
鈥斺赌斺赌�
If You Go...
Consult Grouse Mountain鈥檚 website for information on the Grouse Grind: https://www.grousemountain.com/grousegrind
