Activity date: 2 January 2011
Cost: $210 (lift passes and equipment rental for three people)
Energy level: 8/10
Grouse Mountain is an amazing little ski field within the city limits. You park below the snow line, then take a gondola up to the snow.
The boys have had two 2 hour ski lessons. While they were having their second lesson, I decided to re-learn snowboarding. In the time before kids, I was a moderately proficient snowboarder, but it's been almost ten years since I have been on the snow. I did a two hour lesson, with an excellent instructor.
On Sunday we got up early and headed to the mountain for a full day of skiing. We spent 1.5 hours on the bunny slopes, mostly so I could practice some skills, but also so we could figure out how to ski together. The boys tend to zoom straight down the mountain, which makes it difficult to keep an eye on them.
We had lunch at the lodge, then headed off to The Cut, a nice wide green slope. It was a gorgeous sunny day, with spectacular views of the city. The boys needed some reminding to practice turning and to keep together, we had a blast. They were most impressed by my snowboarding "moves".
As the afternoon wore on, the crowds got bigger and bigger. For our last few runs, late in the afternoon, the wait for the chair lift was almost 30 minutes. I asked some locals if that was typical. They said it wasn't surprising for a sunny Sunday, but that it was worse than they remembered seeing it.
By the time we had returned our rental equipment, it was 4:30pm. The boys played in the snow in an area where people have worn grooves in a slope for sliding down on your back. Then it was time to join the line for the gondola back down the mountain. A staff member was walking up and down the line with a vat of hot chocolate strapped to his back. He handed out free cups as we waited. The sun was setting, and it was already quite dark. They were lighting a fire in a fire pit next to an improvised ice-skating rink. It was very magical.
The next day, I have a bruised butt and kneecap, and sore arms (from breaking my fall) but I am otherwise unscathed. Thing One has sore quads. Thing Two seems completely ache-free. They both woke up at 6 am and started playing video games.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Stanley Park / Vancouver Aquarium
Activity date: 1 January 2011
Cost: $0 (Aquarium members)
Energy level: 3/10
I have always said that my #2 career choice is Marine Biologist. This may be due to excessive viewing of Jacques Cousteau documentaries during my impressionable earlier years, rather than a full understanding of what marine biologists actually do. Still, it no doubt explains why we head off to the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park every six weeks or so.
This particular day, it was quite cold (for Vancouver). We walked 2.5 km along the sea wall, stopping to stomp on icy puddles.
That satisfied the destructive urge, then we headed to the playground until we were all frozen, then into the Aquarium. We saw all our old friends. The octopus was hiding in his cave. The jellyfish looked lovely. And Thing Two enjoyed watching the electric eel through the dome. They had placed electrodes in the water so that when the electric eel zapped, it caused the lights on a Christmas tree to flash.
Cost: $0 (Aquarium members)
Energy level: 3/10
I have always said that my #2 career choice is Marine Biologist. This may be due to excessive viewing of Jacques Cousteau documentaries during my impressionable earlier years, rather than a full understanding of what marine biologists actually do. Still, it no doubt explains why we head off to the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park every six weeks or so.
This particular day, it was quite cold (for Vancouver). We walked 2.5 km along the sea wall, stopping to stomp on icy puddles.
That satisfied the destructive urge, then we headed to the playground until we were all frozen, then into the Aquarium. We saw all our old friends. The octopus was hiding in his cave. The jellyfish looked lovely. And Thing Two enjoyed watching the electric eel through the dome. They had placed electrodes in the water so that when the electric eel zapped, it caused the lights on a Christmas tree to flash.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Catapults at White Rock, BC
Activity date: Christmas Day 2010
Energy level: 2/10
Cost: $0
We go to White Rock quite often in summer. Every second store along the waterfront sells ice-cream or sorbet. In the winter, most of the ice-cream stores are closed. But this particular day, we had a plan.
We took a picnic and half a dozen rubber bands. Our goal was to find ways to launch pebbles into the ocean. As we were heading out the door we met some neighbors. It was raining quite hard, and they were puzzled when I told them we were going to the beach. I explained that where I come from, that's what you do on Christmas Day. They pointed out that we're in the Northern Hemisphere now.
By the time we got to White Rock, the rain had stopped. It was a cool day, with no wind.
We tried using the rubber bands to fling stones, and searched for Y-shaped sticks to make catapults. You never seem to be able to find one when you want one. We found a few good candidates.
The most effective catapult system resembled a child's teeter-totter: a piece of driftwood for the pivot, and a strip of wood placed across it. Place a rock on one end, weighing it down. Drop a larger rock on the end of the wood that's sticking up in the air.
Later we went bouldering along the rocks from the pier to the small beach to the north. Both boys are quite agile, but there were some scrapes and bruises along the way.
Energy level: 2/10
Cost: $0
We go to White Rock quite often in summer. Every second store along the waterfront sells ice-cream or sorbet. In the winter, most of the ice-cream stores are closed. But this particular day, we had a plan.
We took a picnic and half a dozen rubber bands. Our goal was to find ways to launch pebbles into the ocean. As we were heading out the door we met some neighbors. It was raining quite hard, and they were puzzled when I told them we were going to the beach. I explained that where I come from, that's what you do on Christmas Day. They pointed out that we're in the Northern Hemisphere now.
By the time we got to White Rock, the rain had stopped. It was a cool day, with no wind.
We tried using the rubber bands to fling stones, and searched for Y-shaped sticks to make catapults. You never seem to be able to find one when you want one. We found a few good candidates.
The most effective catapult system resembled a child's teeter-totter: a piece of driftwood for the pivot, and a strip of wood placed across it. Place a rock on one end, weighing it down. Drop a larger rock on the end of the wood that's sticking up in the air.
Later we went bouldering along the rocks from the pier to the small beach to the north. Both boys are quite agile, but there were some scrapes and bruises along the way.
Kite flying at Garry Point Park, Richmond, BC.
Activity date: December 2010
Energy level: 3/10
Cost: $0 (We already had kites).
It was a miserable wet Saturday, but that's what raincoats were invented for.
We headed off to Garry Point Park in Richmond. We walked around the perimeter of the park, observing a bald eagle perched on a navigation buoy. It was holding a fish in its talons and tearing hunks off to eat. A brave crow was harassing it but the eagle seemed unconcerned.
The rain stopped. It was still cold and very windy so we got the kites out of the car, assembled them, and flew them. The first spot we tried, the kites kept crashing to the ground. We realized we were partially sheltered by some trees so we headed towards a large red sculpture where the wind was uninterrupted.
We had much better success flying the kites. Thing One was having trouble controlling his kite, so I looped the string through a notch on the reel. Then I took off my belt, looped it through the handle of the reel and around his waist. Now he could fly the kite without fear of letting go.
The wind was quite strong and surprisingly tiring as the kite pulled against the belt.
Thing One had a trick kite which he was causing to dance about in the air but occasionally it would crash into the ground.
After a while we were cold and numb so we retreated to the car to eat hard boiled eggs and PB & honey sandwiches.
Energy level: 3/10
Cost: $0 (We already had kites).
It was a miserable wet Saturday, but that's what raincoats were invented for.
We headed off to Garry Point Park in Richmond. We walked around the perimeter of the park, observing a bald eagle perched on a navigation buoy. It was holding a fish in its talons and tearing hunks off to eat. A brave crow was harassing it but the eagle seemed unconcerned.
The rain stopped. It was still cold and very windy so we got the kites out of the car, assembled them, and flew them. The first spot we tried, the kites kept crashing to the ground. We realized we were partially sheltered by some trees so we headed towards a large red sculpture where the wind was uninterrupted.
We had much better success flying the kites. Thing One was having trouble controlling his kite, so I looped the string through a notch on the reel. Then I took off my belt, looped it through the handle of the reel and around his waist. Now he could fly the kite without fear of letting go.
The wind was quite strong and surprisingly tiring as the kite pulled against the belt.
Thing One had a trick kite which he was causing to dance about in the air but occasionally it would crash into the ground.
After a while we were cold and numb so we retreated to the car to eat hard boiled eggs and PB & honey sandwiches.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Beach clean up
Activity date: 11 October 2010
Energy level: 2/10 (followed by 6/10 at the playground)
Cost: $0
We were visiting in friends in Seattle the weekend of a big beach clean up in Vancouver. I had meant to volunteer our family.
Today the boys and I decided to do our own beach clean up. We went to Cates Park in North Vancouver and filled one plastic bag each. The tide was in most of the way, so there wasn't much beach.
It was surprising how little garbage there was. Mostly hunks of polystyrene, aluminum cans and coffee cups.
Then we foraged for end-of-season blackberries, had a snack, and hit the playground.
Energy level: 2/10 (followed by 6/10 at the playground)
Cost: $0
We were visiting in friends in Seattle the weekend of a big beach clean up in Vancouver. I had meant to volunteer our family.
Today the boys and I decided to do our own beach clean up. We went to Cates Park in North Vancouver and filled one plastic bag each. The tide was in most of the way, so there wasn't much beach.
It was surprising how little garbage there was. Mostly hunks of polystyrene, aluminum cans and coffee cups.
Then we foraged for end-of-season blackberries, had a snack, and hit the playground.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Goat mountain
Activity date: Early October 2010
Energy level: 9/10
Cost: $0
We made it to the top of Goat Mountain!
It was a lovely Fall day -- 23 degrees C, and sunny. As we rode the gondola up to the Grouse Mountain recreation area we passed through a layer of low cloud that made me wonder whether it was prudent to go hiking in the woods, but the cloud was just passing. The entire day was lovely. I actually got slightly sunburned.
We followed the Alpine Ridge trail from Grouse Mountain. When we signed in at the trail head, there were notes from hikers that there were two bear cubs and a mother bear on the trail. We kept our eyes open, but did not see them.
The trail is rugged but the boys and I were full of energy. There were some good spots to stop along the way and forage for blueberries.
After an hour and half of scrambling over rocks and tree roots, the trail leveled out. We were on a ridge, skirting the crater around Kennedy Lake. We stopped to admire the view.
The signs said we were about 1km from the summit but what they didn't say was that the rest of the hike was vertical. There were even a few chains installed to hold onto while climbing the rocks. Our trusty trail guide book says the final ascent is 120 meters.
I think that my reassurances that "we're almost there" will never be given any credence in future. But we made it to the top -- a rocky mesa with spectacular views in all directions.
Thing 1 and Thing 2 are in excellent physical shape but this is by far the most grueling hike they have ever done. I was hiking in boots but they were only wearing sneakers. The trail was wetter than it had been on our previous adventures, and some of the rocks were slippery. Next season they get their own hiking boots. Several older hikers were impressed to see a six and eight year old tackling the mountain.
On the way back, they still had plenty of energy although Thing 2 stumbled several times. They were hoping for a treat from the concession stand in the touristy area at Grouse Mountain but it was just after 5pm when we got back and the stands were closed.
I always tell the boys to keep a look out for deer on the side of the trail. There was a deer casually grazing in the touristy area, oblivious to the tourists with their cameras.
We had to wait in line approximately 20 minutes for the gondola back down the mountain, then we headed off to the nearest Scottish restaurant to scarf down some dinner.
The boys slept well and were none the worse for wear the next day.
Energy level: 9/10
Cost: $0
We made it to the top of Goat Mountain!
It was a lovely Fall day -- 23 degrees C, and sunny. As we rode the gondola up to the Grouse Mountain recreation area we passed through a layer of low cloud that made me wonder whether it was prudent to go hiking in the woods, but the cloud was just passing. The entire day was lovely. I actually got slightly sunburned.
We followed the Alpine Ridge trail from Grouse Mountain. When we signed in at the trail head, there were notes from hikers that there were two bear cubs and a mother bear on the trail. We kept our eyes open, but did not see them.
The trail is rugged but the boys and I were full of energy. There were some good spots to stop along the way and forage for blueberries.
After an hour and half of scrambling over rocks and tree roots, the trail leveled out. We were on a ridge, skirting the crater around Kennedy Lake. We stopped to admire the view.
The signs said we were about 1km from the summit but what they didn't say was that the rest of the hike was vertical. There were even a few chains installed to hold onto while climbing the rocks. Our trusty trail guide book says the final ascent is 120 meters.
I think that my reassurances that "we're almost there" will never be given any credence in future. But we made it to the top -- a rocky mesa with spectacular views in all directions.
Thing 1 and Thing 2 are in excellent physical shape but this is by far the most grueling hike they have ever done. I was hiking in boots but they were only wearing sneakers. The trail was wetter than it had been on our previous adventures, and some of the rocks were slippery. Next season they get their own hiking boots. Several older hikers were impressed to see a six and eight year old tackling the mountain.
On the way back, they still had plenty of energy although Thing 2 stumbled several times. They were hoping for a treat from the concession stand in the touristy area at Grouse Mountain but it was just after 5pm when we got back and the stands were closed.
I always tell the boys to keep a look out for deer on the side of the trail. There was a deer casually grazing in the touristy area, oblivious to the tourists with their cameras.
We had to wait in line approximately 20 minutes for the gondola back down the mountain, then we headed off to the nearest Scottish restaurant to scarf down some dinner.
The boys slept well and were none the worse for wear the next day.
The rocket
Activity date: August 2010
Energy level: 2 / 10
Cost: $6 (vinegar and baking soda; the rocket was a gift).
Thing 1 got a rocket for his birthday last year. It sat in his closet until he rediscovered it recently.
The rocket gets its propulsion from a familiar chemical reaction -- the CO2 released when you combine vinegar and baking soda. We headed off to the supermarket to buy our fuel then went to lower Hume Park in New Westminster to launch it.
Conditions were perfect, and there were not too many innocent bystanders. We organized our equipment and made sure we looked stylish for the "before" photo.
You pack the baking soda into the base of the rocket, pour vinegar into rocket, push the rocket down on the base, shake two or three times, set it upright then run!
Our first few attempts fizzled. The baking soda plus vinegar reaction was obviously taking place, but all we saw was bubbles fizzing out the side. We had to tighten some seals and try again a few times before our first successful launch -- a modest two meters.
After some trial and error we realized that we had to thoroughly clean the base of the rocket before pouring in more baking soda. There was often a gooey mixture of baking soda and vinegar left. The vinegar would quietly react with the fresh baking soda before we really intended the reaction to start.
Our most successful launch was perhaps five meters high. We all took turns shaking the chemicals and placing the rocket ready to launch.
Energy level: 2 / 10
Cost: $6 (vinegar and baking soda; the rocket was a gift).
Thing 1 got a rocket for his birthday last year. It sat in his closet until he rediscovered it recently.
The rocket gets its propulsion from a familiar chemical reaction -- the CO2 released when you combine vinegar and baking soda. We headed off to the supermarket to buy our fuel then went to lower Hume Park in New Westminster to launch it.
Conditions were perfect, and there were not too many innocent bystanders. We organized our equipment and made sure we looked stylish for the "before" photo.
You pack the baking soda into the base of the rocket, pour vinegar into rocket, push the rocket down on the base, shake two or three times, set it upright then run!
Our first few attempts fizzled. The baking soda plus vinegar reaction was obviously taking place, but all we saw was bubbles fizzing out the side. We had to tighten some seals and try again a few times before our first successful launch -- a modest two meters.
After some trial and error we realized that we had to thoroughly clean the base of the rocket before pouring in more baking soda. There was often a gooey mixture of baking soda and vinegar left. The vinegar would quietly react with the fresh baking soda before we really intended the reaction to start.
Our most successful launch was perhaps five meters high. We all took turns shaking the chemicals and placing the rocket ready to launch.
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