Though it was still a really cold night here last night, -9C, the forecast is calling for a change next week and today it was rising to 0C. Next week Angie is coming out to visit for five days and we would like to take her snowboarding one day hence we wanted to drive up to Cypress Mountain, both a provincial park and a local ski resort on the north side of the city to see what they have to offer. Last night, Ian left his car here so they could drive home together with Makai and we were going to drop it off for him on our way. Karley, Ian and Makai were going on an outing to the Pacific Centre downtown and to visit with friends but we managed to have a short visit before we all went our separate ways.

From Karley and Ian's place, we drove downtown, through Stanley Park and over the Lion's Gate Bridge to North Vancouver. We stopped at Lonsdale Quay to pick up a few groceries at one of the many fruit stands and for a quick lunch. When we sat down to eat, we shared a table with a lady and her two sons, both avid snowboarders, who shared with us their opinions of the three different local ski resorts. It was good to get some info from some locals about the pros and cons of Grouse Mountain , Cypress Mountain and Mount Seymour .

The drive up to Cypress Mountain is only about 20 minutes from Highway 1 and certainly convenient. As we climbed, the snow got deeper and we were able to stop at a lookout to see the view. There was a very obvious amber haze, which apparently lingers above the city; evidence of pollution and apparently 35% of it is from vehicle emissions! As we reached the top we could see by the many parking lots, that Cypress Mountain is a popular destination. It was certainly a major contrast from the "mountains" in Ontario and providing the weather holds out, a good option for us while Angie is here.