Grouse Mountain Weekly Hike - History

Hiking "Mother Nature's Stairmaster" got me to thinking.....what person ever thought this was a"FUN" thing to do. I learned some neat history I wanted to share.

Hikers were first recorded on Grouse Mountain back in 1894 when a hunting party shot a blue grouse bird and named the mountain in the bird's honor.

It wasn't until the 1920's and early 30's, that Grouse Mountain saw the first big wave of adventurous hikers. People flocked to the mountain each year looking to reach the cabins located in the Grouse Mountain Village, at the foot of what is now known as The Cut.

The Grind was first developed in 1981 by mountaineers looking for a challenging, convenient aerobic workout to sustain them for their longer hikes. They began by following the existing British Columbia Mountaineering Club Trail (BCMC) which offers a slightly less strenuous climb, my choice for a hike over the grind any day!  People soon wanted a steeper route and about a quarter of the way up began using well-worn animal paths as their guide. The trail route was completed in the winter of 1983.

In 1996, the original cast of builders, along with a number of enthusiasts from the BC Federation of Mountaineering Club and Grouse Mountain, rebuilt the trail ensuring optimum safety and enjoyment for the high volume of hikers while maintaining the highest level of environmental protection from erosion.

Grouse Mountain Statistics today are over 100,000 people hike the trail annually.