We’re heading out of town for the weekend, visiting our son’s family on Vancouver Island. Before I go, though, some shots from yesterday’s hike up Grouse Mountain via the aptly named trail, The Grouse Grind.
That’s Pater just ahead of me, two other hikers ahead. Even on a weekday, beginning at 10a.m. the trail was steadily busy, although nowhere near as crowded as it can get on a sunny weekend.
This sign says: Looking Good, Human! Humour and encouragement were both welcome and necessary — it’s a demanding climb, if technically easy enough. Steady elevation all the way–I was giddy with relief at an almost-level 10-foot stretch of Boardwalk about halfway up…. (If you’ll be visiting the city and wonder if this hike is for you, check out the Grouse Grind website’s FAQ to get a sense of fitness level required. Worth noting that the 2.9 kilometres covered rises 853 metres. Or 1.8 miles and 2800 feet — someone has counted out 2830 steps to climb it, so an upward foot with each step. They don’t call it Mother Nature’s Stairmaster for nothing!)
Much easier to descend, with splendid views of the city below…
Yes, we took the gondola. In fact, descending by the trail isn’t allowed, for which my quads were very grateful….
Today’s outing was much easier, physically, but not without its challenges.
I think I’ve chosen, but I haven’t ordered my new frames yet. Back in this afternoon for an appointment with the optometrist. All will be revealed…
Meanwhile, I wish you all a pleasant weekend. Any special plans? ( I keep forgetting to mention that If you’re looking for a movie to watch, Pater and I very much enjoyed Maggie’s Plan)
Good for you Frances! I will never do the Grind but happy you did. I vote for glasses # 1, 2, then 3, but like all of them. I particularly like the blue/brown contrasts.
Brenda
Thanks, Brenda. I was very tempted by the fun pairs (1 and 2), but might just have opted for less attention-drawing. . .and the blue in #3 is much better than you can tell in the photo.
Looks like an impressive hike Frances, and an enjoyable day with family …good combination!
Good Luck choosing your new glasses …a task I positively dislike. Somehow I'm never confident with which style works for me …even if I take a friend or daughter for a second opinion. I hope you're happy with your choice ..I like the first pair for you, but I realise you may not!! đ
Have a good weekend.
Rosie
If you're like me, Rosie, the frames always look so different once the actual prescription is set in them. Mine's fairly heavy and changes the appearance of my eyes (they look smaller behind my prescription lenge), plus they reflect the light differently than the "filler lenses". Last time, one of my daughters helped me choose and I loved that pair but began to feel they might have suited her better than they did me!
Shopping for glasses is a big challenge…as is that Grouse Grind WOW!
I thank you for the movie recommendation as I could use a little escape right now after hearing of the violence in Nice…enjoy your weekend and while you are in town the Art Gallery has their annual Moss Street Paint In which we plan to take in…maybe we will see you there?
I found out a bit more about the Moss Street Paint-In — what a cool event, but sounds very busy! We stuck very close to our little one during the visit and didn't see much of the city and not complaining about that at all đ
Hey Frances, I'm also looking at new frames and saw some in navy and tortoiseshell! I think they all look very chic.
Good luck choosing — isn't it tough?!
Like the sound of that climb. It must be wonderful at the top! Over 2000 steps tho….scary! Good luck with the frame selection, always tricky. I chickened out recently and went for frameless! Enjoy your weekend. B x
It's a workout, the Grind, for sure!
So what does that mean, going for frameless? Do you mean you wear contacts instead? I wear contacts but also wear my glasses often. Or do you mean one of those minimalist frames — which, sadly, I can't do because of the weight of my prescription. I'm curious now. . .
Very lightweight minimalist frames. Like you I was struggling with styles. Fortunately my prescription is for long distance glasses for driving. A sign of old age. I have already got the reading glasses. I'm going to be one of those old woman rummaging around for the right glasses lol đ
ah, I know what you mean now, and I do sometimes wish I could wear those…
I like the first and third frames best. The blue is great on you! That hike reminds me of the hike up Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. Grueling but the view at 6000 feet was worth it!
6000 feet would offer a stunning view! The Grouse Grind, which is very accessible from the city (a 20-minute drive, max, from our place if traffic is good; and we could have taken a city bus to the base) is more about exercise, quite honestly, with every step adding elevation and with a fairly large core group who have passes to the gondola and who are trying to beat their personal best time. Because it's so steep and quite consistently forested, there are few resting stops on the way. There are other much pleasanter, if longer, higher, hikes around, but not many you can be up and back before lunch đ
That Grouse Grind sounds fairly intimidating. I have done smaller climbs as part of long-distance-hikes, but never anything as challenging as that! I would probably want to use my hiking poles, are they allowed on the trail?
As for the frames, I think nr. 3 looks best on you, although you may find it a bit conservative. Next choice would be nr. 1 – very unusual. Nr. 2 is a bit too large for your face, imho. Don't bother, you have probably chosen already.
I didn't bring my poles, although I remembered once we were underway that I had them in the trunk of the car. I believe they're allowed on the trail, but we didn't see anyone using theirs and I'm not sure how much they would have helped given the nature of the terrain.
#3, yes, definitely more conservative, but they still make a statement and I think will be easier to wear without feeling I have to live up to them. . .
My sister enjoys the Grouse Grind but I'm not in physical shape to do it. I never climb (Richmond). Where did you find your frames? I would like a new pair of blue frames. Glasses are expensive but I wear mine a lot. Have a happy visit!
Mme, that's a wonderful advantage of Richmond, and it would make for some great cycling, I guess, except that I wouldn't like sharing the roads with so many cars.
Yes, way too expensive, but then I think Cost Per Wear and it's not so bad.
Looks like an impressive hike Frances, and an enjoyable day with family …good combination!
Good Luck choosing your new glasses …a task I positively dislike. Somehow I'm never confident with which style works for me …even if I take a friend or daughter for a second opinion. I hope you're happy with your choice ..I like the first pair for you, but I realise you may not!! đ
Have a good weekend.
Rosie
I will NOT weigh in on the glasses…although I do like the last pair… because I am really bad at picking frames. I buy my glasses at a shop in our little village where the owner Jeff is able to pluck off a shelf of fifty frames the exact right one for me. Then, of course, I try on all the others, just to be sure, and end up back at the pair that Jeff had chosen.
Your hike looks great. Nice not to have to walk down… which is always much harder on the knees I think.
P.S. Admiring that gorgeous scarf with the striped tee. Love that combo.
I'd love someone who could do for me what Jeff does for you. My friend used to have such a fellow in Paris, and each time I'm there I debate popping in but oh, my prescription is so expensive, sadly. . .
(and thank you, I love the combo as well — it's my one and only Hermes scarf, which Pater bought for my birthday years ago, chose it himself đ
Love the exploration of your new location! So beautiful and green. A great diversion from the pain and chaos of France.
My weekend will be filled with my husband's extended family at a pool party. No swimsuit here! White jeans/denim top or a summer stripe dress.
I vote for number three.
Have a fun time visiting your son! I just sent an updated wedding guest list to mine in Seattle. Good times ahead! đ
Charlene H.
I suppose pool parties must be a regular part of social live down your way. I think I'm glad they're not, here. . . The What to Wear agony! đ
Exciting to have a wedding to look forward to. And then your trip! đ
I like No.3 best on you – blue goes with everything and the frames are both lighter and a bit edgier than No. 1. Love the neckerchief and striped shirt combo, you pull it off very well. And I'm loving your hair these days. Lucky you, wash, scrunch and wear.
Thanks, Sherrie. I'm relieved that #3 is winning a few votes. So hard to tell from my poor photos — I'll admit to being a bit shy about taking those in the shop.
And yes, I'm pretty lucky with the easy hair care!
So many beautiful things to do in and around city!
Great hiking!
I like the third,too
Dottoressa
Thanks Dra.!
I admire your fitness level. I would need lots of stops on the way up, just to admire the view of course! Descending is when I'm most likely to come a cropper, so think cable car a brilliant idea.
Choosing new glasses is tricky, they are so expensive. My new ones are frameless with thin metal blue arms. My husband helped choose and loves them, but my feeling that they are too conservative has been confirmed by the lukewarm reactions of friends. I love the colours in all three of your pics, will be interested to see the final choice.
Lilibet
Isn't it a good idea? I really dislike heading down a steep slope, especially if it's at all gravelly.
Again with the frameless (like B/Coastal Ripples above). I don't think that's an option for me. I do worry that our choice (husband influenced, like yours) may be conservative, but not sure I could live up to more dramatic on everyday basis. We'll see soon . . .
I'm definitely not getting involved in frame choosing either ! I've been known to wear a pair with a duct tape 'emergency repair' for months , rather than pick a new pair .
Your climb looks impressive and almost do-able … I'd have to build up to it a bit more , though . But if you can't go down on foot , what happens if you don't quite reach the top ? Do you just end up forever like The Grand Old Duke Of York's Men … neither up nor down ?
Ha! That duct-tape thing really works?
And you've found the flaw in those rules — true enough, occasionally, someone realises they've bitten off much more they can chew — the Japanese tourist ahead of my husband on the trail a few years ago, who found it a bit too much to manage in her heels. . . Those poor folk do end up descending, but they have to do so apologising all the way as they're moving against a fairly steady stream of uphill traffic. . . They're generally not moving quickly enough to contribute to trail erosion, at least, which is a big concern of having hikers take the trail down.
That climb looks truly challenging, yet I can imagine the thrill of reaching the top. I like frames 1 and 3 nest, though all are nice. X
Thanks, Penny. đ
Looks like a wonderful climb, and I like that you can ride down as it is much better on my knees. I don't think I am up for that kind of thing yet, but it could simply be I am discouraged by the summer heat.
I hope you had a lovely weekend. I started my first batch of sauerkraut.
Oh, I couldn't even think of climbing if the temps were above 25C and you're up in the 90sF, right?
Sauerkraut, yum! You'll soon be ready to make Dottoressa's sarma!
Am I the only one tempted to get the cable car up AND down ? Glasses buying is hard . I drop in often when I am in town , try a few frames & wander off again – forget where the nice ones were & start again – takes me forever to choose a new pair
Wendy in York
That's the spirit, Wendy! And there are many, many tourists who are clever enough to do just that. They've actually just added a feature to the gondolas — a top deck, not enclosed! (not for me, yikes!)
That hike looks lovely even if it sounds a bit intense! The views from the top make it seem pretty worthwhile. đ I spent the weekend trying not to melt in Madrid. I'm so incredibly happy to be here, though.
I have a love/hate relationship with getting new glasses. I can't wait to see what you've picked out!
Yay! You're settling in. I do want to get to Madrid one of these years, but would probably avoid it in the summer heat.