Grouse Grind open but no gondola service available on Canada Day

Update: Grouse Mountain has confirmed the Grouse Grind is open on Canada Day, despite the trail being listed as “closed” online.

Hikers who choose to spend Canada Day conquering the Grouse Grind will not be able to use the Skyride gondola to get back.

A statement on the Grouse Mountain Resort website blamed “required Skyride maintenance” for the lack of gondola service Monday. 

According to social media posts, the gondola stopped working on Sunday – leaving many hikers stranded at the top of the mountain.

One Reddit user said staff “seemed confused” during the incident, and were handing out free beverages while the crowd waited for the Skyride to begin operating again.

“Hung around for a few hours eating and hanging out before we gave up and hiked down,” the poster wrote. “Really bad scene. It was super slippery and there were tons of people trying to do it in bad footwear, with little kids, elderly people.”

Witnesses also reported there were firefighters and other first responders called to Grouse Mountain to help injured people get back down during the outage.

Grouse Mountain recently decommissioned one of its two Skyride gondolas, and is in the process of replacing the remaining one with a new “state-of-the-art” lift system, which is expected to enter the testing phase this fall.

The upgraded gondola – which will include 27 eight-person cabins – is expected to open this winter.