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Projects
- > Hollyburn Historic Sites Walking Tour
- > Hollyburn Lodge Renewal Project - List of Donors
- > Hollyburn Lodge Renewal Project - A Historical Perspective - Lessons Learned
- > Official Opening of the Renewed Hollyburn Lodge (January 15, 2017 - Photos)
- > Hollyburn Lodge - Thank you for being part of the future! - Jackie Swanson
- > "It Takes a Community to Build a Lodge" - Kevin Healy
- > Hollyburn Lodge Renewal Project Photos (2016)
- > Hollyburn Lodge Renewal Project Photos (2015)
- > Hollyburn Lodge Farewell BBQ - April 24, 2015
- > Hollyburn Lodge Restoration Project Timeline
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Proposed Fred Burfield's Tractor/Bombardier Museum at First Lake
- > Fred Burfield's Bombardier on Hollyburn Mountain -Vintage Photos
- > The Restoration of Fred Burfield's Bombardier - Steve Richards
- > The Restoration of Fred Burfield’s Bombardier - Photos
- > John Deere Tractors on Hollyburn Mtn - Video & Photos
- > Fred Burfield's John Deere Tractor Restoration Project – Peter Tapp
- > Fred Burfield's John Deere Tractor Restoration Project - Video & Photos
- > Fred Burfield's John Deere Tractor After Restoration - Photos & Video
- > Pioneers
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Geography
- > Howe Sound Crest Trail 2020
- > Views from the Major Summits in Cypress Provincial Park (Photos)
- > The Hollyburn Shoulder & Romstads Run (Photos & Video)
- > Hollyburn Plateau Lakes (Photos)
- > Hollyburn Plateau Lakes (Videos)
- > Hollyburn Mountain Public Access Trail
- > Hollyburn Lodge, First Lake (Videos)
- > Hollyburn Ridge Lakes (Photos)
- > West Lake (Videos)
- > Blue Gentian Lake Videos
- > Hollyburn Ridge Creeks (Videos)
- > Natural Historians at Work on the Brothers Creek Trail (July 2013 - Photos & Video)
- > Old Growth Conservancy on Hollyburn Ridge (Photos)
- > Black Mountain Plateau Lakes (Photos)
- > Yew Lake In Cypress Provincial Park (Powerpoint Slides, Photos & Videos)
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History
- > North Shore Mountains Historical Timeline (1875 - 2010)
- > Artifacts of Yesteryear (A.G.M. F.)
- > The History of Hollyburn Lodge - Don Grant
- > Hollyburn Lodge Photos (1924-1984)
- > Hollyburn Lodge Videos: "Hollyburn Lodge Through the Seasons & Generations"
- > The Hollyburn Trail (1922-1927) Articles by Pollough Pogue
- > “The Ski Camp At the ‘Old Mill’ Site” – Eilif Haxthow’s Hollyburn Journal (October 1924 - January 1928)
- > Searching for the Nasmyth Mill Site - Part 1 (Don Grant)
- > The Hollyburn Pacific Ski Club of Vancouver, B.C. - Rudolph J. Verne (1927)
- > Hollyburn Mountain Articles by Pollough Pogue (1927) & Photos from HHS Archives
- > The Swedes At the Hollyburn Ski Camp (1927 -1946)
- > The Burfield Family At Hollyburn Ski Lodge (1946 -1983)
- > History of Hollyburn Ridge - Ted Russell
- > Walks in West Vancouver - Hikes on Hollyburn Ridge (1929
- > Hi-View Lodge & the Chairlift (1951 – 1965)
- > Hollyburn Ridge Brochure circa 1954
- > 1962 Boy Scout Map of Hollyburn Mtn
- > West Lake Camp/Lodge (1932 - 1938) "The Other Side of the Mountain"
- > Westlake Ski Lodge (1939 – 1987)
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Prose & Poetry
- > "Heritage of Hollyburn – Holmenkollen (Cabin 225)"
- > "The History of the HWTC" – Bob Tapp
- > "The Bread Lady's Cabin" - Vince Hernandez
- > "Cabin Builders on Hollyburn Ridge (1930’s)" - Hal Plumsteel
- > "Hollyburn Cabin ‘North Plus Fours’ Through the Generations" - Don Grant
- > "Many A Notch In Time" - A.G.M.F.
- > "The Building of Alasker Inn" - Dick Andersen
- > "Par-a-dice Inn" - Jack Branston
- > "Youthful Days on Hollyburn Mtn – 1960’s (Part 1)" - A.G.M.F.
- > "Youthful Days on Hollyburn Mtn – 1960’s (Part 2)" - A.G.M.F.
- > "Braced for Every Season" A.G.M.F.
- > "Hollyburn Hideaways" - A.G.M.F.
- > "Cabineers" - A.G.M.F.
- > "Called To Higher Ground" - A.G.M.F.
- > "After Autumn Leaves" - A.G.M.F.
- > "Ridgeline Vignettes" - A.G.M.F.
- > "A Reverent Ode to the Outdoor Commode" - A.G.M.F.
- > "A Ramble on Hollyburn Ridge" - A.G.M.F.
- > "When A Mountain Comes to Mind" - A.G.M.F.
- > "A Fine Place to Rest" - A.G.M.F.
- > "To A Cabin In the Woods" - A.G.M.F.
- > "TWIXT TIDE AND TIMBERTLINE" - A.G.M.F.
- > "HEWN BY HAND" - A.G.M.F.
- > "On Winter At First Lake" - A.G.M.F.
- > "Hollyburn Lodge" - A.G.M.F.
- > "A Curious Encounter" - A.G.M.F.
- > Cabins
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Competitive Sports
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The Jack & Thelma Hutchinson Collection
- > The Jack & Thelma Hutchinson Collection (Page 2) Photos
- > The Jack & Thelma Hutchinson Collection (Page 3) Photos
- > The Jack & Thelma Hutchinson Collection (Page 4) Photos
- > The Jack & Thelma Hutchinson Collection (Page 5) Photos
- > The Jack & Thelma Hutchinson Collection (Page 6) Photos
- > The Jack & Thelma Hutchinson Collection (Page 7) Photos
- > The Jack & Thelma Hutchinson Collection (Page 8) Photos
- > The Jack & Thelma Hutchinson Collection (Page 9) Photos
- > The Jack & Thelma Hutchinson Collection (Page 10) Photos
- > The Jack & Thelma Hutchinson Collection (Page 11) Documents
- > The Jack & Thelma Hutchinson Collection (Page 12) Documents
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The 'Golden Age' on Hollyburn Mtn (1927/1928 & 1928/1929 Ski Seasons)
- > The 'Golden Age' on Hollyburn Mtn (1929/30 & 1930/1931 Ski Seasons)
- > The 'Golden Age' on Hollyburn Mtn (1931/32 & 1932/1933 Ski Seasons)
- > The 'Golden Age' on Hollyburn Mtn (1933/34 Ski Season)
- > The 'Golden Age' on Hollyburn Mtn (1934/35 Ski Season)
- > The 'Golden Age' on Hollyburn Mtn (1935/1936 Ski Season)
- > The 'Golden Age' on Hollyburn Mtn (1936/1937 Ski Season)
- > The 'Golden Age' on Hollyburn Mtn (1937/1938 Ski Season)
- > The 'Golden Age' on Hollyburn Mtn (1938/1939 Ski Season)
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Pollough Pogue's Hiker & Skier Magazine - Volumes 1 & 2 (1932/1933)
- > Pollough Pogue's Hiker & Skier Magazine - Volume 3 (1934/1935)
- > Pollough Pogue's Hiker & Skier Magazine - Volume 4 (1935/1936)
- > Pollough Pogue's Hiker & Skier Magazine - Volume 5 (1936/1937)
- > Pollough Pogue's Hiker & Skier Magazine - Volume 6 (1937/1938)
- > Pollough Pogue's Hiker & Skier Magazine - Volume 7 (1938/1939) Nos. 1, 2, 3
- > Pollough Pogue's Hiker & Skier Magazine - Volume 7 (1938/1939) Nos. 6, 7, 8
- > Heroes of the Harnessed Hickory (Parts 1 & 2)
- > Heroes of the Harnessed Hickory (Parts 3 & 4
- > Hollyburn Mountain
- > Grouse Mountain
- > Mount Seymour
- > Princeton
- > Revelstoke
- > Banff, Alberta
- > Pacific Northwest - Snoqualmie & Mt Hood
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The Jack & Thelma Hutchinson Collection
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Recreational Skiing
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Recreational Skiing In Cypress Provincial Park
- > Historic Ski Runs On Hollyburn Mountain
- > Recreational Skiing on Hollyburn Mountain - 1920's & 1930's (Photos)
- > Recreational Skiing on Hollyburn Mountain - 1940's (Photos)
- > Recreational Skiing on Hollyburn Mountain - 1930's, 1940's, 1950's (Videos)
- > Recreational Skiing on Hollyburn Mountain - 1950's & 1960's (Photos)
- > Recreational Skiing on Hollyburn Mountain - 1970's (Photos)
- > Historic Ski Runs On Mount Strachan (Photos)
- > Recreational Skiing On Black Mountain (Photos)
- > Recreational Skiing On Grouse Mountain (Photos)
- > Recreational Skiing On Mt. Seymour (Video & Photos)
- > Recreational Skiing Near Princeton, BC (Photos)
- > Recreational Skiing On Mount Baker (Photos)
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Recreational Skiing In Cypress Provincial Park
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Hiking
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The Trail to Hollyburn Peak (Photos & Video)
- > Lake Country on Hollyburn Mountain
- > Historic References to Yew Lake (Cypress Lake) - 1920's
- > Yew Lake & Black Mtn
- > Howe Sound Crest Trail Part 1 - Mount Strachan
- > Howe Sound Crest Trail Part 2 - Strachan Meadows to West Lion Peak
- > Howe Sound Crest Trail Part 3 - West Lion To Deeks Lake
- > Mt Brunswick Peak from Porteau Cove circa 1940 (Varsity Outdoor Club)
- > Hiking Near Grouse Mtn
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Garibaldi Provincial Park
- > Explorations In Garibaldi Provincial Park - 1930's
- > Garibaldi Provincial Park: Around Garibaldi Lake
- > Garibaldi Provincial Park: Elfin Lakes & Diamond Head
- > The Black Tusk
- > "The Brandvolds of Diamond Head" - Irene Howard
- > Brandvold Family Reunion At Diamond Head Chalet – September 15, 2007
- > Garibaldi Provincial Park Hike Videos - Summer 2019
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The Trail to Hollyburn Peak (Photos & Video)
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Cypress Now
- > Cypress Creek Lodge
- > X-Country Skiing & Snowshoeing Videos
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Snowshoeing Photos
- > Snowshoe Trails To Hollyburn Lodge
- > Ancient Giants & Marr Giant Connector Trail
- > Ridge Traverse Trail
- > Ridge Fall Line Trail
- > Far East Trail
- > Upper Glades Loop Trail
- > Public Access Trail to Hollyburn Peak
- > Snowshoeing On the Black Mtn Plateau
- > Snowshoeing On Mt. Strachan
- > Howe Sound Crest Trail To Bowen Lookout & Binkert Kiosk
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Hiking Photos & Videos
- > Cypress Provincial Park Map - Section 1 (West)
- > Cypress Provincial Park Map - Section 2 (East)
- > 10 Minute Trail to Hollyburn Lodge (March 2013 - Photos)
- > Hollyburn Lodge via the Westlake Road & the Main Trail (April 2013 - Photos)
- > Brothers Creek Trail to the Junction with Crossover Trail (April 2013 - Photos & Video)
- > Brothers Creek Trail to the Junction with Blue Gentian Trail (April 2013 - Photos)
- > Brothers Creek Trail - Crossover Trail Junction to the Upper Falls (July 2013 - Photos & Video)
- > Baden-Powell Trail to the Snowline (May 2013 - Photos)
- > Views of Lawson Creek along the Baden-Powell Trail to the Crossover Trail (May 2013 - Photos)
- > Crossover Trail on Hollyburn Ridge (June 2013 - Photos & Video)
- > Trail to Blue Gentian Lake & the Baden-Powell Trail from the Upper Brothers Creek Bridge (October 2013 - Photos)
- > Blue Gentian Lake to Hollyburn Lodge via West Lake (November 2013 - Photos)
- > Descent of the Fire Access Road In WV's Upper Lands (July 2013 - Photos))
- > Upper Brothers Creek Trail to Lost Lake (July 2013 - Photos)
- > Views of Small Lakes & Ponds along the Unknown Lake Trail (August 2017 - Photos)
- > Hollyburn Peak via the Powerline Trail & the Plateau (July 2013 - Photos)
- > Hollyburn Plateau via the junction of the Baden-Powell Trail & the Old Strachan Trail (July 2013 - Photos)
- > Old Trail to Mount Strachan - Part 1 (August 2013 - Photos)
- > Old Trail to Mount Strachan - Part 2 (August 2013 - Photos)
- > Black Mountain (July 23 - Photos)
- > HSCT East - Trailhead to Binkert Kiosk (July 2013 - Photos)
- > HSCT - Binkert Kiosk to Mt. St. Marks (July 2013 - Photos)
- > HSCT Trail (Summer 2017 & 2018 - Photos)
- > Partners
- > Site Map
A Volunteer's View of the 2010 Winter Olympics
(In this article, “Cypress Mountain” refers to the company that runs the ski facilities on Mt. Strachan, Black Mountain, and Hollyburn Mountain. The Olympic venues were located on Black Mountain.)
Like many people in Canada (and indeed throughout the world), I watched the live broadcast of the Closing Ceremonies for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. In his stirring speech that night, John Furlong made reference to Cypress Mountain: “For many of you who toiled behind the scenes no thanks will ever be enough. You took on a stubborn mountain with all your might. The result, Blue Jackets -1, Cypress Mountain Weather - 0. You were tested again and again and reminded us all every day that there is no force that can sustain itself against the full thrust of a determined human heart.”
Even now these words stir strong emotions in me.
I was a radio operator in the Cypress Mountain Venue Communication Centre (VCC) during the Olympics and was in a position to observe firsthand the heroic efforts of paid staff and volunteers to preserve the fields of play, run the snowboarding and freestyle skiing competitions under conditions that were often described as “worst case scenario,” and meet the needs of thousands of spectators. My role was to support Event Services personnel by monitoring conversations, relaying information, and answering questions related to spectators on the EVS 2 radio channel. Another Event Services volunteer looked after the EVS 1 radio channel. Other radio operators were assigned to radio channels dedicated to general operations, mountain operations, medical services, and ‘fields of play’.
The VCC was located in a heated trailer near Cypress Mountain Lodge and was equipped with a large HDTV screen that allowed the radio operators to monitor live feeds from all the Olympic venues as well as the CTV and NBC broadcasts. At times we had to deal with a flurry of activity and some difficult situations. More often than not we sat there waiting a long time for the next radio call. Unlike the majority of staff and volunteers who had to work outside we were always warm and dry.
On Saturday, February 6, during my first daytime trip to “Cypress Mountain” as a volunteer, the security forces were very much in evidence. It was an orientation and training day for the hundreds of police officers and soldiers who were responsible for keeping people safe from terrorist attacks. Overhead, helicopters carried loads of snow and bales of hay to the fields of play on Black Mountain. The following Monday, the armed forces were not so visible as most of them were on patrol somewhere in the mountains. The helicopters still dominated the skies.
Early in the morning on February 12, I had the opportunity climb up to the snowboard stadium and watch tiny figures and machines at work on the half-pipe and the snowboard/ski cross racecourse. Before me was a blank page on which history was about to be written.
During the next two weeks, four gold and two silver medals were won by Canadian athletes on Black Mountain, including the first gold by a Canadian on home soil (Alexandre Bilodeau – men’s moguls) and the first gold by a Canadian woman on home soil (Maelle Ricker – women’s snowboard cross). The radio operators in the VCC were not able to be in the stadiums to witness these events but certainly heard the loud, sustained cheers from the spectators. During our breaks, some of us did manage to make brief trips to the stadiums and watch qualifying heats.
Getting to and from “Cypress Mountain” was an adventure in itself. Those of us living in West Vancouver first had to drive east to Capilano College where we parked our cars and boarded a bus that took us back west along Highway 1 and then north up to the Olympic venues. I would make a point of engaging my seatmate (different every trip) in polite conversation. After our bus had made the turn off Highway 1 onto the Cypress Bowl Road, I would ask if they knew anything about the history of Cypress Mountain. Without exception they answered, “No.” I then felt it was my duty as archivist/historian for the Hollyburn Heritage Society to rectify the matter by generously sharing my knowledge of the local mountains with the captive audience sitting beside me. Sometimes their eyes seemed to glaze over and I felt it prudent to change the subject.
When I wasn’t up at the VCC on Cypress Mountain, my wife, Anna, and I would often head over to Vancouver to soak up the Olympic ‘buzz’ in our beautiful city. We spend hours riding the SkyTrain and walking around the pedestrian-only streets chatting with locals and visitors. We were very blessed to have a number of incredible ‘blue-sky’ days while the world was watching the events in Vancouver and Whistler.
Anna and I were at the intersection of Burrard and Robson on February 28 when Sidney Crosby scored the winning goal during the men’s ice hockey final. There were well over 120,000 people on the streets of Vancouver that day. The cheering seemed to go on forever. We heard later that people were out cheering in villages, towns and cities all across Canada.
That evening, during the Closing Ceremonies, John Furlong said, “If we were once the few we are surely now the many. That quiet, humble national pride we were sometimes reluctant to acknowledge seemed to take to the streets as the most beautiful kind of patriotism broke out all across our country . . . . Canadians, you joined each other and our colourful international visitors in common celebration - radiant, jubilant, spontaneous, peaceful. For us you were the wind beneath our wings. You did not just cheer - rather you lived every glorious moment as if you yourselves were competing for gold. You were the bench strength we had hoped for - the difference makers at these Games.”
Some people say that the 2010 Winter Olympics changed Canada. In small but important ways, they certainly changed me.
Donald Grant - April 23, 2010