Grouse Grind opened for the season!!!

Alas!!! The Grind is opened! A lot of people have been patiently waiting for it after a long winter season. It was opened to the public on June 12th. Well, not everyone waited till it's opened. Some people have already been sneaking up from the side of the fence to bypass the gate. Ray and I did it a week back and of course, there was no snow on the trail just like what everyone had been saying. I guess when it's not opened, you will be hiking at your own risk. It sure was nice to be doing it again with a few friends a couple days ago. My second time up this season sure felt harder because I went a bit faster than the first time. It's a lot harder at the 3/4 mark because the snow is still melting at the top making the trail wet and slippery. The Grind is always brutal as usual no matter how many times I've done it. Ray and I have a summit seeker card which allows us to monitor our performances over the season on the Summit Seeker program online. I really like this concept and it gives me an idea of how much I have improved over the last 3 years! A few friends and I will be meeting up every Thursdays to train ourselves for the preparation of the Grouse Grind Mountain Run Race on Sep 23, 2008.