Your Cypress Mountain day itinerary
From a(n) (ex)season-pass holder
Ok fine so I’m not a Cypress Mountain seasons pass holder anymore, but I used to be and I was a happy one. Now that I have a 9-5 job, it’s hard to fully utilize a seasons pass, but I still love Cypress Mountain and this is how I spend a full day on the slopes.
Cypress Mountain is, in my opinion, the best local mountain in Vancouver for intermediate(+) skiiers and snowboarders. If you’re a beginner skier or snowboarder who wants a bunny hill, then really any mountain will do.
Some big points on why I prefer Cypress over other local mountains such as Grouse or Seymour:
- Drive-up parking (at Grouse you need to take a gondola up)
- Much bigger, much much bigger – this means more runs, more lifts, and more parks (Grouse still has the best terrain park)
- Nature view (Grouse and Seymour will give you city views and lights, but not waters and mountains)
- Back-country access if you’re into that
- Value for price (Seymour is the cheapest)
Cypress can get busy, especially on weekends and hopefully this post will help you plan out your day so you get the most value.
Before the day
Car arrangements
I would only drive to Cypress. Ever. If you were planning on transiting, please re-think of even going skiing or snowboarding, or go to Grouse Mountain, which is more transit friendly.
I usually go up to Cypress with 4+ people. Sometimes this requires several vehicles but first and foremost I would definitely sort out who in your group falls into these categories:
- Has snow tires (yup, this person is the driver)
- Owns equipment
- Needs to rent equipment
- Is a beginner (will need to stick with someone who is not)
Based on who owns equipment and who needs to rent, you’d be able to sort out how to split up the equipment. One of you may own a rack that can hold equipment on top of the vehicle. Others may have a bigger trunk, etc. Equipment owners should ride in the same vehicle as their equipment and renters can be squeezed into another car if necessary. Location matters too – choose to be in a vehicle that can pick you up easily.
Buying a ticket
You can save money on tickets through a variety of (legitimate) ways:
- Buy a lift ticket online: Save up to 20% off on a full day lift ticket on Cypress’s website. This will be $62.99 for adults before taxes. The % discount decreases as you get closer to the day of.
- Buy a gold medal card: If you plan on visiting Cypress multiple times in the season, but not enough to make a seasons pass worth it, consider a gold medal card. It’s $89 and comes with one free lift ticket. You save 20% off each ticket then after (or more if you purchase online).
- Buy a Mountain Sky card: If you plan on skiing or snowboarding for exactly 3 days in the season, this could be a viable option for you. It’s $199 for 3 days of lift ticket valid for any three days within the season and get 20% off each ticket then after.
- Buy a Costco voucher for Cypress: Buy a Costco voucher for $80 and receive $100 credit at Cypress. This is eligible for downhill lift tickets, snowshoe, tube park, rentals, lessons, food and drinks.
Packing
Make sure you bring these things (if applicable):
- Equipment (skiis + poles, snowboards, helmets, goggles).
- Ski jacket.
- snow pants.
- Whatever you decide to wear underneath your jacket and pants, I recommend sports or fleece leggings, long underwear, or water-resistent hoodies and sweaters.
- Another pair of shoes to change into (will feel like heaven)
- Ski mask (highly recommend)
- ong thick socks.
- Gloves.
- Backpack if you plan on carrying water, snacks or music. (Please don’t wear this if you are a beginner – you may have trouble getting on and off lifts if they ask you to take it off).
- ID, credit or debit card.
- Vaseline.
- Cup noodles for lunch (hot water is free).
The day
Departure
This is a 1-day itinerary for the weekend with a group of 4+ people. Based on this, unfortunately I would recommend your wake-up time to be 6:00 am (if you’re the first person getting picked up) and to depart from the last pick-up stop by 7:00 am.
We like to stop by the North Vancouver McDonald’s for breakfast right before we drive up to Cypress Mountain.
Arrival
Lifts open at 9:00 am but arrive by 8:00 am. There will be lots of walking in the dark with your equipment if you do not arrive early and get a spot in the main two lots. If you’re not in the main lot, there is a bus that will pick up people to the lodge. The last bus back to the lots will be 7:00 pm.
Whoever is bringing all the cup noodles can consider paying $8-10 cash for the VIP parking lot right in front of the lodge. Everyone else can park in the normal lots, preferably close to the left hand trail where you can ski or snowboarding directly back to your car from the Eagles lift.
Put on your gear in the parking lot, walk to the lodge so people can go to the washroom if needed. Pick-up tickets at the windows. People who are renting equipment should go straight to the lodge instead of waiting for everyone to put gear on.
Runs
A couple of quick tips on connecting from different runs:
- You can access the Eagles lift from the end of Humpty Dumpty (blue run off of Lions lift). This is a smooth way to ski or board directly down one run to another lift.
- The Ravens lift is only open until 3:00 pm, so make sure you visit it before that time. It is accessible halfway through Panorama (green run off of Eagles lift).
- The Sky Chair lift is also only open until 3:00 pm. It is accessible right before Humpty Dumpty off the Lions lift. I highly recommend you take the Sky Chair lift at 3:30 – 4:30 pm for sunset.
Lunch
Eat whenever you want but try to either take an early lunch (before noon) or a late lunch (after 1:00 pm).
Ski lessons are separated into AM and PM classes. AM classes end at 12:00 pm and that’s when you see the swarms of children return to their families, who have been hogging a table inside the lodge since 9:00 am. PM classes resume at 1:00 pm.
Again, I would recommend bringing a cup noodle of your choice since hot water is free, but I do like their clam chowder and french fries from the cafeteria. Gold medal card members also get a discount on food.
Finished
If you’re skiing or snowboarding all day, it’s a good idea to take breaks. The latest I stay is probably 6:00 pm. Depending on when you leave, someone may ask to buy your day pass off of you for cash. This can be afternoon riders (afternoon tickets start at 2:00 pm) or night riders (night tickets start at 5:00 pm).
If you parked in the first lot, you can ski or board directly down the trail into the parking lot either through Panorama (green run) or Maelle Rickers (blue run) – they both connect at the end. Just take the Ski Out (green) trail before you reach the Eagles lift or the lodge.
If you’re leaving from the lodge, you’ll have to take off your gear and carry it back to your car. Once you reach your car, you’ll take off all your gear and finally slip your feet back into the comfy shoes you brought.
Enjoy your ride down the mountain, find a nice place to eat a hearty meal and thank your driver.
Sincerely, Loewe