Bike-Hike-Bike-Hike-Bike

Nine days, three Southern Gulf Islands, on Island time. Kirsten adjusts her Fitbit’s exercise mode several times each day as we hop on and off our bikes to explore the parklands of Saturna, Galiano, and Mayne.

A quirky charm — Saturna Island

The ferry has a snack bar, but it is closed because the cash register isn’t working. Saturna’s pub is closed today due to staff shortage, but lucky us: it’s Taco Tuesday at the pop-up food stand outside our accommodation, Saturna Lodge, a rustic property built in the 1920s as a mill manager’s house.

About half of Saturna Island is parkland, protected under the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve and other preservation initiatives. Saturna is home to a small, close-knit community (350-465 full-time residents), who practice the Saturna Wave as a rule of etiquette. This less-travelled, most-easterly of British Columbia’s Southern Gulf Islands provides an excellent immersion into Island Time.

After cycling 35km from downtown Victoria to the Swartz Bay terminal, we arrive Saturna on September 1. Our daughter Kirsten and her husband Willy are with us on this nine-day trip, during which we experience the flexible and unhurried approach to island life, enjoy quiet nature, and meet unique and interesting people (a professor, a politician, a pilot, several writers, several hippies, and outdoor adventurers).

Paul warns us: “Our island has hills. Big ones.” The road to Mount Warburton Pike, where the Brown Ridge trail begins, is not cycle-friendly: four kilometres of steep, narrow, windy gravel. Willy rides up and down this nasty road, suffering only a few scrapes as proof of adventure. Doug, Cathy, and Kirsten rely on the accommodating and knowledgeable volunteer driver Paul, who kindly shuttles us up and down to the Brown Ridge trailhead in the Lion’s Community Shuttle Service van. This shuttle service, supported by donations, is greatly appreciated by us car-free visitors.

Saturna has two finger-like main roads that are scenic and fairly cycle-friendly – if you can handle shoulderless roads, potholes, and a few killer hills. Traffic is light (except when a ferry arrives), but for safety we wear high-visibility vests; on or near ferries we are regularly asked for directions, as people assume we are ferry workers.

The Missing Link is a long, steep stretch (sustained grade of up to 20 per cent) that connects the two main roads and provides an opportunity to test the battery modes and brakes on our electric-assist bicycles.

The road to Narvaez Bay is the shorter (24 km, return) of the two main roads, but it is a lumpy, bumpy ride, with the paved portion (one-third) actually worse than the gravel. Leaving Kirsten and Willy to tackle the Monarch Head Trail (moderate to difficult, 2.5km), we return to relax on the deck chairs in front of the General Store, slurping our $5 cans of soda. The pub is open for dinner today, and it’s lucky we have cash, because the credit card machine is down. We return to our lodge as a special event, a 90th birthday party, is winding down.

The longer (and better-maintained) main road leads to East Point Park (34 km, return), where visitors wander while waiting for pods of orcas to pass by. No whales appear today, but we do see seals, sandstone, an owl, and an apple tree.

Winter Cove, our final Saturna stop, is a picturesque little park with a nature trail loop and views of Samuel Island and a narrow tidal channel, Boat Passage.

Peace, kelp, and a broken spoke — Galiano Island

Galiano is a long, skinny (6km at its widest), rustic island, with more people and more amenities than Saturna. “Galiano has been discovered” and “Yikes! A Greyhound tour bus has been spotted” we are told, but we find peaceful trails, community spirit, and a laid-back vibe.

Montague Harbour Marina is buzzing on the Saturday of Labour Day weekend, as we switch from pedalling to paddling gear in preparation for our Experience Galiano Day Tour, designed for “intermediate paddlers or adventurous beginners.”

Chessi leads us on this informative, six-hour tour that explores the islets north of Montague Harbour, then crosses over to the sandstone cliffs of Galiano. Intertidal creatures are not very visible today, because we have come at an exceptionally high tide. Still, there is a lot to see. Sleeping seals, sculpted sandstone, and clinging kelp crabs are highlights. It’s a satisfying but full day, and Willy actually uses Turbo (the highest level of battery-assist) on the bike ride back to Robin and Arbutus, our cottages at Driftwood Village.

Sunday we divide and conquer. Doug’s bike has a broken spoke, so we head to Nathan’s bike shop, leaving Kirsten and Willy to find peace – and a huff-and-puff workout – at Tapovan Peace Park, created by community volunteers. A stone staircase leads to a ridge with a viewpoint and a statue of Sri Chinmoy, to whom the Peace Park is dedicated. Along the trails are quotes on peace, life, and happiness, which inspire while allowing Kirsten and Willy to catch their breath.

Many thanks to Nathan, Galiano’s resident bike mechanic, who is able to replace Doug’s broken spoke at his open-air shop. Cathy doesn’t want to tackle Nathan’s steep, gravel driveway, so she waits at the side of Porlier Pass Road, studying the Little Library. During the one-hour bike repair, every local driver stops to ask if she needs help.

Spoke replaced, we rendezvous with Kirsten and Willy and proceed to the headquarters of the Galiano Conservancy Association. On our kayak tour, Chessi mentioned the work of the Conservancy and suggested we check out their network of interpretive trails. We create our own loop, part Tranquility Bluff Trail and part Millard Learning Centre Forest Garden and Wetlands Loop. This ends a successful but not-too-difficult Sunday; there’s even time for Kirsten and Willy to play badminton.

Viewpoints, cronuts, and a Japanese garden — Mayne Island

Have we saved the best for last? Mayne Island is smaller, more compact, and more residentially developed than Saturna or Galiano, but Mayne has a calm, super-friendly vibe. The roads, though hilly, are in good shape, and our cabins at Blue Vista Resort are charming and well-equipped.

The South Island Loop (13 km) is “a masochist’s delight” according to John Crouch’s Cycling the Islands. Pedal-assist helps but does not eliminate the need to huff-and-puff uphill on Gallagher Bay Road, Marine Drive, and Mariners Way. Doug, Cathy, and Kirsten cling to the brake levers on those 20+ per cent descents, but Willy embraces the downhills, registering a top speed of 58.5km/hr. That seems frighteningly fast, but just imagine: Tour de France riders regularly hit downhill speeds of 80 to 100km/h.

The Japanese Memorial Garden is the highlight of the South Island Loop. In the 1930s one-third of the island’s residents were Japanese. These settlers were displaced during the internment of Japanese Canadians during World War II. Their contribution to the island’s heritage is honoured with this immaculately-maintained garden, built by locals on land that once belonged to a Japanese family.

Historic Georgina Point Lighthouse, the arbutus grove at Edith Point, and the stroll to Campbell Point: three panoramic viewpoints on the North Island Loop.

Both the North and the South cycling loops allow for stops at well-stocked Tru-Value Foods and the Sunny Mayne Bakery, famous for its flaky cronuts (croissant-doughnut pastries).

On departure day we stop to see the Giant Arbutus on the Lowland Nature Trail at Mt Parke Regional Park. After nine days on Island Time, it’s a culture shock as we return to the congested Lochside Trail on busy Vancouver Island, which we rename The Big Island.

Photo credits: Doug and Kirsten