Cycling Salt Spring

When a friend invited me to go on a cycling adventure to Salt Spring Island to take in the Saturday Farmer’s Market, all I really knew about the island was a multitude of artists, artisans and authors call it home, including Robert Bateman and Arthur Black. I think there’s more creators than trees living there. Since I’ve always enjoyed perusing galleries and wineries, I said “yes”.

We met ridiculously early in downtown Victoria at 5:45 am so we would be able to make the 7:00 am sailing to Fulford Harbour. Anyone who travels the Galloping Goose and Lochside trail knows how peaceful it is. We cycled through a still quiet and low lying fog soon burned off in the rising sun.

I was tired by the time I hit the ferry. It had been awhile since I’d cycled any distance. I just sat and slipped into a peaceful reverie to watch the view slide by during the 50 minute boat ride – until the ship’s captain blasted the horn and scared the shit out of me.

When we boarded the boat, we had been directed to park our bicycles in the bow of the ship they could let us off first. I don’t know what their logic was since all the cars had to manoeuvre past us and we spent a nervous five minutes on a steep and narrow road from the exit ramp hoping Salt Spring Islanders were capable drivers. But as we pushed up the hill out of Fulford Village, my legs started really burning and I found myself hoping they weren’t.

We decided to take the more scenic route, so at the fork in the road at the top of the hill, we turned right onto Beaver Point road. We were relieved to leave the traffic behind. The next phase of the biking journey surprised me because I hadn’t realized how long this portion of the ride would be. My food stock was long gone when we came across an honour stand with home-made cookies at the top of a hill just past Stowell Lake. The cookies and the view were excellent. I left behind all my spare cash and a few crumbs.

We followed Beaver Point Road to Cusheon Lake Road to Beddis Road which finally brought us back to Fulford Ganges Road. From there it was a relaxing cruise into the village and we finally arrived

By this time, we’d been travelling for over an hour and the cookies weren’t going to hold us so we stopped in at the Tree House Café on Purvis Lane for lunch. This café is quite literally a giant converted tree house and it was also an excellent introduction to foodie culture on the island. Breakfast being my favourite meal, I was delighted to find out they served it until 4:00 pm. I ordered the Tree House Breakfast followed up by the Muesli Goat Cheese Ball. My partner decided to have lunch and enjoyed a Roasted Yam Burrito.

After our meal, we made our way to the Salt Spring Island Saturday Market in Centennial Park. It was just past eleven and buzzing. The vibrant art community was on display and artisans were confidently hawking their wares. This scene belied my notion that artists move to Salt Spring to find peace and tranquility.

The market’s rule state vendors must “make it, bake it or grow it.” Nothing’s imported. Some of Canada’s best artisans live here crafting jewelry, woodwork, paintings and pottery – and then there is the food! I was especially delighted with the cheese. Salt Spring Island Cheese makes delicious goat cheeses. While I detest goats (that’s another story), I’ve never met a goat cheese I didn’t like. So I bought some blue and feta and wrapped them in a cold pack for the long trip back home.

The fair continued until 4:00 pm, but we decided to get an early start to beat traffic. We packed up and cycled out of town at around 2:45 pm. Now we were faced with biking back up the hill out of Ganges – payment for the long cruise into town. It tested of our fortitude, but we made it.

I wanted to hit the Salt Spring Winery for a tasting tour, so we stayed on Fulford Ganges Road and arrived at the winery at 3:30 pm. Their tasting counter sported a selection of wines produced largely from their own local, organic grapes and fruit.

My cycling partner liked the Blackberry Port. They called it “essence of blackberries.” Once they told her it goes extremely well with chocolate, she bought one bottle, then tried to bribe me into carrying a second bottle. Unfortunately for her, I’d already bought a bottle of Evolution Red and I was at my carrying capacity.

I guess I needn’t have worried about it because once we settled down for a picnic to rest our tired legs, we proceeded to eat most of cheese and drink all the wine. Absolute utopia.

Afterwards, we ventured on down the hill and slowly meandered along Burgoyne Bay Road to the shoreline. There’s a long wooden dock and we sat there awhile to finish the rest of the cheese while taking in the bay overlooked by Mount Maxwell  – tree shrouded, except for the last seven hundred feet of rock wall up to Bayne’s Peak.

An aside: I found a fascinating archive from the Daily Colonist dated September 10, 1922. It’s an accounting of climbing the rock face of Maxwell Mountain by Captain Horace Westmorland and companions: http://goo.gl/zVFVEr

We left to catch the 5:50 pm boat back to Swartz Bay, then biked on to Victoria. When I finally bid my companion adieu and arrived home, the joy of accomplishment gave way to an exhaustion only a day of sun, wine, cheese and exertion brings. I hit my bed and slept so soundly I missed my alarm the next morning.

Salt Spring is an enjoyable day trip no matter what mode of transportation you take. But if you go over by car, please keep an eye out for exhausted bicyclists – especially if they’re a little wobbly from drinking the local wine!

Mathieu Powell is Vancouver Island Now’s  representative for marketing and advertising for the Great Victoria area.

Mathieu Powell.
Writing Impacts.