Bicycle the Gulf and San Juan Islands

Island Template, '10' is most desirable

Island:	island name
Access:	how easy is the ferry schedule, from Tsawwassen
Difficulty:	how easy are the hills ("1" is difficult)
Days to easily spend:	how many days to see everything
Accommodation:	how easy to find camping. (close to eats?) most have B&B
Enjoyment:	how enjoyable, mostly scenery

In general, B&Bs are everywhere, although their prices seem a little high to me, and I am not intimately familiar with them. Campgrounds are less common, and you may have to plan for them. Food is not that big a problem, as most islands have little stores and restaurants all over that you can ride to. In September, the best time to go, the biggest problem will not be with finding space, so much as places may be closed.

In the fall, the blackberries, which I love to devour, are ripe and plentiful on most the islands. The traffic is generally very light, except during ferry departures, and the days are usually really sunny and warm. The only drawback is that the days are shorter, so it gets dark early.

Gulf Islands:

Galiano, is like the liquor, long and narrow, but very tasty. The island is not that busy, and in low season there are few amenities. The ferry docks at Sturdies Bay, which is almost the commercial centre. There is a neat pub up the road a bit, at the road's fork, and grocery stores nearby. Keep to the left, and you will go up a steep little hill, and then go down to Montague Harbour, where there is a very nice provincial park and campground. The government charges $8 per night though, as are all the provincial campgrounds, so that is a minor piss off.

If you want to eat out, there are restaurants nearby, or you can ride back to the pub. There is also a little store down by the Montague Harbour dock.

A ride up the island is essential, and at the end is North Galiano, with a little store and restaurant which is open in high season. Prior to reaching the store, at the Bodega Hill, is a turn off to the right up a steep hill, past a little hotel/B&B, which eventually leads you through a little gravel pit, and then on down to the campground at Coon Bay, which is pure paradise, especially at sunset. It is one of my favorite places on the whole coast. There is a beach, which is rare in the islands, and you can go for a walk out along the shore to the lighthouse, or around the little island. Before you go up north, check for the restaurant being open, as you may have to take food from Sturdies. I once spent two hungry days up there before I returned.

On the return, you can bypass Montague Harbour and go straight through the island's middle, back toSturdies.

Mayne does not have much going for it for biking, as the road does not go near the shore much, and is fairly hilly. Also, there are no campgrounds.

There are, however, two little townsites, and a lighthouse. Miners Bay is touristy, and has a funky 100 year old hotel, along with some good restaurants.

Saltspring has three ferry docks, so access and egress is the best. There is also a large community at Ganges. There is only one campground, at Beaver Point, and it is very beautiful, but far from towns, stores, and restaurants, so this detracts from its utility. They also charge $8. This campground is on a little peninsula, and is the one that you can see from the big ferry.

The roads are narrow, steep, and busy, so biking is not that good. The fastest way to get to Saltspring is to take the main ferry to Sydney (buy a through ticket), and take the Fulford Harbour ferry, both which are frequent. You can then take the Beddis Road shortcut, which is much less busy, and lower elevation. There are good restaurants in Fulford and Ganges, but I have not been in the north, to Vesuvius etc.

I think that visiting Saltspring is a little paradoxical, in that a primary reason to visit the islands is to escape to solitude, but many people seem to find Saltspring enjoyable.

Pender island has one ferry dock, at Otter bay, and like Saltspring, may be fastest accessed through Sydney. This is arguably, my favorite island(s), as everything is available and easily accessible. There is even a golf course. Pender Island is North Pender Island and South Pender Island, although they are really not naturally separate, as a canal was built between them a long time ago. Near this canal is a little sand spit that is nice to lay on. On South Pender, is Bedford Harbour, which has a little resort, and marina. It is at the bottom of a steep mother little hill. At the south island's road's end is a neat little beach, which has big kelp beds nearby where you can see seals and otters, octopi and jelly fish, including man o' war. Also, the view out across the straight to Waldron Island is neat, and ocean freighters pass close by.

The North Island has more to see, and that is where the camping is. There is Prior Provincial campground, which is dark, damp, and in the big trees, but Port Browning is the preferred place to stay. Port Browning is an all inclusive resort and marina with camping, on the grass, and cabins. There is a pub right there, and a big beach.

Just up the road, is a little shopping centre, so all your amenities are very close. Also, you can take a short circle tour around, and see Port Washington, which is small, but funky.

The San Juan Islands:

I would like to go to the islands again, but I am boycotting the Americans, as they have hassled me so much at the border. At the Sydney ferry, the American border bitch (ABB), checked all my wallet and wondered if I had enough money beside my three VISA cards, including the gold one. They are too paranoid for their own good.
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Island:	San Juan
Access:	4
Difficulty:	8
Days to easily spend:	2
Accommodation:	7
Enjoyment:	7

San Juan Island is a little like Saltspring, in that it is very busy. The ferry terminal is at Friday Harbour, which has all the amenities for the tourist, especially those with a full wallet. Friday Harbour is neat, and there is a state campground and beach at San Juan County Park, which is the preferred place to stay. There are some more parks, including a big one at American Camp, where they had some war shit with the British in 1811.

This is the steepest mother of all islands. In fact, Peggy beat me up Mount Constipation (Constitution), which at 735 m, is a good little ride. The view at the top is well worth it. The ride down can be really exciting on the pavement, or through the bush. The mountain is in Moran State Park, which has many trails, but I do not know how many are open to bikes.

The ferry terminal is at Orcas, where there are restaurants and stuff, but no camping. I usually can find a field to camp in several kilometres from the terminal, but I keep hidden, as the yanks are worried about trespassing all the time, and have all the signs (and guns) to show. Canadian landowners tend to prefer blackberry brambles, which are totally impenetrable. The main town is at Eastsound, and is fairly large, with anything you may want, including many restaurants.

To camp, you must go farther, up the hill to Moran State Park, which is a full fledged camping affair. Up the mountain road a way, is the walk in campground, where I have usually not paid in September.

Farther on down the road, is Olga and Doe Bay, which are two funky places. Doe Bay is like man, a hippy hang out, and they rent cool toy shit like kayaks there. I do not really recall any public beaches on Orcas.

Lopez is a favorite island, and is almost a table top. The island is primarily agricultural, and also has many bunny rabbits. The best campground in all the islands is at Spencer Spit, and the town has really good restaurants. Spencer Spit has walk in camping right on the beautiful and long beach, and is a relaxed place to hang out. There is also a campground right near the ferry dock, where the ferry guy could pick up CFOX really well. There used to be a real neat 100 year old general store in Richardson, at the island's south end. It was on the American historical places list, but it burned down several years ago.

Shaw has a ferry terminal run by nuns, and that's about it for excitement, although you could get off and ride around, then wait for the next boat sometime.