Walking from Duncan to Salt Spring Island
I’m on a 6-week travel nursing assignment on Vancouver Island. And, on my first day off, I decided to walk from Duncan to Ganges in Salt Spring Island. I made a short video summarizing the whole day. But, if you want to know details and practical information on how to get around, keep reading.
I started early because I’m a lark. I warmed up with a 30-minute walk from my temporary accommodations to Duncan Garage Café and Bakery. With my flat white and hazelnut chocolate croissant, I semi-planned my route and options for this lengthy walk. “Semi” because I wasn’t sure that I could finish the whole thing. It had been a while since my last long-distance feat (cycling from St. Catharines to Niagara Falls 6 weeks ago, which took me 3 hours 7 minutes). My main goal was to at least reach Crofton, then reassess from there.
In unknown territory, I suggest breaking down your route in manageable segments, in terms of time, energy and overall safety. In this case, consider ferry and sunset times, possible overnight accommodations available at each segment, and availability of non-walking options like a cab/transit.
Duncan Garage Café and Bakery → Crofton Ferry Terminal
Walk: 3 hours, 13 minutes
The first hour was easy; I was recently fed and hydrated. My phone was abuzz with family group chat messages. So, I decided to chime in with my view at the time. My youngest brother likened the view to the English countryside. I likened it to the Japanese countryside. I’ve never been to both but I’ve seen lots of those on the telly. Nevertheless, I was imagining my fictional shepherdess life.
As soon as the landscape closed in and there were less cars on the road, I sent my live location to the group chat. Look, I think most people are good but that one outlier can be fatal. Speaking of cars, I always walk on the side where I can see oncoming traffic. It’s easier to get out of the way in case somebody’s driving is erratic. And, I didn’t wear my headphones/earbuds throughout this walk. Because I was mostly alone on the road, I had to be vigilant.
With all that safety speak, I ended up hitchhiking for the first time anyway. I don’t recommend doing this. I got lucky. Quickly assess the situation and have an exit strategy. Anyway, in the supposed last hour of this walk, I saw a car back out of a driveway. The couple in the car, named Dan & Leigh, waved me over. They were headed in the direction of Crofton Ferry Terminal. I sat in the back next to their foster cat, Noodle. Noodle was being delivered to her new home. The ride was only 10 minutes long. They dropped me off at the terminal, in front of Third Wave Coffee Company. The place was busy at the time, about 20 minutes before the next ferry arrived. The place was partly a café and a gift shop. They sold crystals, incense, bags, jewelry, postcards etc. The décor was charming as well; there was a rotary phone at the cash register and a small firewood stove with a fishbowl atop.
$11.95 got me a ticket for a round-trip ferry between Crofton and Vesuvius Bay. Check this BC Ferries link for the schedule. You can buy your ticket at this terminal. However, keep in mind, the booth at Vesuvius Bay may not be open on your way back.
Crofton Ferry Terminal → Vesuvius Bay, Salt Spring Island
Ferry: 30 minutes
A BC Ferries employee yelled “you just missed the bus!” Instead of waiting for another hour, I decided to walk.
Vesuvius Bay → Ganges Marina
Walk: 1 hour, 34 minutes
I was famished and thought an hour and a half wait wouldn’t be too bad. But my full bladder painfully disagreed. Thankfully, Natsuko at Vesuvius Café decided to open the café at that time. She helped me with my predicament and fed me with a very tasty chicken samosa. A young family walked in with their 2 year-old girl. I overheard Natsuko compliment the girl’s vocabulary. She has a baby too and we talked extensively about having and not having a child. Then, I noticed the light outside changed, so I excused myself. As I was heading for the door, Natsuko recommended that I hitchhike again, in case the road got scarily narrow. The first half-hour was nerve-wracking because the road was, indeed, narrow. Closer to Ganges, pathways that were parallel but a few feet away from the road allayed my fears. I finally arrived at Ganges Marina but my relief was quickly overshadowed by my concern for time. It will get dark in a couple hours or so. Walking back to Vesuvius Bay was not an option; I was tired. I could have booked an overnight stay at a BnB but that wasn’t on the budget.
So, when in doubt, ask. I asked a couple of locals for transit options. One pointed me to the nearest bus stop. The other told me where to buy single bus tickets and day passes (The Visitor Centre, Thrifty Foods and Pharmasave have them). BC Transit runs on the island. Route 3 brings you from Ganges Marina back to Vesuvius Bay. Check this link for the schedule.
I had 40 minutes before my bus arrived so I walked around the marina. The assortment of shops was interesting: souvenir shops, grocery stores, art galleries, a seaplane check-in office. I was more drawn to the boats. I like boats. I don’t know how to sail (and sailing is one of the things I hope to learn this year) but I like that it can bring me to places not easily accessible by land or air. I’m also just a big fan of Yacht Rock music (cue Sailing by Christopher Cross).
Ganges Marina → Vesuvius Bay
Bus: 16 minutes
At the bus stop, a grey-haired woman with light blue eyes offered me a seat next to her. She was fascinating. In fact, I was so fascinated by her that I forgot to ask her name. She did share that she lives in an off-grid cabin and frequents the mainland (to my non-locals, this often refers to the city of Vancouver) to visit loved ones, especially her 9-person book club that has managed to keep itself going for close to 20 years. Impressive! They read a Willa Cather book recently, she said. That’s an author I’ve heard of but never read. In return for that recommendation, I told her about Mary Schaffer Warren from the Canadian Rockies. Wouldn’t it be nice if Schaffer’s book ended up in their book club list?
I finally caught the bus back to Vesuvius Bay. I just so happened to be on time for the wrong ferry: “Dangerous Goods Only,” a label that I overlooked on the BC Ferries schedule. At this point, I checked my walking stats. According to my Fitbit, I walked 16.16km = 16, 793 steps. Not too bad, methinks.
Back at the Crofton Ferry Terminal, I stopped at the Third Wave Coffee Company once again for a quick bite. I was rushing because it was already dark out and I wasn’t sure of BC Transit’s reliability at that time. I knew that the next bus to Duncan (Route 6) was the last bus of the day. If, for some reason, I missed that, I knew that it would have taken me a while to get home. So, I decided, to prepare myself for the worst, I should at least quickly fill myself with a bowl of beef and barley soup. I must have chugged that bowl because I finished it before the server handed the pieces of toast that were supposed to go with it. I don’t know if the look on the server’s face was one of aghast, concern or admiration. It was an excellent soup! I also thought it was kind of the server to keep the place briefly open, past their posted hours, for passengers of the last arriving ferry.
I was glad to not be the only person at the bus stop. Char shared stories of her ways of empowering and advocating for the people she cares for. If you haven’t noticed this yet, there seems to be a strong sense of community around here. They look after each other.
Crofton → Duncan
Bus: 28 minutes
The bus finally came. I overheard the driver say that buses are more frequent on weekdays. I underestimated the darkness of the valley until the bus stopped for this one girl. The driver would have missed her if she didn’t keep her phone flashlight on. I was happy to arrive in downtown Duncan but I missed the last bus to my accommodations, which meant I had to walk for another 30 minutes. This was not ideal, my friends. There were parts of that route that were simply very dark. If I were to do that again, I would not mind a longer route if it meant more eyes on the road.
I finally made it home. I felt tired in a good way. I exceeded my expectations and felt accomplished. I had an adventure, and it was special mostly because of the people I met along the way. This was also a good introduction to the islands’ topography. I will go back to Salt Spring but I will make it easier on me and my loved ones’ blood pressures next time.
Where should we go next?
Here’s a summary of practical information:
