Bender on South Pender

Saying goodbye to the beautiful Galiano Inn. A comfortable place!

Our morning ride to Pender Island

Then it was up and at ’em and on to the next adventure on Pender Island. David, the captain, came to pick us up in our water taxi from Boot Cove Boat Marine and we headed across to Pender and Morimers Spit. A spit is apparently where you exit and board a boat where there is no dock. (!)

We walked around from The Spit and climbed (a common thing) up to a beautiful vista overlooking South Pender Island, enjoying a small picnic and the view.

Our hike on South Pender Island

Our picnic spot for lunch before the climb down

Then we started the trail down to the beach. We noticed on the way up that there were warning signs denoting “steep trail.”

The trail

Ok. That’s ok. We were just on a rugged trail two days before in Ruckle Park, right? The walk down was a little harrowing, climbing down rocks that were, um, straight down. Straight. Down. But the water and trails below looked great. Which they were.

We finally made it to the bottom, and yes, the walk below was incredible. Steady, stable, level and through some beautiful beachside. Which, by the way, in the wet trail areas, featured some of the most luscious black mud I have ever seen. (Gardeners would appreciate that.) Green grass, majestic cedars on either side and that trail of rich, black mud. It was startling in contrast.

Black mud. The pictures don’t show just how dark and rich it was.

The picnic and camping area

The beach at South Pender in the cove

Also startling in contrast was our hiking ability with what we were about to meet for the climb up.

So, we’re meandering along, knowing we have to go back up, and come across this sign with one of those drawings they have in lieu of words. This one showed the hiker falling backwards off three little lines denoting the hillside. Someone had written “Falling Zombies” underneath it.

Uh-oh.

We took a deep breath, knowing there was no way to go but up, and Kim says, “There’s nothin’ fer it, Mr. Frodo.” And so we set up. And up. And we finally reached the top and then it was fine! It actually didn’t take as long or seem quite as difficult as we had thought. (A lesson for facing life’s challenges…)

We then even took another hike up another winding, bending, biiiiggg cliffside for another incredible view. Then, it was back down and around to Mortimer’s Spit, where we had to meet David, our captain, and climb back into the boat. (I have spared everyone the embarrassment of seeing that in pictures.) We rode by water over to Saturna Island, where we are for the next two days.

An arbrutus tree, highly prized (and protected) by artists for its dense hard wood

David, our captain for our boat tour and also our chauffeur to the Saturna Inn

The Pub on Saturna — a most welcome site when we got off the boat and walked up the ramp

A peek of sun from the porch at The Pub

Our walk from The Pub to the Saturna Inn. Yes, it was also uphill and about two miles.