FOREST BATHING WITH GULF ISLAND’S FAIRIES
Positive ions and mysterious doors make for wondrous walk in woods
In the mood for a little forest bathing, my wife Kerry and I make a beeline for Mount Erskine Provincial Park. Truth be told, we really didn’t even know what forest bathing was until five minutes earlier.
That’s when Janet Clouston, executive director of the Salt Spring Island Chamber of Commerce, told us this Gulf Island between mainland British Columbia and Vancouver Island was famous for it.
“Not to get too weird on you, but being in the forest affects you on a cellular level,” she said. “You just feel good. But you also get your immune system boosted from the antibiotic and antibacterial properties in the air.”
This trippy sentiment is further popularized in the bestselling book, The Hidden Life of Trees.
The nature-starved Japanese coined the term forest bathing to reflect how they soak up positivity while spending time in the woods. And Salt Spring has capitalized on the phenomena by marketing itself as the perfect forest bathing destination for greenery-seeking Japanese.
However, since the majority of tourists to Salt Spring are Canadians, Americans and Europeans, other cultures are catching on to this pastime.
Not that people haven’t been trekking and hiking in the woods for thousands of years, out of necessity and for recreation. But now it has a catchy new moniker.
Choosing to do our forest bathing on Mount Erskine is doublewhammy fun. We soak in the filtered sunlight along the Juniper loop trail, benefiting from both the exercise and the positive ions. Plus, we come across whimsical little fairy doors along the way, built into rock outcroppings and tree trunks.
Fairy doors are another of Salt Spring Island’s claims to fame. No one knows exactly how the doors came to be, but they are a heck of a tourist attraction for children and adults alike. There’s sport in spotting the doors, wonder in revelling in the myths of forest nymphs and elves, and good luck to be had making a wish on the doorstep or leaving a little gift or note.
One persistent visitor named Lola left a note at each one of the five Mount Erskine fairy doors, announcing her name and asking to meet a fairy one day.
Salt Spring is known as being offbeat, hippie, artsy, laid back, recreational, culinary, eco-friendly, luxurious and scenic. As such, we endeavoured to experience it all.
We ate Pacific halibut fish tacos on the harbourside patio of Oystercatcher restaurant in the heart of Salt Spring ’s main village, Ganges. We sampled the vintages at Salt Spring Vineyards and Garry Oakes Winery. We assembled at Vesuvius Bay for a sunset outing with Gigi Paddleboard Rentals. We patted goats and feasted on cheese and ice cream made with their milk at Salt Spring Island Cheese Co. And we canoed on Bullock Lake in front of our serene accommodation at The Cottages on Salt Spring Island.
The 50 West Coast weathered cedar-style cottages in the development are for sale from $310,000, but there are enough in the rental pool that you can also book them nightly from around $300.
Get to Salt Spring Island via ferry from either Vancouver or Victoria or take a float plane from Vancouver Harbour or Vancouver International Airport’s seaplane terminal.