Ruckle Park, Salt Spring Island, 🇨🇦 - Jill Thomas

Jill Thomas is a rambler, traveler, and storyteller with a big laugh who thinks it's funny how life leads you right where you need to be, however, the roundabout path.

This is a story about a Ramble in Ruckle Provincial Park in beautiful Salt Spring Island, Canada, and an intrepid group of Sole Sisters who experienced the everyday joys of getting together in real life.

Many of us knew each other a little from living in the same small town for years. Some of us met for the first time. We are all sisters now.

Ruckle Provincial Park is one of the most beautiful places on this uncommonly pretty island. Irish emigrant Henry Ruckle first homesteaded here in 1872, marrying Ella Anna Christensen in 1877. Their descendants farmed this property for over a century and donated their land to BC Parks in 1972. A life tenancy agreement granted six family members the right to continue to occupy and farm the historic farm area.

Ruckle Farm has been in continuous operation since the late 19th century and these days is worked by Mike and Marjorie Laine. During this ramble, we saw their Fall Fair award-winning sheepdogs chasing a seemingly unusual amount of black sheep. If you know Salt Spring, you'll understand that an overabundance of black sheep, both people and animals, is what it's known for.

Mike and Marjorie's farm stand, with its homemade cookies, lemonade, local souvenirs, and flowers, is worth the trip alone. We also saw cutie pie goats, scary ugly turkeys, and a strange yet wonderful abundance of frogs.

Meandering seaside farm meadows, heritage fruit trees, and vintage Cedar fences make this farm feel more like a movie set than real life. This is the place that made me want to move to the Salty Isle all those decades ago and today is still one of my favorites.

The park contains many rambling hours of wooded trails with spectacular views of BC Ferries navigating the routes from Vancouver Island to the British Columbia Mainland. For this inevitably hilly island, the trails are manageable, with just a few ups and downs and many scenic picnic spots.

The north side route (opposite side from the campground) is less crowded and longer. We entered the path just up from the farm stand. We completed the loop in just over two hours, with a stop for lunch, and popped out again near the public parking near the day-use area. If you are visiting and want to do some hiking, this is one of the island's most scenic trails. Dogs are strictly forbidden because this is a working farm with sheep.

Conversations happen while rambling, unearthing many of the experiences and challenges we share as women in midlife and beyond. On this ramble, someone was planning a trip to Vietnam to launch her retirement. At the same time, another rambler was about to go back to college to complete an apprenticeship to become a Red Seal Baker.

Another is caring for an ill parent while testing the waters of moving across the country to live in her newly purchased dream house. One rambler recently lost 50 pounds, feels incredible, and has learned so much about her body. Another is enjoying new love and being proud of herself for being brave enough to seek it.

In-person, Sole Sister rambles are about moving our bodies, having fun, and building community. Our goal is to create a community of women with whom we can speak without fear of judgment, laugh with abandon, and accumulate inspiration. Community among women, particularly in midlife and beyond, is proven to improve your happiness, positivity, and longevity!

So, my fellow Sole Sisters, I challenge you to organize a ramble wherever you are. It need not be complicated. Pick an activity, designate a meeting place, pack some snacks and fluids, and then do something fun together.

If you're looking for ramble buddies why not join one of our Sole Circles?! Sole Circles are how our global communities get together for rambles in real life.

In the meantime, remember that when you start to ramble, the way often just appears.

READ MORE > Ramble Logs, Rambler Cafe Blog.