Spending time in nature
is good for our health.
Hi. I’m Richard Philpot, the island adventurer behind
SGI OUTSIDE
I reside on Pender Island and have explored B.C.’s spectacular Southern Gulf Islands since 2001, logging 40,000+ kilometres walking and hiking, 4,000+ nautical miles kayaking, and several thousand kilometres biking.
In SGI OUTSIDE, I do my utmost to provide you with interesting and accurate information and entertaining stories about the BEST OF OUR NATURE.
Please go slow, look around, be kind, and have fun!
This photograph was taken in years past on a multi-day kayaking trip in the Inner Islands.
In 2001, I had the good fortune to make a friend of Salt Spring Island’s Charles Kahn, avid hiker and paddler, and author of Hiking the Gulf Islands of British Columbia (now in its 4th Edition). Charles and I hiked and kayaked many kilometres together in the SGI, as well as trekking the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail. Thanks, Charles, for showing me around in those early days.
In 2005, 2006, and 2007, my wife Lisa and I published a magazine called Exploring The Best (ETB), in which I shared my opinions of the best human-powered outdoor activity spots in the Southern Gulf Islands (defined as The Penders, Salt Spring, Mayne, Saturna, Galiano, and the Inner Islands), that could be reached from North Pender Island by BC Ferries or alternative watercraft. ETB was the impetus for my comprehensive travels in the region: on foot, by kayak, and by bike. Exploring The Best ceased publication, but I continued to revisit the trails, viewpoints, and paddling and bike routes profiled in ETB, over and over. Along the way, I’ve had a wonderful time learning about the extraordinary natural world in the Southern Gulf Islands.
