VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

Have you even been to Nitinat Marty?

Newest plan

I think the expansion will alleviate some pressure - yes Marty. I might go there a little more if there is a better selection of camp sites. Now if people are booking a whole season by leaving a rig in one location it's not going to bother people as much. And yes I agree with Luke, for sure the launching will be spread out as a result. It's a much needed expansion to a playground for a growing sport. LV is getting ridiculous now with crowds on the beach and water, and many people from Tarifa, but at least people here can push along south beach or spread out to the less desirable beaches where at Nitinat they couldn't. Now they can a little more. Hey while we are at it, how can we access that beautiful beach across from the river mouth? That deactivated road could be reactivated too for little cost. I will still be hugging the big Sitka spruce trees and I'm sure most will remain.

Interesting observation here: Generally speaking from this very small sample, it seems that kiters are for the expansion and windsurfers are not. hhmmmm

thankgodiatepastafobreaky wrote:I might go there a little more if there is a better selection of camp sites. ......LV is getting ridiculous now with crowds on the beach and water......while we are at it, how can we access that beautiful beach across from the river mouth? That deactivated road could be reactivated too for little cost. .......

Soooo.....Do you actually hear yourself?

thankgodiatepastafobreaky wrote:I will still be hugging the big Sitka spruce trees and I'm sure most will remain.

....like the dead stub at the entrance and all the others that are either dying or dead now from people driving on their roots or making fires at the bases? You are either joking or totally oblivious

And last but not least:

thankgodiatepastafobreaky wrote:Interesting observation here: Generally speaking from this very small sample, it seems that kiters are for the expansion and windsurfers are not. hhmmmm

Brilliant observation! I have the answer: it is BBQ Charcoal!! Do you remember the day we went to your sister and Rob's and we were in the store and for some reason I had my wallet out and you just had to have that bag of BBQ briquettes? When later we got there, not only did you not need it, you never even used the BBQ and most of all you didn't even remember it, just went on to your next thing....the bag I regularly trip over in my shop ....what, 5 years later?....because I can't stand just wasting it by throwing it out.

I grew up sort of poor and in a concrete jungle, not privileged like some of us and used to the wonderful wild spaces Canada has....I work hard, I appreciate things, I fix, share, repair and treat with respect, I preserve for others......THAT'S the difference....and I kite too....and I don't leave my frikken lines on the beach or take up space....so I can get along without de-foresting the paradise on our west coast.........Sheeeeeesh

We need WINDUDE and ABETANZO to comment and really spice this up.

me and winddude only have beef at Jordan River... and that was ages ago!!

Nitinat needs an expansion and I'm all for it... when people set up camp for months its crappy for the weekend warrior.. or the out of towner's 2 week vacation..

I think as a group we need to ask and help to create more picnic tables, fire pits, and of course outhouses...

I am not sure how I feel about expansion of the site; probably neutral; cautiously optimistic; a little concerned.

I am not sure it is fair to set up another kitesurfer v windsurfer dynamic. What we are seeing in the comments ( broad generalization) is a difference between people who have had a longstanding relationship with the site and seen it go through various changes vs folks that have a ( relatively) smaller commitment to the site and perhaps see it as a convenience issue.

My “ beef” with opening up more / easier access is that we will have more folks arriving who don’t really give a sh#$ about the place; the other people; the Dididaht; the local conventions we have in place to make it a good place for all.

I am not saying “ newbies” are all like that or are ignorant. It is just that there is less accountability to each other when you just breeze in for a long weekend once a year; dump your garbage; cause mayhem on the beach; party all night and breeze out.

The last 2 years there was a group from Squamish who came in and intentionally set up and launched their kites downwind of the big stump all weekend. In response to a polite “ hey guys, I am not sure you are aware of the convention...” from me, while coming down the beach with my kite gear, they told me to “ go f@#$ myself” and they would launch wherever they wanted to because “ there are no rules here”.

So ... how about we use this opportunity to try and preserve / create the windsport community and rustic camping experience we want to, rather than polarize each other.

And remember ... (windsurf)foiler’s are coming ....!

it's not about the sports, it's about preserving some of the beauty surrounding them....the Nat in 2030

The population expands every year and consequently so do the user groups of every sport except rollerblading. This trend shows no sign of abatement and everything in life is going to get busier, shitier and more crowded so we better all get used to it and make the best of it. That sounds negative but I can't think of a positive spin on It, it's just the way it is. Sadly the old days are over, the internet exists and the secrets are all out (been to Joffre Lake lately?). All we can do is what Tempy suggests, educate newbs, make the best of it, and realize we have no more right to it than the people who came before or the ones coming after. It's all just luck in timing and circumstance and none of us had a say in when we were born.

As someone who has almost exclusively camped in the rainforest between the main site and the river for years now, I'm devastated.

I also understand that it needed to happen as the popularity of Nitinaht is undeniable!

I trust that the big trees were left untouched and that it was done in a thoughtful way. It is the land of the Ditidaht people and bottom line is, that it's up to them to make the decisions about the best way forward.

Everything is unfolding as it should be.

I returned from three years in the east to enjoy a fine summer hammocking in the trees.

I plan on bringing my 37 foot sailboat around next summer and planting it just downwind of the river. That should be nice.

Best wishes all.

Kevin

Noooo the river mouth is the wave spot Kevin!!!

nanmoo wrote:Noooo the river mouth is the wave spot Kevin!!!

Shhhhhh.... secret spot!!!

So I did my first trip to the lake and got to see everything going on. I talked to as many people involved as I could to try and get some info. Here is local hearsay and by no means is any of the written in stone or I am saying for sure.
The road construction will be finished between May long and July 1. The road will come out almost at the T junction that splits the middle of the campsite. There is a cleared area that shows where it will be. There is no use of the new campsites or of the fenced off area close to the new road. There will be trees coming down in the campsite in that same time scale. The road is a fair distance from the beach(200+ feet in some areas) and not as close to the beach as I was lead to believe. There was no time scale on when the new campsites will be open. The police were up there last weekend(not just Kelly the local) and plan to be there in coming weekends for any disputes with campers. Please do not take down any fences or use the fenced off area(even though it is prime camping and beach access and there is no work currently being done). There is now internet down at the booth as you enter the site. It is an online pay network that you can access and pay by card onsite or buy vouchers at the store. It reaches about 200 feet around the booth, with plans to expand range in the future. It was decently fast but nobody else was on it. We will see what happens when there are 20 kids streaming youtube midday Camping fees are now $20 per tent or vehicle and are to be strictly enforced. This means that some of the big sites will be paying $100+ a night There are some commuter or family vehicle exemptions but if you have been free loading you will liklely no longer be able to get away with it. 14 day stay is SUGGESTED... the sign says of you plan to stay longer you can speak with management. So long term stays are not banned, they just need to be discussed.There will be an online reservation service for sites, I do not know when or if it is functional now. Lots of buzz going on and looks like more campsite work happening when i took off.

Great thread. Such a cool place with epic wind and people. I really hope I get a chance to make it up there this year.

Will there be a day use fee?

I know camping fees have always been a touchy subject so maybe we could get something like this: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/fees/p ... 7787209663

to explain and justify the costs. Sometimes we don't get a fire pit or picnic table and these are basic 'services' which would justify the costs.

are there any plans to make some new tables or place a few more fire pit rings in the existing campground? maybe pump out the outhouse from last years' collection of shit?? the road into the campground hasn't been graded since when?? 2005???

I'm happy to pay extra but not when the basic services aren't there at $15/night