2024 Nitinaht Road Reports

[Bobson]

Hey, has anyone travelled to or know what shape the roads are in to Nitinaht this year.?
South - Cowichan Lake Route (northshore/southshore around Lake Cowichan)
North - Port Alberni Route

Much Appreciated.

[Bobson]

Okay, apparently not....so I'll give a road update when I head there for the May long weekend.
ps. I'm in F-16, so stop by and say HEY if you're there. If you forget my name, it'll be on my hat. HA!

[slake]

Easy there big steamer...road is very good (best I've seen) up to the yurt! There is a clockwise pattern after the yurt (ie. you can exit on the old road that goes by the water/non-currently-working-internet-cabin and to the new cabins). Bring your rake, broom, brush, weed wacker, and cleaning products (nature takes over, over time).

Are you going to be winging with your hat on?

[Bobson]

Thanks for reply Slaker!!
Which site did you stay in.? G03.?
Is there internet in the same spot, by the water tap.?
Yes, always with 'The BOBSON Hat' on my head.

[Bobson]

ps. Nice 1st NN session logs this year. You have set the bar high. WooHooo!

[slake]

I was in G04. Pepe had already snagged G03! If you've not bumped into the family they have a father/son website here https://www.wave-chasers.com . Low key, friendly, nice guy and next level foiling on the water. Similar skill of that young Linden/Lyndon (sp?) guy that was there last year. Lots of aerial tricks.

No internet in camp. I did not try to connect but supposedly there is some interwebs at the yurt.

Three new blue high pressure water lines near the (only presently?) non-functioning-camp-internet cabin. Hopefully that is up and running again soon.

I couldn't figure out how to get two tracks on one log for day 1, took me awhile (had to merge). So was pretty short after that with the text in my logs. Sunday looked like it might not be as good as Fri/Sat but for an hour or two it was as strong as I'd seen there, and waves felt bigger than normal. Still feel faster on my bigger board. I do like the kick tail pad on the 88 L Armstrong board to brace against. The 60 L is flat in the back and I go between putting a rear strap on and not, which when there I stick my foot in 10% of the time. It was nice to have the good Nitinat wind and weather. Hopefully you are blessed with similar conditions May long weekend!

Seems like there is a fair amount of driftwood on the beach. Including a big tree near Elevation. Not sure that is the norm, or not at this time. Earliest I've ever been is late June (I think).

[Bobson]

Back to the road. The Lake Cowichan North side (YouBou) to Nitinaht is 9.5 out of 10 today. Best I've seen it.

[elevationkiteboarding]

Travelled to the lake on Wednesday, May 29. As indicated by others, the road past Youbou is in good conditions. There was no traffic on the road, for me this was an easy drive. We are expecting some heavy rain in the next days, so potholes in some areas might get worse, drive accordingly. If you are thinking of going to the lake, the road should not be a deterrent.
There are some improvements on the campground, a crew is trimming back the overgrowth, there are additional water spigots and WiFi is working.
Evenings are cold, so be prepared. On the plus side, campfires are allowed, one way to keep warm.
Good day of kitesurfing on Thursday, May 30. Not the typical Lake Nitinaht thermals yet, but still, fun day on the lake.

[elevationkiteboarding]

We been having a lot of rain lately. I just went to town, today Friday June 15 and the road between Youbou and the lake is overall in good conditions. Some sections have been recently been graded. But… there are also some sections that have a lot of potholes. Just be aware of them and slow down. Your car’s suspension will appreciate it.

[BigD]

I've heard the Port Alberni route is chip sealed now. Anyone know where the chip sealing ends? ie how far from the junction? Driving a trailer up in July and trying to minimize the rat bagging.

[jellyfish]

I travelled to the lake a few weeks ago via the Port Alberni route. This was the first time in years that I’ve gone this way and yes, the road is chip sealed all the way to the turn off to Carmanah Main, the last part of the route to Nitinaht Lk.
When I say chip sealed, this is only in reference to what I’ve been told the surface is. I was blown away at the smooth pavement all the way to the intersection, where it turns west to Bamfield.
There was not one pothole or loss of integrity of the surface.
I had a pretty big smile on my face the entire way!
Every kilometre is marked and the speed limit is also posted at 60 km an hour. It’s a dream to drive. This section of the trip takes about 43 minutes driving reasonably.
Having said that, it was a bit of a shock to turn up Carmanah Main through the Franklin River Camp area and on towards Nitinaht Lake.
I believe my timing could not have been worse as it appeared that they had dumped large aggregate over the entire width of the road and there was not a grader in sight.
The old pavement that extends quite a distance through the Franklin River area is quite patchwork but you can work your way through that going slow and driving around the broken pothole areas. It’s still a lot better than driving on a large aggregate gravel road.
The trip in was excessively slow, so I did not damage my car, and I believe my teeth were clenched the entire way.
Once at the lake, I was fortunate to meet up with friends who decided to leave that way and agreed to send me a text once they were within cell range.
They confirmed that Carmanah Main had been graded since my trip in.

On my return trip, once I got to the T-junction after leaving the village,
I spent only 13 minutes on gravel, which was graded this time, before hitting the patchwork pavement by the Franklin River.

I will definitely be going this route when I go to the lake as I am living Mid Island and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I time a freshly graded gravel portion of Carmanah Main!

[BigD]

Thanks for the great summary. See you on the water!