Nimpkish Lake  -Summer of 2009

 

Directions - looks like the highway signs are gone, so here's some hints:

Come north on HWY 19, about 1.5 hours north of Campbell River. 105 miles - 168km.

Go past Woss, past the Zeballos turnoff and about another 5km you'll see an old orange shop building on your left and an orange signpost (but no sign) before a cross road.  Just past it is a railway overpass which means you've gone too far and have to turn around.  Map shows the roads to the camping area and Kite Beach.  Driveable with my wife's Passat, so you know they are better than the roads to Nitinat.
Turn off the highway to the left, at about 200 meters the pavement ends and you are at this intersection.
At the end of the road to Kite Beach you arrive at this lower parking area.  The road was overgrown before, but the make-work student crew has completely brushed it out so that even a motorhome can easily make it down.  You can park here and hump your gear down to the lake. It's about 200m on a really flash trail with a little newly decked plywood bridge and  a couple of newly painted outhouses midway.   There is a trail from the other drive-in campsite to Kite Beach that was also all brushed out, signs  posted, and cleaned up.
Similar launch to Nitinat.  Sideshore winds.  A busy weekend will see 15 kites in the air.

 

Panoramic view of campsite - click image for full size

 

 

 
Hanging out at the campsite -
"Wet Coast" rainforest where everything gets devoured by fast-growing vegetation.  Man's only hope is a chainsaw with a full tank of gas.  Benefits are a view (spectacular!), and less bugs.
After a few "boat rides of shame", I finally mastered the staying upwind hurdle of kiteboarding.  Hitting kite  beach is like threading a needle - you have to hit the 5 yards of gravel that have enough room behind to drop a kite.

 

At least the wind is steady and strong - I was fully powered on my 9M and lots of other kiters were on 7's.
A "throne" for the kingdom.....
Mitch holding a gust for that last ride to shore. Windshadow campsite means comfort camping, but requires some balance and board control for the first 100 yards to the steady wind and large waves mid-lake.  Good practise for Hood River.