VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK • Nitinat Road Reports 2017
Page 1 of 2

Nitinat Road Reports 2017

Posted: Wed May 03, 2017 10:00 pm
by nanmoo
Here's the first (partial) one!

Today the North Shore was 9/10 and freshly graded to the end of the lake where the grader broke down near the little shaw main. No idea what it's like past there. I guess people will find out this weekend!

Thurs may 4

Posted: Fri May 05, 2017 12:45 pm
by GoldenRule
Road was graded down youbou side. Was good about 10km past end of lake. By good I mean smooth yet tons of mud. Some of it pretty deep. No problems with truck and small SUV. After the logging mud turns to old ungraded Rd. Averaged 40km/hr past this point. Better once you hit nitnaht/portalbeni intersection but not amazing. Honda civics would take time but could make it maybe.

May 7

Posted: Sun May 07, 2017 6:20 pm
by Double.skunk
second half of the road out to the lake could use a grading. I made it on a Honda Accord.

Posted: Mon May 08, 2017 10:18 pm
by rookieRyan
Port side is good ...A bit ruff last 20km to lake but that's kind of expected. .. 8)

Posted: Sat May 13, 2017 2:23 pm
by knottyPat
Not surprised with all the beautiful weather we've had so far.... :shock: Hoping for a longer break soon and for the lake to rip!

Posted: Mon May 29, 2017 11:05 am
by nanmoo
North Shore to end of Lake 9/10.

Middle section 7/10.

Last section from PA turnoff to Village 8/10.

Not the best ever but speeds no lower than 50 km/h up to 90 km/h.

Posted: Mon May 29, 2017 1:23 pm
by abetanzo
SLOW DOWN!!

some sections are only 30km/hr.. there's no reason to be driving up to 90km/hr!!

give your head a shake ...

Road warriors

Posted: Mon May 29, 2017 8:49 pm
by GWIND
8) I drove over one of the bridges at 60 mph one time. Got that Moho airborne. Fun, my passenger was mad though,the ceiling was hard.

Posted: Tue May 30, 2017 8:37 am
by abetanzo
I'm not the only one traveling with a family along this road and if people want to travel and arrive alive people need to slow down on this road.. sure its graded and its a nice drive but its not your own personal highway. the road prior is 100km/hr and is designed for safe travel at that speed.. a logging road with loose surface and blind corners / crests is not..

Posted: Tue May 30, 2017 10:35 am
by more force 4
There are several long straight sections of the road where its perfectly safe to do 90 when its well graded. I noted exactly same speeds as Tony but don't count the tight corners, bridge approaches, Red Rock, etc. where 30 or less is the safe speed as I'm sure he didn't. The trip out was way slower than in, as in I passed no-one either direction coming in the entire way; but out was much heavier traffic and the resulting dust required slowing way down even on straight sections.

Posted: Tue May 30, 2017 11:49 am
by JL
Edited May 30 after a complaint. While I realize the chatter is meant as fun please lets keep this thread ( & others) suitable for all. Perhaps P.M's would be a good way for the 'other' comments :idea: Jl

Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2017 9:44 am
by nanmoo
For the most part the road is dramatically worse than a month ago.

First section to just past the Cottages on the North Shore is as good as its been with a fresh seal coat (so it seems), then it just gets annoying for the final 3/4. Potholes are not massive, but large enough to rattle you and they are everywhere.

Plan for some extra time.

Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2017 9:35 pm
by winddude
yup, much worse than may long. first third is bad, only one random section near the middle that is decent. some larger rock starting to get exposed.

Also if anyone finds a big chrome hubcap, it's probably mine.

Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 9:14 am
by nanmoo
I've got friends coming this Friday that have never been. It's hard for me to tell since I know the route well and I'm not paying attention, but it's well enough marked these days that instructions aren't really necessary, right?

Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 11:33 am
by firstonlastoff
(end of June observations) In my opinion road is phenomenal in sections, devil-made horrible in others, with no hint of a warning at the transitions from great to poor sections. Poor sections tend to be (as usual) at the locations where the road is hugging a rock outcropping.