VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

I'm considering going to Nimkish for the June long-weekend. Does anybody know the weather conditions needed for there to be wind?
Can you launch a kite there?
What is the camping like?
What is a typical wind range on good conditions?
Is there anything else that I should know?

Thanks.

1- sunny/high pressure is best, like nitinat. ideally mcneil will be foggy.
2- you can launch a kite at kinman camp (first right after the turnoff) but not at the main camp. also you can hike upwind from the main camp to get to a little beach thats more out of the wind shadow.
3- camping is free. its like nitinat like but with less trees and more bugs. you need to be fully equipped. due to the short gravel road theres more rvs.
4- wind is typically 12-20kts from what ive seen but gets up late like 2 or 3 pm. plan some hikes or bike rides.
5- sailing fresh water rules!

Penguin,

A trip to Nimpkish is always a good one even if the wind doesn't blow. Like the Penguin, make sure you bring a steamer as the water is pretty icy cold early in the season. Make sure that a solid high pressure has set in. The jet stream needs to be north of the Island. When they are calling for Northwesterlies off of north west coast and fog in Port McNeil/ Port Hardy, you are set. You don't need the fog, but it will make Nitinat look like a kiddy pool if it goes off. Camping is at the old dry land sort. Don't get sucked in to the Kinman Crk. campsite (more north of the main site). It is too buggy at the Kinman Crk. site. And a long hike to the water. There is always a bit of a wind shadow to break through at the main camping launch, but this is a good thing. I perfected my low wind hoola here about ten years ago when I watched a young guy from Saltspring ( Can't remember your name) hoola 'ing on his homemade sinker. Wicked Port ramps when it is 4.7 or less. Other fun activities in the area, caving, fishing, kayaking Nitinat River, Day trip to SAn Josef BAy Cape Scott, Mountaineering (Pinder Peak).
The wind comes in super late, so Don't be discouraged at 1:00 if it is a bit light. Some times it doesn't kick until five o'clock! Bring bug spray, Pepper spray, hairspray and spray cheese. Respect the locals. They are super friendly and seriously old school cool people.

Thanks guys.

Dunkinguy pretty much covered it, 4 more details gimme a call G. I think there are other options for kiting at that place. Kus

i was responsible for the first bit. if you can spell it right, do a search and you will find lots more info scattered around the site.
Dinkinguys info is solid but i think he thinks you are a windsurfer - the hike down at kinman is no prob with a kite.

Yeah, Dunkingguy covered the important parts. Except one! It was my first trip to Nimpkish that convinced me to get a campervan. The main campsite is pretty tent unfriendly. My sweetie and I ended up camping on a hillside that was barely adequate and we were the only ones there tenting. The locals were super friendly and helped us by donating a portable picnic table. In July, Gus arrives from Saskatchewan and every morning he makes coffee for the entire campsite! They really are seriousy cool people.

I was there again last year. The other campground was deserted when we were there except for one lone camper van. Very quiet! It's a good 15 minute walk from the campground down a fairly steep hill to the water at the narrows, near the outlet of Kinman Creek. There were a couple of people camping on the beach at the narrows which is an option I suppose. The wind really rips up there.

If you have a kayak bring it. The kayaking at nearby Telegraph Cove is world class I think. It's also a good place to gawk at unbelieveably rich American tourists. I'll never forget the Greyhound Bus sized camper van towing a Cadillac Escapade! There's a whale museum there, public showers, laundry, and tasty restaurant food.

those "narrows" are 1.6 km across!
btw i will be up there the weekday evenings before and after the long weekend. if you see a tall guy in a red helmet constantly waterstarting swoop down and say hi.

The other question is: Is the place about the same consistancy as Nitnat, or do the conditions have to be near perfect in order to get wind?

Thanks again.

Luckily I have a trailer, and yes, I will say Hi to red helmut.
Hopefully either Nimkish/Nitnat that weekend. I hesitate to even look at the 14 day trend-might have to give in to temptation.

No- see- um netting is a must...Those pesky little guys will drive you bananas. There is no wind keeping the bugs out...Great swell ! Kids can play in the water all day in front of the campsite.

Just to add to the info on Nimpkish launches.....I've seen some absolutely wicked gusts come into the main beach launch that is partly wind shadowed. I've seen windsurfers hurt and sent to hospital, I've seen 45lb windsurfer One Design boards sitting on the beach tossed into the air and flung by the gusts. The Nimpkish sailors keep their windsurfing boards inside the bushes to avoid them getting them slammed while just sitting on the beach on normal sailing days.

So if someone recomends that kiters should launch out of the wind shadow up at the upper beach. I would tend to believe them. It's not really that safe to launch in those kind of gusts. Hey, camp where you want, sail where you want, but be very careful in that gusty wind shadow.

ok, since this may benefit others just wanted to echo the last sentiment. You cannot (being a non-kiter, who knows) reasonably kite from the campsite launch...but you can walk along the south bank toward the river and launch there. Another alternative is to try Anutz lake adjacent as it gets supersteady wind and flat flat water tho I have to admit I have never needed to sail there.

All kiters I have observed launched from the point which is difficult to impossible to hike to along the beachfront, but with a kayak or better transport you can get there or drive around up the hill and hike down. It is one place where I don't see kiting and windsurfing conflicting in a big way for traffic

No-seeums can be brutal but you can park near the shore/beach and minimize them via the breeze....damn you if you get skunked cuz you'll lose all the blood in your little body. It is not really beginner/shortboardlardass friendly due to windshadow/gusts and the water is much colder than Nitinat but also much fresher and the swell can really come up on the rare day. It comes up later but as consistently on a sunny day as Nitinat with an uncanny evening re-blast around 8-9 lasting a short but sweet time.
Locals are, yes, quite friendly and so are the bears, ha! Buy food in Campbell R? Beers are PAVED 20 minutes away in Woss or McNeill. Watch the railway crossings as the trains come sometimes very unexpectedly, but they DO come!! You need to cross the line twice when going from the beach to the point and it's single lane traffic on the access road so go slow!

It is easy to miss the turn-off from Hwy 19 and the find your way down to the beach. Turn L at what was an old gas station, the vestige being an old phonebooth and sign and also a "nimpkish camp" sign. Drive straight to get to the beach or turn R over the railway after ~1/2 block to the point. To the beach disregard the "village" on the left or the camp on the R, keep going to the next R, then past the garbage dump, going down the short but steep hill secure your trailer and stuff, (you need a few hp to get back up by the way) and you'll be there within seconds.
It takes 5-5.5 hrs from Victoria for about 450k I recall.

I may see you there that weekend, ha!

its extremely dangerous for untethered poodles as well.

Penguin wrote:The other question is: Is the place about the same consistancy as Nitnat, or do the conditions have to be near perfect in order to get wind?

i would say yes to the consistancy of nimPkish compared to nitnat ... and maybe even slightly stronger wind with def better swell

relief from the no-see-ums is an easy 15-20 min drive to McNeill[civilization]

hmm, your avatar is starting to grow on me, PH must be nearing the weekend....