VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

Will be in Victoria for a couple weeks this September and Nitinat is looking pretty tempting. Couple of questions on the spot: 1) Can you rent gear up there, 2) how does the camping work (i.e. do you have to book ahead), 3) Are conditions pretty consistent in Sept or do you generally check the forecast before hitting the logging road.

Thanks

Hey Catapult, Nitinat is still back country when it comes to amenities like gear rental and camping reservations. Some gear basics were on the shelf at the local store last year, but they have disappeared this year. The campground is busy on weekends june through early september, but you can always fit in somewhere until a spot clears that you prefer. September, or any month for that matter, is consistent only if the weather looks right. It has to be warmer on the east side of the island than the west, so look for clear skies that permit the warming. Rain evens the temperature out if it is general rain covering the width of the island, so that kills the wind. But showers or squalls and a bit of fog only on the west side of the island allow for different degrees of wind, from light (september is generally light) to very windy (fog on west coast). The store, by the way, is only good for basics. And take a spare tire, or two!

(and a fishing rod for september)

WR

Thanks for the insights. I would have looked pretty daft if I had made the trek in without sorting out the gear before hand. Recent postings on the last weekend up there provide the incentive to sort out the logistics.