The Nimpkish River from Lookout Mountain

By Gord Henschel, North Island Eagle, December 3 2021

ou find another river and valley as scenic and exciting as the Nimpkish? We are so blessed to be able to follow its course while sitting in our comfortable vehicles, while these incredible scenes are cast before us, yet we take it all for granted.

There are many places to view the Nimpkish River. A mighty river it is, varying in width and density; 118 kilometres long, the longest on the island, with Nimpkish Lake,22 kms.  in length being its widest body. A view of the lake at its southwest corner is easily reached by a gravel road into a park catering to windsurfers and kiters. This lake is 1000 ft. deep, lower than sea level!

However to be able to drive alongside the river it is necessary to travel a few miles short of Woss Lake where panoramic views are expectable. This area is totally predictable by a landmark known locally as Lookout Mountain that can be viewed for miles ahead of you as you are driving. There is a sharp downhill run, just before you begin to see the river, on to a long straight stretch of highway parallel to the river.

All along this stretch of highway a number of “Rest Stops” are presented with several of them having drives down to the river. Some are my favourite places to hunker down and paint. The entire shore of the river here is facing south into the sun with warmth emanating from everything. The painting shown here is one of those creations, done on a sunny day in October. There are more autumn colours here than on the upper North Island, another charm for me. I absolutely had to put Lookout Mountain into the painting to give it the presence this river painting needed. I have painted this mountain for many years, probably forty, when I had to ask the staff at Woss about it. Truly, it was used as a lookout for possible fires and had a well- used trail to its tip. I believe that trail is still there. Want to check it out?