 |
 |
| At 0630 on Thursday June 8th, we left the Egmont Marina to catch the incoming current up the Princess Louisa Inlet, a spectacular 5-hour ride up a large fiord, surrounded by 3,000'- 5000' sometimes snow-covered mountains, to a place called Malibu Rapids, and beyond to Chatterbox Falls.
Before leaving home, we had read and heard many scary stories about the difficulties and dangers in crossing the Malibu Rapids. It can be quite hazzardous due it's narrowness and the turns you have to make, especially when the current is running at 10-knots, not to mention boats coming-out and going-in around you. After what we had seen at Sechelt Rapids the day before, we were a little concerned about having to cross. But we did it just like the cruise books recommend... cross at SLACK. It is also recommended to advise "Malubu Rapids traffic" of your boats length, power or sail, current location, and direction of travel, using VHF Ch-16 (the one everybody monitors). Keep it short and specific. We crossed Malibu Rapids 5 minutes before SLACK, and the dreaded rapids turned-out to be nothing more than a short calm channel past the Malibu Rapids Christian (kids) Camp located there. |
 |
 |
| Up the Princess Louisa Inlet | Malibu Camp - rapids to right (none at Slack) |
| Chatterbox Falls and the many other falls, the surrounding 3,000' - 5000' granite and tree-lined cliffs, were absolutely awesome!!! There is an Upper and a Lower Chatterbox Falls. The upper falls and associated river begin at the canyon rim and flow - fall down through a gorgeous mountain valley. There is a difficult and dangerous advanced climbers only trail from behind the boat dock, up to an abandoned trappers cabin, located at the base of the upper falls.
The lower falls are at water level where we were. Being careful to stay on the designated trail, you can explore up to the base of the lower falls. The whole area is so awesome!!! |
 |
 |
| Upper Chatterbox falls center left | Lower Chatterbox Falls |
| At the falls, there is a "free" 200' dock, and we parked at the closest end of the dock to the falls (maybe 100' away). We stayed at the falls for three days, exploring the shoreline and falls, and went dingying, checking out all the tide pools and oyster beds. As requested, we didn't take any oysters. |
 |
 |
| 200' boat dock | On the dock |
 |
 |
| Tree-lined canyon walls | |
 |
 |
| Granite canyon walls | |
 |
 |
| more falls | and more falls |
 |
 |
| The Lower Chatterbox Falls - up-close!!! | |
 |
 |
| Public floats behind McDonald Island | An oyster bed |
