This morning, we watched from deck as the light crept down the lush green mountains surrounding Berg Bay.  We broke up our six-boat raft with the speed and efficiency that only comes from practice.  Each crew has gotten into the routine of building and taking apart these rafts, and everyone knows and executes their role.

By this point in the trip, our cruising companions that we met only a short time ago feel like extended family.  Light-hearted joking and banter filled the air as we got underway.  Another clear sunny day greeted us as we cruised out of Berg Bay and headed south for Meyers Chuck.  As we traveled, the wind picked up and kicked up some nice whitecaps.  It was the first time that we had seen anything other than calm waters here in Alaska and it made for an exciting afternoon.

Meyers Chuck is a charming little community built on the edge of the water.  Small houses and cabins line the shores held up by wooden pilings.  Two of the five year round-residents of the town were on the dock and offered us a friendly greeting.  They graciously allowed us to raft onto their boats, since there wasn’t enough room on the dock.  Later, Carol opened up the local art gallery and we were all able to purchase unique and beautiful souvenirs.

There are no roads in this small community, only narrow walking paths.  We strolled on one of the main paths through the forests heavy with moss until we arrived at a beautiful little beach.  Past generations of kids have built a small playground in the forest complete with a slide, monkey bars and a see-saw.  As we walked we picked blueberries, huckleberries, thimbleberries and salmon berries.

Everyone joined us on Deception this evening for a quick happy hour.  We reminisced about our trip together, shared photos and stories and got prepared for our arrival in Ketchikan tomorrow.  This has been a wonderful trip and a really great group of people to share it with.