A pre-dawn start had everyone up early. We had a date with the slack current at Malibu Rapids for 11:30 AM, give or take an hour. If we were to miss it we’d have to wait until 6:00 PM. All of the crews did a great job creeping out through a light fog in a dark, but very calm, harbor.

Onboard Deception, Captain Brian made a delicious breakfast fit for lumberjacks. Other boats, I heard, have been enjoying eggs benedict and such. This is such a rough and rugged cruise (not!).

The natural beauty of this area escapes words. The sheer cliffs rising straight from the sea are awe inspiring to say the least. Thinking back to a time when the channel between these two rock walls was filled with ice is not difficult. And when we all checked our depth sounders to see the number of feet below us no longer even registering, one could also imagine the depths to which the ice extended.

Each skipper handled their boats well heading through the Malibu Rapids. Captain Brian had timed our entrance well with not too large of a drop between the inner and outer rapids. Coming around the corner into the end of the harbor produced a breathtaking view of Chatterbox Falls.

Once docked, we all enjoyed a walk to the falls which included pondering small patches of forest along the way where one could see so many different plants, ferns and mosses. It was truly amazing!

A fireside potluck in the gazebo onshore gave everyone an opportunity to share a fabulous dish as well as good stories with new friends.