Tag: Princess Louisa Inlet

Princess Louisa Inlet and Chatterbox Falls

Excitement aboard!
– D. Bedry
One of dozens of waterfalls along the way
– D. Bedry
Mount Diadem on the way
– D. Bedry
Approaching Malibu Camp
– D. Bedry
The stillness was deafening
– D. Bedry
The inlet was like glass
– D. Bedry
what a sight
– D. Bedry
the MacDonald Memorial Lodge looking just a tad chilly
– D. Bedry
The obligatory group shot
– D. Bedry
Chatterbox Falls in the snow
– D. Bedry
Homeward bound
– D. Bedry
just another day in Paradise…
– D. Bedry

Princess Louisa Inlet and Chatterbox Falls
by Nancy Pezel, 23 Feb 2019

After a few sleepless nights worrying about the snowy weather forecast for the day of this trip, 12 of our members were happy to board the Sunshine Coast Tours boat at Saltery Bay under high overcast skies!

As we travelled up Jervis inlet, one of the deepest inlets of the area at 2000 ft, Captain Bryce Christie stopped at a few special waterfalls, rock faces and 2 pictograph sites.  He readily shared his extensive knowledge of First Nations history and legends, geology, forestry, aquaculture and history.  We were able to sit back in comfort, listen and learn, and just take in the beautiful scenery of this rugged inlet, surrounding snow covered mountains, and distant glaciers.

Once we passed by Malibu Camp and through Malibu rapids, we boated up the 5 miles of Princess Louisa Inlet.  This steep sided, narrow fjord carved out by glacial action, has walls of granite rising straight out of the water to heights of more than 8,000 feet.   At Princess Louisa Provincial Park we were able to take a short walk to Chatterbox Falls and enjoy our lunch in the covered area or at the bench with the spectacular view of the falls and inlet, before returning to Saltery Bay.  We were even treated to a few glimpses of sunshine.

A wonderful day enjoyed by all!

Princess Louisa Inlet & Chatterbox Falls

The swirling low couds and fresh snow made for some pretty dynamic lighting conditions
– A. Bryant
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…
A few Pacific White-sided Dolphiins made a brief appearance…but weren’t very cooperative
– A. Bryant
One…of many…lovely waterfalls along the way
– A. Bryant
Some not-very-recent graffiti by the locals… (i.e., First Nations)
– A. Bryant
Mount Churchill looking very imposing indeed
– A. Bryant
A gaggle of Barrow’s Goldeneye taking flight
– A. Bryant
This has got to be one of the nicest swimming pools around…
At Malibu Camp
– A. Bryant
Ho hummm…just another waterfall
– A. Bryant
Ditto. Yawn.
– A. Bryant
Misty, moody and forbidding… It was nice to be on a warm comfortable boat!
– A. Bryant
Approaching Chatterbox Falls
– A. Bryant
Young Lady ferns (Athyrium filix-femina )…otherwise known as fiddleheads…yum!
– A. Bryant
The lovely Oval-leaved Blueberry (Vaccinium ovalifolim)
– A. Bryant
The enchanted forest at Princess Louisa Marine Provincial Park
– A. Bryant
Homeward bound
This is Mount Calder, at 4806 metres ASL
– A. Bryant
There are no words. There just aren’t.
Those tiny waterfalls on the right? Those are Harmony Falls, which drop about 450 metres. I’m calling this a really fine day out.
– A. Bryant

Princess Louisa Inlet & Chatterbox Falls
by Lu Wuthrich, 24 Mar 2018. 

Eleven Naturalists headed up Jervis Inlet to Princess Louisa Inlet and Chatterbox Falls.  It was an amazing spring day and the views of the snowcapped peaks, multiple waterfalls and granite cliffs were pretty spectacular.

We meandered up the coast on the Sunshine Coast Tours boat looking at all the falls and pictographs while our tour guide, Cliff, discussed the history of the Inlet, logging practices and First Nations involvement in the area.  There was a great stop at Malibu Camp; we toured the impressive facility in the middle of the stunning wilderness.

The spring run-off had not really started so Chatterbox Falls was not at its fullest flow, but the park was deserted and picturesque.

The tour began with a wonderful display of a pod of white sided dolphins swimming around the boat and ended with a beautiful very low arched rainbow off the stern as we zoomed home after a great day.

Thanks to Cindy Dalcourt for coordinating this!

Princess Louisa Inlet

The dolphins hunted close to us
– B. Harker
Approaching Malibu camp
– B. Harker
Everyone could keep warm inside
– B. Harker
At Chatterbox Falls
– B. Harker
Hunter pictograph
– H. Harbord
Sea lions performing for us
– H. Harbord
Leftovers from a grizzly’s cow parsnip feast
– H. Harbord
Varnished conk, at left, and artist’s conk at right
– H. Harbord
Soda Creek
– H. Harbord

Princess Louisa Inlet
by Heather Harbord, 29 September 2016.

Nine out of ten members enjoyed our trip up Princess Louisa Inlet.  The tenth was too sick to come, and the only person on the waiting list was also unable to fill in.  Bryce Christy’s boat, the B-Line, was very comfortable.  Everyone could be inside in the well-heated cabin. John Dafoe identified the sea birds we passed and pointed out geological and other interesting natural history features.

No humpbacks showed but, on the way up, we saw lots of Marbled murrelets, Horned, Red-necked and Western grebes, Steller’s sea lions and Surf scoters.  The highlight, however, was three Pacific White-sided Dolphins chasing something hiding under the boat. Everyone had a good look at them.

Bryce showed us several pictographs and related the stories told to him by the Sechelt elders.  The flush toilets and tour of Malibu Camp were a much appreciated preliminary to the wondrous sight of Chatterbox Falls at the end of Princess Louisa.  Without a snow pack up above, the falls were not in full spate, but were still spectacular.

We were the only boat at the dock when we landed.  After viewing the falls up close from different angles, we ate lunch in the big gazebo and then marveled at the industriousness of what John thought was likely a grizzly bear.  He or she had had a good feed after digging up cow parsnip roots all along the trail beside the shore.

On the way back, we stopped at the spigot of Soda Creek which falls directly into the ocean with much white froth.  There were no goats on the heights likely because they were all sheltering under the trees.  “This kind of drizzle is pretty normal for here,” John told us.  Just as we approached Saltery Bay, three Steller’s sea lions put on a big show of waving their salmon catches above the surface in the manner of Excaliber.

At the end of the trip, John pulled out a basket of pine mushrooms gathered yesterday and gave us all a sample.  A great finish to a fun day in the rain.

Princess Louisa Inlet

Humpback whale – H. Harbord photo
Pictograph – H. Harbord photo
The Young Life Youth Camp
We were the only boat at Chatterbox Falls – H. Harbord photo
Leaving Chatterbox Falls – H. Harbord photo
Steller’s sea lions at McRae Rocks – H. Harbord photo
The new moon speeds us home… – H. Harbord photo

Princess Louisa Inlet
by Heather Harbord, 5 November 2013.

Eleven of us boarded John Dafoe’s comfortable power boat at the government dock at Saltery Bay.  As we drew into Hotham Sound,  we saw the hump and dorsal fin of a humpback whale.  As we lingered to watch several of us got good pictures of the fin, the blow and the tail.

At 18 knots we proceeded into Jervis Inlet past sea lions, seals and marbled murrelet pairs.  John pointed out features of interest including  pictographs, hanging valleys and a high cliff of vertical rock strata.  We saw one goat chewing the cud high up on Marlboro Bluffs.  At the inner end of the rapids into Princess Louisa Inlet, there was a large group of several hundred Barrow’s Goldeneye ducks.  Malibu Camp was our first stop.  After a tour of the beautifully constructed log cabins we reboarded the boat and found ourselves the only boat at the Chatterbox Falls.  (In summer boats are four deep all along the 100 meter dock).  The moss on the trees on the trail up to the falls was spectacular as the atmosphere there is always moist.

On the way back down Jervis Inlet, the sun peeped through the clouds letting us see the snow-covered tops of some mountains.  The trip ended with a run out to the McRae Rocks off Frolander Bay to see the sea lions.  As we left the two-days old new moon appeared.