I am glad we didn’t leave Alaska without a stop in Meyers Chuck. Probably one of the most delightful little towns we have visited, and that is saying something in a state full of delightful little towns
It is quite a rocky narrow entrance, but it is well marked and easy to enter. We had a large public dock to tie up to with nobody else on it. Apparently in peak summer times it can be difficult to get a space, but a bonus to being the end of season, we had no problems.
The post mistress provides a service where you can text her an order and have freshly baked cinnamon scrolls and cookies delivered to your boat the next morning. Dean eagerly placed his order, only to receive a reply, sorry I have run out of ingredients. Poor Dean, he had been so looking forward to it! Okay maybe there are some disadvantages visiting at the end of season afterall.
In the photo above there is a small rocky entrance that locals use. We were told the post mistresses husband had been using it his whole lifetime but as he was coming in last year hit a rock, capsized the boat, and drowned. Very sad.
It was a little drizzly when we finally went ashore to explore, but this did not take away from the place at all. And I finally got my squirrel photo. Normally they are bouncing around like they are on speed, but this little guy was hungry and stayed still long enough for me to take a photo.
Typical of these little places, the forest is decorated with artwork. As we made our way along the track we spotted this spiderweb made around a tree complete with spider
The pathways lead you closely past houses and seemingly through their gardens. Occasionally where the path branches it will say private if it only leads to a single house.
Someone will always be in the village but most locals pack up for the winter. We met Joe who had been visiting neighbours to say good bye and we walked back with him to his cabin on the other side of the ridge.
He is a third generation Meyers Chuck resident who stays here over summer and spends winter back in Washington State. As we walked he shared his stories about a place he clearly adores.
For instance the cabin pictures above was brought in from another location. Each log was numbered so it could be rebuilt here in Meyers Chuck. He said he could remember the numbers still there when he was a boy, which was many moons ago! Long since anybody has lived here it doesn’t look like it will last much longer once those roof shingles give way.
A hint of local humour was the sign above. I suspect Joe may have been behind it as he had some suspiciously similar signs on his own cabin. But if he was he was keeping mum, a bit of a grin giving him away.
The cove on this side of the ridge was lovely and being low tide we could walk across to the adjacent island.
On the little island a pair of Bald Eagles watched us from up high. They can stay in the same place like that for hours. As we walked along there were all kinds of knick knacks to look at including antlers of course. These ones had a bit of character.
This cabin kept Dean occupied as he checked out the array of tools and machines nailed onto the wall.
Just before walking back to the big island someone had built a timber seat. Perfectly placed it offered shelter from the rain, and a view across the cove.
Joe had three cabins on his land built at different times in different styles that he explained to Dean as I wandered about the little island before remembering there are bears about, and came back to the fold. So I missed the technical terms but to me it looked like big shingles, little shingles and planks. The thing I did get out of the conversation though is that they lack insulation. They keep a fire on inside to stay warm when they occupy the houses, but once they lock up for winter it doesn’t hold condensation so remains dry and mildew free.
Strolling back we could see the gardens now at the end of the season, harvested, and just a few flowers still blooming. Seaweed was laid across garden beds to fertilise, chicken coops emptied, cabins closed up for winter.
When we were nearly back to the boat we heard the sea plane arriving to take another group to Ketchikan where they would then fly on home in a regular plane. People came down to say good bye, a long season ahead before they would meet again. And judging by the ages I guess sometimes it is truly good bye.
The last of the people leaving will do so over the next couple of days.
We watched the sea plane as it taxied across the bay, then out of the entrance where it took off.
Then it was time for our own departure. We had a good view of the post office as we chugged out, located on a small island opposite the jetty.
You can just see the harbour entrance we are heading for to the left. We loved Meyers Chuck, a quintessential little place that most people won’t have the opportunity to ever visit.
Run to Paradise 