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What to Do Here "The ride down the river was the best. This is heaven." Sandy Schupe/Manteca, CA Kayak with a Legend Year-round, you can learn basic and advanced skills from us in a fun and supportive way right in front of our cabin, then set out on the water. There's no age limit, nor fitness requirements other than general good health; we work with you at any level and are experienced in introducing people with disabilities to the water. “I think Steph and Heidi are the best people on the planet to kayak a river with. Admiring a river from the shore and actually being part of the river in a kayak are very different experiences. Being on a river requires intimate knowledge of currents, eddies and kayak-balance, none of which I had. Having my first river kayak adventure be with them was both exciting and very relaxing. I did fall in, I did listen to what they told me to do if that happened, and I got back into the kayak with their assistance and continued on the adventure. I would do it again in a second with them as my guides. Happy Kayaking!" Kirsten Carlson~WA” Although the upper Trinity isn't big white water, it packs some terrific fun and excitement. For novices who would prefer flat water, we have two gorgeous lakes just minutes away. Trinity Lake is California's second largest lake, second only to Lake Tahoe. Lewiston Lake is even closer and we think it's the prettiest. "Steph is an excellent instructor, explaining things clearly and concisely. I especially enjoyed learning [about ferry angles]. Thanks sooo much for the opportunity to hone old skills and to pick up some new ones." Judy Maben~Lewiston, CA We have all the gear you'll need. We use Ocean Kayak sit-on-tops because they're stable, easy to get into and out of and they're a lot of fun to paddle. We have a fleet of singles as well as two doubles, which work great for parents with kids (see right). For novices, or people who don't know this river at the particular flow (release rate from the dam), we HIGHLY RECOMMEND at least one lesson and guided trip so we can teach you well and make sure you know what you're doing. After that, you can rent boats and do more trips on your own. Choose from calm lake paddles or running the river. We usually put in at our place in Bucktail and kayak to our Steel Bridge location, or we can put in above the inn and ride the river back home. We see birds, fish and even river otters on these runs. That's our dog Bisco riding the rapids with Steph in the shot above on the right. Raft Rentals & Guided Trips "Steph, the raft ride was a blast; we had never been on a raft ride before. I couldn't have enjoyed my first ride better." Gary and Sandy Shupe/Manteca, CA The raft can be rented for half a day or the full day: $125 half day/$160 full day, all gear included. A guided half day trip runs $225. As with kayaking on the river, taking a guided trip and learning how to paddle as a team, or row the boat solo, is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED before you take a trip on your own. $25 shuttle service for people/$50 equipment pick up. Light wetsuit rentals $15. Fish a World Famous River The 2007/2008 Winter steelhead season was incredible. Everyone agrees the Trinity rocked and by spring 2008, we were already booking for 2008/2009. The Trinity River is home to a fantastic array of fish, including salmon, steelhead, German Brown trout and rainbow trout. You'll be fishing a minute after hopping out of bed and grabbing a cup of coffee and we can have a hearty and abundant breakfast ready for you no matter what time you want to be on the water. Scroll down for a list of excellent fishing guides. The Fly Shop (Redding, just off I-5): This is one of the big guns world wide for fly fishers. A class act all the way. West Coast Adventures/Zack Collins: Zack is our neighbor, a fellow member of the Lewiston fire department and a fishing fanatic. He knows fish and the Trinity like it was his own backyard, because it is! Wine Tasting Hang Out With Your Dog Dogs that are sociable are welcome and have a great time running in the meadows, swimming and joining us on hikes. They even can learn to kayak and take a trip with you. We paddle with both of our dogs and they love it. Hiking According to Dennis Lewon's Hiking California's Trinity Alps Wilderness, Canyon Creek is "one of the most beautiful slices of mountain country you'll ever walk through," thanks to the creeks, waterfalls, sweeping granite cliffs, sparkling lakes, spectacular views and "swimming holes of near-perfect proportions." But you only have to walk out the door of the inn and you have a wealth of opportunities to walk, hike or climb. Take a flat walk around the neighborhood to see and feed the deer. Scale the boulders that flank a pure mountain stream. One of our favorite hikes is a long, easy incline that takes us above the inn for a view clear across the valley to the distant mountain range. You won't see another person up there, but you will hear the piercing shrieks of hawks and you'll feel as though time has ceased its rapid pace. Hiking as we do with dogs reduces wild animal sightings, but we have white-tailed deer, black bears, mountain lions, foxes, jackrabbits and a lot more up here. We're naturalists, so we love observing, questioning and learning about the natural scheme of things. This has served us well running our whale watching cruises on the Monterey Bay, and at the inn. We've found interesting traces of wild animals on our mountain hikes. Sometimes it's footprints, other times it's in the form of their poop. A bear's scat found in the fall was filled with pieces of pine cone in the fall and smelled like fermenting grapes. I collected a large dead dragonfly that is typical of the thousands we see all summer. Its shimmering gold wings are impossibly thin. We think dragonflies are good luck, which is why I included one on our logos. Birding We see an astounding number of buzzards when the salmon are spawning. They're huge and they congregate in one special spot where they feed on dead salmon. We often pull the carcasses up and throw them on rocks for the buzzards, although they appear to be pretty good at getting them on their own from shallower waters. One of our favorite birds has to be the heron. When we disrupt a heron on our river trips, they almost always fly downriver, so that we disrupt them again and again. Only one or two have flown upriver, but maybe it was just a fluke. There are kingfishers here as well and they work the river right in front of the cabin. Motorcycle Riding Motorcyclists who arrive on bikes will appreciate the fact they need to bring so little with them. Sow's Ear, Alpen Glow and the Meadow are set up with shampoo, body wash, towels, laundry facilities and laundry soap, so you can travel light. We have an extensive tool selection for unexpected repairs and a compressor for tires. Shop or Create Weaverville & Lewiston have a treasure trove of interesting shops and other attractions. You'll find antique shops, a large health food store, several coffee houses, wonderful museums, a supermarket, art galleries, unique gift shops and a lot more. There is a farmers' market on Wednesdays spring through fall where you can purchase heirloom tomatoes, homemade breads, herbs and fresh fruits. Do Nothing at AllThe serenity of the Trinity River area gives you the chance to relax and revive from the rushed world somewhere else. Sleep late. Enjoy our robust meals. Spring through fall, hang out in the lovely rattan furniture on the porch of Sow's Ear; the patio at Laughing Salmon or the Carriage House, the hammocks by the river or the large deck at Alpen Glow. In the winter, watch the world cool and slow and crystallize from within our cozy cocoons. Questions? Email us or call Heidi and Steph at 530.778.3444 |
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