“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 and Lewiston Lake, which is closest and prettiest. Bird watching on the lake is fantastic. We often see bald eagles, golden eagles, osprey, great blue herons and green herons.

"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.

We usually put in at our cabin and run down to the end of Steel Bridge Road, near our Steel Bridge cabins' 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.

River or Lake Kayak Lesson and Guided Trip: $45 adults/$35 kids under 12
Single kayak rental with all gear $35 half day/$50 full day (plus 8.25% sales tax on rental)
Double Kayak Rental with Gear $50 half day/$65 full day (plus 8.25% sales tax on rental)
Light wetsuit rentals $15 (plus 8.25% sales tax on rental)

Hiking
Trinity County is heaven for hikers. There are wondrous areas throughout the county, but especially up in the Trinity Alps. Possibly the most popular hiking area up here is Canyon Creek.

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.

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
We are Ocean Kayak dealers and carry a nice line of boats for every need, plus paddles, life jackets (PFD's), paddling wear and accessories. We have a very nice line of clothing items including embroidered caps, Polar Fleece hooded sweatshirts, T-shirts and much more. The shirt shown below features an antiqued silkscreen design with an embroidered dragonfly. Go to our Store page for more info.

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.

Come winter, cuddle up on the couch under a hand-knit afghan and act like you're reading (but really sleeping). We have cool crafts, such as knotting sailor's mats, making table top Christmas trees out of our wild Digger pine cones and digital photo scavenger hunts (you could win a T-shirt!).

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.