The Trinity Alps is my "happy place" in Northern California (we enjoyed some great hiking there last June) and we decided to check out nearby Lewiston Lake on the holiday weekend (when I didn't have to work my usual Monday OB call!). We rented what turned out to be a lovely AirBnB house right on the Trinity River about two hours from our home. While we had Wi-fi and service at our place, the rest of the area did not, and I really enjoyed really "retreating" from regular life/being reachable, unplugging, and enjoying the local wildlife and beautiful scenery (I'm also currently reading the book How to Do Nothing which was really fitting for a weekend like this).
We were greeted by a backyard deer when we arrived on Friday evening and watched a woodpecker from the screened-in porch.
On Saturday, we checked out nearby Lewiston Lake, which has a pretty high water level (compared to nearby and larger but dry-appearing Trinity Lake) as it's dammed on both sides. Our friends Beth & Pat and their kids Sophia and Olivia (who at nine and almost seven are just slightly older than our boys) joined us for the getaway weekend, although they had to stay about 45 min from us in Trinity Center due to having their dog along (our trusty friend Kelly took care of Pepper for us).
We enjoyed a morning splashing and paddling around the lake at Pine Cove Marina (it was ICY feet-numbing cold-- waay too frigid to swim in) and enjoying the hot sun.
Even Patch the dog got a ride.
Iver found a dead fish in the water (apparently a kokanee which may have gotten injured in the dam, per the marina owner) and made it a mission to "catch" it-- here's Olivia with a fish net (an adapted tennis racket?) which we found on the shore.
While it was really hard to paddle our little boat with short oars, mission accomplished!
On Sunday morning, we did a group hike near Trinity Center on Swift Creek Trail, which is a very pleasant walk in the Trinity Alps Wilderness alongside flowing Swift Creek.
The kids were really troupers with the walk-- Niall probably walked at least a mile or a mile and a half (out of four) without being carried, motivated to follow the "big kids," especially Olivia, with whom he really bonded.
("carrying" Iver's backpack and hydration pack)
The kids were really into silly pictures.
There were several mini-creeks to traverse.
Jump!
(the kid was not dropped)
Some native plants (I probably need to download a "Shazam" for plant ID).
Darlingtonia californica (California pitcher plant)
Trail lizard
Gettin' tired on the return trip: hitchin' rides
Despite our shirtless son, it actually was perfect hiking weather-- about 70 degrees!
Happy 11th anniversary to us!
We spent the weekend afternoons relaxing in the Trinity River just behind the house we were renting. The river was warmer (and shallower) here than at the lake, and the kids enjoyed splashing and even traversing the river.
The dreaded fish "Freddy" made it back to the river (to be used by Iver to torture the girls), but did not come home to the coast with us (thankfully).
We saw several boaters/fishers/kayakers float by.
The littles, warming up in the sun!
We (thank you, Pat!) grilled one night and then we made pizzas the following night in our oven.
Desserts included perfect oven-made s'mores (thanks, Beth!) and root beer floats (is there a more "summery" drink?).
On Monday, we planned to do a 2.8-mile round-trip hike to East Weaver Lake just north of Weaverville, which was reported to have phenomenal views over the mountains and valleys surrounding the town. However, after a 40-minute drive up a winding (Weaver Bally) unpaved road with hairpin turns over the cliffs below (!!), and despite a good Trinity Alps guidebook and map, we could barely find the trailhead and with rainy/misty and fairly cold (50-degree) weather (quite unusual for this area this time of year but welcomed due to the fire risk), the Spellmeyers decided to head back down the mountain. Our family did venture out for about a mile walk on the trail, but when we weren't confident we were seeing the actual trail, the views were obscured with fog, and it started to rain on us (the kids sure told us the whole way how miserable they were), we retreated.
On a clear day, I can see how the views would be amazing!
After a brief stop at the Straw House near Big Bar for a picnic lunch, we made it home by mid-afternoon to unpack and unwind. We so enjoyed our weekend getaway in the Trinity Alps, one of the most remote and special parts of California (even though the lack of good trail markings/signage, as we experienced both this year and last year, does really frustrate me!). We're so glad our friends joined us (even though they didn't enjoy the hair-raising unproductive gravel driving on day 3), as they were so easygoing and great hiking and play companions. It's so nice to "vacation" and hang out again with families again--the social isolation of the pandemic has been rough on all of us. Sophia suggested that we make this a summer tradition-- we'll see!
