California Love, Lake Tour!
 

Well not really, But I did want to show some pictures of what we have been up to in the last month.

With the lakes being so full it's the perfict time to get out and check out some other places.

Trip #1 was up to New Malonies
Water was still flowing into the lake from a few diffrent places.
The water was about 6-10 feet from flowing threw the spill way.
On this trip we brought the pontoon boat and slept in it in a finger that's not there when the water is not a full pool.
Jason showed up and got the maiden run on Melonies!
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Picks from New Malonies

Trip #2 Cherry Lake
This place is Awesome. Its about 2 Hrs from our Home lake Tulloch
The water is Way up from the last time we went there. It took away a bunch of spots to camp (Like the island in the middle of the lake) but it opend up a bunch of other places. The lake was packed with campers. Lots of people on the lake but very little boat traffic. Lots of people Kayak into their camp. Many camps were trucked away into the trees. You couldnt see them by day but at night you could see the camp fires
The water was flowing threw the inlet at a super fast rate. It was like a river rafting run.
The water at the inlet was as to be expected VERY cold. The water in the middle of the lake was a comfortable 78-80
The winds push the wood towards the inlet and the Inlet pushes the wood towards the lake making a super log Jam. You must park outside the log jam and hike to the inlet.
The view from out camp sight in the morning was just amazing Pic #11
From pretty much anywhere on the lake at night you could hear the river thundering it was pretty cool. Very quite and just a awesome place.

Nice pics G.

Wow... great pics.

Cherry, I need to go there. AWESOME!

Cherry lake is an awesome place....we love taking the boat out there...especially mid week. Have to be careful for some of the underwater granite as it is not marked and barely under the surface. There is an expert rafting run on that section of the river that pros train on for the olympics. It is one level below being considered impassable. It is amazing to watch these guys try and make it down. If you like Cherry lake...you may like Beardsley...up 108 past pinecrest...nice big lake in the mountains....pretty windy at times though.

this thread is already awesome!!

Wow....awesome. Not a single other boat on the water in those pics.....except mine :)

Very nice pics. This makes me miss Northern California.

wow. must be nice!! i forgot what it is like to have a lake with water in it.

Awesome pictures Grant!

Ok so back to Californina Love.
Trip#3 SHASTA!

We camped out of Antlers. It was a crouded FAMILY camp ground. If you had kids and a Barking Dog you would love this place. The down side to Antlers is your at the far end of the lake. If you want to explore the lake it would be better to try and find some place in the center. The Camp grounds had Showers and Bathrooms ect they were clean and well lit. The roads in the camp grounds were dirt and it was a busy camp ground so it gets dusty. We had someone that reconized out boat from W/W stop by and say HI. So it was cool to meet a stranger.
Ok Out On the lake!
Pic #1 Center of the lake.
Pic#2 Going up a Arm to the water fall/swimming hole
Pic#3 This is the waterfall next to the arm with the waterslide.
Pic#4 This is a swiming hole with cool clear water and a few places to kick back and swim
Pic#5 This was a Old rail Road bridge support This is at the Far end of the Antlers Arm.
Pic#6 This was almost at the end of the Antlers inlet the water was pretty cool but super clear and shallow
Pic#7 We met some friends that flew in
Over all Shasta was not that busy in the middle of the lake but it seems like there was a houseboat or 2 in EVERY cove with a Jet Ski. But what do you expect for the middle of the summer. We had a great time and Love comming here.

Trip #4 Trinity Lake

This place rock's. IMO more beautiful than Shasta and you have the place to your self.
The Camping was Great, Water was calm and warm 78 to 80 We camped at a nice place called Clark Springs Camp sight was big and clean nice fire pit and Bear locker for your food.
No showers but a clean bathroom and nice launch ramp. Camping was wel coverd and quiet. Nice paved road right up to your camp sight. and nice flat area's for tents. There is a resort that we ate at one night food was good and the Marina is great. (pretty sure it was Pinewood) The people that worked the marina were super nice and apreciated your business. Pulling up for gas was almost like a old school full service gas station.
Pic#1 A Pair of Bald Eagles they were all over the place and had huge nest's in the tree tops.
Pic#2 The conditions were awesome The water was flat almost all day.
Pic#3 This was the sandy beach right next to the launch ramp. Many familys were set up here
Pic#4 Many of the Arm's are 5mph the water is super green
Pic#5 This is in the Main body of the lake
Pic#6 Airport!!!!!!! Thats right fly in and park your plane under your house.
Pic#7 Again this is in the center of the lake were most lakes are like a Ocean it was weird that its was Super calm with no one around in the center of the lake
Pic#8 One of the many 5mph Arms
Pic#9 Ahhhhhhhh
pic#10 Butter

One of the best threads I've seen on this site! Thanks Grant.

I used to guide raft trips on rivers throughout Norcal and did Cherry Creek once. Amazing stuff. Never been to the lake though.

I agree with Larry.

Larry: Thanks I wanted to share some pic's and see if other would do the same. To bad this site has turned into what HCLD speakers are louder than the next instead of what really matters. Threads and pictures of people "Enjoying them selfs" lets see if we cant turn it around.

Great Thread!!! I would love to get out that way with a boat!!!
-chris from land locked colorado :-(

Nice pics Grant! Cherry Lake looks amazing, I remember seeing your pictures from last year, and wanted to go. Maybe next year! In your opinion how difficult would it be for half ton pick-up to tow a wake boat in and out of there? The road looks very long with many twists and turns.

Grant:

I think the color of my envy matches the water at Trinity lake... looks like a bunch of GREAT trips!

Ahhhh- Shasta! Was there in July. I agree with Grant that Antlers was busy, but is a pretty nice campground. I am going to have to try out Trinity next year....if I don't get the Powell bug. I didn't get the Melones this year...dang it. Still time.

Simply awesome (as I sit at my desk staring at the wall all summer). I am so jealous. I need to get out more.

that is warm water to you? last time i was out on the river it read 94.

Awesome write up Grant! I appreciate the effort in sharing all the amazing bodies of water around us. Trinity looks incredible. Did you pull your boat out of the water @ night or is the pic at the campsite when you first got there? I have some nice pics of Bullards I could share.

thanks for the photos!! i gotta visit trinity lake now!

Grant -Awesome pictures! Thanks for switching it up bro....awesome to see other people's trips too.
Our crew has been talking about going on trips to new lakes and places we haven't been in years, and we just haven't pulled the trigger. We did make it to Shasta 2 weeks ago and it was amazing! Windy in the morning till about 930, then absolute miles of amazing water from then until about 2 in the afternoon when the wind would pick back up -totally opposite of where we normally ride.
My buddy took most of the pictures but I will try to get some from him and post them...thanks again for all of the pictures!

I went camping at Bullards Bar with the family last weekend. Great trip and got some good slalom water. Only problem were the mosquitos. I can deal with them at dusk because you know they are coming but they were out all day at the campground. Has anyone else experienced this at Bullards? Are mosquitos a common problem there? We were applying repellent regularly but my kids still got eaten up.

I will upload some photos when I get my wife's camera.

Trinity is awesome...just takes a while longer and a slightly stronger transmission to get there. We love heading up that way since it's much quieter and calmer than Shasta. Last year on a Saturday in the middle of summer we were one of only a small handful boats on the lake. Amazing place...nice pics Grant.

Yeah the mosquitos are insane there. That's the only place I know where they come out in the morning. Mosquito coils work great. We used the coils and some off and we barely got bit. My 2 year old did fine too.