GOOD LIVING
Luxury and leisure on Lake Shasta

It has been my good fortune for the past 40 years to explore, hike and fish the country in and around Nevada City, California. I am pleased to say I look forward to my outings today with just as much relish as the first time in 1970.

North fork of the Yuba River.

For most of us, Lake Shasta is a just blip on the radar as we travel across the I-5 bridge just north of Redding. Yet this amazing body of water has a lot to offer, and it was great to return to Silverthorn Resort after a two-year sabbatical.

Formed by the tallest concrete dam in the country, across the Sacramento River, Lake Shasta has a brim-full capacity of 4.5 million acre feet of water, forming the state's largest reservoir. Its 365 miles of mountainous shoreline are nestled in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, with vistas of pine and oak forests anywhere you look. Completed in 1945, after 10 years of construction, it serves California by providing hydropower, irrigation water and flood control for the Sacramento River Valley.

We made our first visit two years ago, at the end of April, and arrived at about the same time this year, four adults and a wirehaired fox terrier. While the weather is always a factor in early spring, the accommodations on Silverthorn Resort's houseboats more than offset anything you might run into. Our first time out we were most pleased with the Presidential houseboat and its appointments, but this time we splurged and rented their luxury liner, the Queen I.

Silverthorn, with its substantial fleet covering all prices ranges and individual needs, does a great job and has a large and highly competent staff. Driving one of these boats is no small responsibility, and their well-qualified personnel are critical to a fun and safe vacation.

We were greeted by Misty Hays in reservations, who signed us in and set us up with our orientation person, Annie Hardy, who ran us through the comprehensive list of equipment and its operating instructions with alacrity. We were also assisted and checked back in by Stacy Sass and Joni Ables, with an easy and efficient process. And in the unlikely event you have an equipment problem, Craig Lockwood is at the ready to get you promptly back into motion. At the store you can get your fishing license, tackle, cold beer and many other important items right on-site.

The Queen I is a three-story, elegantly appointed, moving penthouse. The top story has a hot tub, sun deck and water slide to get you quickly down to the lake. From this great perch and view, it is complete with all that's needed to drive the boat from the upper level.

The second floor has a full bathroom and master bedroom, along with a great view. The Command Bridge, the feature we liked the best, was the stern, with a covered kitchen, small fridge, stove, running water and a barbecue, plus seating for a dozen people. Several evenings it rained, but whether clear or not, it was comfortable, fun and extremely pleasant making and having dinner and drinks while looking out over the lake.

On the main level were three state rooms, two bathrooms, a barbecue in front and back, plus a kitchen and eating area outfitted with dishwasher, big fridge, stereo, fireplace, TV, and fish and depth finder, and fully equipped with all needed cooking and food-prep supplies. The only things you bring are food, drink, bedding and accessories. I'm definitely sold on the Queen I, their most popular boat.

And then there's the main attraction, the lake itself. While there are other smaller and significant tributaries adding to the mix, its principal contributors are the Sacramento, Pit and McCloud rivers. I will admit I have not always been a big fan of artificial lakes, but the scope and offerings of Lake Shasta have changed my mind. It's there; it's big, beautiful and powerful, and alive with bird, fish and animal life.

We spent our first night on the Pit and the last three on the Squaw Creek arm. It appears that the Pit River arm was not logged off to make way for the lake, so the depth finder was most helpful in staying in deep water and away from the trees still standing in the waterway. (The water was rising every day, and I'm sure by this writing the lake is full to the brim.)

We also secured two fishing boats for the trip, a highly worthwhile investment. The smaller boats, which we towed behind the Queen 1, allowed us to leave the houseboat and tour, fish and picnic in out-of-the-way places. They are also more cost-effective, fuel-wise, than the larger houseboats, and we recommend bringing a spare gas can. (Fishing, by the way, was just starting to warm up. Others were enjoying some results and looking forward to warmer water for greater success.)

One rainy afternoon we took a long, wonderful journey way up the Squaw Creek arm. The lake is so huge that while the creek canyon gets narrower and narrower as you travel upstream, it seems to go on forever.

Everything looks great for some quality R&R on a full Shasta Lake this year. Check out silverthornresort.com. We are already planning on our next visit to extend our usual four-night stay to seven.

I highly recommend leaving your cell phones and computers turned off during your stay. Once on the water, it's a whole new world and you won't miss them.