The daughter of a gold miner, Melony came back to Nevada County because of the Yuba River. An avid hiker and outdoorswoman, she decided that she wanted to share her love of this part of the Sierras with other folks by starting a day hiking business. After a bit of research she realized that there was another niche not being filled - with fifteen wineries in the area, no one was touring them. This idea became so popular that is it now the main focus of her business. What is more fun than touring our beautiful countryside, tasting great wines with good friends and making new ones - without having to worry about drinking and driving!

“My passion for the outdoors began as a small child when I spent my summer days, from the time I was two until about twelve, on the North Fork of the Yuba River while my dad was busy dredging for gold in the river. As for river rafting - I saw a home video of someone’s trip down the Grand Canyon when I was fourteen and decided I wanted to do that too. When I was 24 I talked my aunt into joining me, and we rafted the Colorado River down the Grand Canyon. That was when I decided I wanted to be a river guide. Thirty years later I made it happen - and doing it as a volunteer for a non-profit that works to conserve rivers in California only makes it a better idea and plan!”

A former bookstore owner, Melony is also a font of information on gold rush history, local flora and geology, not to mention bits of wine trivia. When Melony isn’t out having fun touring the countryside with wine tasters, she volunteers as a white water rafting guide for Friends of the River www.friendsoftheriver.org, a non-profit organization that looks after the rivers of our beautiful state. She is also a River Monitor for the South Yuba River Citizens League www.syrcl.org, and leads hikes for the Mother Lode chapter of the Sierra Club www.sierraclub.org. Adventure is her middle name!