On a day that turned out to be perfect, 7 hearty hikers accepted the 12 km challenge to hike the Jim Christ trail in Mississagi Park. Rather than the traditional trailhead, we chose to start with a less-known access point by the log cabin on Jim Christ lake and were rewarded with an up-close view of a partridge meandering across the trail - in no hurry despite our presence! The trail makes its way through forests alternating between lovely open hardwood, dark and close evergreens, and a perfect mix of the two. Unfortunately, we missed the trail heading towards Survey Lake but found a nice log in a more open area where we enjoyed lunch and chatted in the sunshine. The sun kept us happy even as we made our way up the long ascent nearing the end of our trek. All agreed it had been a great hike ... even as we faced the long, steep hill back up to the cars ... and we were cheered by the fact that WE DID IT!! Most did confess, though, that the very near future would hold a long session with feet up or a long soak in Epsom salts!
