Samuel de Champlain
July 16th - 21st
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A little east of North Bay near Mattawa, a pleasant 3 hour drive. A little shortcut at Callendar avoids the city and there's a trailer friendly gas station where the shortcut joins up with highway 17. We stayed at site #147 in the Jingwakoki campground, radio and generator free and really very quiet. The image in the reservation site makes it look like there's a tree right in the middle of the site, but it's at the front and as long as you can squeak the trailer around it the site is really quite good and lends itself to tarps. There is a really good site just across the road and down a bit, much larger and waterfront. Might try for that next time.
The Kag trail on Monday was short but moderately challenging with some steep bits. The real issue was the torrential rain we got halfway through, making all rocks into slides. We were kind of torn between seeking shelter and just slogging on through, which we did. A hike to remember.
Tuesday was the Red Pine Loop where we saw a mother grouse with young and even a groundhog, which I didn't know lived anywhere but farms. Ravens and chipmunks galore.
The big loop on the Étienne trail system, History, was next the following day. A bit of a slog for me but Deb could have done it twice. Lots of up'n'downs. Startled (and was startled by) something large and furry off the trail a ways. Car was dead and had to boost it, and the display console didn't work for a while. It came back, but that will be an expensive pain if it gets fried. I'll be keeping the car charged in future so it doesn't need a boost, and maybe a new battery in the fall. To celebrate the big hike we had a third bottle of wine which proved to be entirely the wrong thing to do.
Thursday, a heavy rainfall warning and so bailing a day early. Nice trip, probably do it again next year. I'd love to do the lazy river but Deb won't let me.