Day 3, have left planet earth for a few hours......
It was cold and damp when I woke the morning of day 3. I had slept on the steps of a small building,
wasn’t my best ever choice for stealth camp spot but got the job done. Heading
out thru the mist and fog I felt lots of solitude even knowing other racers
must be nearby. The sealed road turned
to dirt then to a rough two track. Soon
I was riding next to then above the Glen Golly River.
Foot bridge across a tributary of the Geln Golly
A racer just a tad faster than I was could do a lot worse
that to set up a 2nd day camp down in the shelter of a low meadow area,
where route gets near this river.
Above the Glen Golly, heading into the remotest (coolest?) part
of the route
As I slowly climbed up to Lochan Segreach the going got
steep, other racers began to roll by and the terrain and trail became single
track to bushwhacking. Not a section to attempt
at night unless you like wasting massive amount of time and energy. During the day this section is great fun as
even in light mist and fog you can see enough to pick a reasonable line to follow,
riding or hiking. This section like many
others is now deeply embedded in my ‘western US cowboy county memory’ as truly
other-worldly.
For a short time I felt I was on a different planet, ahh such
memories….
After some hike-a-bike I shot down out of the rough
backcontry, back down to rural highlands.
Once you pass thur these gate rocks you have returned to
planet earth
In a couple of miles the route has passed me by the few
homes and buildings of Achfary and up a steep climb, up to some unnamed saddle
and on towards the coastline and Kylestrome then Drumbeg (got a snack there)
and on along the coast to Lochinver (lots of resupply choices here)
Fun singletrack next to the Atlantic Ocean (when I at this picture I again realize I was not in peak race condition, carring about 10 extra lbs--and on day 3 I started paying the price)
As I moved along the coast line other racers came and
went and for the first time since the start I talked and chatted with the few
that were close to my pace.
Singletrack that drops you right into Lochinver
After a fast resupply I was back by myself and found
smooth sailing till just before Lochan Fada.
The trail hear was chunky and beyond my tired legs to ride. I pushed my hardtail for what seemed like
hours (Trackleaders says it was 3 hours) till I hit A835 and could remount and
ride. It was about 10pm and for the day
I had around 77 miles and 17hr behind me.
9:40pm, I had just finished pushing my rig down that shoreline,
I was now about spent and found it hard to fully appreciate the spectacular
view, it had been frustratingly slow going the last 3 hours…..
The plan was to push on till I hit 100 miles for the day
and then camp up. At 92 miles I gave up
and called it a day. I picked what I
thought would be a great camp spot but soon was fighting off Midges as I ate,
cleaned up etc. The next morning, in only 2.5 more miles, I would
learn I had made a truly major blunder in not staying on plan and going for the full planned 100 miles…….as I write this report this gaff still bugs me almost a year later...ahhhhhhhh......
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