First Turns of the Season

Early season on McCrae Peak: slip-sliding up a sketchy logging road; slippery roots on the uptrack; flat light on the pocket glacier; first run rusty but the magic's still there; second time around cloud clears and the mountains open up; fun turns in creamy pow; scratchy descent back to the car.

Keener people than us had got there first and the light was in and out, but great nonetheless.

Watching out for rocks on the second pitch.

Happy crew! Friday the dog was especially excited to get a winter outing.

Carrying the skis back to the car.

Cape Wrath

Sorry for the delay in this post but better late than never. The trip out to Cape Wrath in the NW of Scotland marked the end of a three week bike trip that I did to say au revoir to Britain and it's fine inhabitants before going back to live in Canada. I also raised some money for Orchid Cancer.

To get to Cape Wrath, you first need to take a ferry. Yes, there it is, in all it's splendid magnificence...

They only let you on the ferry if you're wearing a kilt...

Our turn with the bikes. We had special dispensation for not wearing a kilt because I had my cape.

  

The road on the other side was built to access the lighthouse at Cape Wrath. It's about 12 miles along a rather pot-holed surface. 

The barren middle bit is owned by the MOD. I was half expecting to be mistaken for a moving target...

The lighthouse at Cape Wrath.

Made it!

There's a little bit more land that sticks out from the lighthouse. There's quite a hairy path that takes you down and lets you walk out to the narrow point. If you want to get to the island on the left, you have to swim! 

Going right out to the end. Most folk who take the minibus out to Cape Wrath miss out on this (the best) bit.