Day 09 – The Old Man of Storr
Today was a day for a hike up The Storr to the Old Man of Storr, a monolith standing some 2359 feet above the Sound of Raasay. It’s about an hour hike, if you don’t count the stops, and you are not a mountain goat who runs up all the way.
While some of us go out on cliff edges and climb up steep slopes, we are not mountain goats and chose to plod along, stop for photographs, and take breaks.
The lower part of the hike goes through forest with the sounds of lumbering on either side of us.
We came to a tunnel of Pine, light shining through the thin branches. It made for an interesting shot. Most people chose to shoot up the tunnel, while I was more attracted by the patterns to the side.
Once we broke out of the tree line, we were greeted by what some describe as a lunar landscape. I would not have described it so, as there was lush peat bog all around, making for delicious soft walking. Soon, however, we had to stick to the path that was harsh and rocky.
We picked our way carefully up the steep slopes near the top and decided that none of us felt very comfortable there.
The footing was iffy at best, so we all sat down and made our way to another path to the side that was a lot more human friendly. There, we could walk across the grass-covered peat and find lots of shots.
We sat on the soft ground amongst huge boulders, strange pinnacles towering high above us.
Having survived the “iffy” area, we had a real feeling of accomplishment and adventure. We were laughing and joking, and having a great time.
We had to do a group shot. A couple of our group don’t do as well on steep slopes and stayed below, but we needed to let those at home know we actually made it up!
It was getting chilly. The sun had gone on the east side of the slopes, and the wind was blowing. It was time to head back down.
We went to another area for photographs, one that you saw in a previous blog overlooking a bay and out at islands. Then it was time to head back. Our days are long. We are so far north, that it stays light until well after 11:00. When we were nearly at our hotel, Arnie and I must have seen the same scene. “Oh sh–,” I cried.
“What?” those in my car said.
“Look!”
There was the most gorgeous, Strawberry Moon, although I haven’t checked to see if it was officially that moon. At any rate, it was a beautiful color.
We headed down toward the water where we would get reflections. Some people put some old ruins in their shot, while I loved the patterns of the water by the shore.
What a way to end the day!
For our next outing, we’ll take a boat ride across a bay to a lake that is accessible only by boat or a long, long hike.
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As usual, great blog. It sounds as if the hike was quite an adventure. I love the night shot. Beautiful red (strawberry) in the photo.
Yes, John, the hike was quite an adventure, and one we are still laughing over. It was great. And that Strawberry Moon was to die for!
Take care,
TBC
What a great adventure!! Love the light and shadows in Pines…. I can only imagine how spectacular the Old Man must have been in person.
Benita,
They were pretty amazing. One of our participants did it a a black and white.
Thanks for chiming in.
Take care,
TBC