Climbed Hills and No Other Hikers

Day 9 Hiking.  Friday June 10.  Kirkhouse Inn, Strathblane to Gowanlea Guest House, Bolloch. 

17.69 Miles.  42,546 Steps.  8 Hours.  

“The journey of a thousand steps begins with a single step.”   Lap Tzu

This morning the Chef at the Kirkhouse Inn arrived late.  I was already waiting.  Then he had to quickly walk down to the Co-Op to get a few things.  Everywhere there are staffing troubles.  

Co-operative/Post Office where all the locals, and me, buy foods.  Only 3 aisles in this one. 

Future Forest in the making. 

Horses are rode not just out in the country but through the villages also. 

A Virtual Watership Down was going on this field.  Never saw so many tiny bunnies hopping and running.  

No one said trees had to take root on the ground. 

I was here 3 years ago.  Memories!

Where the John Muir Way intersected with the West Highland Way more people were seen headed north on the WHW than had been seen the entire time on the JMW, except for locals and their dogs. 

Oh!  The West Highland Way!!!!

First Cadbury. 

Walked through a funny little ‘community’ of these tiny huts    

The area is known as the Carbeth Huts.  “Hut building from 1920 when working class people from Glasgow and Clydebank created holiday homes here.   The Hutters rented the land from the Carbeth Estate, but built and owned their own huts.”  There was a community buy-out.  The huts are sort of well established, but the entire area rather junky.  This particular one - Braveheart - even had a bus sign posted on a tree.  The road in front was barely a mud track.  The sign was obviously stolen.   

Ladder to cross the fence 

Queen Elizabeth’s Angling Club.  Members only at the Burncrooks Reserve.  No one was fishing today - members or not.  

Only wildlife seen today - besides the usual sheep (baa baa), cows, horses, geese, and that huge tribe of bunnies. 

Loch Lomond with Ben Lomond rising on the right. 

Windy 

Sat on the side of road to eat the crunchy tuna sandwich. 

Front yard is also the driveway/garage 

Brown sheep with white faces.  

I think my love with reading Real maps goes back to that first backing trip to Banff National Park.  Fascinated since then with how everything fits together.  

No other hikers were met today.  I followed the walker’s route and expect others might have taken the bikers alternative as it avoided the high mountain crossing I did.  My knees didn’t like the up and down, so I too might take the bikers choice next week when I return.  

The John Muir Way route lead right past Balloch Castle. 

Branches of the Monky Puzzle Tree.  

Balloch Castle from the edge of Loch Lomond.  

Smooth bark. 

After walking through the park land around Balloch Castle came back out on to the city streets and began to look for tonight’s bed.  Approached the first couple I saw to ask if they knew where Drymen Road was.  The elderly couple were visiting from Wales.  The gentleman pulled out his phone and looked it up.  Pointed up the road in the opposite direction I would have chosen.  

Walked 2 blocks and asked another elderly couple with a pair of full size poodles.  The lady looked at the name of where I was headed and immediately started laughing.  She pointed and said that back when they were in their 20’s they had toured the home and hoped to buy it, but it was too pricey.  

“Keep close the Nature’s heart and break clear away once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods, wash your spirit clean.”  John Muir