Thursday, May 6
Today is the longest (in distance) day of our hike. We all declare, at breakfast, that we have slept exceeding well. Our host, Joe, is in the kitchen frying up breakfast, and Kath is waiting tables. There is a very European cold spread -- crusty rolls, grapes and other fruit, lovely cheeses (we try the bleu, aged cheddar, and camembert); a tray of cold meats; cereals and grapefruit sections. Then there is the cooked breakfast - egg, bacon, sausage, tomato, and potato scones. Potato scones must be an acquired taste -- a thin triangular cake of compressed, grated potato fried until the outside is well browned. They tend to be a bit leathery.
Well fueled for the day, we lug our duffles downstairs and don our packs. Joe comes out to wish us well on the trail. We have really enjoyed the Braeside B&B, from it's pleasing decor to its genial host to its amenities, not to mention the tavern just across the street. We would recommend it highly to other travelers to Drymen.
We start the day on a town street, and a short section by the road. Here we see two lambs grazing on the lush grass on the roadside. Surely they should be behind the fence, not in the road! A short way further, and we turn off the road and onto a gorse-lined path. Today we travel to Rowardennan (pronounced something like Row-ard-nen, with accent on the second syllable) on the shores of Loch Lomond.
This is in every aspect an excellent walk. We gradually climb upward into a pine forest. Here the trunks of the trees are thick with moss. We discuss whether moss grows on the north side of the tree, as we were taught in the U.S. We conclude that here it grows on ALL sides of the trees. The only discordant notes are the areas that have been logged. As most are relatively flat land, the logs don't all fall downhill, as we are used to seeing in California. They're every which way amongst the tall grass, and the fields look very messy. Neither are the loggers (evidently) required to clean up the brushy leavings -- they are everywere. After all, I don't suppose there's much danger of wildfires here.
Soon we're up on a ridge and get our first glimpses of Loch Lomond. This is pastoral country - sheep and lambs and once a lone shaggy cow (or bull, as the case may be). We pass thorough an area that is sometimes closed to walkers during lambing time, at this latitude from mid-April to mid-May. We are fortunate that the restriction applies only to dogs, not people, today.
We cross the bridge over a small stream and follow the stone wall up the hill to a stile, and cross into the hillside field. From here the path leads to Conic Hill, a highlight of today's walk.
Conic Hill is only some 1184 feet, but seems a long way, nonetheless. The path is clearly marked, and, since there has been no rain lately, not terribly wet. We proceed in stages, and finally reach the high point of the trail. From here there is a short, steep trail to the top of the hill.
Of course we're here, so how could we pass it up? I slog behind the others, and finally reach the summit. It's a nice view, but the wind is sharpish.
The day started mostly sunny, and although there are cloudy periods, remains warm. On the way down Conic Hill toward the town of Balmaha (said like it's spelled, with the accent on the first syllable) it is downright toasty. We stop on the descent to shed layers. The path downward is quite steep, and seems to go on and on. We are happy that we didn't hike north-to-south -- we'd have to be climbing this sucker.
At the bottom of the hill we find the Oak Tree Inn. The weather is still mild, so we elect to sit outside. The pub has pizzas! B and I choose the Neopolitan: tomato sauce, cheese, anchovies, and black olives. B has a beer to accompany, and I stick to hot tea. As we lunch, the clouds move in once more. Although it's a little cool for sitting, it's a great temperature for hiking.
Now we're 8 miles into the jourrney. This next section is truly scenic; more sheep in pastures, lovely woods, and, at the last, great views of the loch. There are a couple of hills, one of 300 ft. elevation that is near the end of the trail. My feet are ready to be done before the hike has ended. Then the Rowardennan Hotel appears, quite suddenly. We are at our destination.
We get a ground floor room right across from the baggage depot. This is fortunate - just drag the duffle across the hall. We have #17. T & D have #15 -- up the stairs and all the way down the end of the hall. The hotel has been built higgledy-piggledy; there are fire doors in what seem the oddest places. To get to the bar we go through at least three. Turns out their room is much the same -- down the hall, through a pair of fire doors, down some steps, then another door ... you get the picture.
The rooms are very nice; ours would even have a loch view if not for the renovation. Instead the view outside our window includes scaffolding and a big red skip loader. T & D report that they have a trouser press in their room. We repair to the bar for a post-hike libation. There is an outside deck, with a lawn sloping down to the loch. The views are spectacular. There's also a lot of play equipment for children on the lawn; this must be a popular family hotel in the summers.
Since there isn't much else around, we also have dinner at the hotel. B has the haggis with neaps and tatties. I did taste the haggis, and it was very rich. The neaps and tatties were great. The parsnips here are orange-colored, not like the white ones we usually find in our markets. After dinner, we repair to our rooms to read and get ready for tomorrow.
Tomorrow is the day to climb Ben Lomond, via the alternate route that includes the Ptarmigan peak as well. I think I'll pass on the climb, and go for catching up on my posts and doing a little makeshift laundry instead. There's little hope of an internet connection. This side of the loch seems to be the 'wild' side. Rowardennan isn't even a town; just a free car park for the Ben Lomond National Park, the hotel, a backpacker's hostel, and a few cottages to let. Clearly a hiking and vacation destination.
Today's pictures start here.
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