Mount Blair and the year continuing to fizzle out in my mind
Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2018 10:28 amOne thing logging walk reports does is to create an extra memory of events and one that can help highlight what went right and what went wrong over the years.
I count myself a little unfortunate in that a couple of years into logging walks I was near incapacitated and so had to almost rethink and relearn everything to do with planning a walk. And then two years ago I was near incapacitated and had to relearn again!
Not sure if this is a related matter but I've certainly noticed from logging reports an imbalance in how my efforts are distributed across the year. In short, I feel more optimism and energy and ambition going from winter through to summer than from summer through to winter. In the spring I am full of plans but now, in autumn, I feel full of caution and limited ambition. Is it just a trick of the mind responding in different ways to different directions of temperature change I wonder. But surely spring and autumn are just differently coloured mirrors of each other and maybe I just need to assert my will over my body.
In fact, when I think about it, it was only really over these last five years that I committed to at least one walk per month so even my extra effort for the first half of the year was somewhat artificially induced. Whatever, I am grateful to myself for having made that seemingly simple commitment of a walk a month for it took me to unexpected places, particularly in light of injury and illness.
So can I command myself to get me somewhere more exotic these next few months or will I make do with the likes of Mount Blair? I think it will be the latter because that just seems to be me and how I've worked out how to keep to my walk a month; expend my energy and ideas over the first half of the year and then look for simple to plod up/down targets for the rest. I'm not ruling anything out though.
All that said, I really enjoyed my bound up and down Mount Blair. I was a bit nervous about walking through some agitated cows with calves but I spoke to then to try to distract them from thoughts of pursuit and trampling and I gave a wide berth to a couple that did take steps towards me.
Pleasantly surprised by the mild ascent but really hit with a cold blast at the top and for some of the descent. Still, a grand panorama of the Angus Glens. I couldn't identify too much of what I saw but I like a bit of a mystery still left to investigate. All too easy now with peakfinder.org but for now I'm happy enough not knowing exactly what was what.
Amazing colours on the trees now and a dusting of snow on the higher tops. Autumn colours seem to have arrived very suddenly this year.
DSC01319 by John Little, on Flickr
The morning's target from the east. I discovered that it's a far shorter drive via Glenshee than via the A90. Now I know.
DSC01323 by John Little, on Flickr
Zoom looking north from a bit further along the road.
DSC01326c by John Little, on Flickr
DSC01329c by John Little, on Flickr
DSC01330c by John Little, on Flickr
A lot of cows and calves ahead. Is this sensible, I wonder.
DSC01331 by John Little, on Flickr
Managed to sneak past the nervy cows and bypass the more agitated ones. Now I can relax on the other side of the gate.
DSC01334 by John Little, on Flickr
Dusting of snow on the higher tops.
DSC01336 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC01339 by John Little, on Flickr
Looking northish.
DSC01346 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC01348 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC01351 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC01352 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC01353 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC01364 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC01368 by John Little, on Flickr
Schiehallion.
DSC01369 by John Little, on Flickr
Shade and light.
DSC01383 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC01392 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC01393 by John Little, on Flickr
DSC01401 by John Little, on Flickr
View south east.
DSC01410 by John Little, on Flickr
Eye-catching colours on the way home.
I count myself a little unfortunate in that a couple of years into logging walks I was near incapacitated and so had to almost rethink and relearn everything to do with planning a walk. And then two years ago I was near incapacitated and had to relearn again!
Not sure if this is a related matter but I've certainly noticed from logging reports an imbalance in how my efforts are distributed across the year. In short, I feel more optimism and energy and ambition going from winter through to summer than from summer through to winter. In the spring I am full of plans but now, in autumn, I feel full of caution and limited ambition. Is it just a trick of the mind responding in different ways to different directions of temperature change I wonder. But surely spring and autumn are just differently coloured mirrors of each other and maybe I just need to assert my will over my body.
In fact, when I think about it, it was only really over these last five years that I committed to at least one walk per month so even my extra effort for the first half of the year was somewhat artificially induced. Whatever, I am grateful to myself for having made that seemingly simple commitment of a walk a month for it took me to unexpected places, particularly in light of injury and illness.
So can I command myself to get me somewhere more exotic these next few months or will I make do with the likes of Mount Blair? I think it will be the latter because that just seems to be me and how I've worked out how to keep to my walk a month; expend my energy and ideas over the first half of the year and then look for simple to plod up/down targets for the rest. I'm not ruling anything out though.
All that said, I really enjoyed my bound up and down Mount Blair. I was a bit nervous about walking through some agitated cows with calves but I spoke to then to try to distract them from thoughts of pursuit and trampling and I gave a wide berth to a couple that did take steps towards me.
Pleasantly surprised by the mild ascent but really hit with a cold blast at the top and for some of the descent. Still, a grand panorama of the Angus Glens. I couldn't identify too much of what I saw but I like a bit of a mystery still left to investigate. All too easy now with peakfinder.org but for now I'm happy enough not knowing exactly what was what.
Amazing colours on the trees now and a dusting of snow on the higher tops. Autumn colours seem to have arrived very suddenly this year.
DSC01319 by John Little, on FlickrThe morning's target from the east. I discovered that it's a far shorter drive via Glenshee than via the A90. Now I know.
DSC01323 by John Little, on FlickrZoom looking north from a bit further along the road.
DSC01326c by John Little, on FlickrDSC01329c by John Little, on FlickrDSC01330c by John Little, on FlickrA lot of cows and calves ahead. Is this sensible, I wonder.
DSC01331 by John Little, on FlickrManaged to sneak past the nervy cows and bypass the more agitated ones. Now I can relax on the other side of the gate.
DSC01334 by John Little, on FlickrDusting of snow on the higher tops.
DSC01336 by John Little, on FlickrDSC01339 by John Little, on FlickrLooking northish.
DSC01346 by John Little, on FlickrDSC01348 by John Little, on FlickrDSC01351 by John Little, on FlickrDSC01352 by John Little, on FlickrDSC01353 by John Little, on FlickrDSC01364 by John Little, on FlickrDSC01368 by John Little, on FlickrSchiehallion.
DSC01369 by John Little, on FlickrShade and light.
DSC01383 by John Little, on FlickrDSC01392 by John Little, on FlickrDSC01393 by John Little, on FlickrDSC01401 by John Little, on FlickrView south east.
DSC01410 by John Little, on FlickrEye-catching colours on the way home.
