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My second trip up Meikle Bin this month. Had recommended it to Margaret as a wee half day walk so no need for an early rise, arriving at the car park at Todholes around 11:20am, Sun shining,,risk of showers but otherwise,, pretty nice day.
Most of the path up to this point was covered in snow and ice only 3 weeks ago, not a trace today so no slithering about .
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- 3 weeks ago....
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- Not a scrap of snow today
The path up went so much more quickly than when I did it on my own, must have been the chatting, as we were at the cut off through the trees in no time at all.
The wee path through the trees has been worked on, even in the past 3 weeks, sweet wee zig zag through to the start of the steep climb up the shoulder. 2 sections of the path now have large stones making up the surface with the rest being in grey chuckies, not particulary in keeping with the surrounding colour schemes, bit too "tarmaccy" for our liking.
Once on the shoulder, the ground was very boggy, again not a sign of the total snow cover this north face had only a short time ago, the melted snow, I'm sure, adding to the mucky underfoot conditions.
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- Boggy path up
Passed the tree with its progressively fading Christmas decorations, with views to the North, coming and going behind rain systems and low cloud,, Lomond teasing us with a glimpse or two as with the hills further to the North East, some still showing snow cover (more forecast for this week, so don't think they will be shedding this any time soon, it is nearly MAY...isn't it?
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As you leave the shelter of the trees up on to the shoulder, the wind really started whipping up, battering us sideways off the path, so nothing for it but to keep our heads down and push up through it.
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- She's the same height as the trig point lol
We reached the top, and again, were rewarded with great views all round, not quite as clear as my last visit but still fab. You can see why so many people rate this on their walks lists, it's a good short burst to the top and if you're lucky,,rewarded by smashing scenery.
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- Homes thataway!
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- Smashing
The descent was a bit of fun, running down hill, being battered side on by the wind,,I do hope no one heard us yelling like 3 yr olds lol.
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- Serious wind going on here,,of the weathery sort lol
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- Wonder if theres a parachute in that back pack?
The hill was very quiet today, 2 dog walkers passed on the way up with a couple of people on the lower paths at the reservoir, (very friendly wee white dog,,left some not so white muddy paw prints on our legs) then one brave lady and dog running up the forest path shortly after we started back down.
A short shower of rain on the way up,,and a slightly longer, heavier one on the way down,,which lasted about the time it took Margaret to get her waterproof trousers on.
Stop off at the Carronbridge Hotel for a coffee (lovely) and a wee sit by a roaring fire, as if our cheeks weren't pink enough from the wind. Another smashing afternoon in and on the Campsies.
