Out after lunch for a ride on the Trucker.
Decided to do a run away from the coast and explore a few trails out in the flow country.
I ended up driving out to Halkirk to save a bit of time and then ride south, past where we would turn of onto the dirt to Dalnawhinnie Lodge or Altnabreac station to see where the tracks on the eastern edge of the Loch would lead. Nowhere in particular it would seem
I followed the patchy tarmac to the end and crossed the bridge near to the weir hut, through the gate and then over the hills on the rough track. It went for a while parallel to the loch before turning and going over a rise heading away from the loch at a right angle. It went for a short while over a couple of rises and then abruptly came to a complete stop, no tracks heading anywhere. I could see the cottage on the southern end of the loch and thought I might be able to get to that from this side but no chance. Close but not close enough
From there I pretty much retraced my steps with the odd short detour here and there.
It was a beautiful day up here and while I had some stuff to get sorted early this morning it was just too nice a day to not go for a ride. I was on my own as while it was sunny and pretty mild, the wind was still quite cool and with Caleb still getting over his cold from last week it was best he stayed home. He wasn't overly happy with this but it was for the best.
Trucker as usual ran faultlessly. Never misses a beat, road, off road, loaded or in this case unloaded, aside from a few snacks, jacket and spare tube etc in the trunk bag.
Near to the end of the tarmac there was two cars parked, which is not unusual as its a prime fishing area and also the odd person mtbing out here. As I rode past an elderly chap stepped out and asked if I had a 20 inch tube spare
Now I am on the Trucker with 26'' wheels and its an unloaded touring bike, so whether he genuinely thought I had any 20 inch tube, spare or not, or whether he thought he had to ask I don't know, I did think, 'do I look like I have a f***king 20 inch tube' but alas I am a nice bloke so instead I pointed him to the bike shop in town or to Tesco in Wick as they have bmx tubes. Turns out he is up here on holiday and had been a good few miles down the other side of the loch when his folding bike blew a tyre. Brian and I had been down that way earlier in the year and that side from the station round the southern end is very rough and this guy had been doing it on his folding bike. We had been on the 1X1's with semi fat tyres and found it rough. I offered to patch it with a Park Tool emergency super patch but I don't think he could be arsed to get the wheel out and do it there. Turns out he is staying in a B&B here in Barrock, just around the corner. He did mention that he had a blow out on a ride down near Golspie and got a new tyre and tube and that the tyre had a max inflation of 40psi but the bloke put it to up near 60psi No wonder it went bang! This certainly isn't the country you want to get stuck in, good weather or bad. Hope everyone else has had a good one and also hope the weather was the same.
Jamie
looking South
South West
That's some forestry trees to the right, straight ahead is looking to the south
Heading back on a gravel section of track
Pointing north, looking south
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