Spean Bridge via Glencoe Valley

Saturday, 14 September 2019

After going to sleep early last night, we were ready to go in the morning.  This is good, since today we are supposed to check out at 10 AM instead of the usual 11 AM.  That's OK since we have plans to do multiple hikes today.  When we look out the window it is raining and doesn't look good.  Maybe if we start driving the weather will improve?

The first stop is a pull-off to view Castle Stalker.   Castle Stalker is believed to be built in 1320 by the MacDougalls.  When we pulled off, we sat in the car for about 10 minutes waiting for the rain to slow before grabbing this eerily, foggy photo.

In case you don't know where the castle is, I am pointing it out to you.

We weren't sure what to do because our plan for the day is to do multiple hikes in Glencoe.  Rick Steves suggested stopping at the Glencoe Visitor Centre, so we thought we would head there and see how the weather is for hiking.

The Visitor Centre had a pretty cool relief map pointing out all the hikes.  I was able to clarify the hikes and trailhead locations by comparing our guidebook to the map.  If only the weather cooperates.

There was a door marked "View," so we went out and got a peak of what the Glencoe Valley has to offer.

It seemed that the rain has stopped, if only temporarily, so we headed up the valley and found the trailhead for the Hidden Valley hike.  They hike goes up a valley between two of the three sisters mountains.  I took this photo as we were approaching the "hidden valley."

This trail was challenging with a rock covered trail that being wet was a bit slippery.  We then came across a part that was kind of steep with cables to help you climb.  Here is Tim contemplating which way to go.

We hiked for about 1 hour and made it to a river was hard to cross.  As we watched other crossing it by using stepping stones.  After watching a few, I decided to give it a shot.  I made it about 1/3 across the river when I was stalled by a large step that I couldn't reach.  I could take the chance and leap, but I really didn't want my shoes to get wet. 

At this point we just decided to turn back.  The sky was darkening anyway and it looked like it could start pouring.  So, back down we went.

This is the worst part of hiking for me, when you see the car way down there and you still have a long way to go.

Here we are in front of a cascade on the way down the valley.

Getting there.  By the way, this valley that we were hiking is called "Hidden Valley" because supposedly, where the Macdonalds hide the cattle they had rustled from their neighbors, or perhaps, where they hid their cattle to stop them being rustled by their neighbors.

As we were going down the rain started back up again.  We made it to the car and knew that our hiking was over for the day, so we headed for our AirBnB for the night.  We stopped off at a grocery store in Fort Williams and then finished the drive to the "Crazy Cabin," and crazy is was. 

The floor is tilty, the walls are tilty, the window frames are crooked....all on purpose.  Sandy, our host and the building of this cabin, was a shipbuilder and decided to build this tiny house "crazy" to see if he could.  He did an amazing job.

Speaking of amazing...check out the view from the front of the cabin.