Path Work - Carn Crom, Derry Dam Bridge circuit, Clais Fhearnaig, Quoich Water path, Mount Keen, & Scolty Hill

We're now doing into are sixth month of maintenance and these few weeks as seen us doing a variety of different jobs, mostly on Mar Lodge.

Before

After

Before

After

Doubling a waterbar and adding a couple of step rises.

The last week in August was where we finished the work we were doing on Carn Crom of step rises and doubling water bars.  

We also cleaned the waterbars and cross drains on the Derry Dam Bridge circuit, 

and the Clais Fhearnaig path that crosses from Glen Quoich to Glen Lui.

That week we also carried out some work on what I am going to call the Glen Tilt path which works its way south from the Bynack Lodge ruin on Mar Lodge. 

Before

After

Stone let

This entailed clearing the water features but also adding in a stone let and raising the path slightly on a section that was having an issue with water logging on the path.

We tend to come across quite a bit of rubbish doing this job, just because of how we move around the sight, and never leave behind what we can pick up.  This is just a selection of the random things we found on that path - someone must have had a very bad bike day.

As well as cleaning the cross drains on the path to Carn an Fhidhleir (otherwise known as Carn Ealar) from the Geldie Lodge ruin.  We also checked the path to see if there was any damage which was not an issue right now but would need to be worked on in the future.  

Like many Cairngorm path this one travels from one estate to another and I love the way it just disappears as it leave Mar Lodge - like you're going into the unknown.

We also got to check out some amazing stone culverts put in by a contractor a few years ago.  Quite a piece of construction that is still holding up now and with stones found in the surrounding area.  That is quite a skill and I take my hat off to the people that put this together.

The next week saw us working on a construction contract rather than maintenance on a path beside the Quoich Water on Mar Lodge.  Here the bank on which the path sits has been eroded by the river, especially after the large storm a few years ago that caused large flooding in the area.  Walkers had made their own path through the area after the main path disappeared, but even this was now falling into the river and a completely new route was needed.  This has meant cutting a route through the heather, digging a tray through the remaining vegetation, roots, and peat, and then adding small stones, cobbles, and surfacing to make it a solid usable path which will hopefully last a while whilst the river carries on in its natural behaviour.  We're still working on this so I don't have any after pictures at the moment, but that will come.

The second week of September was another mixed week, with us clearing the waterbars and adding step rises to the south side of Mount Keen.  This meant me walking right up to the top as the waterbars start pretty high on this Ben and I don't think I've ever been so wind swept in my whole life.

We also worked on the waterbars on the paths around and over Scolty Hill near Banchory.  This is a lovely little selection of paths in a wooded area and is a little gem of the area.  However, there were a lot waterbars and a lot of ferns to have to shove yourself into the clean everything out properly.  I was very happy to not have to see another waterbar that week.

The last days were spent back at Quoich Water working on the construction of that path as was this week as well.  Unfortunately this week was cut short by Storm Ali with the sheer amount of rain brought in causing the river we have to cross repeatedly to get to the site rising beyond what our vehicle could handle.  We'll be doing a longer week next week and this will hopefully mean finishing this path so that it's completely usable for walkers again.  We'll just have to wait and see.  At least the vegetation is getting the watering it's been needing these last few months.

Deer and mist over the River Dee

I have no idea what these gelly like globs are in the little lochan
found on Glen Derry.  If you know please let me know.

As usual there were stunning scenery to look at, even in bad weather, and wildlife most of which I have no idea the identify of.  

Even the hostel we have been staying at in Braemar has its little visitors that make any bad weather worth going through.