Grim!

14th February 2018

The second WUD (Wet Underpants Day) of my season! Driving rain and strong winds throughout the morning and I never really managed to climb into the freezing level as it kept rising just ahead of me…. Slow going through the heavy snow. However, the snowshoes worked at treat.

A final glimpse of Liathach as the rain and snow arrived. Heavy spindrift at higher elevations.

A Maelstrom! Constant spindrift swirling around in the wind eddies in upper Coire an Laoigh, Beinn Eighe. I never made it into the upper coire, but…… Wind scouring on exposed aspects.

First time out for these dudes! High tech MSR snowshoes – certainly helped through the deep moist snowpack. Of course, the Mountain Hares have natural snowshoes. According to the tracks, which direction is the hare travelling – towards or away from me?

A bit of brightness appearing by early afternoon.

Snow erosion and deposition areas on Creag Dhubh of Beinn Eighe in the gusty gale force Southerlies.

 

Comments on this post

  • Mark Bull
    14th February 2018 5:32 pm

    > According to the tracks, which direction is the hare travelling – towards or away from me?

    Towards you! In your photo, the two upper prints are the front feet, and the two (larger) lower ones the hind feet, which swing outside the front feet to land further forward. Hares can be either left- or right-footed, depending on which foot always lands first.

    • torridonadmin
      15th February 2018 2:28 pm

      Correct Mark. Award yourself 10 points! I wasn’t aware of the left or right footed hares. I’ll look out for that in the future. Thanks.

  • Danny
    14th February 2018 5:35 pm

    Haring towards you, I think. You can see the shape of the paw too. Front paws plant narrow, wider rears come round the outside. Not going fast though…

    • torridonadmin
      15th February 2018 2:30 pm

      Correct Danny. Another 10 points! I agree with the speed of the hare – cantering along. Thanks for your comment.

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