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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 22, 2018)
18 Wednesday, August 22, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Commentary... Hiking Under the Scottish Skye Columnist How many of us can say we actually find it fun to work out? As someone who is active and adventurous, I can say that I am one who has to find that eye on the prize when I exercise, so that is the primary reason I incor- porate travel with my fitness goals. What better way to find a purpose to that tread- mill than an active vacation? This year my daughter and I were both on a mis- sion to shed a few pounds. I offered her an active adven- ture and we agreed on a hiking trip with Backroads to Scotland, one of their more strenuous trips, which included famous trails within the Scottish Highlands and the Isle of Skye. With this goal set months ago, the real work had begun. I enlisted the help of my personal trainer, Andrew Loscutoff, at Sisters Athletic Club, to see that I was fit and in great shape to handle the rugged Scottish trails. We have a good understanding of my strength and abilities, so I left it up to his judgment to take my training to the next level. Andrew states, “In a dynamic activity like hik- ing where Sue needed to step up, over, around and through a variety of different obstacles; balance, stability and lower-body condition- ing were important aspects of the program.” Once on the trails in Scotland, I was thankful I had paid Andrew for those painful lunges, squats and stairs. Our first day out hiking was an easy six-miler. I’m thinking: “This is easy.” Day 2 then hit like a ton of boulders... literally. We looked up the mountain ahead of us and I asked, “Where’s the trail?” Alex, our Scot guide replied “It’s right in front of you!” What appeared was a never-ending boulder stair- way straight up. I envision some long-kilted Scotsmen designing these trails for people with much longer legs than myself. As we ascended over rocky paths, steps, and jumps, I found myself “billy-goating” my way to the top of the moun- tain where we found a gor- geous loch and waterfall set beneath one of the Monroe mountains of the Highlands. Our guide, Christian, said it was some “Gaelic name we can’t pronounce.” So, at the foot of Can’t Pronounce Mountain we ate our lunches with a spectacular view of the remote Beinn Eighe Wilderness. With no other groups in sight, my daughter and I gave each other a high five… we had led the pack and finished on top. Trekking up the moun- tain was probably easier than down. As I opted for the longer trail with gentler slopes down, I felt the burn in my legs of lactic acid as the trail extended out before me. Given what we had scrambled up, it came as no surprise that I should start feeling the burn. With a few stretches and stops, I pushed through the mild pain and rubbery legs. The reward was the incredible views of lochs, rivers and waterfalls. As we descended, Alex appeared just at the right time with some hot tea and with a dash of whiskey to keep us “nourished.” This certainly helped. As I arrived at the van, 12 miles later and fully fatigued, our attentive guides had a cooler of chilled liba- tions. Any pain was forgot- ten in the joy and “hiker’s high” we each felt. This was only the second day, and we had pushed our bodies fully, yet felt the mental exhilara- tion that comes from pushing both mind and body through the tangible obstacles. Subsequent days would be more of the same, but as Alex said, “a little less rocky.” Not really, but it sounded good. We learned to define miles in “Christian miles,” as he would always encourage us with “just a little further now... another quarter of a mile.” Actually it would end up being three miles, but we were too fatigued to argue. Besides incredible scen- ery and hiking, our evening reward was incredible lodg- ing, food, and activities. The lodging, a combina- tion of castles and hunting lodges, were simply gor- geous. The food at these locations was a combination of local cuisine with a gour- met touch. Haggis in phyllo, as an example. Everything was farm fresh, as some of these properties had their own gardens. This was quite PHOTO PROVIDED Susan Waymire is an adventurer. different from what I had heard about Scottish cuisine. As for activities, one eve- ning we had a whiskey tast- ing, another a local Highland music concert just for our group. Toward the end of the trip we found ourselves on the Jacobite Train (the Harry Potter Train). All of the logistics would be dif- ficult to organize on your own, but with two guides and an extra service per- son, Backroads operates an efficient program. No wait- ing or worrying about the next event. There is never a dull moment with their pro- gram, and any downtime is welcomed. I returned home with both mental and physical renewal and revitalization. I have re-organized my goals with sights on other active adventures. While I’m still strong, fit and able I have several active bucket-list trips: gorilla trek- king in Uganda, biking in Vietnam, and hiking in New Zealand. What is on your bucket list? Contact me for more information. As an active and adventure travel special- ist, it’s my job to explore and participate in my suggested programs so I can offer great advice for different tour operators. Susan Waymire, CTC TravelStore may be reached at 541-719-8997. Don’t throw it away, we can fix it We do repair work & fabrication in steel, aluminum, copper & other metals. Quality Truck-mounted CARPET CLEANING Quality Cleaning 16 years in Reasonable Prices Sisters! — Credit Cards Accepted — ENVIROTECH 541-771-5048 The Locals’ Choice for Service with a Smile! Your Barber Shop! The Hair Caché 152 E. 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