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We haven't had a lot of luck with the weather this autumn,
and this was just about the worst forecast imaginable. It
was also in the middle of the half term holiday so numbers
were understandably a bit down on our recent impressive turnouts.
There were seven explorers and four adults: Alexander, Alexandria,
Allan, Chloe, John Donaldson, Katie and Sarah; with Francis,
John Evans, Philippa and Sandra and Lady as the solitary canine
member.
I had hoped that the tide would let us examine the beach with
its clay deposit and stone heaps, but the water was right
up to the road so we went straight up the old track into the
woods. On the way up we passed the only alder plantation in
Sunart before we reached the high field where Allan took time
out to climb up a solitary alder near the track.
We went off the path to look at the waterfall but, in spite
of a lot of recent rain, it wasn't putting up much of a show.
Some of the team stopped to look at an old fence made with
split oak posts - a tree had grown right round the fence wires.
A little further up the track crossed a stream by a well-built
culvert and this was examined pretty carefully. Autumn was
well advanced and there were a lot of fungi on the ground
and growing on the dead trees. There were signs of recent
tree cutting and the road had been improved so that we could
climb quite high on the hill before turning and heading across
open ground towards the sea.
We stopped on a small hill and I read out an account of a
fire which occurred in this wood in 1755. It mentioned a small
island off Camusaine, which the explorers could easily pick
out. After a break we carried on down across some old peat
cuttings and a few wet feet were noted. Then we re-entered
the oak woods and crossed to the track once more.
John
Dye
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