More Snow and Ice Adventures! 28th Jan

I sat up in bed on my laptop until 1.30am catching up on Blogs and photos last night but even then I still couldn’t get to sleep. I tossed and turned all night but really sure why. I was obviously awake before Vince”s alarm woke him at 7.00 for our plants to get to the Hill if the Red Fox for Sunrise at 8.03am.

We got up and did our usual morning chores before packing all our gear for the day and assembling it all in the enclosed porch ready to ferry out to the car.

Although there was only a dusting of snow here and there around the house, Vince found out the hard way that the road out front had turned to an ice-skating rink when he almost went A (Arse) over T (Tit). I heard the commotion and came running out - but thankfully managed to stop at the top of the stairs before I was subject to the same fate. Some places we could obviously see ice, but in others it was “black-ice” where it just looks like bitumin BUT IT'S DEFINATELY NOT - FREAKIN DANGEROUS!

Vince decided with my Osteoperosis the risk was too great fir me to go backwards and forwards to the car - so I’d hand the gear to him and he would go back and forth instead!

It took a while to pack the car and their was my turn - armed with one of my hiking poles I tentatively and carefully transverse our drive to finally arrive safely at the car - but not without a few tense near misses on the black-ice.

Getting into the car was a mission as the doors were frozen shut and ice covered the windscreen. So a few trips back to get done kettles it warm water eventually did the trick!

All in the car - we then faced the problem of getting the car up the steep hill out of our front gate! Vince walked it using a tracking pole and decided although icy it was doable! A bit hair raising but we made it! The roads were all covered in ice and snow and the snow plough and gritter truck was out!

This all put us behind schedule for the sunrise so we stopped at Pointy Mountain instead for it and Vince got the drone up whilstI took some photos before going back to the car to thaw out my fingers with a hot water bottle - bliss!

Given the conditions we knew the track to the Hill of the Red Fox would be difficult, likely dangerous and probably impassable - so having missed the opportunity for a suns rise shot - and the clouds had now obscured any sunlight at all - we decided to leave it for another day.

We headed for Portree but stopped several times along the way to capture some shots off the coast towards Raasay and the mainland. For me it was a quick stop using my hiking pole so as not to slip on the ice - up the ISO and just handhold. Vince showed far more dedication to his art - hiking out to a better vantage point and taking his tripod in the rain and sleat!

The scenery was picturesque but the sub zero temperatures limit the amount of time you can be exposed to the elements without your hands and feet actually starting to freeze - which is very, very painful - well beyond discomfort! I don’t know how photographers like Paul Nicklen (one of my favs for Polar Bears)who shoot in Artic conditions on a regular basis manage!

The clouds acted as a huge light diffuser for the unseen sun - projecting pockets of magical light on the ocean - just magnificent!

We arrived in Portree and went to the Granary - the only cafe open most of the time so it’s now our “regular”. But today we were in need of a substantial breakfast to refuel and warm up. We had the Scottish Breakfast without the Black Pudding and hot chocolate.

The we got some fuel in Portree before heading down to Sligachan. The roads from Portree were much better in terms of ice and snow.

At Sligachan Vince got the drone up even though it was drizzling. I waited in the car hoping the influx of tourist cabs would subside so I could get a shot of the bridge with the snow covered mountains in the background - but that wasn’t happening any time soon. Competing between tourists on the bridge and clouds obscuring the mountain is typical photographers challenge. The rain started to really come down and Vince ended up back at the car never having launched it.

They say if you don’t like the weather on Skye wait 10min cause it changes so fast!We waited, and waited and waited - but it just wasn’t letting up - not the rain, not the clouds obscuring the mountain peaks and certainly not the tourists on the bridge - don’t they know it’s Winter - the “off season”?

Eventually, we admitted defeat and head back home via the Uig road and as we went North the increased snowfall and ice was obvious. We pulled into the turn off for the Fairy Glen but after seeing the state of the road and knowing how steep and windy it is we thought better if it.

A quick stop off to Rankins for a few items we’d run low or out of and I let the postmistress know one of my 8 parcels marked box 2 of 8 was the first to arrive according to a WhatsApp message from my daughter this morning.

As we passed the Falls of Rha we had a quick look to see if the snow had changed it any - but there was very little in there so we didn’t stop for photos.

Along the chat back towards Duntulm we saw some impressive Tups (Breading Rams) with large horns. Vince dropped me and double backed to pick me up as I jumped out with my 100-400mm Sony GMaster and got me some head shots I'd been covetting for so long!

A bit further on we did the same and I finally bagged those shots of The Abandoned House near the Kilmuir Primary school that we pretend we are going to buy!

Then it was Vince’s turn just out of Scores Bay we parked and he got out to fly his drone - there are few days with suitable winds for it so he has to make the most of it when he can.

Back home we unpacked, cleaned up our gear and got a fire going. After I cooked dinner we settled in for a quiet and early night as I had sleep to catch up on and we planned to have an earlier start tomorrow to make it to sunrise over the Hill of the Red Fox tomorrow since we missed it today!

However, we ended up watching “The Adjustment Bureau” and I still tossed and turned most of the night. Vince ended up making me a hot milk to try to help and I did eventually fall asleep.