he early morning hours served as an example of how quickly you can habituate to different conditions and living standards when you're out on the trail for several days. I awoke at 4:30 am and knew I would not be falling back asleep any time soon. The weather was quite mild and pleasant. I decided to make good use of my time and wash my two hiking shirts - a short-sleeve polo and a long-sleeve wool hoodie (discontinued). I dipped them in the River Leven (water only, I don't use soap or other detergent on my clothes when wild camping). As I hung the two items to dry I decided it was warm enough to wash my hair. I found it surprising that I could comfortably wash my shirts and hair at 4:30 am on a mid-October morning in the Scottish Highlands. As stated, the temperature was mild and I was quite content walking around in the early morning air. Curiosity got the better of me and I decided to use the "weather forecast" feature on my Delorme inReach Explorer. It costs the equivalent of two texts - I have 40 texts as part of my monthly plan and was nowhere near my limit. The weather report was texted to me in a few minutes and, remarkably, it listed the air temperature as 42oF/5.5oC! Back home, I would have had a heavy shirt with a fleece on; here, after a few days on the trail I was comfortably walking around the campsite with shirts hung to dry, my hair wet, and feeling that it was a perfectly warm morning. Amazing how the body can acclimate so quickly.

 

I allowed myself another slow morning. I returned to the Duomid. I pored over the maps, though studying every detail wasn't as necessary now that I was toward the end of the trail. I got up again around 6:00 am. As I stepped from my shelter there were three deer leisurely walking along the middle of the Leven. This was another moment when I wish I had my camera - but then there are quiet moments that are better left undisturbed and simply enjoyed.

 

The walk from Kinlochleven is immediately met by the climb up the side of Stob Coire na h-Eirghe to the old military road. The steep slope seemed a bit formidable at first until it occured to me that this would be the last real climb on the West Highland Way. Additionally, the trail provides several vantage points to look back down on the lovely villages of Kinlochleven and Kinlochmore.

 

The trail found the old military road and turned west. I would walk along this road for several miles. I came across several solo hikers and a couple of small groups. All were in cheerful moods - those heading my direction knew they were near the end while those heading the opposite direction were still benefiting from the excitement of the start of the trail.

 

Walking on old military roads in the Highlands is not technically challenging; however, the oddly shaped, definitively non-uniform cobblestones can be tiring on the feet and my soles were mildly sore. Nevertheless, I had no trouble managing all of it in my lightweight trail runners.

 

This west-running stretch of the trail travels the glen between Lochaber and The Mamores. It's a constant thread of dramatic Highland scenery. There's a ruined building situated at the approximate midpoint of this section. It's fairly well-known and frequently photographed with its B-list celebrity status likely due to the absence of any other photogenic objects (the general beauty of the Highlands notwithstanding, of course - sometimes the camera yearns for an anthropic subject).

 

As I approached the turn to the north I passed through a tree plantation that had been clear cut. It was singularly ugly, but at these times I remind myself that the plantations can represent better environmental stewardship than ravaging second-growth and old-growth forest - not that there's much of those left in Scotland. In the recent past, these plantations tended to be planted with non-native trees which was not a good choice for the ecosystem. There's a growing movement toward devoting these plantations to native trees.

 

Looking back at KinlochlevenJoining the old military road as the trail passes the Mamores. The road is tough on the feet, but easy to follow.Tigh-na-sleubhaich, - one of the most photographed buildings on the WHW, probably because it's the only man-made structure in sightA harvested tree plantation. Ugly and often planted with non-native species, but it's an attempt at sustainabilityBen Nevis as seen from Dun DeardailThe Nevis ForestCow Hill with the northern side of Fort William peaking out beyond it<>1 - 7I made the turn north and knew I was on the final stretch. Ben Nevis would soon dominate the view as I topped the shoulder of Mullach nan Coirean. This north stretch passes through the Nevis Forest, a dense, managed forest of mostly conifer woodland. I could hear the logging machinery in the distance and there were frequent warning signs to not step off the trail.

 

I had marked Dun Deardail Fort on my Ordnance Survey topo map. In general, I enjoy seeking out these iron-age structures. Some sites prove remarkable for having survived several thousand years. Others are in ruins and present as a collection of grass-covered rocks that I would not have known as either iron-age or man-made without the assistance of an interpretive sign. Dun Deardail was the latter. I'm not certain it was worth the steep climb to get to it. But, I had plenty of time that day and wrote it off as an extra bit of exercise.

 

I could have easily achieved Fort William that day. In fact, my friend was already at the B&B and I could have had a hot meal, a few pints, and slept in a warm bed. However, I had planned for six nights and was rather enjoying my time out in the Highlands. It was time to look for my last campsite of the walk.

 

This next caution should be obvious, but I do occasionally hear of ill-prepared campers who do not understand site selection. This section of the West Highland Way follows a forest service road. The forest is thickly wooded and the land is steep and uneven immediately off of the road. For long stretches the only level spots are the road and the passing places. Never set up camp in a passing place! It's a working road - there might only be two cars that pass in the night but if they meet at your passing place then that's the end of your wild-camping adventures.

 

I set up camp much closer to Fort William than I had planned. In fact, I could see the Glen Nevis Road from one edge of my campsite. I had intended to camp deeper in the Nevis Forest, but didn't find a suitable campsite. This spot clearly was used many times before and was big enough to hold five or six groups. There was a small amount of trash, but, I suppose, not too bad considering it was so close to town. I cleaned up a bit and set up camp for my last night.