Training Log Archive: bl

River run, early, bright, breezy. Slipped on a muddy nose, drawing blood. Saw 4 dog walkers, spoke with one lab owner.

Coast and Castles, Beth's chosen hike. We finally got to the trail head (eg, planned 3 mos ago, 3000mi away)...tho it started in the shadow of easily accessible Bamburgh Castle. Started late, 2:30, with a plan of sleeping wherever we were when the time came, having a pup tent and bags. It being a Saturday pm, there were too many beach walkers initially so no wild coastline feeling. Lots of summer visitors at Seahouses and much too much road to Newton-by-the-Sea, either due to a river/stream that crossed the beach, dunes closed for breeding seabirds, getting lost so to speak (who needs a map for a coastal-beach hike...) or, once, not trusting that a Public Way path was the Coastal path. A group of 4 adolescent girls (in their own world as expected) happily bailed us out of the caravan park. We had dinner at a pub in Newton-by-the-Sea and then set out again around 2030.

The beach to the south was quite empty being Sat eve as well as the fact that its was just a slightly less traveled part of the route. Finally, we ran out of company except for a couple and we ran out of beach. Around 2145, we set up the tent in the dunes, wondering how bad we were being, though no signs forbidding that we saw. I certainly was concerned about the tent being seen and thought the dip in the dunes surrounded by the tall grass was ok. Over the course of the night, from maybe 0100 to 0330, I'd guess nearly 20 young people passed within 5m of us. There was a singing group that sounded like 6-8 - - first heard a long way down the beach - maybe even 1/3rd mi. It was eventually apparent that they were coming our way & did so, so close but none of them saw us. It was probably as dark as the night was going to get. Sometime later, a few more "happy beachgoers" passed and one remarked "look at the tent" but nothing came of it. It rained on & off. We were up at 5, onto a ponder of closed, deserted Dunstanburgh Castle and finally to Crasters where we had a 3 hour wait for a bus. I had a beer at 0645. There was a pub on Heugh St. that had had a shindig the night before under an enclosed tent - kegs etc. We sat out rain there and this bottled beer was just staring at me. It seemed fit to make it go away, given circumstance. The town was as asleep as a town can be on a somber, sunless Sunday morning in the UK.

Dunstanburgh Castle


Checkout time


Poppies for color

After dinner part.

From Rowantree B&B to the public path onto moorland called Danby Rigg, finally dropped to the road and returned on it. It was well inside the circuit marked as 4 mi total by the Moors visitor center. I covered 4 mi per gps. Their listed hike as shown must have been 6 mi. Before breakfast, early enough for decent lighting.

Returning to the very nice B&B this morning from my outing, I had to negotiate these cows as the B&B itself was on the other side (the slot between the buildings) of the barnyard. Take shoes off before entering...

Danby hike with Beth from the Visitor's Center. Finally something real together, an activity, a walk thru lovely countryside. A mediocre map which had me guessing a number of times as to where/which way. The walls weren't even close in terms of accuracy. Yorkshire environs at their best.

Pick of the day (from yesterday eve)

Wet tarmac

While by no means new, driving in the UK is often stressful. Too many "narrow passings", too much info on the roads. At one simple intersection in a forest, even a warning to the effect that there were no markings on the road to keep things straight. Drivers are all business to their credit. I was honked at 4-5 times in the past two days for minor "infractions".

Brits have a dog penchant. These 2 ladies had 5 between them, the sixth was curious. My penchant for country churchyards and British countryside.

Scalby countryside from our B&B “Cottage” at the edge of a sheep pasture. Across the pasture, over a gate to the road to a public path which rose to a lovely open view of countryside (unexpected reward, always a reward for 'adventure'), along a grassy cart path to country intersection, back on the road. Try to run-jog daily. Still recovering some from the trip over.

B&B neighbors
Who could ask for anything more...

At Castle Howard, an English country house of the Howard family, Earls of Carlisle. The usual European splendor in structure, gardens, grounds.
A place for once upon a time

Flt to Manchester via Reykjavik, tiring, out of practice for that sort of thing.
Mostly overcast but managed a glimpse of rising sun on Greenland peaks at one point. Spent first night at AirB&B in working class section of Manchester with young, interesting couple.

BHS track, drizzle & chill.