July 22, Hawes to Keld

This is the stage I was worried about.  It is reputed to be the most difficult stage of the Herriot Way; it is also a stage of The Pennine Way. .  (It really was not THAT hard.)  Have a look at its elevation profile:

At the tippy top is the summit of The Great Shunner Fell!  The first ascent is 1693 feet, 207 descent, The second ascent is 732 ft. 561 descent.  Maybe that does not sound like so much, but it was a day's exercise. 

From my B and B in Hawes (a very nice B and B) the walk was a bit over 13 miles.  First the good things:  the weather was fine!  Had it been rainy or very hot, it would have been terrible, most especially on that shorter, but more difficult climb near the end.  And maybe along the the long, flat, completely exposed stretch of the first part.  In fact, for all of it1  However, rarely does one have to worry about navigation.  There were a lot of paving stones over the boggy areas, and a lot of the stage was on a wide track.  It was not nineteen miles!!  And I was mentally prepared!

I got an early start...5:05 a.m. out the door, bade Winnie farewell: 

and was off.  This walk deserves some adjectives:  bleak, barren, and vast are the best ones I can come up with at the moment, but more would be fun!

Picture of bleak, barren, and vast:

Every time you see a cairn, your heart gives a little leap of joy!

Interpretation: No, I have not disappeared into the moors never to emerge again!

Now, this is one stately cairn:

While I was marching along—and I have to say, I felt as if I really hit my stride today—all of a sudden and out of the blue, the word "alfalfa" popped into my head.  What the heck!  Then I realized I needed it for yesterday's Spelling Bee!  It was so weird.  (But I still need one more word to get to Queen Bee.)  

Your heart gives another leap of joy when you don't have to navigate the bogs:

OK, this is the peak of the Great Shunner Fell and there is no trig point?  Really?!

There was not even a plaque to explain and elucidate and inform what grand structure used to stand in this spot, now reduced to not much more than a heap of rubble.  For shame!

A while after crossing over whatever this whole geological phenomenon is, the scenery changes.

But not too fast too soon:

Sooner:

Later:

Large segments of the walking surface were of the unpleasant variety, especially on the long downhill:

Finally, after gingerly making your way down the mountain you reach Thwaite a tiny little hamlet with a big reputation as it is the major landmark on the route, being located near the base of a major accomplishment and just before the second big climb.

But if you are hoping for some refreshment, you must come another day.

The short stage takes you to Keld 

The second segment is definitely prettier than all those dull miles of that first big chunk.  For starters, the person who lives in the house next to the gate that leads to the path, planted a stand of gladioli.  After seeing nothing but moorland for many hours, it was a most welcome and cheerful sight:

Whereas the majority of the walk was on a big, wide track of differing surfaces, the shorter, second,  very very steep climb was a narrow (very narrow), dirt path with big rocks and was a little bit scary in places, not too too scary, but a little bit.  Then there was divine relief along a ridge of packed grass, the way I imagine Wimbledon!  

View from the top of that fierce little hill, which honestly, was not so little!!!

After seven hours and fifteen minutes, I arrived in Keld.  The guy who runs the Keld Lodge and who was outside doing some weeding,  informed me that check in was not until 2:00.  "OK," I said, "But could I use the wi-fi?"  "Yes."  "And I think my suitcase arrived.  Would it be possible to have access to it so that I could change my shoes?"  He just gave me the key to the room!  Then he suggested I go to the coffee shop about two doors down if I wanted something to eat.

That did not work out too well.   Anyway, I repaid the owner's kindness by setting off the fire alarm when I took a shower!  It seems that the filter or the sensor or whatever it is does not work too well. The guy came running up to the room and there I am wrapped in a towel not quite knowing what to do.  "Open the windows," he said.  I did and the alarm stopped.  Then, when I was washing my socks, the water in the sink overflowed because the drain thing does not work either!  However, since this room is for two and I am only one, there were extra towels with which to mop up the mess.  Dinner was sickening.  There are signs on the windows that warn you not to open them at night because the midges, being attracted to light, might come in.  And a sign in the room telling you, in a most stern manner,  not to wash your dirty boots or muddy dog in the shower.  But the only really annoying thing is that guests are allowed to bring dogs into their rooms and guess what?  They bark.  A lot.  The headphones will come out tonight.

P.S.  I did get the final word in the Spelling Bee yesterday, but it took a while.  (It was flyby.)  

July 23, Keld to Reeth

 This was the last day of the Herriot Way.  It was boring, then gorgeous, then kind of boring again.  The gorgeous part was heavenly.

But I get ahead of myself, because first we have to bid farewell to the residents of Keld.  

There is Mr. Sit Around and Do Nothing:

And Mr. Hard-At-Work:

There were decisions to be made.  The high route or the low route?  I have done both in the past, so I opted for the low route, but there were about three different low routes, all parallel to each other, but each offering a different walking experience.  The first one I chose was definitely not the best.  The views were more than fine, but it was stony track.  However, had I not taken that route to star with, I would not have passed Crackpot Hall.  And who would want to miss that?  After a while, at at a junction, I switched to a different path. It was, at least, more pleasant underfoot.

This ruin looks like the more ruined ruin at the top of Great Shunner Fell.  

OK, I finally looked it up.  Galena is what was mined in these parts:

This piece of machinery is left over from back in the day:

Entirely different from yesterday:

These are the moments when you are just so lucky to be out here doing this:

There was a bunny condo complex.  Each unit is built into the bottom of the embankment and has a superb view of the river.  The embankment hides the doorway and fools all but the most astute passersby.  

After switching paths, I came to a big gate with a padlock.  The gate was not difficult to scale, but I worried about what would be at the other end.

It turned out to be fine!

A whole lineup of sheep.  They seem to love cuddling up to the stone walls:

Yes, they do!

But Ms. Cow will sit anywhere:

You know you are getting close to Reeth when you see the suspension bridge:

Even if yellow is not your favorite color, this huge patch was very happy making:

Is this what I think it is?

Yes!  Mocha does not like long walks

Her owners were muy raro (very strange), I gotta say.  

Back in Reeth, I headed for the Ice Cream Parlour.  I had been thinking about it for about the past three hours.  A black cherry ripple cone was the best way to celebrate the conclusion of the Herriot Way!

The nice people at the very nice hotel (where I have a very nice room!!) let me check in early.  After fourteen miles, it feels good to take off your boots.

I thought I would get a loaf of bread for tomorrow's breakfast and lunch, but it is Thursday!

I did, however, buy a cheese sandwich from a different establishment; that was dinner.  

July 21, Hawes

Today two walks.  Again, they shall be designated as Walk One and Walk Two.  Walk One was a circular walk of Hawes that I feared would repeat a hunk of yesterday's approach, but it did not!  It was quite original, and except for one longish, steep, downhill section that was all scree, really quite nice!  Oh, and had significant elevation!

I swear!  The sun really looked like this!  This is not AI!

I am only sorry I did not take more close-up shot—I was so startled by how stunning it was, I could not think—so do enlarge  (by clicking of the photo) or the full drama of the scene!

There was an especially lovely wooded section by a waterfall, which, like the falls at Aysgarth, was a mere trickle—but the paths were rocky and a bit slippery, and so I was very happy, very happy indeed that I was there at about 8:30 when there were no cavorting children and dogs and people wanting to pass and who were not worried about falling off the edge.  In other words, I had the place to myself!  Indeed, I had the whole walk to myself:  every field and woodland, and more field, all of it!

When you eat an egg and appreciate its tastiness, or dare I say, chomp on a juicy drumstick,  you have these free-range ladies to thank:

A view:

Approach to a bridge:

Walk Two was more field-sy than Walk One, but pleasant none the less.  Less elevation—I wanted it that way—with one crazy problem.  At one point it seemed as if the route was going the wrong way.  Now for me to notice that, it must be pretty clearly the wrong way.  I walked back and forth until finally I realized that I was holding the phone upside down.  That will definitely mess things up.

Nice path, nice arch, nice walk!

Steps they even make for you to make things easier and to keep you off the grass!!

View:

You know what?

I've had it!  I am just going to lie down!!

After there was no more significant walking to be done, I headed on over to the Wensleydale Cheese Complex. It consists of a huge store that sells all manner of souvenir items, has a cafeteria, and somewhere they actually do sell cheese, which is what I had come to buy, but two huge bus loads of tourists filled up the place, and the lines were like those in the bookstore at Tulane on Parents' weekend, so I decided to buy cheese at the grocery store, and that is what I did!

July 20, Aysgarth to Hawes

 Do you ever take a photo and then wonder, "What was that about?

Well, this is one of those:

No doubt it meant something significant at the time. And sort of along those lines, or not along those lines,  I want to mention something very annoying.  You ask a person, "Can you please tell me what is the earliest time in the morning that I can drop off my suitcase?"  "Any time is fine."  "Is 7:00 a.m. too early?  Or maybe I should ask whether you have a 24 hour front desk."  "Reception opens at 7:45.  Sorry, we don't have a 24 front desk." 

I thought today's walk would be super easy.  It was not.  More elevation than I expected, for one thing.  Then there were several navigational problems.  Fortunately, I caught myself each time before going too far the wrong way, but that anxiety is exhausting.   A million stiles, the kind with the heavy spring that are hard to keep open as you are trying to squeeze through, tons of gates each with tis own peculiar means of unlatching.  It all adds up!  But it was only about  12 miles!!  Maybe it is the smoke from the wild fires in Canada!

First obstacle of the day:

NO!!!!   I do not do stepping stones!  Thank God the water level was low.  I opted to wade through rather than chance a spectacular accident!  Suzie Grimes, it is for times such as this that one wears boots!  (But honestly, I must be the only person who still wears hiking boots.)

More hay has been made!

Because  they just cannot stop eating!

Girls, it 's been real, but is time to leave these green pastures and waddle off:

An especially pretty section: 

Would you believe?

There were cows in the field; The Bull I did not see, but it is not as if I went looking.  None the less, I proceeded very very cautiously.

Dude, you so badly need a haircut!

I guess a couple of hikers quit:

Speaking of which, I looked up the results for the "A Foot in Two Dales" event.  Only about 25 people did not finish.  I am incredulous. That is truly amazing. Someone told me that there were 150 participants but apparently, there were over 200.  I must stop whimpering about a 12 mile day, especially when I can get ice cream at the end of it!

A view from (not too terribly) high up:

Note the sheep in the left pasture.

YES, ALL ROADS DO LEAD TO CHELM! (even if it is not spelled correctly!)

For those who are not acquainted with the Chelmites:  When God gave out brains, he forgot the good people of Chelm, but Isaac Bashevis Singer immortalized them in a book, The Fools of Chelm and their History.

A section towards the end of the stage was paved with flat stones:

Get out of the way for this guy:

Hawes is a genuine town, replete with antique stores and everything.  This is where Wensleydale cheese is made, BTW.  What surprised me the most is that there is a really good Spar here.  Usually, the Spar is a little convenience store, but this one carries decent produce and good bread!  We all have our priorities and our needs!

Some things I have noticed:  people have been very nice.  I would say that so far, in that regard, this has been the most pleasant of all my walks.  

Teeth: People have terrible terrible teeth.  I still cannot get over that.

Groceries are much less expensive than they are in CT, but of course, that is before converting the currency!  

Tip of the day:  If you are going to have tuna fish, buy tartar sauce instead of mayonnaise.