Day 5 - Patterdale to Shap

This day is known as the toughest day of the hike.  We decided to do something about that.  We took an alternate route which we think required a little more mileage but kept us off the tallest mountain on the trail.  We've been hiking pretty slowly and were afraid that we would run out of daylight on the long walk to Shap.

The day started with a surprise.  As we were walking to the general store to get directions for the alternate route, we saw a giant ball of fire in the sky.  The locals call it the sun.

Our alternate route involved a walk to the town of Glenridding and then a cruise on the Western Belle to Howtown.  From there we walked north along the lake before joining a trail towards Bampton (very friendly people) and Shap. We walked around the last of the mountains in the lake district.  We will now be heading into the Yorkshire Dales.  I hope that after finding out that lake is code for mountain that it doesn't turn out the dales is code for something like "fast moving streams of attack lava"

Boat and walk scenes

http://www.ullswater-steamers.co.uk/

Nancy complained that there are no pictures of me

Both Earl and I felt we had been transported to the Cotswolds here

another one for Nancy

The trail runs right between houses

Looking toward Shap Abbey

Shap Abbey http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/shap-abbey/

We arrived at Brookfield House at about 4:30.  Plenty of daylight left. Margaret served us tea and some delicious fresh-baked scones and then we went to the pub for dinner.  Tomorrow is the shortest day of the trip - 7 miles to Orton.

A house in Shap

Day 4 Grasmere to Patterdale

A lovely summer's morning at Grisedale Tarn

The stone circle you see at the bottom was to be the site of Stonehenge.  After getting a start on the project, the builders ran into problems with environmental permits and labor regulations.  It was decided to move the project south to take advantage of tax abatements  being offered by Sarum

We had a short day today that actually was short.  We made the 8 miles to Patterdale by 1:30, still slower than the guidebook expected.  Keith checked in at a hotel in town, while Earl, Lois, and I are at a B&B outside of town.  We took the low route today.  We were tracking another group on the high route by their raincoats.  The same thing happened yesterday as we were tracked by our raincoats when we were up high.

The weather is not bad. No rain today, raincoats for the wind.  Lots of fog in places.  We passed what was supposed to be a nice lake but could only see 20 yards out onto the lake.

Earl at the top

the lake

Lois and Keith.  Earl about 20 yards ahead.

Day 3 Rosthwaite to Grasmere

Day 3 started at the Scafell hotel with all of us happy about having only a 9 mile day.  We wouldn't have been happy had we known it would take 9 hours.  When we started walking, it was almost drizzling, not enough to even put a raincoat on.  About an hour later, when I could actually see the rain, I put the coat on.  I kept it on the rest of the day even when the rain stopped because of a cold hard wind blowing.  As you can see below, it was pretty overcast, but the weather really had no effect at all on our hike, except for messing up Keith's passport which he keeps in his pocket.

We walked along a valley which had several waterfalls and several climbs.  I finally had my 'up legs' (I would say 75%) so had less trouble on the climbs.  Te one problem here is that the ups are sneaky.  When you get to the top, there is usually another up behind it, and then another.  On the Appalachian Trail, you can tell it's a false top if you can't see the sun through the trees ahead.  That doesn't work here.

Finished this climb

Turned around and saw this.  We had to reach the top of that peak about 3/4 over to the right. We spent about 20 minutes with a couple of other groups, I think it was the Canadians, and the Australians,  while  "the boys" went down on what they thought was an alternate route.  It wasn't.

After reaching the top, we descended some and then had a choice of a valley walk, or a ridge walk.  We chose the ridge and had some great views the rest of the day.

We had a long steep descent into Grasmere, which looks like a nice little tourist town, but we had spent so much time climbing and viewing that we hurried through to our B&B, which was on the outskirts, and went to dinner and bed.  Arriving at Grasmere that late meant we missed the gingerbread store.  Sorry to all the folks I promised gingerbread

We had a small change in penalty points.  Keith lost a power bar on the trail when he put his coat on.  

Lois found it and gave it to him when she caught up.  Keith gets .5 penalty points for losing a small item, while Lois has .5 removed for finding it

Day 2 Ennerdale Bridge to Rosthwaite

Another full English breakfast with as much meat as I normally have for breakfast in a year, and we were off.  We decided not to do any heights because the clouds were very low and it would have been a waste of legs to make the climb.

Too cloudy to go high

We decided to take the route to the North of the lake.  Ennerdale Lake is a very pretty lake and is the largest lake of its size in the world!  Before we even got to the lake, Lois realized that she and Earl left their baseball caps in their room.  She called the Ghyll house and Chris made sure the hats went into Lois's suitcase for delivery by Sherpa Van.

I have decided to keep a tally of penalty points for items left behind.  So far the score is:

Chuck 0

Earl 1.5

Lois 1.5

Keith 1.5

a .5 penalty is assigned for losing an item before I did.

Ennerdale Lake

We crossed to the south side of the lake, as there was a diversion due to forestry work on the trail.  This meant that we would not walk Red Pike because going around the diversion would have added several miles to an already long day.

on the diversion

We stopped for lunch when we reached Black Sail Hostel (closed for construction)

Keith watching Earl and Lois trying to figure out what to eat since she left their lunch with the hats.  Penalty points? Keith and I had the Ghyll farm packed lunch

Right after lunch we reached Loft Beck.  This is a 1000 foot ascent in less than 1/2 mile.  It was tough (except for Keith).  I was passed by hikers I saw starting the climb when I was halfway up

Lois about 1/3 up Loft Beck.  we needed to get to the highest point you see towards the middle of the picture

Looking down Loft Beck.  The picture doesn't really show the steepness 

 We had a pretty steep descent and nice scenery the rest of the way to Rosthwaite.  We stopped for a rest at an iron mine/hostel.  We are staying at the Scafell Hotel which has really nice rooms and a nice setting on the river, and ate dinner outdoors at the Riverside Cafe.

Last look at the lake

Old bridge near Longthwaite

Mac's Adventures, who arranged our trip has plans for the Coast to Coast ranging from 12 to 16 days.  Because we chose 15 days, we will  be walking 9 miles to Grasmere tomorrow and 8 miles to Patterdale the next day, rather than 17 miles to Patterdale tomorrow.  Fine with me, I can use the break, especially since I see big climbs ahead on each of the next 2 days.  I met a guy in St. Bees who was attempting to do this hike in 10 days.

Fast learner department -I was able to purchase a "Friends Diet Coke" with embarrassing myself or my companions.