Everyone seemed well refreshed at breakfast, which The Fleece had graciously arranged early for us. We grabbed our lunch from Gregg’s on the way through town and were soon heading out of Richmond. We chose to follow the old railway line out from the station which was a fantastic walk. The trail changed to aContinue reading “Coast to Coast Day 13: Richmond to Danby Wiske”
Category Archives: Backpacking
Coast to Coast Day 12: Rest day in Richmond
My Dad grew up in Richmond, but his one was on the outskirts of London, rather than this one in North Yorkshire. As my Mum was from Lancashire, the arch-rival of Yorkshire, I did not visit this part of the country when I was young. Yorkshire’s Richmond is a fine market town with a richContinue reading “Coast to Coast Day 12: Rest day in Richmond”
Coast to Coast Day 11: Reeth to Richmond
We all slept well and were ready to get to Richmond and our rest day. This day was pleasantly uneventful, with perhaps a few more hills than the team would have liked, with Dean challenging my description “undulating.” It was also quite warm, and while only 70 degF, that feels hot when walking and weContinue reading “Coast to Coast Day 11: Reeth to Richmond”
Coast to Coast Day 10: Keld to Reeth
Team Sloth was at full strength again today. The young ‘uns were ready for the high route, with us oldies opting for the low one, which was a bit more middle at times. It certainly felt that way as we approached Reeth after 7 hours and a little over 13 miles. We were treated toContinue reading “Coast to Coast Day 10: Keld to Reeth”
Coast to Coast Day 9: Kirkby Stephen to Keld
It was great that Dean rejoined us today. Even though his toe joint was still very painful, he really wanted to see the hills, and certainly wanted to avoid another day fighting the banks. 8 hours and 13.5 miles later, he might have felt different! The day started well with the usual grand breakfast, evenContinue reading “Coast to Coast Day 9: Kirkby Stephen to Keld”
Coast to Coast Day 8: Orton to Kirkby Stephen
The weather forecast was great for this 12-mile day, so it was really disappointing when Dean reluctantly decided he needed a rest day as he had severe toe pain. He was able to get a lift with an Australian couple who were staying at the same pub. Unfortunately, the next B&B did not open forContinue reading “Coast to Coast Day 8: Orton to Kirkby Stephen”
Coast to Coast Day 7: Shap to Orton
Today was a refreshing change and a relatively short one at 7.8 miles in just less than 4 hours. Most importantly, the whole team was hiking together again! The walking was across moorland and relatively flat farmland on spongy grass, allowing the legs to recover from the Lakeland rocks. While we are still in Cumbria,Continue reading “Coast to Coast Day 7: Shap to Orton”
Coast to Coast Day 6: Patterdale to Shap (Low Raise alternate)
Today we completed just over 15 miles in just under 8.5 hours of walking. This was our final day in the Lake District and this blog will be a bit different from the others so far. First, I am seeing the real danger of all the days blurring together. Even though experiences might sound similarContinue reading “Coast to Coast Day 6: Patterdale to Shap (Low Raise alternate)”
Coast to Coast Day 5: Grasmere to Patterdale
Today we completed 9 miles in about 6 hours, and the consensus was that it was the easiest day so far. Bailey’s Achilles was uncomfortable but she was able to hike with minimal impact. Unfortunately Tracy’s blister got worse, though she remarkably powered through the pain! After leaving our hotel together, Samuel headed off toContinue reading “Coast to Coast Day 5: Grasmere to Patterdale”
Coast to Coast Day 4: Rest day in Grasmere
Today we completed 0 miles in 12 hours😎. It was a perfect day of relaxation with no alarm, breakfast at a leisurely 9:30, and a bit of gentle strolling. We stocked up on yummy snacks from hobnobs to Cadburys, with local sausage rolls for tomorrow’s lunch. We also had a fine visit to the chemistContinue reading “Coast to Coast Day 4: Rest day in Grasmere”
Coast to Coast Day 3: Stonethwaite to Grasmere
The 8-mile distance of this leg disguises its challenges, illustrated by our taking 7.5 hours to complete it. It started with rain but fortunately that soon cleared up and intermittent blue sky brightened our ascent out of the Borrowdale valley. The recent rain swelled the rivers and filled the waterfalls. Bridges were rare so weContinue reading “Coast to Coast Day 3: Stonethwaite to Grasmere”
Coast to Coast Day 2: Ennerdale Bridge to Stonethwaite
Most of us described this as the toughest day of our lives. The word to describe the photos was “real.” It took us 9.5 hours to hike the 15.5 miles from Ennerdale Bridge to Stonethwaite, and Mother Nature made sure that we would remember this day for a long, long time. Everyone faced tremendous physicalContinue reading “Coast to Coast Day 2: Ennerdale Bridge to Stonethwaite”
Coast to Coast Day 1: St. Bees to Ennerdale Bridge
It took us just over 7 hours to walk these 14.5 miles. The weather was kind, providing some beautiful views while also giving us a taste of how English rain can be cold and wet. The highlight for everyone was the walk along the cliff tops of St. Bees Head, looking out over the IrishContinue reading “Coast to Coast Day 1: St. Bees to Ennerdale Bridge”
Coast to Coast Day 0: Ready to Start after a fine visit to Ulverston.
We have made it to St. Bees! If you want to know why we are here, scroll down to where I explain this “Coast to Coast” adventure we are doing to walk across England, which starts here in St. Bees. We left Houston on Friday evening, leaving our houses, pets, and plants under the watchfulContinue reading “Coast to Coast Day 0: Ready to Start after a fine visit to Ulverston.”
Barker Dam: Checking out my drone for our Coast to Coast trip
After our Grand Canyon trip of 5 days, it took me another 5 days to sort through the footage on my computer and post on Instagram, Relive, and this blog. That’s an issue for England where I want to post daily about each of our 10-15-mile days. In addition, I hope to get some greatContinue reading “Barker Dam: Checking out my drone for our Coast to Coast trip”
Grand Canyon Day 6 – The Hoover Dam
Samuel’s interest in the Glen Canyon Dam made me think of visiting Hoover. It looked like they had a cool tour inside the dam, with tickets only available in-person, on the day. With a 3:48pm flight out of Vegas, which was 30 mins away from Hoover, we had time. While it meant another 5:30am start,Continue reading “Grand Canyon Day 6 – The Hoover Dam”
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Grand Canyon Day 3 – From the Esplanade to the North Rim
The overnight wind had amplified the chilliness of the ~50 degF overnight temps. We’d chosen down blankets over sleeping bags to save weight, and I’d got a bit chilled a couple of times, but Samuel had been fine. The “5.4 degF per 1000 ft” rule seemed to be applying well. The day was bringing aContinue reading “Grand Canyon Day 3 – From the Esplanade to the North Rim”
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Grand Canyon Day 2 – Deer Creek and Night Hiking
The night had been filled with thousands of stars. The temperature had dropped from 80 degF when we felt asleep to a refreshing 60 degF when we woke, but the ground was still warm! We had both slept well and felt surprisingly refreshed. Our plan was just a 4.5-mile hike along the Colorado to DeerContinue reading “Grand Canyon Day 2 – Deer Creek and Night Hiking”
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Grand Canyon Day 1 – Bill Hall to the Colorado
Hiking from the North Rim to the river in a remote corner of the Grand Canyon National Park was a daunting prospect. We were packed with the lightest and least equipment that we could, and a new approach to food that I hoped would work. I found the best overview of the route at AllTrails.com,Continue reading “Grand Canyon Day 1 – Bill Hall to the Colorado”
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Hiking Through a Forest Fire on The LSHT Grand Loop
How did we get here? I’d wanted to hike the Eagle Rock Loop in early January with buddies Vance and Max, but it didn’t happen. Vance and I managed to arrange the Grand Loop starting February 10th, a 3-day, 2-night, 30-mile loop following 18 miles of the Little Lake Creek Loop (LLCL) from LSHT TrailheadContinue reading “Hiking Through a Forest Fire on The LSHT Grand Loop”
The Adventures of the Cajunlimeys 