Today was the final leg of our trek across England following Hadrian’s Wall. It did not disappoint, remaining consistent with some of the highlights from previous days while adding a few fun and interesting variations. At 16.7 miles, it was our longest day and it hurt less than others, suggesting we found our trail legs,Continue reading “HWP Day 8: Carlisle to Bowness-on-Solway”
Tag Archives: hiking
HWP Day 7: Brampton to Carlisle
Today was different and not recommended for other HWP walkers. Our dilemma was how to return to the HWP from the Scotch Arms Mews in Brampton. We had walked off-trail from Haytongate the previous day to get to Brampton. There were a few options. One was to get a taxi back to Haytongate. This wouldContinue reading “HWP Day 7: Brampton to Carlisle”
HWP Day 6: Haltwhistle / Greenhead to Brampton
A rainy start was a bit of a dampener until we had a fine stop at Birdoswald, but not at the museum. The day had more pieces of wall than I was expecting and it was a fine stroll through the English countryside. The side trip to Brampton brought some pleasant and less pleasant surprises.Continue reading “HWP Day 6: Haltwhistle / Greenhead to Brampton”
HWP Day 5: Twice Brewed to Greenhead / Haltwhistle
Today was full of unexpected pleasures. The weather forecast had been a depressing amount of mist and heavy rain but the weather set a great mood. While there was plenty of climbing, our feet did not ache much at the end of the day and we enjoyed plenty of solitude hiking along a ridge. AContinue reading “HWP Day 5: Twice Brewed to Greenhead / Haltwhistle”
HWP Day 4: Chollerford / Humshaugh to Twice Brewed
The guidebooks suggest that this day and the next are the best days, and today did not disappoint. There was plenty of wall, even more ditch, some fun with cows, and some great views but you have to work for it. This is the day you start to feel you are walking along Hadrian’s Wall.Continue reading “HWP Day 4: Chollerford / Humshaugh to Twice Brewed”
HWP Day 3: Heddon to Chollerford / Humshaugh
Today reminded us why we come back to England to go walking – the countryside. We loved the friendly sheep and the very friendly horse. We gave space to the cows and the bulls let us know we weren’t welcome. The blackberries are great for eating in September, but there’s always a stinging nettle thatContinue reading “HWP Day 3: Heddon to Chollerford / Humshaugh”
HWP Day 1: Segedunum to Newcastle
While our Hadrian’s Wall Path itinerary from Macs Adventures has us walking from Segedunum to Heddon in one long 17+ mile day, we arrived in Newcastle a day early to split the first walking day into two and see a bit of Newcastle while fighting the jet lag. Yesterday evening’s gentle stroll took us acrossContinue reading “HWP Day 1: Segedunum to Newcastle”
Three Nights in Colorado’s Gore Range
Samuel and I were hungry for an adventurous backpacking trip. It had been a couple of years since we had completed Arkansas’s Eagle Rock Loop and three years since the epic Collegiate Loop on the Colorado and Continental Divide Trails. Samuel had spent his first year in college living in Golden, on the Western outskirtsContinue reading “Three Nights in Colorado’s Gore Range”
Hiking the Solamere Trail in Park City, Utah
As we were in Park City for a wedding, a hike was in order. One family member had some sore chest muscles which is a symptom of altitude sickness (AMS) which suggested the Blood Lakes Trail at over 10,000 ft was unwise. The Solamere Trail, just north of the St Regis, seemed appropriate at 2.6Continue reading “Hiking the Solamere Trail in Park City, Utah”
Golden’s Clear Creek Canyon Park
During our trip to help Samuel prepare his apartment for his second year at the Colorado School of Mines, we’ve finally been able to do some exploring! Earlier in the week we’d visited our friend Martin in Breckenridge who took us up a chair lift for a very cool hike, and yesterday, we used aContinue reading “Golden’s Clear Creek Canyon Park”
Two Weeks in New Zealand
It’s time to reflect and ruminate on what we’ve done, both to help us remember this trip and to improve how we do other trips or even return. Planning a visit to New Zealand is especially challenging as there is a lot to see which is spread over two islands. Some people in internet groupsContinue reading “Two Weeks in New Zealand”
NZ Day 8: Hiking the Pouaki Crossing
In summary, this was not a great day. It was a hiking day and the weather wasn’t great, but the hiking trail compounded the issue a lot! I need to plan hikes more carefully, but I did not see this one being so bad and it was well reviewed. It started well with our meetingContinue reading “NZ Day 8: Hiking the Pouaki Crossing”
NZ Day 4: Queenstown to Twizel
It was a day with ups and downs, and up and down… After a brief stop on the edge of Queenstown at one of the many fine coffee shops in NZ, we stopped at the Kawarau suspension bridge, made famous when AJ Hackett turned it into the first Bungy Jumping operation in 1988. I heardContinue reading “NZ Day 4: Queenstown to Twizel”
The Cotswold Way Day 5: Painswick to Cooper’s Hill
Bus times caused us to try a section “backwards” which was fun over a great stretch of the trail. Getting back to Crickley Hill, where we left the Cotswold Way yesterday, would have needed a taxi. We were planning a shorter day today and were not set on continuing from where we left off. WeContinue reading “The Cotswold Way Day 5: Painswick to Cooper’s Hill”
The Cotswold Way Day 4: Cleeve Hill to Shurdington
Neither our starting or ending points were on the Cotswold Way today, which reflects the logistical challenge. My gratitude for the feedback I get from y’all, either in Facebook or in the blog itself, is reflected by my writing this. As today was over 15 miles, I’d certainly prefer to be napping. Hearing Janet’s snoringContinue reading “The Cotswold Way Day 4: Cleeve Hill to Shurdington”
The Cotswold Way Day 3: Winchcombe to Cheltenham Race Course Station via Cleeve Hill, with Steam Train
Today’s excitement included meeting up with my sister Jane and her husband, and finding ice cream at just the right time. The steam train was pretty cool too. The lack of bus service on Sunday to Winchcombe was not an issue as the GWSR steam train was running. Its station was two miles from ourContinue reading “The Cotswold Way Day 3: Winchcombe to Cheltenham Race Course Station via Cleeve Hill, with Steam Train”
The Cotswold Way Day 2: Toddington to Winchcombe via Belas Knap
Today was made more exciting with my friend James joining us. Our last hike together was last century in Ecuador, so it was good to catch up! We started the day with the bus from Cheltenham to Toddington. I’m liking how close our apartment is to the bus stops! It was a smooth, uneventful ~1Continue reading “The Cotswold Way Day 2: Toddington to Winchcombe via Belas Knap”
The Cotswold Way Day 1: Chipping Campden to Toddington
Hang on. Toddington isn’t on the Cotswold Way. But it’s close and it was a fine end to our first day’s walk. Today’s challenge was logistics. The first challenge was getting the twenty miles from Cheltenham to the start of the Cotswold Way, and then back to Cheltenham after a day’s walk. While there wasContinue reading “The Cotswold Way Day 1: Chipping Campden to Toddington”
The Cotswold Way: Our Plan
It’s time for another hike! This opportunity has been triggered by a wedding invite from friends we saw on our Grasmere rest day during our Coast-to-Coast adventure last summer (thank you Grace and Peter). After the wedding festivities, we will head south to the Cotswolds, but will hike it in a new way. So whyContinue reading “The Cotswold Way: Our Plan”
The Eagle Rock Loop in November 2022
The 27-mile Eagle Rock Loop (ERL) in the Ouachita National Forest in southwest Arkansas has been on my “list” for several years. At nearly 400 miles from Houston, it is our closest multi-day trail in hills. I was thrilled in early November when I suggested to Samuel that we do it over the Thanksgiving breakContinue reading “The Eagle Rock Loop in November 2022”
The Adventures of the Cajunlimeys 