As a family, we tend to go away between Christmas and New Years to catch some sun and recharge our solar batteries. Living in the UK has many benefits, but having a lot of sunshine between September and April is not one of them. After spending the last week in balmy Lanzarote (average temp of 70 F), today was going to be a bit of a wake up call.
When I checked the forecast last night the best number I saw was about 28 F (-2 C). That means I layered up before heading out today - including full finger gloves and a knit cap. The forecast wasn't wrong, as stepping outside the cold really hit. The only good thing was, it was a dry cold, not the usual damp chill in England that gets in your bones.
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| Dacre Banks Village Store |
My first stop on most hikes is at the local village store. They make a really good latte and have a selection of snacks and other drinks if needed. Mon - Sat they also do warm food - which I really could have used today but it was Sunday so a latte and some mini-cheddars had to do. I never really know which way I am going to head until after I leave the store - today I headed out to do a loop to Glasshouses.
The Glasshouse loops follows the River Nidd north east from the Dacre Banks / Summerbridge border to the old mill building in Glasshouses. A good portion of the trail is along the river. You can actually walk on either side of the river - I decided to stay on the north side today. It was cold enough that the trail was not muddy, which was a real bonus compared to the slop I had to hike through the last couple of weeks.
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| A cold Dave |
This is at the weir in Dacre Banks. It was built in the 1700's to stop up the water so that a chute could be built to power a water wheel to power a saw. The old lumber mill is across the river. It was pretty cold with the sun just starting to rise.
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| Along the River Nidd |
The trails were unusually quite today. Normally I meet and greet a lot of hikers, and quite a few four legged adventures. Today there were less than a handful of people. It was a very calming walk. Total distance was just over 6 miles.
Providing I get my other tasks done, I get to reward myself with a pint and a meal the Royal Oak in Dacre Banks. Today I got both a new pint, a seat next to the fire, and a lovely Sunday afternoon roast ham.
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| Toasty warm by the fire |
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