Distance Walked: 14 1/2 miles
This day would be if we were Frodo and Sam and were walking in Middle Earth, and we were approaching Mordor and the evil eye is doing everything in it's power to stop us but in the end we come out victorious.....
How do I feel? Yes, achy. Yes, my right foot is really bothering me, but other than that I feel good. I feel like I can accomplish something and do this walk, although at the beginning of the day I sure did feel the opposite. Last night the owners of the place we stayed at talked about going up into the Lake District and how the temperature can drop to freezing and how last year emergency people had to take a girl down who didn't dress for the weather. Ominous to say the least. We got up and it was pouring out and the wind was howling. I got this nervous feeling right at the beginning and Bre's back was really hurting her because of her pack. I tried to encourage her to leave it at the Cloggers and call Packhorse, a service that will carry your bags to each destination, but she thought she would be okay.
So we approached our first scenic point, Ennerdale Water, with the wind howling and rain blowing sideways. Luckily, just as everything was feeling quite gloomish, Mountain G
oat showed up (his name is really David). His presence was a welcome comfort, just knowing others were out there. It's too bad the weather couldn't have been better around the water as the pictures I had seen of it seemed so lovely. Instead, we bundled up, hunkered down, and made it around the treacherous rocks to the other side, along the way passing a few people, including Ruth and Kimmie, the Australians. On the other side we met up with Ken and Jane, our faithful co-navigators. Ken gave me his walking pole to use for the day because of my foot. I just love all the friendship that we are striking up already.Crossing a big field, I saw on Steddy's that there was supposed to be a field centre at the other side. Imagining a lodge with a warm fire and maybe a hot drink, I thought we could stop there to put some icy hot type ointment on my foot, but alas, it proved to be a cold looking barn, so we decided to try the youth hostel up ahead. Strike two...closed for renovation. And so we trekked on. Somehow Ken and Jane got ahead and at this point, and Bre decided she just couldn't carry her pack anymore, as it was hurting her back too much. Mind going in quick thinking mode, I ran up to Ken and Jane, gave them back their pole (just in case we didn't see them again). Then I put my essentials in Bre's pack and ran back to the field centre in hopes that someone would be around. I knocked on the door, but the woman who answered might as well not have been there. What a B*!?! I do not recommend that place to anyone. She was mean and lacked all empathy. I explained to her my situation, asking if maybe I could leave my bag there and have Packhorse pick it up. She pointed me to the pay phone and wouldn't let me know whether anyone would be around or not for somebody to pick up my bag. So I went and called (thank goodness I had coins. I doubt that woman would have lent me any) and got a hold of Packhorse. This woman, unlike the other, was so friendly and accommodating (We actually got on a first name basis for the rest of the walk, and it even got to the point that I didn't even have to say who I was! She just recognized my voice. Or maybe the American accent...) They normally didn't pick up around that area, but she worked with me and said they could pick it up tomorrow. So then I went back to that awful woman and she was like, "put the bag in the barn." Argh. Placing it there, re-calling Packhorse to let them know where they could find it, I crossed my fingers and set off, praying that I would see my bag again. Then, hoping that maybe the third time would be the charm, I asked the woman if she could maybe give me ride up the road back to Breanne, and she kind of started closing her door and said, "I'm not really able to do that." What a mean person. arrrhrhr...it makes my blood boil just thinking about her.
Baa baa black sheep have you any wool?... sooo many sheepSo then I went up the road, and the guys working at the Youth Hostel (which was closed for renovation) were in their cars having lunch. So I approached them and these two warm, nice men agreed to give me a ride. Bless them. They were so nice and giving, not like that woman who couldn't even give me her phone number to the place. So then we drove up the road and kept going and going, asking people if they'd seen Bre but no one had. Finally, we were getting to the end of the road and these guys had seen her, but she'd gone up ahead. Phew. She had made it almost the whole way up the road while I was gone. Jeez! She can walk if she wants to! So I said a HUGE thank you to them.(THANK YOU THANK YOU!) and worked my way up the path to Black Sail Youth Hostel, the most remote hostel in all of England. It is at the foot of the peaks of the Lake District, and there is no road that goes to it (in other words, no cars). It was such a welcome site, and inside was a cozy room and some fresh baked banana bread and tea. And there, at Black Sail, all the sudden it seemed like everyone doing the walk came together and gathered. Taking a lunch break, sharing stories from the first two days, commiserating with others about various aches and pains. So wonderful! It was also here that our little camp formed, the navigators, Ken and Jane; the two Australian women, Ruth and Kimmie, and this couple that was only doing the walk halfway. Ruth is also having the same foot issue as me, which in its own twisted way is a comfort!
We made it to Black Sail!!
So off our little company took trying to navigate to and up Loft Beck. I think it was here that all the camaraderie developed between us all because we all encouraged each other up and just the presence of everyone made it much easier. It was by far one of me steepest climbs I've ever
done. But we were all together and we all did it and the top was amazing. Beautiful views the surrounding peaks and lakes in little nooks and valleys below. And there was this patch of sunlight just in this one spot hitting the water back where we had just come. Wow. And then up high we were walking and I just started smiling and laughing because we had made it. I had got through the biggest ordeal. So then our group continued on, heading down to Honister slate mine which was actually really cool to see all the slate. Enormous slabs of slate. Again, here was downhill, which again killed! And it continued to be downhill the rest of the way, but thank goodness, Ken gave me his trekking pole again which I think I used a little to much because now my leg thigh muscle is feeling like it's pulled.
Climbing up, up, up Loft Beck... the picture doesn't really do it justiceSo there we came to Borrowdale Valley
Tomorrow on to Grasmere!
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