Can you guess what it is yet.....?5 riders met up at Hawkshead to brave the windy weather. I begged a lift from Jamie thinking to help 'save the planet' and as an added bonus, if there were any floods we would be OK in his truck, so guess what, he took the Toyota hatchback!! Shout out to Paul for making it all the way from Penrith and Nick who traveled from Ullverston way.
We had a little discussion on route choice, it went something like this...which is closer Grizedale or Claife and which is more sheltered? we figured Grizedale should have better managed trees, so off we went UP the new bridleway out of Hawkshead. It is a bit of a climb, you know, the standard RADs warm up!! We rode round a few fallen branches just to add to the climbing test, there was not much chat at the first gate, just a little pause for recovery. Just a bit further and we reach the North Face trail, 2 hardtails, 2 full sussers and 1 rigid!
We joined the trail and climbed up towards Moor Top, on the way a few hundred yards in and we came across our first fallen tree blocking the trail, what would you do? Whip out your trusty pocket saw and cut it up, exactly! That's what we did, when I say we, I mean Jamie (the woodsman) forget cool tool, use an 8 inch blade...we dragged the log out of the way and set off wondering how many more there may be....? Off down the trail to Moor Top along the fire road and enjoy the downhill route to the visitor cente, but not before another fallen tree, here we go...out with the blade...(see photo), ride over cut log and continue round the North Face trail, thankfully there were no more fallen tree obstacles, just the usual boardwalk to slip up the unwary...if you think you are going to fall off you will, just ask Nick or Jamie! Whereas Paul rode the raised plank log on the final descent (after CT showed 3 ways not to do it).
It was a windy ride but with no rain and well worth the effort, at least after the warm up. Next week it's Oxen Park, just north of Haverthwaite beyond Bouth.
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