TUESDAY 12th February 2007 - Gilpin for Whitbarrow

In a change to tradition there was to be a Tuesday ride, as some folk wanted to keep some Valentine's sweet.
The story unfolds...Gilpin Bridge (alternatively now known as the Death Ride (only by CSC & JP -Ed)) It was a wild and windy night... Oh no that was two weeks ago, this evening it was a calm and still night with a slither of a moon. Joel and Grant were there promptly at the 18.26 nominated time, Charlie had left Windsor at 1.45 that afternoon and made it by just after 18.30 and Jamie learnt that last time riding from Kendal had meant that he missed us so drove this time and still nearly missed us.
Setting off we realised that it was going to be a chilly evening, it was the usual route over the foot/cycle-bridge towards Ravens Lodge, up the bridleway that runs along the side of Whitbarrow and then at the bottom of the first descent taking the sharp right and continue on to Beck Head where the road ends and the trail continues towards Witherslack Hall. At this point Jamie persuaded us that his last Biketreks ride knew that the left hand track on through the gate was in fact a footpath and the small track to the right was the bridleway. An ambiguously positioned “no cycling or horses” sign between the two options we decided must refer to the main track as horses had certainly been along the small path to the right. A great little single track with some rocky sections which ends up in the fields that climb up to Witherslack Hall entrance. Strange how the gate at this end says clearly “No Cycles”.
We took the left fork towards Witherslack Hall farm and then through the gate and up onto the tops of Yewbarrow. The open ground was much easier going with no wind. We stopped briefly at the entrance to the woods at the top of Yewbarrow while Jamie tried to fix Grants gears and we were off again. We knew that there was a tree ahead that had been blown across the path in the storm. We checked if Jamie had his fold up saw and then watched him chop it out of the way to create a nice little ‘hop’. We headed back on the road to the last climb and Grant took a big off on one of the corners – falling on the same hand that he had damaged last weekend on the golf course. A round of chips back at the pub ended an out of routine Tuesday evening ride. The down side of going out on a Tuesday is that there are still 3 more work days. words by charlie. Next week it's the Red Lion at Lowick (East or West route...?)