26th May 2016 - Staveley to Longsleddale

3 of us meet up in Staveley,  Grant,  Paul and CT,  Grant bringing out his new Whyte 29er fs,  Paul on his new to him traditional fs and CT O on a normal Niner hardtail.  We set off with the start of the Sam route i.e. Longsleddale which was very good route and basically dry :) just up the first loans we are passed by a bunch old mtbers on various machines including fat,  Grant knew a few of them from rugby,  some had done the recent Jenn ride well, we let them go ahead. We continued up and over into Longsleddale and caught the other group on the descent as two of them had punctures.  We carried on passing lots of lambs,  then the other group caught is up on the first climb out of sadgill and we journeyed together to the testing corner,  some Walked some rode,  nice and steady being an excellent evening for a ride out.  Then downhill,  watch out Paul... All ok,  then back via longhouses and HP,  it had changed with all the trees gone :( back to the cars,  22 odd km apparently. 
Next ride A6 Borrowdale. 
A few Photos below. 

Skeggles water over there...

Paul on a bike again:)

and again...!

the group we caught again on the climb out of Sadgill, having a go !

OK a holiday snap, western Scotland

with bike!

19th May 2016 - Clappersgate for Claiffe (snakebite and wildlife)

It was a tad damp and so only 3 made it out Jamie M, George and CT, it didn't really rain at all on the ride, chips at the start helped;) Take the cycle path to Wray castle, keep going and head up base camp then left for the technical bridleway, it's a testing climb but rideable, mostly, then onto the left hand route up the climb, again very rideable considering it was damp, at the junction with the fire road we could see more paths now the trees have come down. Up and over and past Moss Eccles tarn, enjoy the down to Far Sawrey, then back up past the phone box and enjoy the descent to the lake, bite of flapjack then along and work our way up, we were heading for the belle grange climb but look a different turn and had to climb up and eventually came out not far from the bridleway we were on before, the across to the guideposts and down to Colthouse, round the lane and up to snakebite ally to see what that was like. Now the first section is quick and it felt like some work had been done, but then it turned into a sharp teeth arrangement of rocks, so slow down! through the woods and join up with the new path linking back to the Wray route (there is a new bridge see below) and back to the cars. On the way and near the last wood a badger ran out in front of us and ran along ahead of the bikes until it found a bolt hole through the stone wall, so it's great to see the wildlife at dusk:) Next ride Staveley, meet Barley Bridge or park in the yard and cycle up.
No wildlife pictures, but here are some images, bike related and some were even on this ride;)

A new mower for the woods;)

New bridge on new cycle path

Cafe style riding the other Saturday in the sunshine, whilst I was waiting to rendezvous with JB 

...and a spare bike also at the Sawrey cafe:)

Arnside view the other evening ride

Bluebells last weekend at Barbon

Fairly dust over the Bluebells!

12th May 2016 - Barbon for sunshine, bluebells and wind!

Joel, George, Paul and CT met up in Barbon on a warm evening but with some wind. So the usual route up and down and look out for bluebells along the way. JP was packing fat Surly pack rack on his front forks all ready for touring, did not fancy biving tonight as a tad windy (blowin' a bloomin' gale!). Pauls first RADs ride out for a while so he picked a short one, it just comes with hills, where as last year he came out for the mid-summer ride! We met a couple of walkers and some other MTBers out enjoy being wind swept, but the bluebells were amazing, photos do not do scene justice. Barbondale by the river was amazing, must go again with better camera.
Next ride Clappersgate, park near Brathray

Bluebells along the first bridleway

With MTBer

Bluebell wood :) better in real life!

Top of that climb, it's only  a 7 minute hill climb, the wind was tricky!

"you'll get a camel-back in that"

Sun cloud interface

Look it's Paul

Sunset :)

5th May 2016 - Elterwater

Jamie B & M, Phil, Grant, Joel and CT turned up for a nice evenings ride. We set off up the road towards chapel stile but turned left before the pub and over the bridge and up past the quarry, nice warm up. Then straight up the little bridleway and right onto the track then through the deer fence and over to the top track then over to Dale End, down to the road and turn right then along to Bridge End cottage.  Now up the testing track over towards High Tilberthwaite, all good fun :) then along to Hodge close, but only after Phil's fat tyre had decided to slowly deflate so mini pumps and gas canisters in hand we waited....and waited ;) just kidding, we nearly had some time lapse of the whole event but someone phone ran out of memory:( Onwards and upwards past High Oxenfell, the on towards Iron Keld for the descent down to the road and then back via the river side path, after a little follow the leader tour of a rocky viewpoint ;) back in daylight. A few went to the pub JB cycled home! 
Next ride Barbon.

Where we came from

Little Langdale tarn

Going down Iron Keld, ...watch those sheep

Sunset