Ingleby Arncliffe

I was in a bit of a cloud today. No I didn't have brain fog I was literally walking through the fog/ cloud all day today. The weather prediction last night had been favorable however it was lightly raining this morning and it picked up just as I was leaving the Blue Bell Inn. Nick the teacher who was walking twice the distance that I was to Blackney Ridge so he got a very early start. He shouted into the pub where I was breakfasting a hearty good bye. I saw a sign to Thirsk 12 miles leaving town and thought of James Herriot who lived in Thirsk as well as our neighbors Warren and Tanya Thirsk. The walk today navigated through the Yorkshire moors-non cultivated elevated areas that are uncultivated and covered in Heather. The path was up and down but had a very respectable 500 metre elevation gain. In areas it supposedly commanded some pretty impressive views. Today the moors were engulfed in a very very thick fog and visibility during the day was reduced to 10 to 15 metres. I encountered some other hikers but if they weren't talking one would only realize at the last moment that one had come up on them. A bit spooky. I met a Dutch couple and 2 English couples. The one English couple were doing the C2C in 16 days but were accompanied by their 8 year old Dauschound dog Dexter. He seemed to be doing fine but they said he had been in a grumpy mood that morning. The couple not Dexter took my photo from one of the high points where on a good day you could see the North Sea. I couldn't see anything. The hike was short at only 10 miles but I needed an easy day after yesterday. Highlights were talking to the other hikers, flushing grouse out of the heather, my lunch a 4 thousand year old burial cairn. I did a lot of stretching last night and this morning and changed my backpack set up a little. I think this helped the trapezius. I think a combination of the pack and having to look down so much to watch for the footing is irritating it. I put bandaids on the blisters and wore my running shoes today so the blisters didn't worsen. My boots are still damp. I have them in the boiler room at the Wainstone hotel right now and hopefully they will dry out. When I got to the Wainstones which I could hardly see, I called the Wainstone hotel in Great Boughton and the owner came and picked me up in Clay Bank which was the end of my hike for the day. The C2C today joined with the Cleveland Way today and was a superbly maintained trail with many segments consisting of large stones.After yesterday, it was great having no mud. They are calling for better weather tomorrow so hopefully we will have a more exciting day.Les mer