I’ve Been Disrupted!

But not as much as this ground nesting bird, which appears to gave collided with a stone wall – probably due to the snow drifting over it and making it invisible.
There were lots of curlews and oyster catchers up Weardale today – and even the odd lapwing. These arrived in large numbers a couple of weeks ago, but I only saw one today, and it was sitting in the middle of the A689. Luckily there was no traffic at all (except me).

Problem was – I wasn’t really supposed to be up Weardale. According to my TGO Chally training plan, I was supposed to be doing a 17 mile walk along the bridleways in Northumberland. This would have been too hard for my lickle legs in the deep snow, so, instead, I decided to visit #1 daughter who has been snowed in (for the fourth time this winter) in their cottage oooop Weardale for about a week now. (Is a cottage in a freezing landscape a frottage, or is that something else….)
Anyway, the road up Weardale was lovely and clear, and, even dry – such is the current dryness of the air coming off Siberia.

I don’t think there’s been a specially big snowfall up there. It seems, though, that the wind is making the most of it. Each wall has plumes of snow cresting over the top and dumping a fine and icy spray in huge heaps on the leeward side.
Me and Mat and Mollie and Superdawg had a brief but vicious scrap with the elements of a five-ish mile circuit of Burnhope reservoir (where there was a car full of giggling yoofs with their dogs, well stuck in the snow, waiting for a friendly tractorman – who arrived about the same time as us. It seems that the reason for the giggling may well have been something herbal, judging by the perfume emanating from an open window…..)


Anyway, its the first time this winter I’ve worn my snow goggles.
I have a guided walk in the far reaches of Upper Teesdale next week. I’m supposed to do a reccy this week and I strongly suspect that the road to Cow Green reservoir might well be impassable, and, judging by the forecast, will not become passable this week. So the prospects for that walk aren’t looking good – unless conditions alter substantially over the next few days. I have other fun alternatives planned, though….
8 Miles today. 8 foot drifts as well – Bruno is, frankly, knackered….. 9 miles short….. dhuhh…