2 Parks ride pics.

[gumpt1oo]

Today was a good day. No work, sun was shining and spring had sprung!
I am lucky enough to live close to 2 National Parks, the Yorkshire Dales, and the Lake District, so I decided to do a ride in them both today. I set off on the A65 to Kirkby Lonsdale, then on the A683 into the Yorkshire Dales and up to Sedbergh. Here are a couple of shots looking back towards Sedbergh, the hills are called the Howgills.

From there I headed north up towards the Mallerstang Valley.
This is Tarnmire

There are still a few heavy horses working this area, these were grazing just off the road.

From here I joined the A685 to Orton and then on to the B6261 to Wetsleddale reservoir.

This was the road leading from Wetsleddale

In a lot of places around here the animals graze free, there are cattle grids to stop them leaving the area, but it is common to come across a cow or sheep on the road. This herd was just at the side of the road, I didn't hang around long the bull in the middle was starting to take a bit of interest in me!

From here I headed north on the A6 through Shap and on to Eamont Bridge. I then turned to Pooley Bridge into the Lake District National Park to Ullswater. Here are a few of shots from the shore of Ullswater.

I then headed up to Mungrisdale, this is the road leading out of Ullswater.

When you climb out of the valley you get your first glimpse of the Blencathra range.

From here I joined the A66 and headed west for Keswick.
Here are some pics I took from the A66.
Blencathra

Towards the Derwent Valley

Skiddaw range

Some new arrivals!

I carried on on the A66, turned off to Portinscale and around the back of Derwent water.

Derwent-water

Catbells

I carried on to Grange, here are a few pics in the Borrowdale valley.

I then headed north to Keswick then took the A591 towards Kendal.
Took a detour around Thirlmere.

By this time the roads had started to get busy with tourists. The A591 is usually gridlocked by about 1pm if it is sunny!
So I headed home. 151 mile round trip, an excellent day out.
One last pic, Bonnie sporting her new single seat. (I have not got the sprung saddle fully adjusted yet!)

Sorry about the size of pics, only one resized correctly!

 

[CarlS]

B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L country and great photos. What a superb ride! :y115:

 

[Sunshine Jim]

Sweet run, nice turf too.

i am consumed with envy...

 

[Rocky]

F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C country :y115:

 

[devo]

Great pics Gump
Can tell it's warming up, the place looks real inviting.
Those plants you called catbells, over here its called bloody gorse, a present from you guys that grows wild all over the country.
Bikes lookin even better, have you bin changing the seat again.
:y18:

 

[gumpt1oo]

[quote author=Devo link=topic=5300.msg29694#msg29694 date=1240259808]
Great pics Gump
Can tell it's warming up, the place looks real inviting.
Those plants you called catbells, over here its called bloody gorse, a present from you guys that grows wild all over the country.
Bikes lookin even better, have you bin changing the seat again.
:y18:
[/quote]
It's called 'bloody gorse' over here too Devo, the mountain in the picture is called Catbells.
As for the seat, I have got 3 now, the stock seat, a sprung saddle that I'm still adjusting to suit my short legs, and this latest one. It is the best so far, very comfy and just the right height!

 

[devo]

my bad on the catbells
however ya gotta give me ten out of ten for picking up on the new seat huh.
BTW over here we would call that mountain a hill.
:y18:

 

[gumpt1oo]

[quote author=Devo link=topic=5300.msg29713#msg29713 date=1240298797]
my bad on the catbells
however ya gotta give me ten out of ten for picking up on the new seat huh.
BTW over here we would call that mountain a hill.
:y18:
[/quote]
You've got a point with the mountain. The biggest mountain in England is Scafell Pike at 3206ft, Catbells is 1479ft so its only half a mountain! LOL :ya2:
But 10/10 for observation on the seat!

 

[DaveM]

Stunning photos and country side once again gumpt. The first thing that hit me was the lack of fencing and it really looks great to see it all open like that. I love the stone walls that you folks have they are so natural :y18:

Just one thing I always thought you guys did kilometres and not miles

 

[Geoff587]

Great Pics Gumpt, I was up at Croft race track this weekend watching a friend of mine race ( if he doesn't,t fall off he counts it as a win ) .

Dave " Kilometers" wash your mouth out , are you a fifth columnist for the EU!!! . We are still getting over having to buy fuel in litres :sad:

 

[Rocky]

Canada went metric decades ago, but I still think in Imperial. I have a very hard time with metric and still can't quite click into it. I fumble along with some parts of speed and measure and do OK I suppose.

 

[CarlS]

They tried to foist the metric system on us; but it didn't work. In reality, we have a mixture of the two.

 

[Simmer]

Great photos!! Thanks for sharing them and your trip. That country looks a lot like here at the lower elevations in central Washington State. We don't have those heavy rock walls thought.

Dave :y115:

 

[gumpt1oo]

[quote author=Geoff587 link=topic=5300.msg29729#msg29729 date=1240322754]
Great Pics Gumpt, I was up at Croft race track this weekend watching a friend of mine race ( if he doesn't,t fall off he counts it as a win ) .

Dave " Kilometers" wash your mouth out , are you a fifth columnist for the EU!!! . We are still getting over having to buy fuel in litres :sad:
[/quote]

I'm with you Geoff on the imperial, mph, miles per gallon, beer in pints, etc.
I still visualise things in imperial even though the building trade went metric a long time ago. When I'm on site some of the young lads think I speak a different language when I tell them they need a bit of 4"x2"!
I still refer to 50p as 10 bob! LOL :ya2:

 

[avion]

I wouldn't have a clue how far 1/4 mile is. I would be 'wary' for about 1km. :smile:

Really great pics gumpt. I love the stone walls. Looks very Isle of Man~ish.

Don't you worry about 'wild life' when you're out on those kinda roads?
Last weekend I was bombing up Hekpoort's pass and came across a tribe of baboons in the road - got the old heart fluttering I can tell ya.

...

 

[gumpt1oo]

[quote author=avion link=topic=5300.msg29853#msg29853 date=1240433628]
I wouldn't have a clue how far 1/4 mile is. I would be 'wary' for about 1km. :smile:

Really great pics gumpt. I love the stone walls. Looks very Isle of Man~ish.

Don't you worry about 'wild life' when you're out on those kinda roads?
Last weekend I was bombing up Hekpoort's pass and came across a tribe of baboons in the road - got the old heart fluttering I can tell ya.

...
[/quote]

Yes you have to be wary of the sheep, they're a bit unpredictable!
The worst time of year is spring when you still get the odd frost. If the gritters have salted the roads the previous night, the sheep are all over the road licking the salt up!

 

[avion]

the sheep are all over the road licking the salt up!

Bwahahahaha :ya2:

I would never have thought that.

...

 

[Doug]

Incredible scenery,I have to admit though that I'm becoming concerned about this thing you seem to have for sheep..............

 

[devo]

[quote author=Doug link=topic=5300.msg29946#msg29946 date=1240510035]
Incredible scenery,I have to admit though that I'm becoming concerned about this thing you seem to have for sheep..............
[/quote]

:y24: :y24: :y24:
:y18:

 

[Pooksta]

Magic pics Gumpt. Good to see the old country in it's natural state.

Speakin of measurement, I was in Wales a few years back. Hadn't ben there for a long while. I was in a green grocer shp. I asked the girl for 2 pound of spuds. She looked at me and said, "It's kilo's now". I said "OK, I'll have 2 pound of Kilos then". She told me to get out...


Lee :y18: