Thursday

The Dog Rambler E-diary

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December 2011
Walk

Climbing up to the snowy Bore Stane, The Pentlands

Length

6 miles

Dogs on walk

Gustave, Jerry, Lucas, Merryn, Otis, Ozzy, Tim

Back into the snow today. Although we had to climb up into the Pentlands to find it. Lower, down however, we found ice and frost along the track toward the hills. From the outset I hardly saw Lucas all day. He made for the front and stayed there. There was something in the air that drew him on and at one point off the track and through the heather. I could not see anything and all I could hear was the echoing call of Grouse skimming over the heather concealed in the low cloud, dripping down the hillsides. A low sun was in our eyes directly ahead. Rising above the crown of trees atop the Bore Stane. The only trees sitting along the ridge. Slightly higher u[p form the ridge the cloud hugged closely to the land rising into the hills. The track became more icy. Clown like Tim went running onto it losing grip and pace until his feet were going twice as fast as he was. Then he ran onto thinner ice, breaking it into great plates underneath him. Just keeping up enough speed to reach the next solid bit of ice as it broke behind him. Somehow he did not get his feet wet. He then proceeded to wind up Ozzy until he stood astride Tim putting him in his place. Afterwards ignoring him as best he could and turning his attention to Lucas, Gustave and Jerry. He raced about

with them on a one to one basis thoroughly enjoying himself. Tim trying to catch his attention and eventually succeeding. The ice thickened as we climbed and we reached a thin layer of snow. The sun still set its glow around our destination trees but the cloud was beginning to drop. The frozen ground was easy to walk over. No mud to catch our feet making us dirty. And the snow covered the logs across the tracks, there to ease the way for Land Rovers. Meaning they were not their usual slippery nature. Otis took his time today, perhaps pleased not be caught in the throes of passion for Jolie, his hormones all a mess. As we neared the Bore Stane the clouds fell further blotting out the sun. This was the last we saw of it. We had it in our eyes on the way up but it was not at our backs on the way down. Wispy strands of cloud floated through the eerie trees their bare branches stretching upward all twisted as though a throng of arms from a drowning multitude in the descending cloud. Merryn was tootling along behind until that is we reached half way and turned around. Then she made for the front passing Lucas in the process and stayed there. She was joined by Gustave, who is never so far ahead, and also by Tim. Was this their first real venture into very cold snowy and icy ground this year? Maybe they have still to adjust and it was a little too cold on their paws. The path and hillside were bereft of sheep and with no wind today it was almost silence. Broken only by the cockerel like call of the grouse and the play of the dogs. Although the further we dropped back toward the start the quieter they became. Lucas having given up the lead had fallen behind me with Otis and could not be persuaded to go ahead. Ozzy was plodding away some distance behind Merryn, Gustave and Tim. Only Jerry still had the energy to jump and bounce through the heather paying scant regard to the existence of the track. The track levelled out bringing us back across a yellow grass field and onto the firm track lined with trees back toward the car. The dogs ahead had slowed their pace and as we began to bunch back up we reached the gate with the car on the other side.

Nick

Photo slideshow from the walk

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