Monday

The Dog Rambler E-diary

top 19
December 2011
Walk

Snow on Hartside Hill and Clints Hill

Length

6 miles

Dogs on walk

Dylan, Jolie, Finlay, Lucas, Maggie, Otis, Solo, Tim

Apologies for today. I had forgotten to move Tim from the Monday to Wednesday to accommodate our guests who had been staying over, Finlay and Otis. This means that there were eight of us out and about today. Time to pick somewhere where we were not likely to bump into anyone. Hartside Hill and Clints Hill being the obvious choice. More of an obvious choice as we left the main road onto a snowy b-road and up into the very low cloud like a fog across the road. Very slowly we dropped back down to the start of the walk. Back below the cloud which appeared to be rising. Off we went through a gate and down to the main track gently slicing its way up Hartside Hill. Solo was over his infatuation with Jolie but Otis had not yet quite given up hope and followed her about. Jolie herself was in the midst of things taunting and teasing both Lucas and Tim. Maggie too was out for a bit of attention showing off her new slim line body. Fairly racing across the trackside heather and getting noticed by the others. It was left to Finlay and Dylan to try and bring some decorum to the walk. This they did initially holding a firm grip of things at the front. But the higher we climbed and the deeper the

snow got so they both began to loosen up. The track gained height and as it did so we gradually began to meet the low cloud. Silence pervaded around us, the deepening snow muffling sounds like the bedclothes thrown over your head. The trees closed in their branches tightly knit as if a special Christmas jumper. Lucas and Tim the most likely to break the quiet with their barking and yapping as Jolie drove them slowly mad. Near the summit of Hartside Hill we cut off onto a track leading out of the trees onto the open tops of Clints Hill. With the deeper snow and the cloud enveloping us it was similar to white out conditions. But we could see a hundred feet or so all around. But all around it was white. Some sprigs of heather broke the snow but otherwise it was an almost flat featureless landscape the snow smoothing out all the definition. So much so that the track, cut below the level of the rest of the ground, was suddenly at least a foot deep with snow as the snow levelled it to the rest of the land. Now Dylan went truly mad throwing himself first a Maggie, then Jolie, he even tried Finlay. All the dogs he does not bother with normally. But these were not normal conditions. Well not this year. Last year yes. Despite the white conditions obscuring everything Otis remained latched to Jolie. Having to run about a lot again as she raced off to play with the others. Solo, stately once more, looked on with a faint amusement. He knew he had been enthralled the week before. Suddenly out of the cloud the structure of the communications mast emerged like a ghost from the shadows. Thankfully, as the snow was getting deeper and harder to walk in. Pulling my feet out of deep holes punched through the surface just to move forward. We all happily turned back toward Hartside Hill with most of the dogs racing off ahead. Dylan and Maggie back in the snowy heather with Lucas joining them. Tim kept on the track, he did not want to risk drowning in the snow. Finlay did and he threw himself into it and rolled and rolled with what could be mistaken for a big grin on his face. We followed the Hartside Hill track around the far side of the hill to where it ends. Here we stopped for a Christmassy photo beneath the snowy pine trees. The dogs waiting just long enough before almost knocking me over in the rush to get on again.

The skies cleared a little on the descent giving glimpse of snow covered hills and fields. Murky splashes in the snow revealed themselves a sheep. But somewhere around the track there had been deer and several times I had to prevent some of the dogs sneaking off into the trees to investigate the fine smells. A fine wintry walk ended as we strode back up to the gate and the car parked just off the road in the gates wide entrance. Nick

Photo slideshow from the walk

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Tuesday

The Dog Rambler E-diary

top 20
December 2011
Walk Dogs on walk

Across Fala Moor Archie, Gina, Finlay, Otis, Solo, Tim

Length

6 miles

We headed for Fala Moor today expecting snow on the ground. We were disappointed. Apart from a few patches like wet sand shaped by the sea there was none. Not so for ice as Tim found out as soon as he leapt from the car. Straight onto the icy track and straight over with all four paws in the air beached like a whale. The icy track stole up toward the moor. Solo must have sticky feet for as the rest of us picked our way on the frozen grass to the side of the track he was having little difficulty walking right in the middle of it. The golden leaves of the beech hedges were holding onto their stems with a fragility and hemmed us at the edge of the track. Gina tried to cross the track to see Solo and slipped sideways a little. She regained her composure and headed back to the side. The noisy, flapping, crashing of pheasants on the other side of the hedge in amongst the trees and long grass raised the dogs heads. Not just that but a quick look around revealed Archie was missing. He came back through a gap in one of the hedges. No wonder the pheasants were being so noisy. Finlay had little difficulty managing to stride on ahead. Whereas Otis was being much

more careful and cleverly or foolishly he followed my steps. As we stepped onto the moor the ice thinned a little but was still deceptive. As Archie found trying to run along a bit of the track. The moor was desolate and lonely today. The deep autumnal colours stripped away. Now dark and brooding with just a few patches of snow giving a lightness. I was surprised by the lack of the snow after yesterday. But looking across to Hartside Hill and Clints Hill where we were yesterday the deep snow on Clints Hill was gone. Now green and brown with just a few streaks of snow like a cake scraped of its icing leaving it only in the cracks of the cake. So too for the fissures of the hillside. The dogs were taking things rather easy and watching their footholds. Until Archie stumbled across a long branch. Tim chased him into the heather getting marooned. So as Archie ran through the heather Tim tracked him along the track and Gina thrust herself through the heather after him. Tim only following her in when Archie lay down. His guile was rewarded with an end off the stick as he tugged with Archie. We left the main track and followed a much fainter track cutting into the moor. Toward a wooded area. Normally this would be out of bounds due to its boggy nature. Not so today with frozen puddles and brittle grass. We reached the edge of the wood, which was fenced off, and turned back toward the main track. Again the dogs were fairly quiet until nearing the edge of the moor Gina raced off and grabbed another stick. She lay down looking Archie in the eye. He responded and along with Tim chased after her. Some of the stick broke away. For the first time with us Finlay picked it up, parading proudly with it in his mouth before lying down to have a chew. Meanwhile Tim was tugging at what was left with Gina. In the end she managed to retain some it. A small victory. There was some evidence of the ice beginning to thaw as we headed off the moor. Although not so much that Otis did not slide sideways. Immediately coming back behind me. Solo and his sticky feet plodded on regardless. The car sat tight against the beech hedge and all having managed to stay on our feet, after Tims initial slip up, we safely got back in.

Nick

Photo slideshow from the walk

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