9:55 - 14:15
Sue agreed to walk to Hebden Bridge today, provided that I left the camera and bins at home.
I did manage a few poor pics on my telling bone.
She didn't want to hang about, freezing, waiting for me every 2 minutes.
The weather was dry for the most part, just a bit of sleety stuff at Hunter Hill.
The north wind was B. freezing and very, very strong on the moor tops.
Our route follows the Calderdale Way some of the way.
We went up the bridleway opposite our house, past the Bradshaw Farms to Ned Hill Road, left along to Mount Zion church and down the snicket to Brockholes.
A right along the road and down to Stod Fold.
Through Stod Fold and up the very steep and freezing Hunter Hill.
Along the quarry track, across the Fly Flats Road down past a bungalow to cross a boggy field and the a small planked bridge.
Along below a small reservoir to meet a quagmire of a field path that exits at the old Moorcock Inn buildings.
A right and a left through a wall and onto moorland.
There are plank paths across this moorland but the majority of the path is underwater and a real pain.
Across the road at the other side a good track lead us forward before a left takes us down past a farm to pass to the right of the Hullett.
The path down to Jerusalem Farm, from here, is a real gem.
Half way down we sat in the sun on a memorial bench - butty time.
The sun shone and it was 10 degrees warmer than earlier!
On through Jerry Farm and up the steep lane to pass behind a house and on past Hollin Top.
On again to past to the left of a farmhouse to gain the moor proper.
Here again we encountered more bog ,and a forced diversion towards the heather, to avoid the worst of the bog, had me loose my footing.
I called to Sue 'grab me!' but she missed and I went off piste, landing on my back on my rucksack in the bog with boots high it the air.
Just then a Red Grouse did it's laughter like call from the moor - very, very funny - not.
I don't know about off piste, I was more piste off.
Anyway moorland bog is very, very soft stuff that slides ever so easily up the waterproofs and down into the boots no prob.
And it cushions your fall, so all is well.
The path reaches Grouse Butts, and turns left with them, across the moor.
We dropped down past the Hare and Hounds pub at Billy Lane and on down into Hebden Bridge - cafe city.
A really tough walk today - maybe I'm getting old.
Birds:
Jay and a Green Woodpecker at Stod Fold.
A Kestrel above Wainstalls.
Coal Tit at Jerry Farm.
Robin at Hollin Top,
Just before the moor after Hollin Top c8 small birds flew into a conifer.
They looked 'too small' to be Goldfinch and appeared to show lots of White - Siskin perhaps.
A Buzzard flew S from Castle Carr down the valley.
4 Red Grouse.
A few Long Tailed Tits and a few other sp. seen.
A single Roe Deer and 3 Roe Deer, together, seen also.
Above Brockholes - Mixenden Res. in the distance
Hunter Hill looking to Soil Hill
The 'Siskin' tree complete with 'Siskin'
Looking over to Castle Carr
