Health Walk - Tuesday 26th June 2018
Photos by Michael S & Jen K - Please click on photos to see a larger one
Today we only had thirty-five walkers
It was a blisteringly hot morning with clear blue skies
Michael led the main walk with James and Sheila mid markers and Frankie back marker. Jen K led the short option walk with Suzi back marking.
Michael introduced the walk and said we were going to try a longer than usual walk the option for a normal walk led by Sheila with Frankie still back marker and James would take over as back marker for the experimental walk.
I led off down Snake Hill followed a little way behind by Jen's group. We all crossed the Stone Bridge but had varied routes
round the Lake
Photo 1 - Jen Photo 2 - Jen
The birds are making towards Jen's group hoping for food? Photo 2 shows them disappointed.
When we continued along Cam Lane towards Hawks Clough Jen took her group up into Dog Kennel Wood.
As I get older I find that my pace seems to be the pace the walkers can cope with. We carried on past the Ponderosa to the top of Sheep Hill Brow where we planned to separate and go different ways. My group crossed Sheep Hill Lane and Sheila's group were only a few strides behind.
Here unfortunately my introduction 'speech' hadn't been clear and some walkers got mixed up in the wrong groups, a word here for Sheila who sacrificed the longer walk to lead the normal walk.
However everything seemed to work out OK
We deviated off down Glenmore, passed below the 'Top of the World' and dropped down to Back Lane. My planned walk caused some consternation before we set off. Other leaders said it would take 90 minutes whereas I was confident it would only be 75 minutes, the same as a Whittle walk. So I 'cheated' and made two short cuts.
We climbed up Back Lane, yes it feels like a climb these days, and reentered the Park opposite the Ley Inn, the scene of our New Year's Day celebrations, and walked down hill for a while to join the Cycle Track, route 55, and set out for home
Photo 1 Photo 2
We climbed up another slope where here were many Bindweeds. Just passing you wouldn't notice that the flower was covered in insects, you might think they are specks of dust. It seems to be Bindweed's time as there are many around this area of the Park.
Photo 1 Photo 2
Still high up the walkers press on.
We came to Town Brow and crossed the road back into the Park to walk along the avenue of Oaks planted to commemorate the Queen Mother's 80th birthday.
Walking towards Covet Pond little were we to know that the stepping stones off to our right were to be worked on the next day
Photo 1 Photo 2
Before and after, the before is some time ago I didn't expect the change to be so dramatic, an excuse for not taking a before photo from the river on Wednesday
We continued along the Cycle Track to cross the Wooden Bridge, walk up Cardiac Hill, into the Pinetum and back to the Visitors Centre
Jen led the Elite walkers up into the Field from the Lake but came back down to go through the Kissing Gate and up into Dog Kennel Wood, through Gravel Hole Wood, to lead us over the Wooden Bridge, up Cardiac Hill, into the Pinetum and back to the Visitors Centre
Today's walks (Red Main Group, Green Short Walk Option Group, Blue main walk short cut).
Where there are green arrows on the red route it means the Elite walkers had followed the main >> or the main group had followed the Elite walkers >>.
Today's walkers
Main Walk - Ann K, Ann T, Barbara G, Barry, Bernadette, Carmel, Christine S, Clare, Colin D, Dee, Elizabeth M, Eric, Frankie, Graham, Ilene, James Mc, Joan M, Judy, Julie, Linda E, Malcolm, Margaret A, Michael S, Ricky, Sheila T, Sylvia, Trudi & Vivien
Elite group - Ann S, Irene T, Jen, Joan, Muriel, Robert & Suzi
Compiled by Michael Swarbrick
Cinder Path Cuerden Hall Hawksclough Farmhouse Cam Lane Lower Kem Mill
Cuerden Valley's Health Walk Cock Cabin Wood Cam Lane Cottage Ponderosa Pinetum Visitors Centre
