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Post by hodgy on Sept 9, 2016 14:55:36 GMT
It's looking like just myself and the Italian Stallion ( jaco) for tomorrow ( unless Graham gets his bike back ) .
Time unconfirmed ..but I'm hoping for an early ( 9.00am ) start and need a midday finish as my boy needs a new pair of rugby boots for his first training session of the pre-season at Tynedale on Sunday .
Back into the time of year where I'm trailing around the North East every Sunday performing dad's taxi duties ...
I have a good little route in mind though..meet on the edge of the forest at the old school house junction .
Any late takers ?
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Post by hodgy on Sept 9, 2016 20:39:28 GMT
9.00am it is ....grid reference NY 786 766...dont all rush at once ...haha !
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Post by hodgy on Sept 10, 2016 15:55:41 GMT
Graham did get his bike back but decided to use his hardtail anyway ..
So a great 3 hours with the boys before having to head back for my shopping duties!
Quite a bit of fire road today and when you are trying to keep up with two blokes who have a touch of roadie in their veins it makes it hard work!
The singletrack though was quality ....wet and slippery but lots of fun.
My timing was spot on and I got back to the car with 3mins spare having left Graham & Jaco to carry on with their ride
My wallet has now been well and truly emptied on rugby gear ...the boots were only the start ..little bloody con artist ..must have got those genes from his mother ...
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Post by hodgy on Sept 12, 2016 11:16:01 GMT
Just a little update on this ...
First training session ..Alex goes over and then has his ankle stamped on ..ice bucket every 2hrs when we got home .no better this morning so a trip to A&E ..crack in bone... moon boot & crutches and a revisit to see the orthopedic doctor on Friday where we will find out if it needs a plaster cast ..
And they reckon mountain biking is a dangerous sport !
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Post by gramish on Sept 14, 2016 9:29:41 GMT
Just a late update on Paul and I's second section on this ride after Neil's depart. We did explore some far corners of Wark Forest and found at least two things of interest. First is a footpath across a section of recent clear fell which has been restored by soil inversion, a digger is needed for this and I've not seen it done for a footpath until now. It is well rideable but is no more than 1 or 2k in length and only cuts a corner out of a curving fire road from Grindon Green towards Hindleysteel farmstead. It would be interesting to know why and how this got authorized, for a mere FP, while a good number of unique and valuable bridleway routes have been lost to felling and not restored.  The FP runs to the fire road through the obvious looking break in the tree line above and to the right of the marker post  These are the only 2 photos I took and they don't show the main section of soil inversion, we didn't know it was going to run right across the clearing when we started on it. The other interesting item was this gate... Bell Crag Fire Tower according to the Ordnance Survey. Really, a kilometre of 2.5m high barbed wire for a fire tower? Non-ionising radiation?? Sounds more like radar or micro-waves to me. Or a very different interpretation of "Fire Tower"...  Paul did survive what might have been an electrifying experience. Plenty of padlocks though.  So you never know what can happen on an exploration.. great day and 35 miles in 4.5 or so hours |
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Post by hodgy on Sept 14, 2016 9:51:43 GMT
Interesting finds there Graham ..
I reckon that compound is where that alien spaceship landed..
Oops ..I've said too much ..
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