Lucy and Steve's little North Lakes Adventure

Tuesday morning...day off...sunshine...new kit to try out...the turtle and the chicken go riding....

 A day off at last.... life has been a bit hectic so Steve and me decided on a nice chilled out day out. We had recently made a visit to Wulfsport, where I had got a bargain on some new motocross boots, a top and a lightweight jacket. Great value for money kit for bashing around the Lakes in. Steve also had kitted me out in some Leat armour which he had bought for himself but unfortunately was too small. Shame, it fitted me perfectly :-)

Lucy kitted out and ready to go - all the gear and no idea!!!

Steve also had a new lightweight jacket to try out. Both my top and his jacket are designed for trials riding but we have both been getting so hot when green laning we decided to try some lighter weight options. I strapped my jacket to the back of my bike for the ride home when I would get cold.

Anyway after posing in our new gear we headed off. First down a lovely straightforward local lane and we headed out towards Dearham and Broughton Moor. After a bit of a play around and missing a couple of gear changes, I got used to the motocross boots. Even if it meant hooking my toes under the gear lever, they felt amazingly supportive and the stiff soles really felt like I could balance on the foot pegs and begin to weight them slightly. 

Steve showing how's its done!

Lucy giving it a go and loving it!

I felt way more confident and definitely up for it today. We headed off towards Greysouthen where we stopped in to see my parents. The main purpose of this visit was so that my mum could take in my pants as they are a bit big and keep falling down!! With that successfully completed we left the village and linked up a couple of lovely easy lanes that take you through Eaglesfield and on to Dean. We came across a very overgrown lane and decided to do a bit of jungle bashing and see how we got on. Jungle bashing it was.....

There is a bike in there somewhere

I crashed into a bush and dropped my bike. The handlebars landed across my foot - no worries with my new boots, but I couldn't work out how to pick my bike up. I was getting worried I might never be seen again - lost in the jungle. But after lots of sweating and heaving I eventually worked it out and got my little Honda back on her wheels....only to drop her again on the other side. Now it was time for the swearing, especially after I got nettled on the face. Steve eventually arrived after bashing his way back through the undergrowth on foot and gave me a hand.
Back on our bikes it was more heading through the jungle and eventually we came out onto a clear bit of lane. I was a little bit knackered to say the least.

Lucy having a much needed rest after jungle bashing

As we headed on down the lane a local farmer came to see us and we had a bit of a chat with him. He was concerned about folk being out here up to no good but soon realised we were pretty harmless. I think it actually helped when he heard a female voice. Anyway he didn't seem to keen on people being around his land so we decided to leave this one alone in the future. 

Off we went and headed towards Mockerkin and down into Loweswater to head over one of my favourites - Mosser fell road.Feeling good I flew up the tricky section at the start and didn't hesitate crossing over the ditch. A big improvement from a few weeks ago. It's a lovely lane with great views over Loweswater Lake. The fell road drops down into Mosser and soon after is another great fell road....

....High Bank which takes you down into Lorton. Someone has done some work putting rubble in the pot holes on this one and it is pretty straightforward. It's nearly 3 miles long and heads along the side of the fell so has stunning views. We stopped to take some pics and it was so lovely and warm I thought I might have a nap but Steve had other ideas....lunch!!

Pooped and its only lunchtime

Talk of pasties got me back on the bike and we headed up Boon Beck and out onto Whinlatter. We stocked up with lunch in Keswick, where Steve had a good natter about bikes with the guys in the butchers/pie shop. Then it was out towards High Rigg and up a lovely little lane to have a picnic on the hillside. Can't be bad!!

Steve preparing lunch

Steve having a rest in the sunshine with a belly fell of chicken and ham pastie - yum yum

Full of energy and refuelled - it was on to the Old Coach Road and we could see the road snaking up the fell side from our lunch stop. I have been over the coach road a few times now and always struggled with the first uphill section which is quite rubbly and has an awkward step. Anyway today was the day I was going to ride it clean ....or so I thought!!

Steve went up ahead to show me the line - left, then middle and for some reason I went middle, then middle. Now I have done this before, so I should have known better than to head for the big step in the middle. Also because I was more determined this time I hit it with more umph and ended up doing a proper lob of not just a fall over. But I was pretty unharmed so got up and with Steve helping me, I got the bike sorted, rode back down the hill and did it again and made it this time. Happy days :-)

I rode up all of the rocky section standing up on my pegs - a first for me and although it felt better to ride this way - I was knackered and had to stop for a rest at the top of the hill!! The rest of the coach road is just lovely riding - its pretty dry at the moment, but can get quite muddy. Towards the end, just before the ford we caught up with a couple of 4x4's. They waved us through and we headed off to the end of the road following a farmer. Steve held the gate open for him and he was such a happy cheery chap - nice to see.

The little Honda next to the 4x4's

We had a chat to the guys in the 4x4's about the future of green lanes etc. Nice guys from county Durham - we chatted a bit a swapped notes about good places to ride and drive.

I was getting cold and a wee bit tired by now. I have learned that I need to forewarn Steve of this as he is a bit like a duracell bunny - his batteries don't seem to run out. But he did listen this time and we started heading back on the small roads through Mungrisdale and out towards Caldbeck which is a lovely ride. The next lane was Fell Side to Longlands - another one of my favourites. It is a gorgeous grassy lane over the commons. It has a ford which is very low at the moment and the riding is very straightforward. 

We then wound our way back home and down a few more local lanes before arriving back at home in time for a cold beer. A very relaxed and enjoyable day out :-)