Miles walked today: 12.7

Total trip miles: 65

Elevation gain today: 1,212 ft.

Trip total elevation gain: 8,515 ft.

Today was a diamond day. One little setback resulted in making our day even better. Our plan was to take the ferry to the end of the lake and then walk crosscountry thus avoiding an arduous day going over the highest point of the C2C. The weather was just perfect the entire day—except for the morning wind that caused our steamer ferry to cancel its 9:45 trip to Pooley Bridge. So as we were questioning an agent about our alternatives (next trip wouldn’t be until 11:25, no guarantees that we would get on it because it was fully booked and they could only take on a few more passengers even though they were sending a larger boat, there was a bus leaving from Glenridding at 10:25) he kind of whispered if it was him, he’d take the bus. That’s what we decided to do.

We walked on up to the bus stop and while waiting had the most delightful conversation with an older resident of Glenridding, a retired schoolteacher. We also met another American, Meg, from Utah. When I was out taking pictures before we left Patterdale this morning, I had actually met her husband on his way up to Kidsty Pike. They are the first and only Americans we have met so far. Meg was taking the bus because she knew her knees would not have been able to take it today after she had such a difficult time the past two days. Anyway, the three of us and the English lady had a good talk while we waited for the bus. On the bus, I had no sooner sat down when I noticed a couple waving at me from their side-facing seat. Back at St. Bees, we had met two English couples and talked to them quite a bit over breakfast. Alan and Susan had started to go up the path to Kidsty Pike today but soon realized it was too much for them so they turned back. The other couple they are traveling with went on but they took the bus to Pooley Bridge to just do the 10 miles cross country like we were doing. That is how we happened to walk with them for over halfway to Shap. Susan is also a retired schoolteacher and is a master map reader. She guided us right along and made sure we were headed in the right direction when we parted. Nancy and I enjoyed talking with them so much.

The camaraderie among the walkers is beginning to show up as we see some of the same people along the trail or in the pubs and B&Bs. Everyone is starting to recognize each other and stop to exchange greetings and stories. As we were saying goodbye to Alan and Susan in the road in front of a B&B, a young man Nancy and I met when we were returning from Easedale Tarn by the C2C valley route three days ago saw us and came over to say hello. He and his wife were taking a rest day, so that’s how we caught up with them.

(I had a hard time deciding which pictures to put up today. It was such a beautiful day!)

Our route from Pooley Bridge was up and over a moor and then down by narrow lanes through farmland. After we left Alan and Susan, we decided to take the paths rather than continue on the road. It was just beautiful and so peaceful as we made our way through the sheep pastures and a couple small hamlets. We should have counted how many stiles we crossed. By the end of the afternoon we were getting more than. a little tired of them. On one slit type stile, we had to remove our backpacks to get through. The sheep and lambs were so sweet, though, and we didn’t have to go through any fields with cows so we were very satisfied with our walk today.

The B&B we are staying at tonight is so wonderful! The Hermitage is over 300 years old. They have a door that dates from 1691. It was a big old farmhouse and has been owned by the same family for 55 years. I’m not sure how long it has been operated as a B&B but it is very comfortable, especially the bathtub!