Miles walked today: 13

Total trip miles: 99—We are at the halfway point tonight!

Elevation gain today: 2,015 ft.

Accommodation: Butt House

We left Fletcher House about 8:30 this morning. It was overcast and misty with rain in the forecast so I wore my rain gear from the outset. We left Kirkby Stephen and passed through a little spot called Hartley. We started climbing almost immediately. Along the way, Nancy and I discussed whether we wanted to go all the way to the top to pass by the the Nine Standards. (They are nine huge cairns that stand right along the top of a ridge that is the watershed of Britain. No one knows for sure when or why they were built but on a clear day they can be seen from miles away.) On our 2015 trip, we did go up that way but since as we neared the junction it was starting to get windier, rainier, and cooler, we decided to take the “Green Route” as suggested by the guidebook for bad weather. Of course, this is the least used route right now. Somewhere along the way we lost the trail and spent some time tromping uphill and then back down to a stone wall. I was using the OS app again and it assured us we were going in the right direction and that we would be intersecting with a trail sooner or later. We did finally reach the trail that took us down to the road.

Nancy and I are a good team when it comes to navigation. I can use the GPS and maps and know what I am looking for but I can just as easily walk right by what I should be looking for. Nancy keeps us on track by noticing all the landmarks and finding the stile I missed, etc. Today was the first time we were both confused but we knew where we needed to go and what direction it was.

We were on the road when we realized it was time to eat so we found a sheep fold filled with vegetation instead of muck and we sheltered in there as we ate. Definitely a step down from our last two lunch spots! The rain had stopped but it was still windy. After lunch we continued to follow the road. Finally we left the road and were back on the trail by way of a car track thanks to a note in the guidebook. We would have had to climb up a steep embankment “on all fours” otherwise.

The trail took us through more muddy and boggy fields and at a high point we could see Ravenseat, the home of “The Yorkshire Shepherdess.” She is well known in these parts as she has written books, the family did a reality show on TV, and they sometimes sell refreshments to walkers. We stopped here for cream teas in 2015 but they were closed today so we just passed on through. We were pleased to see that at Ravenseat and just beyond, they are making improvements to the trail.

The last hour of our walk, it actually started raining—not a downpour but a steady rain, heavier than earlier in the day. We trudged on in to Keld and found our accommodation right by the road. I took a nice long soak in the bathtub before dinner. Our host, Jackie, really knows how to get people together. All 7 guests sat at one table to eat, and it was so much more convivial than everyone sitting at their separate little tables. It was a very enjoyable evening meal. Chris, the husband, did the cooking. I had lamb shepherds pie with steamed vegetables and ice cream. Simply delicious!