Burnsall to Buckden

We got up to clouds today, but they burned off by late afternoon, and it was cooler today making it better for walking. We walked about 15 miles.

The walk started off along the River Wharfe. We saw debris stuck in the fences from the high water of two weeks ago, which would have covered the trail. We crossed a suspension bridge and on the other side of the river misread a sign and went off trail a half mile, finding ourselves in front of a tea shop in the village of Hebden. Hebden is a very nice village, but the tea shop was closed, and the way ahead to Grassington would be along a road. So we doubled back to the suspension bridge.

 

 

 

Flowers growing on a rock wall.

 

 

 

We continued our walk along the river and then encountered our second bit of bad luck today. The trail along the river is a tangle of exposed roots and cobbles. Rhonda caught one wrong with her boot and was catapulted onto her face on the trail. She was shaken, but not hurt seriously. We walked on into Grassington, with goose eggs on her knee an check growing. We got to the town square and got first aid, a glass of beer and a bag of ice at the Devonshire Hotel.

We watched the truck negotiate the narrow Grassington street while the poor old fellow on the right struggled to get out of the way.

 

 

Rhonda felt sorta ok, so we continued on as the trail climbed to a bench 200 meters above the river. The trail stayed at this elevation as it cut across the hills along limestone outcrops until it dropped down to the river again in Kettlewell, where we had lunch.

We must cross 50 of these stiles each day.

 

 

One again we followed the river until we arrived at the South Winds Tea Room in Buckden where we are staying. The South Winds is not open for dinner tonight, so we went to the other tea room in the village and had a nice dinner. Rhonda is feeling better after eating and taking ibuprofin. Buckden is very remote and we do not have cell service here and the West Winds does not have wy fy, so we will send this post off tomorrow.

 

 

Negotiating the hall to the bathroom at Westwinds was scary.

Our hosts at West Winds eating below our window.

 

Rhonda at the end of the day.