More yomping!
Having done the South, time for the North, and I defied the forecast to go to the other one. Yup, Cranmere time!
Rain was forecast, with an actual frontal system expected to turn up 'mid afternoon'. If it had been better-behaved I'd have been down at 'gwarra or Pendeen, but [mutters] so what can you do?
Find something else, that's what.
I tooled up - you know Summer is over when you're taking full waterproofs up on t'Moor - had a wonderful trip over [rant removed], then started at Okie and headed south with no little intent.
Coobeastie!
This little darling struck a pose, so had to be immortalised. :)
Heading south.
[name those tors!]
After a little yomping along Her Majesty's wonderful roadways, I looked back..
The Wilhay, Yes Tor, and West Mill Tor
West Mill, Row, East Mill Tors
Belstone Tors, Cosdon Beacon, Steeperton Tor
Note one of the tarmac'd bits of a military road, there. Someone else had, too;
Not the largest road-user..
..but possibly the scariest!
This Devil's Coach Horse Beetle had an interesting reaction to my camera getting up close; it attacked! Maybe it saw its reflection in the lens? Caution definitely required though, just look at those chompers!
Also on the road..
Wheatear!
As I went, a steady passage of hirundines - almost entirely Swallows - went by south and west. Also a low-flying Hobby [on their line, for some strange reason..?] which my camera locked on to but then perversely refused to actually photo.. Arg! [I think wind-blown grass had the same effect drizzle does; messing with the rangefinder or something, so it either resets to 'totally unfocussed' or as here, just doesn't work: you press the button and nothing happens...... So frustrating when it actually had focus, had the same thing with seabirds more than once]
The Pool of the Crescent Moon
Hangingstone Hill in the background. Bit overcast and windy for dragons..
From the Pool there is a nice if a little fun [a stick is useful, you may need to jump now and again, that sort of thing :) ] path to Cranmere.
Nice and clear [?]
The grass had grown long, and the frisky wind had blown it down, hiding the path quite neatly in several places, to the extent that you could only tell it was there by the way you were walking through knee-high tussoks without tripping over anything!
Keeping an eye down is always useful, though;
Round-leaved Sundew
Hygrocybe reidii
Cranmere Letterbox
Found it.
:)
In amongst the peat hags, which have their uses, and not just as extra exercise. For example, they make good windbreaks.
Wonderfully exciting photo, here.
Lunchtime scenery
The only real issue with Cranmere is the lack of a view if you want to stop for lunch there, it being in a big hole. [Which is why it's such a
The weather, as you may be able to tell, had gone from about 50/50 blue sky and high thin cloud to increasingly threatening-looking grey clouds. I decided that my planned loop back via Kneeset and said Wilhay wasn't a goer, and so doubled back the way I came, more or less. Being able to withstand sideways rain is all very well, but still less desireable than getting out of it. ;)
Another of those nice obvious paths
Amicombe Hill
White Moor Circle
The weather was feeling tricksy and held off, long enough for me to decide that, no I wasn't just scurrying off. I headed up East Mill Tor. As I got up to the top, the rain said "Gotcha!" and opened up in the traditional manner; sideways. :) However, I had picked my site well, as EMT has some nice shelter, so it was that I was soon right out of wind and rain and sitting reasonably pretty, enjoying the view of other people getting wet [so satisfying, he grins].
View from East Mill Tor
I even had some company;
Never too many Wheatears!
The rain realised it wasn't going to have any fun, so gave up and went to soak other places.
I merrily toddled back in the dry. Result.
Not raining at all. :)
But the day wasn't over, as I got a surprise when leaving!
Wowzer!
Chinook came right in overhead. I naturally pulled over sharpish and piled out with the camera; it was landing before I could take a shot.. Serious flying into that gap!
I found a better spot and was trying to get an on the ground photo, when whoosh! Up up and awaaaay!
[A patrol had come in off the moor earlier, and I suspect this was a continuation of the exercise; rapid extraction.]
Chinook!
Too big to fit in shot
Bye!
What a way to end the day! :D
Be Seeing You...
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