The weather was awful yesterday. But it was forecast to be a beautiful day today. And driving up Borrowdale from Keswick in the dark the road was flooded in many places due to all the rain that had fallen. But I could see stars and it seemed there were only small patches of cloud.
So Darcy and I started up from Honister Mine. But as we neared the top of whatever mountain it is the cloud rolled in over the top of us and left us tryng to find our way in 50-70m visibility. Fortunately I had scribbled down a sketchy map on a piece of paper and passing the quarry found our way down to Dub's Hut, which eventually loomed out of the whiteness just off to our side. I've seen it in photos and it has a lovely setting but today it was pointless getting the camera out. I knew that the roof ridge pointed in the direction I wanted to go in to get to Warnscale bothy so I set off down from Dub's Hut. But a small river ran across my path and off down through a gorge. One of the people in the hut told me they crossed it yesterday and it was up to their knees, and I hadn't worn my Muckers. And looking along the way I had to go it was dense fog/cloud. It was hard to discern any path to follow through the boggy ground. I didn't like the look of it. I walked back up the hill to Dub's Hut and stopped to consult my piece of paper. I didn't want to wander out on the mountainside and get lost in the fog. Sure enough my 'pirate' map seemed to confirm I had to go the way I had just abandonned, so back I went again to the river. Fortunately I thought I saw a ford of some sort further up but in fact it turned out to be a long split plank of wood that went to within two feet of the other side, but was pivoted on a mini island. I had concerns it would snap under my weight having consummed six mini chocolate eclairs yesterday but we got across easily and I chanced on a faint track to the right. There was no let up in the fog/cloud and it was almost pointless going to Warnscale but I thought I would just try to find it, to learn the way for next time. We carried on round the side of the mountain and as if by magic the fog lifted for a moment and I spotted it about 100m away, and the lakes far down to the right. And then as soon as the cloud cleared it came in again. And that's how it was for the next 20 minutes. Momentary glimpses of the lakes...then nothing but white. So the above was a very brief and very lucky shot.
I must mention Darcy before I go, my little pirate dog. Twice in the fog on the way back I noticed her hang back from leading me along the 'path'. At first I thought she was just tired but her reluctance to go further proved to be something else. Whether she picked up our scent or something I don't know but twice she 'told' me we had drifted off the route we had taken going to Warnscale. I've not noticed this skill she has before, but now I'm going to watch for it. Brilliant little dog.
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