Friday 26th February. We are going to walk part of the Tarka Trail after school as it is nice and flat. This will give us the chance to build up our stamina for walking one day after another, as tomorrow (Saturday) we will be going for a longer one.
Norman came home from hospital on Tuesday and is recovering well.
Today we have an honorary member – Richard (the Big Boss) has consented to join us.
We meet Adam from the bus in Meeth and head to the Tarka Trail car park near Petrockstowe. We have decided that we will walk for one hour and then walk back again (no circular walks unfortunately). We cannot afford to do more than that due to failing light at this time of year. Richard is impatient and heads off down the track while we get ready with boots and rucksacks.
We set off in the direction of Meeth, with the village of Petrockstowe visible on our right. The track is refreshingly clear of mud and is very flat, and there is but one direction to go in (unless you turn around of course). This does make it a very easy walk to do and you feel like you could walk for miles and miles and miles …. but there isn’t too much to say about – no ups and downs, no danger of slipping and sliding in muddy patches, no chance of getting lost. The landscape, too, is very similar all along; the path is edged with trees which provide much stick entertainment for Charlie.
After about a mile, the track turns right, with an option of taking a footpath straight ahead towards Dolton. We resolve we will go this way another time, to find out where it comes out. The track takes you past an ominous sign “Quarry workings and slurry pits – do not stray from the path”. Oooh, maybe we will meet Red Riding Hood?
No, we don’t come across Red Riding Hood, but we do come across some strange wooden structures. Are they benches of some kind? We aren’t sure but they serve that purpose very well!
Further along the path, we find another one!
Adam (the nerd) is sure that the camera on my phone can be set on a timer, so we can have a group photo! We set the camera up balanced on my rucksack. Charlie would rather be playing with his stick.
Not the best photo in the world – the light was in the wrong place – but better than the other attempts which took some lovely shots of the sky!
Our hour is up, so we head back, still full of beans and ready for our longer walk tomorrow.
very good