Sunny Snowy Sunday

OBAD Syndrome has really hit me hard over these holidays. Not been out on the bike since our little Wednesday night ride. Gutted. We had planned a mini STW meet to do the Borrowdale Bash on the 30th, but called it off due to the weather and conditions in the Lakes. As soon as the ride was cancelled, a tidal wave of domestic boredom  duties was handed to me so I couldnt even go out locally.

So, I was determined to get a ride in before having to start back at work. A prospect that I was really not looking forward too. Wors was not up for it at all, Weester was painting his penis and Pikey wanted to watch the footy, so it was just me and Toss.

Slippery did not cover it. Compacted snow and ice does not lend itself to yielding acres of grip. We decided to head back over to Darwen Moor, this time to see if we could make it to the Tower, via the Cafe. On the treated roads it was ok, but ascending piss poor was sketchy to say the least. Still, we were making good progress. Flurries of snow were falling all the way up and the temperature was brutally cold.

Joy of joys, the cafe was open so we piled in for tea and carrot cake. After the Cafe, we headed up to Stepbank. This climb was nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be, but the powder was proving tough going all the same.

The snow had stopped and been reaplced by a freezing cold sunshine and the views that came with it were just sublime. At the Tower, we could clearly make out Black Coombe, Scafell, Longridge, Pendle, Penyghent, Ingleborough and Whernside, all crisp white and bathed in a setting sun.

The Singletrack Witton Weavers over to Duckshaw Brook was just sublime strip of white well compacted loveliness.

The pain really started when we headed out across the moor to make our way down to Cadshaw. Soft powder was just spinning us out as there had not been many people pass that way so it was not compacted. Toss was now feeling the effects of to much holiday indulgence and was flagging, It was fookin hard work I have to say and the snow after Duckshaw, then the final bitch was Tosser's Freehub froze. It freed up after a belly load of piss was produced, but promptly froze again on the way down. I suggested he got his misses to pick him up at Cadshaw and walked / slowly rode down with him.

Bid him farewell at Cadshaw, and headed down Green Arms to the Witton Weavers to Turton Tower. It was going Dark by this time, but fortunatly I still had my back up helmet light on from the previous ride. Watching a glorious sunset and the street lights coming on over Afetside was nice. The Temp had now plumetted and the water bottle was frozen solid but a good run home from the Last Drop was soon over. Cracking ride out.