Against the Wind

Against the wind
I'm still runnin' against the wind
I'm older now but still runnin' against the wind
Well I'm older now and still runnin'
Against the wind 
~Bob Seeger 

Day Seven, Horton in Ribblesdale to Hawes: 14.5 miles   

Someday we'll tell our grand nieces and nephews about the time we had to walk up hill, against the wind, in the driving rain to get from Horton in Ribblesdale to Hawes along the Pennine Way.

OK, so hands down, day seven presented the most challenging weather so far.  Rain (not a drizzle, not light). Wind. Cold.  What was meant to be an easy day's ridge-line walk with fabulous views was a little tougher than advertised thanks to the weather (and in lousy weather views  = exposure). 

We surely think we earned our Pennine Way boots today and we marked the 100+ mile mark of walking (1/3 way through!).

And it was yet another no-camera day due to weather.  So let me regale you with some (no-so-dry) trail humor from a day of crazy-weather walking:

• Crazy Weather Fact #1: There is NO SUCH THING as a truly waterproof boot.  Keeping one's feet dry matters . . . until they are not.  At that point, dodging trail steams and puddling is completely futile.  Wet is wet.
• Crazy Weather Fact #2: It is possible that no matter the direction in which one may be walking, the wind will be coming from the front.
• Crazy Weather Fact #3: There is an embarrassing point of exposure to cold, wet and wind when one's hands become so numb that a personal relief break becomes a timed-test of loosening one's many layers.
• Crazy Weather Fact #4: (Completely unrelated to Fact #3) -- The likelihood of dehydration is greater on inclement weather days.  Water consumption is directly the inverse of water saturation.  
• Crazy Weather Fact #5: Rain needles exist as a little-known form of precipitation created in 30-40 MPH wind gusts. 

Over the 14.5 miles today we sang together (to test mental clarity), we laughed, we stumbled, we huddled and we drove on -- and yes, when we could we ran against the wind to get out of the wet and cold and to Cocketts Inn (circa 1668) in Hawes (home of the Wensleydale Creamery for all you Wallace and Grommet fans).  More from Hawes soon.