It's in The Book: Pennine Way Closing Report

Day Nineteen, Byrness to Kirk Yetholm (Scotland): 26.1 miles

So, yep, it's in The Book -- The Pennine Way Completion Book, that is, at the Border Hotel in Kirk Yetholm, Scotland!  Last night before dinner we annotated our journey in the official book -- and looked for the names of fellow hikers we met along the way.  We found Gary, the English gentleman walking for the MS cause.  He completed on his 60th birthday as planned (in 15 days!).   Judith and Nigel Cribb, walking for the Royal Marsden Hospital (where Judith received treatment and care for breast cancer) completed in 18 days (without a rest day).  Sue and Les (who we met in the Northern Section) will wrap up in 22 days this afternoon (also walking without a rest day) and sign in tonight. 

Over the last 19 (17 walking) days we've walked a total of 270+ miles, stayed in 17 different hotels, guest homes and B&Bs, experienced a range of meteorologic conditions (most of them wet), traipsed up and down fells, through countless pastures (and even more countless bogs), ambled along grassy paths and endured many a stony trail (with the occasional rock scramble thrown in for excitement).  We've crossed streams on bridges, rocks, lain wood and with giant oomph-ing jumps (for me anyway) -- and walked around and through more sheep and cow manure than one can even begin to imagine.  We've also enjoyed a much-needed news break and the company of one another in a way that only emerges in the absence of others and the presence of a common challenge.  We've collected rocks (only two this time), photos and memories -- and left only footprints.  The experience has been almost magical for me in the way that time ticked by only in relation to miles on the trail.  And, we have accomplished the mission set in 2015!  We are Pennine Way walkers!

The Pennine Way is a long and demanding walk.  On the best of days, the scenery was breathtaking and we had pull ourselves away from the views.  On the most weather-challenged days, the walk became an endurance event, where we hurried along to stay warm and to reach a dry place for the night!  The Pennine Way has many fewer walkers than the Coast-to-Coast and it is really no wonder.  Besides being longer by some 80 miles, it takes walkers through vast remote areas along the rugged terrain that defines the spine of England.  Because we felt there were days of the Coast-to-Coast that were too easy and short, we decided to take on longer days on the Pennine Way,  Our daily average walking days came out to about about 16 miles/day.  We also determined the value of the rest day (essential for us as laundry days because we carried only enough socks for each of the three legs of the walk) and were very happy for the two: One in Hawes (Yorkshire Dales) and a second in Alston (Cumbria).

As on the Coast-to-Coast, we met delightful people all along the way (although many more on our overnights than on the mostly solitary PW trail).  The best of the best of lodging for this trip includes: both rest day stops: Cocketts Inn in Hawes (best meal of the entire trip) and The Lowbyer Manor in Alston (where kindness and accommodation rule); the Butt House in Keld where Chris and Jacqui get everything right and are all about the walkers, and the Riverview B&B in Hebden Bridge, again where the proprietress made all the difference (best breakfast of the trip) with kindness and accommodation as her guiding values.

In parting as a thank you to beautiful England and her wonderful inhabitants, were it in our power we would gift the following luxuries:

1. Switchbacks (in this country, every hill path is STRAIGHT UP/DOWN HILL)
2. King-sized beds -- or at least beds slightly more fitted to the human frame (I ache for those as long-limbed as Cliff and I for every short and narrow bed on which we slept)
3. Single-spigot bathroom sink faucets (how on earth does one merge the two for temperate water when hot and cold pour separately?)
4. Key cards for rooms (despite the charm of the skeleton key, there seems no way to manage the clatter of entry and exit (and all lodgers suffer noise)
5. Suitable reading lights (nothing more to say here)
6. Finally, economy of words: Why on earth would one say, "Shall I bring it through?" When "Shall I bring it?" asks the same question while simultaneously eliminating the horror of ending a sentence with a preposition?  Alas, English was their language first . . . 

I'll close with just a few photos from the final two days with captions to serve as commentary.  Thanks for following along with us.  It has been a wonderful adventure.

First photo set is from Day Eighteen, Bellingham to Byrness (a dry and mostly sunny day with among the easiest paths of the entire walk).  Also our fastest walking day: 16.7 miles in 5.5 hours.  It's also the only day we've seen non-domesticated large mammals: fox and deer!

Not a tombstone, actually a Pennine Way marker in a pasture above Bellingham

Easy walking trail between sheep fields

Walking a forestry trail

Church yard in Byrness (two perspectives)

And just one photo from our final walking day, the 26 miles from Byrness to Kirk Yetholm: Funny, more than once our decision to fold the last two days into one was met with, "You're doing all the Cheviots in a single go?"  Although it was a very long day, our spirits were lifted knowing that at the end, we would be not have to don wet boots and clammy gear for the finale.  Happiness!

The only photo from our final day walking, from the top of Byrness Hill.  Within minutes, our wet weather gear was on and we were buttoned down for the day.