Hadrian's Wall - April Fool

I was sitting in the conservatory at home watching the clouds skud across the sky thinking how beautiful they looked.

I've just bought a book on cloud spotting fromThe Cloud Appreciation Society and was trying to identify the type.

Suddenly it came to me that the Sycamore Tree on Hadrian's Wall would look jolly impressive with a backdrop of big rolling clouds so I gathered together my photographic equipment and headed off to the Wall.

Of course it was April the 1st and it seems nature doesn't know the 12 noon rule so when I got to Steel Rigg Car Park the sun had gone and it was hailing.

Sycamore Gap

That's the thing about Hadrian's Wall it seems to have it's own eco system so weather on the Wall can be totally different within a mile or so.

I like to check the NNPA webcams before I set off it does give me an idea of what to expect.
Anyway I hauled out the plastic carrier bag, wrapped it around my camera and set off to Peel Crags. I positively hate the climb up those steep rock steps, I have big feet and they don't fit very well on the narrow steps so I took the lower track that runs parallel to the Wall.

View to Hadrian's Wall from the lower track

There's a spot not too far along where you can see the Hadrian's Wall Path and cut uphill to join it or, you can stay on this lower path and end up at Sycamore Gap.
By the time I got to the Sycamore Tree the hail had stopped and the sun was playing hide and seek. I set up the camera, while the clouds weren't those big boiling jobbies that I had a Gilsland they were well worth a photograph and for a change the Sycamore Tree was free of visitors.
The clouds were moving really fast, I have 10ND filter, looks like black glass, it slows the shutter speed down so that I can record the movement. Played with that for a while but there was too much cloud and I couldn't get the effect I was after.

Rain over Gilsland viewed from Highshields Crag

I climbed the path up to Highshields Crag,and nearly got blown off my feet by the gale force winds. Pretty scary I have to tell you and really brings home just how powerful Nature is.
Crag Lough below me was huge with the rain we've had recently, I don't think I've ever seen it as full.
After another push from the wind I decided to head away from the edge and potter back along the Path.

Above Castle Gap and the swollen Crag Lough

As usual I took a few photographs from the hill above Castle Nick looking towards Hotbank. There are still patches of snow on the lee side of the Wall and I could see across to the North Pennines where there's a substantial snow cover.

Snow on the North Pennines from Hadrian's Wall

Back along the track and not wanting to face the gale going down the side of Peel Crags I cut across to the lower track, passing the Hotbank Cattle grazing by Peel Bothy.
The climb back up to Steel Rigg was very muddy and very slippery so if you're heading out there for Easter have good cleats on your boots or be careful how you go.
When I got back home TT told me those big angry clouds had dumped a substantial amount of wet stuff on Gilsland, I could see that happening from my high point on the Wall but fortunately it had worn itself out before it got to me and I stayed dry.
I'm off to Plenmeller Common now, it's a while since I've been there and the on my last visit I saw a ghost, hope he's away for Easter.
Catch you later.

Picnics under the tree

Another sunny Sunday and people (including me) were out making the most of it. There's a magazine competition for a cloud picture and I thought the Sycamore Tree would make a good foreground. Clouds were pretty and the sun was shining, all the right ingredients.

I parked up at Steel Rigg and headed along the middle path (there are three) to Sycamore Gap.

The clouds were building nicely and I was thinking I had the shot in the bag. Well don't count your chickens should have passed through my mind as a family of six came into view. I'd seen the little boy carrying a picnic blanket when I was getting my things out of the car and sure enough they settled down under the Sycamore Tree.

I had actually said on one of my website photographs that it was a nice spot for a picnic but I had in mind a nice hot August day not a chilly October afternoon.

They did seem to be enjoying themselves and with the wonders of digital I knew I could clone them out afterwards.

Lots of groups of folk walking, I'm guessing some groups of Ramblers as they seemed well prepared and organised with the 'correct' sort of gear.

I headed up towards Castle Gap, I love the view from the start of Peel Crag, over Castle Gap towards Highshields Crag, the clouds in that scene were quite different.

The photograph does show that it was a really nice day and it might be a contender for next years October page of the calendar. I like to use at least one or two shots taken during the day even though it's rare I'm out then with the camera.

No autumn colours yet, I thought the sycamore leaves might have had a tinge of yellow but no, the bracken is starting to turn colour and we had our first frost this morning so it won't be long.

Got back to the car park, plenty of spaces but people were parking on the grass verges rather than pay. I've noticed this alot in the last month. The NNPA have a one price policy, it's £3 and it does put people off. If the price was staggered they'd probably end up with more than £3 for an all day stay and someone just popping in for an hour would happily pay £1. Perhaps a rethink is needed.

Catch you later.

Joan

http://www.joanthirlway.com/

19th April 2009

After a lovely day yesterday, the evening came in clear and bright, not enough clouds for a 'good' sunset just a lovely night to be out.

My walk out at the Temple of Mithras earlier in the day, hadn't been particularly taxing so after tea I went out to Steel Rigg.

Heading out of the carpark I went along the 'climbers path' at the foot of the Crags that carry Hadrian's Wall, at this time of the year the late light catches the face of the crags, bringing them alive.

John Pattinson of Hotbank Farm was out in his tractor checking his sheep and lambs so I was accompanied on my walk but nice 'rural' noises. At this time of the year the farming day is extremely long, no 9-5 for them.

I had plenty of time to fill before sunset so I decided to climb up at Sycamore Gap and go down to Crag Lough to see if the fishing boats were back, they get taken out of the Lough for winter storage.

I'd noticed someone following me and assumed it was someone from the farm, as I was climbing up to the Sycamore Tree I heard and almightly splash and turned around to see the man behind me had tried to cross the marsh, really an extension of the Lough, and had landed up to his knees in water. He had a backpack and was probably another photographer.

I've done exactly the same in the past, the grass lies flat on the surface of the water so it's not until you're in it that you know it's there. From the top of the crag you can see the light glint off the water but that's not much consolation. I use my tripod fully extended to test the ground whenever I cross that particular boggy ground, it's always wet!

I went on down to the edge of the Lough, the sun is just to the north of centre and was causing so much flare in the photographs that I gave up and climbed back up Highshields Crag, intending to get the sunset shot from the top. A man walking his dog stopped to chat about the swans nesting on the Lough, and by the time I was able to get away the sun was down and no shot for me.

I did pause as I passed the 'Sycamore Tree' and got a silhouette of the tree and a sheep ( so small you have to know it was there) no doubt I'll be able to add that to my Sycamore Gap gallery on my Smugmug site.

I took one last look over my shoulder as I left and noticed two large birds of prey circling over the tree, my first thought was they were buzzards, but it's not the right terrain and why circle after sunset? I wish I'd thought to take a picture of them. Something to look out for another time.

Catch you later :)