Mikes weather bits & Photo Blog: Fruit an veg prices to soar & Snake pass closed

Thursday 4 June 2015

Fruit an veg prices to soar & Snake pass closed

Fruit and Veg prices to soar says the Express headline - - - not too much/not enough rain - - - not too much/not enough sun but migrants at Calais are scaring drivers of fruit and veg lorries so much thay are making a 100 mile detour to avoid the port! - - -

Here's the Canadian take on the predicted El Nino which is currently building in the Pacific Ocean, being that much closer to it the slant is more towards what their summer is going to be like rather than the predictions for UK as confirmed by the Met O .

The El Nino build up has been recognised locally by one "pundit" who follows the "Farmers weather forecast" and will regularly warn against what has been predicted "without a hat being dropped" - - - Something appears to be lost in the local "farmers dialect" though because its being labelled "El Nemo" - - -

Closer to home, I decided yesterday that with the weather being fine it was time to stride the hills so it was an early start for the Kinder Scout area . The few clouds that were around cleared as i approached the Derwent Reservoir only to come up against a sign Snake Pass closed until the 14th of June. Undeterred i swung off the main road and drove alongside the reservoir and parked up in the free car park nearest to the one with the loos and cafe etc. I had always wondered where some of the footpath signs lead up into the forests, it was now time to find out

The path is teeper than this pic suggests but it meanders up through a deciduous forest to begin with, unlike my normal heathland walks the birdsong is more evident here, squirrels are scampering across the track and up into the trees every few yards

in 20 minutes or so the forest trees change to pines and i can make out the heathland just in front of me

pathways lead off in all directions and with the fair weather the views are pretty cool

walking up the hill to a stile i can see Fairbrook Naze (in the centre of the pic) which was my intended destination.

re-tracing my steps back to the forest pathway i make my way along it past an old farm which has been turned into some kind of outdoor pursuit centre. The Derwent Reservoir come into view as i find a path leading back down the hill

Stunning views as i descend the broad pathway

nice looking forest and i can see the swathe of deciduous trees in the distance i walked up to the top through

this sandstone tablet of rock right next to the track has testimony of the many passers by over the years

almost back down at the reservoir level i spot this diversion of the River Ashop into the reservoir below

just before the end of the track is this bench with an inscription to tempt the walker to "sit awhile"

the views from the bench are great

this is where the River Ashop enters the reservoir

the dam wall is almost hidden due to it being full

the overspill cascades down the wall on the other side

a spectacular view of the Derwent Reservoir from just below the pay and display car park

a stop along the reservoir allows me to eat my "emergency rations" and enjoy a flask of coffee before driving home. Having tried the footpaths i must explore them further. - - -

this mornings weather