Day 8 Friday Aug. 23, Scar Side Farm, Orton

Hiked 13.25 miles , 71.25 miles down, 120.75 to go Today a perfect weather day for hiking. It was overcast but not cold. It looked like it could rain most anytime but it only spit a bit mid-day for a few minutes.

Today we hiked mainly though pastures, around stone walls and over the moors. At times we would be at the top of a hill and we could see for miles in all directions and there were no farmsteads, towns, roads - only sheep. It seemed very isolated. We saw fewer hikers today. In the Lake District there were lots of day hikers. In this region the few hikers we saw were all Coast 2 Coast hikers. (The picture below was taken on a high moor during our lunch stop.)

We often laughed about the directions in our guide book.

Here's an example, "As you reach the top of the small rise look for two isolated trees (one big , one small) on the horizon ahead of you to the left. [Trees?] The path goes just right of these, marked by posts." It seems that whatever the trail, the end of the day ends with an uphill climb. I keep hoping that each day will be a bit easier. Even if the trail is easier I find that I am tired at the end of the day. We are been fortunate about the weather, our accommodations, and our health. So far, so good. (Pictured below is Kathy in front of the ruins of the Shap [a small town] Abbey, built in 1199.)- Nancy