Them Pesky Indians !!

Well, as usual, I was up early in a rain swept,windy Gordale Campsite, and hoped that as I moved on, the weather may improve.. almost, but not quite.

I was packed and on the Road by 9 a.m. sweeping through the rain sodden back lanes of the Yorkshire Dales, going around the outskirts of Harrogate, and briefly towards York, before turning towards my destination of a campsite,Pexton Moor Farm http://www.dalby-forest.co.uk/index.html just outside Thornton Le Dale, http://www.yorkshire-escapes.com/yorkshire/places/70-thornton-le-dale-north-yorkshire/ and more importantly just outside the ‘toll gate’ to Dalby Forest http://www.forestry.gov.uk/dalbyforest (£7 each entry,by car – Free by bike!!),where I intended a couple of days mountain biking.

The views from the site were quite pleasant, with cows and sheep grazing on the adjacent fields, and the sound of a steam train somewhere in the distance – although the camp fees were a bit steep £14 a night ! (minus £7 that I’d saved on getting into the Forest, so effectively £7 a night !),and the best of it, the sun was almost shining, the woman at the site said there had been little rain here…

I had lunch, and decided to go and try the ‘medium’ blue trail in the Forest, so sorted myself out and rode into the Forest, passing the ‘toll booth’ with great delight (£7 saved!), and then ,as you could guess ,them Indians put their brollies up, and sent a big rain shower down on me, as I sheltered under the trees, hoping it would soon pass. http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/eng-dalby-mtb-map.pdf/%24FILE/eng-dalby-mtb-map.pdf It did (that time) so off I went from the visitor centre, up and along the blue trail, which although slightly technical and tricky climbs, didn’t really have much challenge in it, and as I rode along more and more Forest roads,which although rocky were hardly a challenge to ‘Jotown’,semi-expert MTB’er !!, and within an hour or so, I was back where I started.

I knew there was a ‘skills area’ within the Forest, and checking a map located it, some distance up and along the Forest Drive.

As I was looking at the map I saw an amusing sign, considering I was in the middle of a muddy forest, which presumable was trying to lure in lots of visitors.. not the most welcoming !!

Anyway off I went several miles up along the Forest Drive, eventually finding my way to ‘Dixon’s Hollow’ the bike Park, to test my skills…Thankfully the really,really difficult ‘drop off’ was closed, so I had to make do with swooping up,over and down lots of other hills and jumps, having great fun, fortunately no children around to see me ! Getting splattered in mud, and risking life and limb to get over some of the ‘table tops’ !!

Then it was time to return to camp,with the rain to accompany me most of the way, and I returned,bedraggled,sopping wet and ready for a hot shower…which it was ,almost too hot !!

So, now a relaxing evening, before I return to the Forest again tomorrow, to do the Difficult ‘Red Routes’ ..

Hope them Indians start to listen…although I did speak to one,when booking my next campsite !!