An alternative title for this guff might have been 'The Beast from the East - The Sequel', because we've had some more solid weather in the Duchy of Cornwall in the last few days.
As ever, the media had been going into a frenzy in the build up to the weekend just gone, as the forecast suggested we in my neck of the woods, could see a bit of snow on the Saturday night and again during Sunday afternoon. By Monday, it should all be over. Nothing too dramatic you'd think, but a quick look on the local newspaper's web page on Saturday found this:
But anyway, for a snow lover like me, all this sounded very exciting - could we here in Cornwall, where snow is a bit of a rarity, really get a second helping after having just had an unusually large dollop a couple of weeks beforehand? Excited but also sceptical I was as Saturday passed along with only the lightest of snow flurries blowing in the wind.
However, come Sunday morning, I woke up to find a little snow lying on my shed roof and in the grass, but better was to come when consulting the Met Office web site which had got rather interesting since my last visit. Nothing much through the morning but come 12 pm a 30% chance of snow, and from 1 pm through to 3 pm, a 95% chance... Now that looked very promising!
Anyway, I was feeling up for a ride, so delayed my departure until just before 12, when I set off mainly bound for Ladock Woods, and hoping things would get interesting as the ride went on.
On the climb up from Trevella Stream towards Five Turnings and a quick Daffodil photo stop. More of these particular Daffs later...
Feeding the birds that morning I'd found the air a tad sharp - it was pretty flipping cold. So I'd set off wearing my full Arctic going attire of multiple layers, including disposable rubber gloves under my winter gloves, long johns under full trousers, and with leggings over the top and so on. During the previous bout of snow I'd worn a fleece lined hat with drop down ear flaps and setting off on Sunday I regretted my decision to leave that piece of loft insulation at home on this occasion. My ears and the back of my neck were really feeling the cold, and I was wondering just how much I was going to enjoy this ride, and even pondered wimping out and going home again. Thankfully though, I soon acclimatised and any thoughts of wussishness were swiftly forgotten.
Sunday started off a beautiful, if chilly, day, with bright sunshine and blue skies. The temperature for late morning was supposed to be 2.7 degrees with an 8 mph East North Easterly wind, so nothing too bad even if first exposure to the great outdoors did cause a little consternation at first, mostly around my ears.
Well it's all green on the hill up from Boswiddle Ford...
And still nothing unusual to report as I took a swoop along the lane beside Ladock Woods towards Trendeal. I couldn't make my mind up as to where I wanted to end up riding really, so went back to the original idea of having some off road nose pokery around the woods. So, I turned round and started back the way I'd just come.
By the way, who says Fatbikes can't chooch on tarmac? They are nowhere near as slow and draggy as some folk would have it, and 20 mph (No funny money KPH here thank you, only Great British Miles Per Hour) on the flat is an easy(ish) cruising speed to maintain.
Now, I've said it on here before that when the Met Office get it right, they get it very right. And very right they got it on Sunday, as just ten minutes after the suggested time, at precisely 13.10, the first flurries of snow floated about in the air. It was actually snowing lightly when I took this photo of Fatso bothering an unsuspecting gate, but so small and fine were the snowflakes, they barely show up in the image. Anyway, back to Ladock Woods for some off road fun, only to be...
Denied!
This new sign has appeared in the car park so I thought I'd go and have a read, see what was occurring.
Oh Bums. Big Bums.
Well there it is, 'No bikes.' Doesn't say what sort of bikes mind, it is rather (and I suspect deliberately) vague in that respect, but I imagine they include mountain bikes and pedal bikes in general. If they'd meant motorbikes only, they'd have said so.
Oh Bums. Big Bums.
Well there it is, 'No bikes.' Doesn't say what sort of bikes mind, it is rather (and I suspect deliberately) vague in that respect, but I imagine they include mountain bikes and pedal bikes in general. If they'd meant motorbikes only, they'd have said so.
So Ladock Woods is a no fly zone after all - I have wondered in the past to be honest, hence my preferred day to visit being a Sunday when there'd be no official lumberjack types around to tell me to beggar off. Damn shame though, as I've enjoyed my woodland rides there.
The next time Old Big Ears (otherwise known as 'Chuck the Hippy' or more formally HRH Prince Charles, the Duke of Cornwall) is down this way I think I'll go and have a stiff word with him.
By the way, I have met Charley once before, at Tregadillet Fair. It was a scorching hot Summer's day, and Charles was there to open the fair, but interestingly, on such a hot day, he was wearing a Fox Fur hat. Well I thought that was odd, and the poor chap was clearly sweating like crazy, so I went up and spoke to him - "I'm sorry your Royal Highness, but I can't help noticing you're wearing a Fox Fur hat, and wondered why you'd chosen that Fox Fur hat on such a hot day."
"Well" said Prince Charles, "I was at breakfast this morning with Mother (HRH The Queen) when she asked what I was doing today. I said that I was going to Tregadillet and she replied - "Wear the Fox hat..."
Ahem, the above story may not be entirely true...
Anyway, joking aside and back to Sunday's bimblery. The snow was starting to fall a bit thicker by now, so having been denied my woodland potter, I thought I'd make my way towards home, so took the lane towards Trispen and set about ambling along wondering (hoping) if the snow would get better.
A quick photo stop on the bridge over a stream (no names given on any of my mapping) and a close look reveals there is snow falling alright, but it's not yet settling.
It's the same story just a little further along the lane...
Just a little snow falling and nothing much to panic about. However, I had noticed, when stopping to take a photo, how quiet it was, a sure sign of snow in the air.
Now look at the road ahead in the above shot, and around that left bend lies an ugly great hill, the sort of hill you find yourself tipping over backwards when riding up it's that steep.*
Well, by the time I'd slogged my way up that hill, things meteorological had moved along a bit.
*May be a slight over exaggeration...
This was the state of affairs at the top of the hill, and it's getting a bit blizzardy. Settling too! Those trees are looking very photoworthy for a start.
Some Primroses and Daffs looking good in the hedge, but back to those trees...
Woo yeah! This is getting good!
No monochrome processing in the above shots by the way, they are in colour it's just the world went a bit black and white.
Messing about taking shots of the flowers and trees, I'd left Fatso parked in the hedge for a few minutes, and came back to find the bike copping a good covering.
Oh we're having some fun...
Pity though that it wasn't settling on the roads.
It might look a tad inhospitable, but I was toasty warm, and dry too, so riding slowly along taking in the occasion was nothing but a pleasure.
It might look a tad inhospitable, but I was toasty warm, and dry too, so riding slowly along taking in the occasion was nothing but a pleasure.
Well maybe it is settling on the tarmac after all...
The wind turbine near Five Turnings, and yes, some of those snowflakes were big. And wet. Some of them come fitted with an ear homing device as well, landing squarely and wetly in my unprotected lug holes with unerring accuracy.
With the GoPro out of commission, I had to take even more chances with the G1 X, which lacks weather sealing.
Five Turnings Junction.
From here I could've turned right behind the big tree in the photo immediately above, or gone straight ahead and down the hill towards Trevella Stream. I was undecided which way to go, so went left instead...
And was rewarded with this scene as the lane winds up the hill towards Four Turnings.
The same stand of trees following an ancient hedge, but from a different angle.
And zoomed in. (Starting a sentence with 'and' is supposed to be a big no-no, but knickers to that...).
While snapping the above shots, a woman walked into view and commented on me being 'brave' being out and about on a bike in that weather. Well you weren't so sane looking yourself out walking my love!
Anyway, I then rode back to Five Turnings, and after more indecision, I elected to take the more direct route home, via Trevella Stream once again.
Remember those Daffs at the start of this blog? Well here they are again a couple of hours later.
Taking the shot of the Daffodils saw the G1 X throw a tantrum and the LCD screen turned all white. I still got the above zoomed in photo of the lane leading down to Trevella Stream by deploying guessery and estimation. I suspected the issue was with the rather wet, and cold LCD screen rather than the camera itself, so was banking on it still recording photos ok, as long as I could compose them. But I did still have the DSLR in my armoury, so out that came as these trees were just too good not to photograph.
Moving on I got down to Trevella Stream but couldn't get a decent photo of the bridge or water so made for a gateway instead.
Habit (and forgetfulness!) saw me grab the G1 X again, and I found the LCD screen working as usual once more, just long enough at any rate, to grab this last photo of the day.
From there, I made my way home as the snow had eased up, and I was in need of food, and coffee too.
Thankfully, the camera appears to have made a full recovery, and is working again as per normal. Fingers crossed it stays that way and no hidden damage was done by the weather. I'd hate to have this camera go kaput, as I don't know what I'd replace it with to be honest, other than another used example of the same model. It really is a very good camera and ideal for my requirements, other than for macro work that is, it's pants at that. So much do I like it, I'm considering buying another used one anyway, just to put away for the day when this examples chooches its last photo.
Anyway, we had another goodly dump of snow, and hugely enjoyable it was too riding along in it and seeing the landscape being transformed before my eyes in such a short time.
The other good thing was I was pretty much (lone walker apart) the only person out and about, and even by a Sunday's standards, the lanes were quiet and everything was so peaceful.
Meanwhile, despite all the above, we here in my part of the country got away lightly, as further up, particularly in Devon and Somerset, they copped a right hefty fall, so I was still a little jealous - I'm a greedy git you see, always wanting more when it comes to snow!
So here I am, at the end of a beautiful sunny day, but nursing a tricky spine once again, thinking how good value 2018 has been so far, but that we've probably seen the last of any snow for a long while. Ah well... let's have a mooch around the internet, starting with the local news site once more, and hello... what's this then?
No... surely not, it couldn't snow down here again, could it?
Fingers crossed...
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