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A great day weather wise so once we were free we venture round to Ennerdale for a stroll along the lakeside.

Add a few trees in the form of the Smithy Beck Trail and we have the makings of a great little walk.

It's half-term for some this week and the sun is shining.

Whatever the reason, the car park at Bowness Knott is fuller than we have seen it for quite some time.

No-one about however as we head down the track to the lake.

The forest road, tarmaced for a short while, becomes a gravel track and heads up the valley towards Gillerthwaite and eventually Black Sail.

Down at the lake Ann found this bloke sitting in a tree !

You might recognise the grey hair and dog leads casually thrown over the shoulder . . . beware photographer at work !

The bush on the left got in the way of the photo so I decided to make use of the tree to sit out over the water.

Hope you like the fruits of my effort . . . a lovely reflection of the stand of trees with the Pillar Fells behind.

Closer now, the trees are on a small promontory . . . the still water doubles their impact.

The small headland also holds a few picnic tables which we've used in the past.

Ann even remembers using them on her first teenage visit to the Lakes with her friend a few years back now.

Looking down the lake, the brightness closing the camera aperture and consequently changing the colours.

Today was all about the light . . .

Whether it be on the water at the beach, or the long distance shots across the lake,

either way the lack of a breeze allowed stunning reflections.

Stones and Steeple.

This wider shot brings the reflections into context.

Wider again and the dark bulk of Iron Crag add perspective.

Click here or on the photo above for a larger version.

Zooming in on those high fells . . .

The higher, flat ground is Scoat Fell but the famous triangular summit is the more well known one of Steeple.

Another promontory and another sun-bathed stand of pines, this time with Pillar Fell behind.

At this point we head up into the woodland, following the red way-marked route known as the Smithy Beck Trail.

Wild Ennerdale is encouraging visitors to report on wildlife sightings, particularly of the squirrels.

The red and white marker to the right is used for the sport of orienteering.

The name seems a contradiction in terms, but presumably in a hot, dry summer the stream of beck could run out of water.

This beck doesn't though . . . this is the Smithy Beck which gives the trail its name.

where they used to have a furnace to convert local iron ore into pig iron before taking it down to the Barrow area for further refining.

There is no sign of industry now, apart from a few old banks and hidden foundations lower down by the lake.

By the time we return to the lakeside the light has changed . . . as the sun has dropped behind Crag Fell.

Here the reflections have gone due to the disturbance caused by the Smithy Beck entering the lake.

. . . but by walking a little further . . . 'normal surface' is resumed you could say.

That classic head of the lake panorama with a change of base colour due to the missing sunshine.



We reach mid point of the walk by continuing up the track . . .	. . . to get views of Pillar from the track and from the river.

Pillar of course is host to the famous Pillar Rock which gives a number of top quality classic rock climbing routes.

There is a suggestion of it on the photos but the crag is best seen from further up the valley.

However it is time to turn around as it still gets dark relatively early.

Looking down the lake and across to Crag Fell

where the late afternoon sun streams over Iron Crag as a horizontal band of light.

The effect has passed now with the setting sun dropping lower in the sky.

Our sun-soaked pines seen on the way up are now dark silhouettes against an evening sky.

Through the trees, Great Borne is reflecting the ever deepening yellows and reds of the sun.

Our picnic table trees are mere silhouettes too.

. . . but Harry still insists on a paddle . . . making waves you could say.

One last look back at the head of the lake before we walk up the track to the car park once again.

Thirdly to catch the source of that colour . . . the sun setting over the west coast.


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