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The start of a busy weekend with a party to celebrate Ann's birthday on the Friday night,

a walk for six of us on Saturday, before the Remembrance Walk to Castle Crag on the Sunday.

Let's start at the beginning . . .

Ann and Jo in our front room Friday afternoon.

A knock on the door and the Keswick florist delivers a birthday present from our children.

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In the evening we gathered with friends and headed over to the Honest Lawyer in Cockermouth

Top Table . . . or rather, the top of our single table of fourteen this evening.

Jo, Neil, Ann, John and Pat.

Sherran and Bill enjoying the evening.	Trevor and Gill, Chris and Sophie at the other end.

Dee and Mike on this side of the table.	A birthday cake with a big '0' sparkler.

It had two sparklers . . . but we're not declaring the numerical value of the first one.

A big thanks to everyone for joining us and to Pat and Mike for the surprise cake.

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On Saturday it was time to work off the calories . . .

. . . and given the poor weather and low cloud we opted for a walk to Bowness Knott in Ennerdale.

Parking is easy at the Bowness Knott car park.

We leave the car park and aim for the start of our fell path under Great Borne.

The old farm of Bowness seen along the way is now a bunk house / outdoor centre I believe.

We retrace our route, back along the road for a short while.

Time now for the brisk climb up to the hause between Bowness Knott and Great Borne.

The lower slopes of the fells are covered in rich russet colours at present . . . the only time bracken looks good !

Over the stile and Sherran and Ann make their way up through the area of cleared forestry.

The trees in the foreground are natural re-growth rather than re-planting.

The summit of the Knott was never planted but now the lower trees have gone the access to it is slightly easier.

The cairn is the top of the Birkett fell and claims a spot height of 333 metres . . . the cloud base briefly reached down to 334.

It must have been a passing wisp of cloud as it soon passed

and we got a good view across to Crag Fell and down onto Anglers Crag.

Bowness from Bowness Knott . . . don't venture too far if you suffer from vertigo !

The rather damp view up the Ennerdale Valley.

Pillar and the central fells are shrouded in mist but the weather, apart from the damp breeze, was not a problem.

Looking across at the others enjoying the view I had a few moments ago.

The full group photo . . . done without the aid of a tripod . . . magic !

It is downhill all the way from here . . . the first part is easy across the natural vegetation of the summit.

Below us is the cleared forestry . . . paths would be difficult.	Five seats and a log . . . a good place for six to lunch.

. . . and not a bad view while we did.

The cloud is slowly lifting and though difficult to see here, the cloud formed a think white blanket as it curved over the summits.

Smiles as we head down, was that from lunch or finding a path ?	The larch is losing its leaves in an interesting way.

Close up of another branch with the colour changing and the drops of mist clinging to the spines.

Conditions underfoot are easier now we've found a forest track.	Uprooted trees from gales long gone.

The old hut circles and sheilings from medieval times . . . sadly the visitor sign has disappeared and not been replaced.

From our 2003 visit . . . A clearing in the woods, near the area marked as settlements on the 2.5 inch map, has the remains of old dwellings, summer sheilings perhaps, from centuries past. All that remains now are the collapsed walls of old homes, lost in the bracken. A sign gives an indication that they may have been associated with the old Smithy or Furness of Smithy Beck.

The stone enclosures a little further down the track look more like an old sheep fold.

Bill checks them out and adds scale for the photo . . . a real gentleman.

We follow the track down towards the lake but take a left onto the Smithy Beck Trail.

The waterfall on Smithy Beck.	Hey . . . she wasn't on our walk at the start ?

At the bridge we met, first two retrievers, then around the bend came Sophie who we haven't seen since . . . last night !

Totally unplanned, she was using the same lower path as us today in order to exercise her dogs.

Two  retrievers . . . doubled.

After continuing the chats we started last night, Sophie joined us for the return walk to Bowness Knott.

Deep green of the forest ferns by the bridge.	Autumnal oak leaves further along the path.

The trail was also being used by a college-type group of some sort . . . out on a walk.

Talk (as we passed) included discussions on heatstroke (on a day like this ?)

and how to take care for yourself and your group whilst out on walks.

The Smithy Beck trail reaches the lake at a small tree clad promontory.

Despite the cool nature of the day Harry insists on a sit down in the shallow water.

Back at Bowness Knott car park.

Harry, despite his advancing years, has done really well again . . . that looks almost like a smile on  his face.

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All good walks should end with tea and cakes

so we headed over to Ennerdale Bridge to try out the new "The Gather" . . . the community cafe.

[ This is a photo from a while back . . . no photo from today as it was close to dusk when we arrived ]

Excellent service and lovely modern surroundings.	Wi-fi if you want it . . . I just love the password.

Tea and scones for five . . . but Bill was tempted by the lovely display of fresh cakes.

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On the way home through Lamplugh we met this young Roe deer on the road . . . we stopped and watched it for a moment.

[ Thanks to Neil for the photos as I was driving ]

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