I didn’t sleep too well – mainly because of the bed rather than rodental interruptions. However, we made a meagre breakfast – we had already discovered that we hadn’t brought enough bread with us – packed up our belongings and set off. The weather was still holding, so we had quite a pleasant time of it. At one point where the path ran close to the sea we were able to shed the pack in what seemed a nice grassy spot, and then scrambled down to the beach to have our lunch there. It was only when we returned that we discovered that the grassy spot contained some shit, and, of course, that I’d dumped the pack right in it. However, we cleaned it off as best we could, and, since I’d previously offered to carry the pack at this point, I stuck to my word – as well, I suppose, to the pack. In any case, before very long we arrived at a signpost saying 8 miles to Thane Road, the place we’d started from, and just a few yards from that was where the trail seemed to end. Again, we dropped the backpack (tho’ far more carefully this time) and went down to the beach. This was much more difficult, since it seemed to be guarded by a rank of fierce pine trees, but we fought our way through, + took a look around. There was another cabin there, a very sturdily-built log affair, but, I’m afraid, in very poor repair, with holes in the roof and walls, + totally empty, tho’ there was an impressive stone fireplace. We decided, however, to utilise the tent that we’d borrowed from Steve + Chickie (our own was with the car in Terrace) so back thro’ the pines + up a slope to our chosen site.
We erected the tent, which was quite a big one – a 4-man – but very light, and, to our mild disquiet, only held down by 4 pegs. Ho hum. The next stage was to collect wood for the fire – there was already a ring of stones, + signs of a previous mini- conflagration. This entailed another battle with the pines, + then Val loaded me up with as much wood as I could carry, + then grabbed a couple of hefty pieces herself. We then picked our way perilously back over the washed-up logs + rocks, somehow struggled thro’ the bleeding pines for the last time, and just about made it up the slope before my arms dropped off. Too much like work for my liking. We didn’t have much paper, but managed to light the fire quite efficiently, then fashioned a bench out of some of the driftwood we’d dragged up, ate our dinner sitting there in front of the fire like babes in the wood, + then read. Very peaceful, very nice.
What seems to have been, despite, or even because of, the various challenges, a most pleasant day… not counting the shit, I suppose. But of course we ran out of bread! All the more so since it had provided both lunch and dinner the day before!.
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