R*n 579: Silverdale

A good turn out today, even though there was no sunshine, 20 hounds eagerly met in the car park of the On Inn, the Silverdale Hotel. After giving the Hare our orders for lunch for later, (most important task of the day), we gathered round in the circle, and listened to instructions. I am still learning all the terminology so I have to listen extra carefully! Not that it made any difference, I still managed to get lost within the first 10 minutes! But I was not the only one, Rabbi, Cyberseptic, Syd and I were all looking for the trail and when we found an unopened circle/checkpoint, we realized that we were actually on the return route of the trail! After much deliberating, and as if by magic, Tooth Fairy drove along the road and spotted us, suggesting that we get in her car so that we wouldn't be miles behind everyone else! Beers were removed from the back seat of the car (they did fit in the boot luckily) and the 4 of us gratefully accepted her offer of a ride to Eaves Wood, where we should have been!

With a sense of relief, we spotted chalk blobs, and other hashers in the woods, hurray, we were back on trail! Came across a viewpoint, a quarry, after doing the W/R split then in the distance we spotted all the others congregated on the other side of a gate. Onwards to join them for perhaps a beer stop? No, not this time, a new sign for me, a H in a circle, which I now understand is a holding spot, where everyone waits till we all get together again. Off His Trolley explained this to me, though at first he suggested it could be a Helicopter landing pad!

Onwards on the boardwalk along the edge of Haweswater to leave the woods and join a quiet lane where we did have our beer stop! Feeling refreshed we took off and came across the next W/R split enroute to Trowbarrow. Major Twit revealed climbing experiences in this very spot in earlier years, but no rock climbers there today, only us hashers!

After crossing the Golf course, we were on our final leg, back in familiar territory, as of course some of us had already seen the way back, as we had mistaken the end for the beginning of the trail!

Hares in the circle, was a great trail, but White Noise wanted more sea and sand! Down downs for Slack Bladder for doing the fishhook twice, also for Minor Twat for fouling the trail, and a 'well done' down down for Smartie, Midget Gem and Jelly Tot for completing the trail. Also 'a welcome' down down to our visitor today all the way from Kenya, Raw Liver. Oh and not forgetting the down down for comparison of footwear between Off His Trolley and Major Twit, whose shoes were falling apart and whose shoes were brand new? Will let you guess whose shoes belong to who in the photo!

Thank you to Tooth Fairy and Forever Blowing for setting such a fun filled hash with some great views of Silverdale, we certainly saw a lot of the area, and we all enjoyed lovely roast dinners in the Silverdale hotel afterwards.

On on, Bone Idle