Day 10/Hike Day 8: Keld to Reeth

"I seem to have spent a good part of my life - probably too much - in just standing and staring, and I was at it again this morning." - Dr. James Herriot

It's hard to blame Dr. Herriot for spending so much time standing and staring when he lived in such a beautiful area. The Dales are incredible: I don't think I've ever been to a place where natural beauty and human constructs blend so seamlessly into a truly serene scene. Today was a marvelous trek spent meandering through numerous small villages and hamlets of the Dales: Muker (known to be a favorite of Herriot's), Ivelet, Gunnerside, Blades, Kearton, Healaugh, and Reeth. With an early start and only 10-ish miles to cover point-to-point, we took our time taking in the smaller details of the stone cottages, hillsides, and the animals that grace them. While our morning started out windy and rainy (I never gave James Herriot enough credit for the extreme weather he faced practicing here), by our arrival in Reeth the sun was starting to peek through the clouds and onto the Dales. I think I'll just let the photos do most of the talking today: I'll caption where needed, but the Dales tend to speak for themselves.

East Gill Force (waterfall)

A slideshow of local architecture: use the arrows on the photo to scroll!

A couple of Limousin cows, a flock of pheasants (look closely!), and Swaldale sheep on the lookout

Ice cream upon our arrival in Reeth!

Tomorrow we head to Richmond, another short day of hiking at only 13-ish miles. However, with plenty to do in town, we look forward to the adventures to be had.

Until tomorrow!

Kelsey and Brian

Step Count: 34,863

Miles Hiked Today: 14.33 miles

Elevation: 1443 ft

Time Hiking/Gawking: 5 hours even

New UK Breeds Seen Today: Do pheasants and rabbits count?