Tuesday 30th April 2019 - Hutton Roof Crags G/LD-052

After Monday night’s show in Falkirk, I drove south with the guitarist who had left his car in Penrith.  The journey coincided, conveniently with the weekly broadcast of Late Night Liam on Canalside Radio.  Obviously, we were way out of the 102.8 coverage area, so I got the webstream on my smartphone and played it through my car’s audio system using Apple CarPlay.

I’d done OK up to this stage and thought I might be able to continue on home.  It was only midnight and there was about 2.5 hours driving to go.  However, as I rejoined the M6, now without the company of a passenger, the fatigue hit hard.  I pulled into Tebay services for a nap, setting the alarm on my smartphone so as to avoid outstaying my welcome - and copping for a £60 fine!  Back on the motorway around 0230 BST and I soon realised I was still too tired to drive.  So off at the next junction and made for where I knew would be a dark quiet car park to get my head down.

At the Plain Quarry car park near Burton-in-Kendal I reclined my seat and deployed the two pillows I keep in my car.  The next thing I knew it was 0830 BST on a bright sunny morning! Plain Quarry just happens to be the standard parking spot for Hutton Roof Crags G/LD-052, so a stroll was now in order before heading home.  The ascent was very pleasant especially the limestone pavement areas.  There were some impressive and contented looking cattle grazing on the hillside.  I couldn’t imagine there was much grass in amongst the limestone, which is probably why they were mainly munching on the bushes!

I only bothered to take the handheld, but it was hard work.  Nearly an hour and a half to collect the four QSOs.  I briefly considered joining the negative lobby who love to preach that 2m is dead these days - but I was rescued from that appalling fate by a sudden rush of seven additional QSOs within 14 minutes.  A pleasant surprise was my friend and HEMA founder Mike G4BLH/P, S2S on Gummers How G/LD-050.