A Long Haul Trucker along the coast

The days seem to be flying by recently. It's Tuesday evening already and I still haven't got around to posting Sunday's cycle. So here goes.

I headed east in bright midday sunshine out of Dunbar with the vague notion of going to Cockburnspath. The Long Haul Trucker just keeps on doing the job and although it is not the most exciting of bikes, it is comfy.

At the end of the cycle path I passed a large group of travelling people with their assorted 4x4s and caravans. They seemed to be entertaining their hordes of noisy offspring by setting off fire extinguishers. Perhaps they were training for when they are burning the insulation off the copper cable that they "recycle" from the quarry.

I gave them a wide berth and continued on by the fields at Torness. I couldn't resist this shot of the farmers scarecrows.

Further along and I've posted pictures of the bridges at Bilsdean before, but these have usually been during the summer when there is a lot more greenery. When the leaves are gone, the drop is all the more impressive. Unfortunately cloud was gathering and the pictures were quite dull without pushing the exposure a bit.

There wasn't much happening in Cockburnspath. I spent a week there one afternoon! It's an old one but it does sum the village up. I know a few folk who live there and they tend to agree that nothing happens.

Then it was back to Dunbar, a quick loop of town and spin through the woods to round the mileage up to a relatively easy 20 miles. I kept up a good pace and there was no coffee stop this week.

 It's been a mild winter so far but the forecast is suggesting some weather coming from the north. These woodland trails would be pretty special in the snow with fat tyres. Here's hoping.

Back on the trucker

Despite an ominous weather forecast, Saturday dawned quite mild with low cloud and best of all, no wind. I made an effort and dragged the Long Haul Trucker from it's gathering cobwebs.

It's over a month since I last went for a longer cycle and it was great to get back into the steady rhythm of pushing the pedals. I headed east past Torness and on to Cockburnspath.

As ever, Cockburnspath seemed asleep so I turned down the cliff track to Cove harbour.

The tunnel leads through the cliffs and on to the little beach.

I parked the bike and went for a wander around the little harbour and tried my best to compose a few photos in the poor light.

The shelter of the cliffs is usually the ideal coffee stop but I have broken another flask. I don't know what I manage to do to these stainless flasks, but I can't keep them for long.

From The Cove I cycled back past Dunbar and on to East Linton. I saw quite a few other cyclists on the road. Several had the hard grinding look of folk who have taken up a keep fit campaign for the new year. Hopefully they will keep it up and will still be pedalling by the end of the month.

On my way past Beltonford I found a dead otter at the side of the road. It's injuries suggest it had been hit by a car. I have heard of otters on the Tyne along by the Knowes, and in the Biel Estate but it's sad to find one killed by traffic.

Back through Belhaven and the effects of the recent storms and the high tide could be seen with the dump road well under water. I just took my time and half pedaled slowly through the flood. It was fine, the only danger being if I strayed from where I thought the path was and went off the edge into the river.

The salt marsh was flooded and the dunes and Spikey were an island again.
A relatively easy 50km without too many aches. I had been a bit worried that I would suffer after so long away from the LHT but it all turned out fine, although I will have to address the coffee carrying issue.

Mid Week Cycle 3rd July

I picked up a new bottom bracket from the Post Office this morning. Apparently they couldn't deliver the parcel as it was "too large". At times I suspect Wullie the Post just heads out on his round with a wee pile of red cards rather than carrying any packages.  It was soon fitted when I came home from work, along with some extra waterproof grease. 

Then it was an easy decision to go out for a test run in the evening sunshine.

I headed east past Torness, then onto the John Muir Way and single track along the sides of the fields before Bilsdean. The bone dry ground was a bit bumpy for a road bike but the views are worth it.

Then it was down to Cockburnspath and along to Pease Bay. The roads were empty, just the birds in the hedgerows and the occasional suicidal rabbit darting in front of the Trucker.

I don't need any reminding how lucky I am to have roads like this to cycle along. Twisting lanes winding between the hedgerows and dipping down to hidden coves with the summer sun sparkling on the sea.

The little test ride turned into twenty one miles.  I'm sure you understand why.

Redheugh Salmon Station

The weather forecast said there was to be occasional showers of rain today. That didn't sound too bad so I went for a wander down to Redheugh near Cockburnspath. Perhaps I should have paid more attention to that ominous looking sky.

I parked at the farm and headed down the track to the coastguard cottages before I started the descent of the cliffs. The track is pretty indistinct but the slope was reasonable which was just as well because halfway down there was a flash of lightning, a long rumble of thunder and a "shower" started. I decided to keep going, believing the rain wouldn't last for long. How wrong I was!

It got darker and the rain was really lashing down by the time I reached the shore. I sheltered under an overhang of rock whilst Fly happily sat in the rain as squall after squall gusted in off the sea.

 I eventually gave up trying to shelter and decided to make the best of it and scramble along under the cliffs. At a lower tide it's a lot easier as there is an old track cut through the rock for horses and carts.

After a lot of slipping and sliding, and occasionally having to lift Fly over particularly steep rocks, I made it to the old boat shed. There was a salmon fishing station here but I think this shed was property of  the local coastguard. 

The rails for launching and recovering are still in place and further along the beach was the remains of a winch. The rain was getting really heavy now so I sheltered in the shed in the vague hope that it would ease. I also took the chance to try to dry out the camera.

Fly was busy farther along the beach. Unbelievably she had managed to find a tennis ball amongst miles of boulders.

The salmon fishing bothy.

Not much left now but there is a fire place and that big rope that is strung across the building would be ideal for stringing a hammock.

There was one final building that I had heard of but had missed last time I was here. Apparently there was a little power station above the boat house and sure enough when I looked into the tiny shed there was a wee turbine and generation board.

Water flowed down the hill in the pipe that enters the far corner of the building and through the green turbine.

Big old control valve for the water supply. I managed to resist the temptation to try to turning it.

Great old switches and cutouts. Dr Frankenstein would have been proud of a board like that.

 A bank of old Lucas lead acid batteries.

The rain had finally eased but with all the time I had spent nosing along the shore, the tide had risen farther than I had allowed for. So rather than retrace my route I took the other option and started up cliffs following the line of the poles carrying the electricity wires to the farm.

As the cloud lifted a little, the red of the local sandstone became apparent in the cliffs.

Back at the farm and the swallows were flitting across the pond feeding on the insects. They were too fast to catch on the camera. Not quite so fast was this older collie that had the sense to stay undercover in a barn.

Big old 25 tooth sprocket. It must have been some size of chain that fitted it. I was soaked when I got back to the car and feeling that climb back up the cliffs but it was a good outing and Fly has slept all afternoon.