Jolene and the Tree

It was 7:40am. Early for a Sunday morning but not quite early enough. I was ready to leave for a long run and had hoped to start off by getting a few photographs of the cloud inversions that shroud the valley floor when it's been damp and there's clear skies. It was too late though as the sun was high enough to burn off these strange clouds.

Not to worry. I was fuelled up on strawberries, a Pakistani mango, yoghurt, honey and some home made muesli. Enough to see me though most of the morning in the hills. It was a beautiful morning too, with the air being much cooler and fresher than of late. It wasn't a training run, per-se. Rather, I was taking my camera and planned to stop when I saw anything interesting. I had no iPod which I typically use to encourage me to keep the pace up. The sounds of the hills were the preference today.

Shafts of light were poking through the tightly packed trees in the woods. First stop was to take a few pics of these unusual looking spiney umbrella plants which were catching the light nicely. Then I can across a dog-walker. "Morning" I said in a way only possible on a sunny Sunday morning. "Make sure you don't let the dog through the next gate" she said without an expected salutation. "Morning" I said again, even more cheerily than the first time to the miserable moo.

Soon, I had crossed the road over Woodseats and was heading up towards Coombes Edge. At one stile, a proud looking ram stood and refused to shift! If a sheep ever looked fierce, this one did. I therefore let out my most aggressive baahhh and the lump of mutton got the message. It was beautiful on the top of Coombes, with the sun making the long golden grass glisten. Towards Rowarth on the rocky trail with sizeable drop-off's I came across 3 mountain bikers on fancy rigs! Fortunately, feet are more effective than full suspension ridden by jessies and I reached the bottom of the trail well before them!

After a short road section, I crossed the road at a The Grouse and headed up onto the high moorland and towards Mill Hill. I could see two people running, a few hundred meters behind me but gaining fast. First to reach me was a small, slight but strong looking woman with taught weather beaten skin. She was around 50 years old and had the look of a tough hill running woman. "Where you heading" she asked. "Up to, the cairn on Mill Hill and over to Snake" I said deciding in that moment that I wasn't going to go to Edale. She was doing a loop, over Kinder Scout and back to Hayfield. She left me in her wake, trotting deceptively quickly and efficiently in the direction of Kinder.

Next to reach me was a man wearing a red top. He asked if he could join me for a bit, which I said was cool. As it was a singletrack, I didn't get a chance to look at him. Rather, he ran behind, making reference to places he liked to run and his medical ailments too. Sheesh....for a hypochondriac, he could move quickly. We reached Mill Hill where I saw him fully for the first time. He was in his 60's, had a slight paunch but looked fit as a fiddle. I took his photograph and then we said our goodbyes.

There was also a hill walker at the cairn, an old chap with a nose of proportion that suggested he liked a pint of real ale and whisky chasers. We chatted a little, in-between me munching a banana and then I headed down the trans-pennine trail towards the glinting cars at the top of Snake. Going was easy, as it was nearly all downhill and I had a tail-wind. Hah....I usually do that trail in the opposite direction, uphill and into the tooth of a gale. Funny that! The path is a paving stone one to protect the sensitive bogland. The gaps between each stone are such that one must concentrate..... A poorly placed foot could easily result in a broken ankle.

Close to the A57 the path became a smooth dirt one, kinder on the joints and easier to run on! Woahhhh, I tripped over my own foot, twisting in a contorted manner to avoid falling on my camera. Blahhhhhh....right in front of some hill walkers and a whole group of people who had got out their cars at the top of Snake! Typical! I had a grazed knee but was up on my feet, smiling as if nothing had happened and I then danced on my merry way.

On the other side of the A57 is the bouncy path. It's such fun to run on with the slight spring of the peaty path. I had an option to head over Bleaklow and down to Torside but chose to turn at the Old Woman and down Doctors Gate instead. The path is steep and rocky in places, almost impossible to run on. The advantage is that it's sheltered from the wind and the valley had trapped the heat of the sun. It was almost silent, apart from the chirp of tiny birds and the odd bleating of a distant sheep. I saw around 5 types of butterflies and the heather was at its very best too. "Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Joleeeeeeen" I found myself singing having watched a bit of Dolly Parton at Glastonbury over breakfast. I was happy.

The bridge over Shelf Brook was on its last legs, with a big gap in the middle too. Not quite precarious yet, but I guess it won't last the winter. I then had my last wee stop at my favourite tree on earth. I love this tree, a little bedraggled one that would look equally at home on the African savannah. I don't know why I like it but I do. Then, I headed off, moving quickly down the Roman road and towards Old Glossop and civilisation. Manor Park was mobbed with families out in the Sunday sun. I kept running, my legs feeling tired now and was glad to reach Glossop train station to have a cheeky espresso in The Twig Cafe before my train departed. The owner asked how my coffee was. "Tastes like a proper Italian espresso" I said with a smile on my face. Ha ha....I'm scathing of Italian coffee but I wasn't going to end an amazing morning by upsetting the man. I checked my GPS....24.8km in 4 hours, with plenty stops!