Today was the hardest day thus far. The weather held out except for a drizzle when I left the dukeries lodge but that didn't last long. And there was no wind and it wasn't too cold either. So it could have been a lot worse! But my god those hills are exhausting! But let's start from square 1. I left the lodge around 930 after I had my cooked breakfast. I did the Edwinstowe heritage trail (went inside st Marys church where supposedly robin and maid Marion were married) which led to sherwood forest. The visitor center had an exhibition about you know who so I checked that out before seeing the major oak. That tree was real impressive. It still produces acorns even though its trunk has been hollow since robin hoods days. Or so the story goes. So after the tree I followed a few of the other trails and did some off roading. Sherwood is known for their spiders, but I didn't see too many. Saw lots of fungi, some insects, a few birds, the usual. No mammals as you would expect. No one my age again, there were either old people, families with young kids or annoying school groups. Bless the old people who still have the passion and health to do sight seeing. I prefer to do it while I am young, fit and uncommitted to anything, cause no one knows what the future holds! but more power to these old folk :-) so after walking around for a few hours I left at 1:32 pm for eyam. I was making good time at first cause it was decently flat and I was riding on a smooth a road surface. So I passed poulter country park and road around there for a bit then continued on my journey. But then the hills arrived! Esp when I passed thru bolsover! My god was that hill ferocious! Good thing I was heading down! Somewhere near Chesterfield I saw a church steeple that was bent and twisted. I wonder if that was done intentionally? Then It got dark fast around 4pm. When I got to the peak district, not all of the roads had lights so I had to rely on my headlight (which I nearly lost yesterday when it fell off of lance unbeknownst to me! I would have been so screwed today!). But I was managing. It was mainly downhill at first so that was good going. Then the national park started to turn on me and there were lots of steep hills going up and down. Particularly when I turned off the main a road and onto a b road to get to the yha, that hill was awful. But I stuck thru it and trekked along until I realized I wasn't on the same b road anymore. So I checked the gps and I was supposed to turn off a long time ago, and probably would have missed that behemoth of a hill! so instead of retracing my steps I just went a different way, on a high cliff, one lane road, in darkness!! I eventually found eyam, stopped off at the convenient store for food ( in my half delusioned brain I saw they had banana custard and I thought that was the UK word for yogurt, so I bought that..turns out it was pudding) and made my way to the yha. I made it up the hill to the street the yha was on, but it was on top a real steep higher hill so I walked lance the 800 yds to the entrance. I was pretty drained by that point. I was so happy when I arrived, I could have kissed the steps. I completely forgot to check the arrival time, but it was like 745 pm. This is the first time I've sweated since I started, and I mean drip dropping! When I arrived my face was all red, I was on the verge of collapse, and I stunk like shit. Unfortunately that is no stretch of an exaggeration cause somewhere along the way I stepped in it! And with every step I take, pieces are falling off and onto the carpet. Yet another reason why im happy im the only one in my room! Not only am I too tired to be chitty chatty, but I don't want the girl going around spreading rumors that all Americans bathe in dog crap!! But all in all, I know I keep moaning about the hills, but once I got on top, the view was fantastic. the full moon covered by clouds, casting a dim light on the villages carved into the hillsides. I feel like a poet right now!! But they really were a nice sight to see, and they all had some lights shining from them, which was cool. I think I broke a personal record for the longest break in-between pees ( definitely while awake, not too sure about overnight). I didn't pee for about 9 hours today, and didn't really have to go when I arrived either, but once I turned that shower water on, my bladder perked up, like a dog that starts salivagating after smelling a steak. so my stats: total distance for whole day ( did not ride around sherwood at all) 36.5 mi, avg 7.4 mph, max 28.5!! That was down scary bolsover hill! I wish there was a max elevation feature! Tomorrows ride to ravenstor will be much shorter but no doubt I will get myself up to no good! I am going to sleep like a narcoleptic at a poker party. Night night!
The 'Crooked Spire' you refer to near Chesterfield, is actually in Chesterfield, and is what the town is famous for (It will be mentioned in your tourist guide). The spire is naturally crooked. Apparently the wooden beams in the spire have twisted over the years resulting in what you see today, but that is all I know!
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