Date & start time: Wednesday 21st January 2009. 3.30pm start.

Location of Event : The National Trust car park, Buttermere, Cumbria, Uk ( NY 173 172 )

Places visited : Long How woods, Nether How and Crummock Water. Back via Long How.

Walk details : 1.4 ml, 200 ft of ascent, 45 mins.

Highest point : Seeing the swan close up.

Walked with : Ann and the dogs, Harry and Bethan.

Weather : Grey and damp but not raining.

A close encounter of the bird kind.

A simple dog walk in poor weather suddenly turns into an interesting walk when you are joined by another participant.

This time it was a swan, and our only regret is we didn't have any "swan food".

We parked in Buttermere Village and walked down through Long How woods till we reached Mill Beck.

This is the stream that passes alongside the Bridge Hotel for those that know the area.

The head of Crummock Water and the view up the valley is of a snowy Fleetwith Pike.

Down here the snow has fallen as rain and the fields and the low ground are saturated.

Down by the lakeside . . . there is an unusual visitor.

He seems tame and comes ashore in our direction despite the dogs being near.

Rannerdale Knotts is the backdrop as we walk around the small headland.

It's a grey day but the visibility down by the lake is okay.

That's Low Fell in the distance.

As we walked we were followed by the swan.

Red Pike's Dodd fell is the snow covered peak that is fading into the low cloud

Do you get that feeling we are being followed ?

He seemed hungry but unfortunately we had nothing to offer but dog treats.

Despite our efforts to break them into small pieces they were still not suitable for the swan . . . so we had to leave him unsatisfied.

The hire boats below Wood How are carefully stowed for the winter.

Time to return to the car so we cross the field back towards the woods.

The reason we didn't go high today was obvious to see.

The tops, as well as being covered in snow, were also covered in cloud, subject to high winds and were generally rather inhospitable.

A last look up the valley to Haystacks, Green Crag and a feint outline of Brandreth behind before we leave.

A short walk today . . . but an interesting one.

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Technical note: Pictures taken with with my Cannon G7 or Ann's Ixus 75 Digital camera.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.

This site best viewed with . . . an instant packet of bird food.

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Previous walk - 19th January 2009 Snow and Squirrels

A previous time up here - 18th February 2004 Long How, Buttermere to the Lake for Thomas