Tuesday 17 December 2013

The NCVs' Christmas Walk: 17-12-2013

This week there was no task to carry out - apart from enjoying ourselves whilst having a lovely 5 mile circular walk. We went from How Stean Gorge, via Middlesmoor, over the top into the Scar House Reservoir valley and then headed back down to the How Stean Cafe for our soup, sandwiches and chips lunch. Many thanks to:
  • Graham, for planning the walk 
  • Nidderdale AONB office and the How Stean Cafe team, for the lunch
  • Audrey and Emma WP, for the mid-morning flapjack
22 walkers set off just after 10am on a beautiful, cold but sunny day. We were very lucky given the weather during the previous few days. Four others joined us at lunchtime. I will let the photos tell the tale........

At How Stean's car park Santa had decided to do 
some abseiling - oddly none of the NCVs joined him.

A Santa look alike was also found canoeing down the gorge.

Everyone at the ready and raring to go.

Off we set - up the hill to Middlesmoor.

Chris marches briskly up the steps, 
eager to get to the top.

Good views to the right and to the left on the way up.

Once at the top there were other lovely views, 
down the valley to Gouthwaite Reservoir...

...and across to Dale Edge.

Of course there were streams that had to be forded on the way.....

Pat helps Mrs Claus over this little one.

Four stride confidently over the next one...

... whilst another considers the wisdom of 
taking a more challenging route.

This one was wider and required getting wet boots.

There were also a number of challenging stiles 
and gates that caused bottlenecks and slowed progress...

Breathe in ladies.

NCVs queue patiently as we negotiate the narrow openings - 
not easy if you are short and wearing a rucksack!


Mr Claus  catches up with his missus.

The River Nidd kept playing games with us.....

Now you see it ......

Now you don't! Where's it gone?

Back along the path to Lofthouse.......


...negotiating a very muddy area on the way.

Two wait for the stragglers - where on earth
have they got to?

 Down at Lofthouse the river was very much in evidence....

...and the view back up to Middlesmoor was beautiful.

Back at How Stean we were made very welcome....

Graham acts as mother and helps Chris to a nice cuppa...

...before preparing to dance a tango.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to the NCVs and all our blog readers!

Ros E.

PS Here is a photo of the pond at Pyefield Farm we finished digging out last week. It is now completely full and looks great. We can, and do, make a difference!

Wednesday 11 December 2013

Pond Digging at Pyefield rides again! 10-12-2013

In spite of the mud bath of last week no fewer than 15 NCVs turned out again this week to continue with the pond digging task. I had hoped that by arriving just a little later than everyone else there would be nothing left for me to do, apart from eat an early lunch. Needless to say this hope was dashed as soon as the proto-pond came into view.


 
Still plenty to do at the start of the day.

 Alistair feels glum when he sees what lies ahead.

But - let's get started and see how we get on.

Jan gives Will a helping hand into his waders. 
He was certainly not going to risk getting 
his best working trousers dirty.

Graham wonders if these new trainers will 
suffice as appropriate footwear for the day.

Anyone who read last week's blog will have seen the muddy photos. Well, this week was worse. Far worse. Oh yes indeedy. Think mud. Thick, oozy, deep, runny, slurry style mud - as muddy as a muddy place can possibly get. The hollowed out area had already started to fill up with water during the intervening week and the effect on the work area was fairly spectacular. 

Laura avails herself of this week's special 
offer at the Pyefield health farm - 
a half price total body wrap and mud pack.

Mud was being flung here, there and everywhere in an attempt to shift the liqueified soil up and onto the top of the banks created last week (a golden time when there were still areas of solid ground that could be stood on without disappearing beneath the surface). Within minutes of joining the gang I was more than ankle deep in yuckiness and had gained a lovely muddy deposit on top of my head from an over-enthusiastic fellow mud-slinger. One team were slicing away the ever-decreasing bit of island and passing it onto another group who shifted it across the boggy divide and onto the banks. Wellies were stuck on a regular basis. What fun we had.


Different teams race to eradicate their bit of the island first.




 
NCVs wallow in the bog of eternal doom.

Lunchtime was a treat - not only some solid green grass to sit on, but also some delicious mince pies and biscuits provided by Laura. Thanks Laura! 

The NCVs sit and enjoy the sunshine, 
a visiting grey wagtail and kingfisher (and the home baking).

Fortified by our feast we went back to the task and, surprisingly, managed to get the job finished by about 2:15pm. The most exciting part of the afternoon came when the dam between the two halves of the pond was broken through and all the water that had collected in the lower end during the past week rushed through, tsunami like, to cover the base of the whole area. 


Watch out Julia - the tidal wave may knock you over.

Right - that's enough. Job's a wrap! 
Time for the group photo. 

Exactly which way are we meant to be looking?


The finished pond - from close up and afar.

We all finished off the afternoon in the waters of the River Nidd, cleaning off our boots, waterproof trousers, gloves and tools. What a good job we had such easy access to this natural bathroom. 

Laura and Dave B. take a refreshing 
dip and emerge mudless.

Only one NCV didn't really need to carry out much in the way of ablutions......

Dean manages to stay clean for the whole day.
Hmmm. I wonder why?

Hopefully when we return in February, to plant the area with some trees, the pond will have filled up completely and the banks will have compacted down. Watch this space!

Ros E.

Tuesday 3 December 2013

Pond digging at Pyefield Farm: 03-12-2013

Today's venue was at Pyefield House Farm, Dacre. There were 18 volunteers plus Paul. The task was to create a pond in an already fenced off area, close to the River Nidd and two public footpaths. 

Attention everyone. We will dig here, here and here... 
(Editor's note - Do not be taken in by the solid, 
clean look of that pristine grassy area) 


Ros K gets her priorities right and starts by 
having a coffee - Hannah is not amused.

The weather was dry and not too cold, however it soon became evident that by the end of the day most of us would end up wet and very muddy!  Paul had warned us that some of the work would be on boggy ground but next week waders, rather than wellies, may be more appropriate!



 
Before we could start work we had to clamber over the 
fence and take all the tools and wheelbarrows with us.

Chris practises her high leg lifts.

Four of us set about constructing a stile for easier access to the site over the stock proof fence. This was finished by lunchtime and was well tested.

Stile complete the construction team set off for 
lunch. The clean steps are soon covered in mud.

 
Line up, line up for the muddiest wellies competition!

The area of the pond was staked out and then the digging began using picks and shovels and hands. Soil or mud was piled up to form a bank around the perimeter leaving a few gaps for water to flow in. 
Terry gets busy with the wheelbarrow.

Jan does the cutting; Ros E. does the shifting.
A pond starts to take shape.

 
Mud, mud, glorious mud.

Four watch whilst Jan works.

Three wise monkeys oversee the workers - 
Dean is looking suspiciously clean (obviously not working hard enough!)

Eventually clean Dean fell forwards gracefully into the bog 
and became caked in mud - much to everyone's amusement!

Some of us began to sink into the boggy area while others seemed to be digging themselves deeper into holes! 
Ros K lends a helping hand to welly-less Dave.

Paul stopped leaning on his pick axe long 
enough to sink into the mire.

Dave is determined to dig down to Australia - 
in spite of his earlier welly crisis.

Jan takes first watch to protect the man-made island.

However good progress was made and hopefully the pond will be completed next week. 

Chris