21/8/11 - Trainspotting

Distance - 4.2 Miles
Caches - 9 with 1 DNF
First Cache

Severn Valley Country Park at EveryTrail

Today, I wasn't going to walk.  Then I was going to walk but I wasn't going to blog.  The weather and the quality of the walk meant that I had to change my mind on both counts.  After a week of having my breath taken away by the beauty of Cornwall, I've come to the conclusion that large parts of the Shropshire/Worcestershire border are not too shabby either.  Especially when the sun is shining.

Once again, out to Drop Ellie off at work.  Thinking about it now, I could have asked her for a discount as she works at the SVR in Kidderminster.  25% discount in the cafe for anyone mentioning Mappiman's blog.... possibly.  Instead, I know that there are a few caches that are local at Severn Valley Country Park that need to be found and are already in the GPS, so I hot foot it up the motorbike race track that is the Bridgnorth road.

Shock of the day is that they are now charging for parking.  Only £1, but when it was previously free, this is an incalcuable increase.  When the Daily Mail works out the cost of living increases, they need to add parking to Fuel, Food & Clothes.

There is some sort of sponsored bike ride going on today at the country park - a large group of orange t-shirted people are testing their bells so they can ding at me on the path later.  And from the caches that I find, I can see that I am following in the wake of the allweathercachers.

After cleaning out the last of my parking change bag from the car, I head down for cache number 1.  The GPS hasnt been updated with local caches for around a month, so the only info I have is from the first person to find it.  I couldn't despite looking on the way down and way back up.  Checking the logs now, I can see it described as both cunning and devious.  I will have the log of shame of being the first DNF.

Down to the footbridge, and there are some excelent views.  The river is low and slow moving today and the banks are flush in their summer glory.  On way back, I hear people say how they didnt know somewhere so beautfiul was so local.  My thoughts exactly.

7 Miles from the TJ Hughes building in Kidderminster

Nice cunning little hide on the other side of the bridge.  Then I have the walk up towards Hampton Station.  It looks like it is a straight up and down, but there are two paths - one path is next to the railway line and is full of our two wheeled dinger friends.  I take this one on the way out, and this is where most of the caches are.  A lot are micros but there are a couple big enough to take some of the TBs that I brought back from Cornwall with me.

Get towards Hampton and I am rewarded with trains going in both directions.  Although I rate the hobby of trainspotting only slightly better than fishing, there is something a bit special about being this close to one of the beasts when they are in full flight.

Choo Choo....

Then I nip through the fence to drop down to the river.  There is a canoe convey going on and they go at walking pace so keep me company on the return leg.  That is until they get beached at the Island at Severndale and have to bum shuffle their way back into the deeper sections.

Shropshire Deliverance

Back to the Country Park which is well full now.  Lovely walk and lovely day.  Back home to get the half a Cornish beach that we have smuggled back in my car vacuumed up and a last afternoon before work.

When's the next holiday?