Friday 08/01/2010. Set off at 9.30am to tour the river Tees. Last Wednesday was my first outing on cross-country skis for fifteen years or so. I need to get some practice in and with the wonderful frozen conditions I want to make the best of the opportunities while they last. Yesterday I had to take my ski-boots to our local cobbler as the sole on the right boot was separating from the upper and the left was showing indications of doing the same thing. It cost me a fiver to get them glued down which is quite reasonable (if they stick) and I am now back in action as can be seen in this picture taken by a nice lady photographer, on my camera after she had taken several pics of me coming downhill off the Jubilee Bridge on the Queen Elizabeth Way - I should mention that I am skiing on the cycle paths which are wonderful for winter sport, for sure there are no cyclists on them today! My route leads on to Bowesfield then over the Surtees bridge at Stockton-on-Tees, passing the Durham University Campus to reach the Tees Barage, where the river is completely frozen on the up side of the barage, speaking to locals confirms that nobody can remember seeing the Tees completely frozen over as it is today. I know that most people hate the cold and can't wait for it to pass, but I love this sort of weather and today met plenty of similar souls out enjoying the great freeze, every season has it's joys and I'm not in the least guilty about making hay while the snow covers the land. I crossed the Tees at the barage and carried on to cross the Newport Bridge then returning to Stockton on the opposite side of the river. For variation at Bowesfield I stuck to the Tees riverbank, with a bit of a struggle at the Jubilee bridge! Got home in a total time of four hours and fifteen minutes but I was in no rush. The distance covered must be a good ten miles and my confidence grows with each succeeding mile. Quite a few folks were interested in chatting to me about skiing and I noticed four or five taking pictures of me so it's nice to think that I might be Stockton's poster-child for our eastern chill!Friday, 8 January 2010
SKI TOURING ON THE RIVER TEES
Friday 08/01/2010. Set off at 9.30am to tour the river Tees. Last Wednesday was my first outing on cross-country skis for fifteen years or so. I need to get some practice in and with the wonderful frozen conditions I want to make the best of the opportunities while they last. Yesterday I had to take my ski-boots to our local cobbler as the sole on the right boot was separating from the upper and the left was showing indications of doing the same thing. It cost me a fiver to get them glued down which is quite reasonable (if they stick) and I am now back in action as can be seen in this picture taken by a nice lady photographer, on my camera after she had taken several pics of me coming downhill off the Jubilee Bridge on the Queen Elizabeth Way - I should mention that I am skiing on the cycle paths which are wonderful for winter sport, for sure there are no cyclists on them today! My route leads on to Bowesfield then over the Surtees bridge at Stockton-on-Tees, passing the Durham University Campus to reach the Tees Barage, where the river is completely frozen on the up side of the barage, speaking to locals confirms that nobody can remember seeing the Tees completely frozen over as it is today. I know that most people hate the cold and can't wait for it to pass, but I love this sort of weather and today met plenty of similar souls out enjoying the great freeze, every season has it's joys and I'm not in the least guilty about making hay while the snow covers the land. I crossed the Tees at the barage and carried on to cross the Newport Bridge then returning to Stockton on the opposite side of the river. For variation at Bowesfield I stuck to the Tees riverbank, with a bit of a struggle at the Jubilee bridge! Got home in a total time of four hours and fifteen minutes but I was in no rush. The distance covered must be a good ten miles and my confidence grows with each succeeding mile. Quite a few folks were interested in chatting to me about skiing and I noticed four or five taking pictures of me so it's nice to think that I might be Stockton's poster-child for our eastern chill!
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