haldon forest , devon

[ric]

Saturday evening i tracked down a replacement van axle somewhere in the wilds of devon. So sunday morning i set off in the wife's berlingo , through the first couple of villages then stopped in a layby to dissrobe , another 15 miles or so to the m5 then half an hour to exeter then onto the A38 to exeter race course and off into the lanes through haldon forest. Now getting on for 11 am theres obviously a lot of people using the forest for dog walks, cycling etc..as i was getting close to my destination i pulled into a free layby to don some rags and carried on down the lanes, had i left any longer the couple of women horse riders i had to pass on a narrow lane would have had summit to chuckle about.
Anyway i found the cottage i was looking for , done the deal and got the axle in the back, chewed the fat for a bit  and set off for home handy midday .  As it wasnt many miles to the devon expressway(a38) i decided on early nibbles in the first available spot, one of the forestry commission access points to the forest, quite a large pull in off the single track lane to a padlocked gate and a track on into the forest with cut logs stacked at the side and "no horse riding" sign on the gate. Intention was to eat lunch then strip off for the journey home, by the time id eaten a bit of bread and cheese id seen one car pass along the lane, sun was shinning weakly,  sod it time for a walk , i shifted the car so drivers side was away from the lane , emptied the backpack of maps , tablet remains of lunch etc stuffed in the trousers and jumper and exited the car wearing glasses and a pair of shoes, over the gate and off up the track into the forest , the track went over a crest 50 yards in so i was soon out of sight of the gate.  A few hundred yards down hill the track just ended , no paths through the trees so obviously not a popular spot for walkers. All directions wemt downhill so i didnt venture far, soon disturbed a deer in the undergrowth which i assumed confirmed id hit on a rarely used bit of forest. Soon found a bit of thin trees , oak , with a good carpet of dry leaves, easy walking so had about ten minutes shoe less , even 5 without glasses on , totally naked in the sunshine in the woods in england on 8th january cant be bad. After half an hour i worked back to the track to the gate, approaching the gate i heard a car coming up the lane, watched it go past... then heard it reversing back  to slot in beside mine as i faded behind a tree,   2 cars went passed from the other direction then the first carried on up the lane..  i got back to the car and set off for home with warm air blowing over my now slightly chilled skin. First couple of miles were through haldon forest, every parking spot had a car in it , a lot of people out in the woods , just lucky i hit an unpopular spot, if id stopped anywhere else i wouldnt have bothered getting out the car.  Back on the A38 then another 30 miles up the m5 then a A road towards langport. stopped to get dressed in a layby about 5 miles from home.
summit approaching 3 hours naked driving and an unplanned  half hour wander in the woods all in all a fair start to the year.

[jbeegoode]

A desire, an opportunity seized, a well done use of craft, and some luck, or providence. A great start to a new year!
Jbee 

[JOhnGw]

A desire, an opportunity seized, a well done use of craft, and some luck, or providence. A great start to a new year!
Jbee

More like a case of good FRN-craft creating the luck. 

[Greenbare Woods]

3 hours naked driving and an unplanned  half hour wander in the woods all in all a fair start to the year.

Lucky you.  We're having more snow today.  I can't remember when it was bare last.  Must be a month below freezing with occasional snow.   That's significantly below our average temperatures for this time of year.  Its been an unusually cold and snowy winter so far in these parts.  Oh waiting for spring.   

[ric]

southern uk in general has had a mild winter,  our spot is a  micro climate of its own, were on a 130 ft hill, land drops in all directions , go north one mile and your on the levels , near enough sea level all the way to the bristol channel.   if i sit on the roof to see over  the hedges and trees , i can see higher groumd within 30 miles in all directions,  not unusual to see snow on the hills one way or the other whilst we are still green.  most years we dont get any at all. dont think the lane has needed scraping clear this century, though there was a year in the eighties it needed shovelling,  i happened to be working the right side sides of the country at the right times and missed the worst snow of a lifetime for the whole of southern england.

on the other hand we get dryish summers , back in the drought year of the late seventies its rumoured that the jet pilots at the local naval airbase didnt bother navigating , as they came over the south coast, 30 miles off, our brown patch was clearly visible in our green and pleasant land.

according to the daily wail  europe is in a cold snap and were to get minus 10c and loads of snow by next weekend..... local weather forcast gives one minor frost this month.   well see if the daily wail is as accurate as they usually are.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4099566/Britain-shiver-Arctic-blast-four-inches-snow-minus-10C-temperatures-deep-freeze-grips-Europe.html

[Peter S]

They're assuming that we're going to Europe's weather and ignoring the fact the prevailing winds are all from the west/south west and carrying the warmth of the Gulf Stream. Duh.

[nudewalker]

There have not been any major snow storms yet but we have had five days in a row where the air temperature had not rose above freezing. We do have a snow cover and to avoid cabin fever have been taking rides around the area which makes for excellent chances to do recon for future free range adventures. I must admit a half hour naked  wandering through the woods would give my mental state a much needed lift.