Remnants of Autumn

Yesterday the weather was permitting so I ran round the lake shore, Kings River end of the lake. The lake is starting to fill but it was still possible to ford the river. Another foot or two and it would need to be swum and the water is getting a bit too cold for that. In spite of the cold water, the sun was warm enough for a brief sun-bathe on the sand bar just before the river enters the lake and where it is safe to ford (no rocks underfoot). Sadly I figure this might be my last circuit of that end of the lake this season.

This morning the sky was almost completely blue and my heart urged me to make one last encounter with Autumn which seems to have been rather brief this year. But we had a meeting (it being Sunday) and by the time it was over, lunch had been lunched and washed up, and a few other minor tasks, it had clouded over. Wunderground was still maintaining that rain was possible but unlikely so I set of intending to do Church Mountain. But within minutes it started to rain and it continued for most of my run which I swiftly curtailed to just the lake perimeter (Kings River end) by road.

Ominous weather over Valleymount, from Blackditches

Suggestion of rainbow over Ballyknockan

Atmospherics over the lake, from our bridge

Low lake again

Some more pictures taken on two lakeside runs.  Some of this under-foot is hard going when no shoes are allowed.

Autumn

Tree roots like crabs

Ancient ruins exposed

Blessington Greenway

Evening lake

They say this tree will fall and block the road

Course of the Valleymount road before the Flood

Same, looking the other way

Ancient tracks, dykes or ditches

Lough Cleevaun

On this very hot Saturday afternoon the Others having gone to Glendalough for a walk leaving me with no particular duties, I decided to go on my own walk. So I drove to the small car park above Lacken and took the usual route via Black Hill to Mullaghcleevan mountain with Cleevaun Lough as the final destination.

the interesting part of my track

Total distance 9.29 miles, average speed 3.28mph (ok so I ran some of the downhill bits), elevation gain 655m, maximum elevation 847m.

Altitude with time profile

Having got so close it seemed a shame not to climb Mullaghcleevaun so I did, and followed that with its East Top before heading back to Cleevaun Lough which I therefore approached from a new direction. I met only one other soul - she was heavily equipped as hikers are c/w two walking sticks, so what she made of me, scantily clad and barefoot, I know not. After that I had the mountains and lake completely to myself and made the most of it.  The flat part of the altitude profile above is time I was at or near the lake.

As always you can click on the images to show them at full resolution.

Our lake from the car park, note the smoke haze

Black Hill summit, gorse fires at Sally Gap in the distance

There is an ongoing "gorse fire" in the Sally Gap area, with firefighters and even helicopters trying to contain it. This has resulted in smoke haze in our area for the last 48 hours or so. Today the gentle east wind was carrying most of it Blessington way and thus not so much our way.

Smoke haze meeting the gentle east wind before Moanbane

The final climb to Mullaghcleevan summit ahead

Mullaghclevan summit, note the distant gorse fire smoke

Strange terrain on the way to the East Top

There are "fields" of peat between the summit proper and the slightly lower East Top - all dry in this hot weather and wonderful for running barefoot on.

East Top summit, fire in distance again

Lough Dan in the distance looking towards the east

First sight of the gem Cleevaun Lough

One of the many riverlets feeding the lake

Lough Cleevaun is a glacial corrie lake. The photo above shows how it "hangs" on the north slope and it amazes me how it continues to hold water. But it does and for me it is a magical place. Not many come here and thus one can swim naked with reasonable assurance of not being Seen.

Looking down into the water

The lake in all its glory and it was truly glorious

The water remains quite shallow near this "beach" and the bottom is studded with rocks. Being peaty the water appears black once more than about a foot deep and it is therefore somewhat treacherous on bare feet. So I choose my "safe" swimming location along the steeper slope on the left and here I enjoyed a brief swim. I have never known the water so warm. I could have stayed in this place all day, but had to get back for supper at 6.

The beach

North-west end of the lake - my lens must be smeary

Back at Black Hill summit, overlooking our lake

And back at the car park

Maybe

May has been late this year, maybe, but has come with a vengeance this last week or so of idyllic weather. May blossom always reminds me of my father: his birthday was in May and each year it was a race to see whether that or May blossom would come first.

Yesterday morning I took my first, fleeting swim in the L. To do this and get back in time to take breakfast in solitude requires getting up earlier than usual, although even so at this time of the year the sun is up before me. Those that miss this time of the day miss the best part of the day IMHO, but then it is best partly because They miss it!

Early morning swim

Where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us?

I feel a bit like Gideon must have. There are many needs that I thought God had placed on my heart and I have prayed for these for what I thought was earnestly and for a long time, yet I do not see the answers I expect. Even so, I am not yet going to stop asking: God isn't going to get off the hook that lightly! I know about the importunate widow.

William Blake - the angel of revelation

Now the angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites (who were oppressing Israel).  And the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, "The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valour." And Gideon said to him, "Please, sir, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, 'Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' But now the LORD has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian." And the LORD turned to him and said, "Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?"

Gideon continues to be hesitant but ends up leading an army and saving Israel from her oppressors. You can read the rest of the story in Judges 6.

I too am weighed down by the apparent present day lack of the sort of "wonderful deeds" we are told that Jesus and the early church performed.

The difference for me is - where is the angel? 

Besides, I find myself reappraising many of my "Christian" ideals. Songs I sing with lyrics that now grate, like the hymn "I would love to tell you what I think of Jesus - since I found in him a friend so strong and true...". A lovely tune, and such endearing words, but I have become unsure about this "personal relationship" bit. Sure, I still pray for folk in need, still constantly ask God to make himself real to me, but I wonder about those times I thought I had "heard" God. Like: where is the angel? Don't get me wrong, I haven't trashed everything - I believe in God, etc. and that there was a man Jesus who made the supreme sacrifice for folk like me, and am happy enough to call him my Lord and would dearly love to hear his voice and know him as a friend - just that - where is he?

Having survived the morning meeting, had lunch and done various odd jobs I ran, barefoot as usual, not too far; swam briefly, possibly the last swim of the year; and stood, alone, on the shore and revelled in the beauty of the lake and the mountains on the far side. How thankful I am for this safety valve.

Corriebracks barefoot

The last time I tried Corriebracks was 5 years ago and I didn't make it to the top. Perhaps this defeat was what caused me to try again. Not that it is much of a challenge at 531m, except that you do have to get there if, like me, starting from home. And you do have to get back home afterwards, and it does have to be along a different route, and does have to be barefoot...

My track - 15.1 miles - anticlockwise

Corriebracks on the left, Church Mnt on the rights

Looked like it wanted photographing

The path over the gap starts as a narrow road

But becomes a track

Looking back, our lake in the distance

Looking forward, Church Mnt to the right

At the top of the gap looking down towards Donard

Top of Corriebracks looking East

Top, looking North towards home

Top, West towards Church Mnt

Cool sky and skyline

Cool Me

On the way down, same thingummyjig as in 2012 ascent

Perhaps foolishly I chose to return home via the King's River and lake shore. This entailed fording the river in order to avoid a nasty non-barefoot-friendly fence, and the river came up to my upper chest whilst wading smart-phone in one raised hand.  But the lake is very beautiful.

Back along the lake shore

Looking back