Coast to Coast: Solo Hiking Across the Country - Day 10 (4K)

Join me on Patreon!   / tinypineoutdoors  

Day 10 of solo hiking the Coast to Coast, I packed away my tent & left Grinton and went on my way, devising my own route to meet back with the official trail.

It was the first cloudy day I'd had since the start, ten days ago, which was fine, the cooler air was a small respite from the heatwave I'd been hiking in for the days prior.

I road walked a little, then took a path that led me through heavy foliage which looked like it had never been used by a soul - until I came across an elderly couple hiking towards me! They were sweet and told me the upcoming river crossing was easy, despite the warning signs.

I reached the River Swale and crossed with ease along the giant stepping stones, though I could see how tricky it'd be in bad weather.

After that, I took a wrong turn which led me through a private farm, where I had to hop a gate, crawl under an electric fence & get out of there as quickly as possible without being seen... though they spotted me.

I made it into Marrick, a quiet hamlet, and eventually re-joined the official trail.

From there I came across a multitude of funny animals and some strange experiences, from the saddening sight of a group of dead moles hung along barbed wire, to accidentally walking through a field with a bull. That was pretty scary, as I'd heard bad stories from other hikers coming across rowdy bulls in the past. I guess I was lucky.

The walk into Richmond was a bit of a slog, though the landscape was still quite pretty, it felt a little boring. My feet hurt more than usual (though still no blisters after 10 days miraculously!) and I just felt fatigued.

Minutes felt like hours as I pushed on through fields upon fields, I met with the River Swale again, then some woodlands, and as well as feeling tired and bored, I also felt lonely. This was one of the first days I hadn't properly interacted with anyone. Other than the elderly couple, a cyclist and another elderly couple from a distance, I hadn't seen another person for miles.

Finally reaching Richmond after only 11.5 miles (though it FELT closer to 20), I checked in at the Unicorn Inn as there was a severe lack of places to camp around Richmond. This would be my final accommodation on the trail as I'd stick to camping after this.

I wandered around the town a little after settling into my room (which was...okay I guess), grabbed some food and headed back to the room to wind down. The evening started off well, I enjoyed the first takeaway of the trail, watched some TV and planned my route for the next day, but something happened later that night, and I'm not exactly sure what triggered it.

As you might know, I'd suffered with homesickness more than I ever had before while hiking the C2C, and this night in Richmond, would be the worst of that homesickness, and thankfully, the last.

I FaceTimed Cameron as I cried and seriously wanted to come home, I even looked into what trains I could get the following day. I hadn't cried so hard in years.

Luckily, I decided to continue the trail as I was only 4 days away from finishing. And as I said, this was the last night I'd feel homesick on the trail.

I ended up having a good night's sleep, and the days following this (or, after the next day really) would be wonderful.

---


Thank you to everyone watching, I appreciate each and every one of you!


If you like, you can buy me a drink here! - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/tiny-pine


Also, my brother and I hiked Hadrian’s Wall to raise money for Mind, we got 55 miles in before we were forced to cut it short due to food poisoning from The Twice Brewed Inn on our third night! We're better now, and will continue the walk soon, so if you’d like to donate and support Mind I’ll add the link below! It’d mean so much, and for a good cause!

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraisin...


Find me on facebook! :)
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...


My other socials:

Strava:
https://strava.app.link/dYOZnhYMwGb

Etsy:
Tiny Pine Designs (https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TinyPine...)

Instagram:
Jenartstravel (Personal)
TinyPineDesignsUK (Business)

Tiktok:
Orenjen (Personal)
TinyPineDesigns (Business)