Green laning in the Yorkshire Dales

As usual my plans for an early get away to an off-road weekend event fell apart as the day progressed and when 4-O-clock came and went and I was still out working I knew I had failed. I ended up driving up to Horton-in-Ribblesdale in the dark and as I got closer to my destination the feeble headlights on my Landrover started to pick out a light layer of slushy snow lying on the road. By the time I reached the pub where I would be staying for the next two nights there was almost a definite covering of snow and, even better, it was still snowing. When the landlord closed the bar and told us to go to bed it was 2 in the morning and I couldn't resist having a wander around the car park to see how the snow was doing. It was definitely looking promising. The following morning we all awoke to a magnificent winter wonderland and after breakfast we couldn't wait to get out and see what was in store for us in the snow filled hills. The scenery in this part of the country is spectacular and the snow adds another dimension to driving in this area. There are so many small farms that are wonderfully isolated and despite the hardship of having to work on the land in all weathers it must be very rewarding and satisfying to work in such a beautiful place. As we climbed to the higher places we started to encounter more snowdrifts and I had great fun charging through them to clear the way for Trevor and Pat, Steve Franks and Frank and Linda Lythgoe. Around about midday I managed to talk Frank and Linda into joining me on a trip down a slightly more difficult route while Steve F, Trevor and Pat went a different way round to meet us at the other end. In one place, this track was set in a hollow between two walls and was blocked by deep snowdrifts. To make things worse the track was also getting steeper and steeper downhill so if we got stuck in the snow it would have been very difficult to retrace our steps. Eventually after some digging and pushing and pulling we managed to pass the tricky section but only after crashing at speed through the final and biggest drift which exploded into a large cloud of snow. As we rounded the next corner we were then confronted with a rather large puddle, which filled from wall to wall (about 25ft) and stretched for about 200 yards completely blocking the track. As there was little chance of climbing back through the drifts we had just passed there was only one thing for it. In I went, up to my knees in icy cold water, poking around with my spade to make sure it was suitable to be driven (especially as Franks motor doesn't have a snorkel). After walking 200 yards through it and then 200 yards back my waterproof socks didn't really stand a chance and I had wet cold feet all day. We both made it successfully through the water and rejoined the others at the tracks end ready to head for the next lane. As the day was nearly gone we decided to do two tracks that headed back towards the B&B and as we climbed a rocky lane some in the group began to struggle on the rocks and ice, needing several attempts to clear one section. As we neared the top of the track the visibility started to deteriorate with a light mist and some snow falling. Before we knew it the wind picked up and the snow worsened and suddenly we were in a blizzard. We could hardly see the car in front and Trevor, who was leading, could see nothing but white! It wasn't long before the inevitable happened and the call came over the CB that Trevor was stuck in the rapidly growing snowdrifts. I got out to see if I could help dig him out and the door was nearly ripped of my 90 by the wind. As I walked to the front of the convoy the snow was stinging my face as the wind whipped it across the fields, I couldn't tell if it was day or night. After an attempt to dig out Trevor's Disco we decided that it would have to be pulled out backwards but the car behind him was also struggling so we decided that I should try to drive from the back round Frank and Steve F to the back of Trevor, pull him out, then drive around him to see if I could lead and clear a way through the snow as I seemed to be struggling less than they were. After what seemed like a long time running back and forward in the blizzard, everyone was finally free and ready to proceed so off we went. I didn't know if I was driving on the track, in the fields or about to plunge into a snow filled crater. All I knew was that I could just see the wall through the haze to my right, all else was just one big whiteness. When we got to a suitable escape route we took it, as the rest of the track would have been too risky in those conditions. The tarmac road we turned onto still proved to be almost as challenging as the track we had just escaped from as the poor visibility caused Steve F to get stuck in a drift and Frank had to tow him out. It was good to get back to the pub for some hot food and a few drinks. The next day we returned to the track that we had abandoned the night before but from the far end, which meant we would be climbing it. As Frank and Linda had returned home the night before, this time it was Steve Franks at the rear, Trevor and Pat in the middle and me at the front as we were expecting some big drifts. The conditions were perfect with a clear blue sunny sky and not a breath of wind. We were not to be disappointed and we all needed digging out or towing at some point on this lane. After a few easier tracks we had to dash back to the pub for a final meal and to say goodbye to a few of the others before it was time to return home. I can't wait for it to snow again as I have developed a taste for drift-bashing and won't miss an opportunity to try it again.