Day 1 - Trip out to Kielder / Newcastleton on the Salsa Beargrease

Using up the last of my holidays, forecast was looking good so time to pack the van and off to Kielder/Newcastleton for a couple of days. I sorted and packed everything on Tuesday then left home at 7.15am on the Wednesday. Roads were quiet going up and felt like no time at all and I was in Kielder village. Parked up and first port of call was Lonesome Pine red route. The weather was dry and the sun was trying to burn through the mist. Lovely views over the water on the Lakeside Way before turning off onto the single track. I had planned to turn left at the top of the board walk and do the Bloody Bush loop but according to the signs it was closed due to fallen trees so turned right and headed back down. The surface is still rough going and the best part is the last single track section through the woods before coming out at the petrol station. Back to the van to refuel the body and off again, this time the Osprey Blue route.
Part 2 of Day 1- Along the forest drive and first single track section before joining back onto the forest drive, turned right and along the every lasting slog of fire road. What made this worse was they were tree felling and the wagons has chopped up the surface with 2" of mud all the way up. I had it to the top junction and the arrow was pointing straight on which I thought was the old short cut route back to the Lakeside Way but nothing to turn left to do the full route. I started heading down and thought this is not right so headed all the way back up to the top and took the turn which was not marked. Further along I picked the normal blue arrows again. Why they class this as blue I will never know, it has the same amount of climbing as the red loop. There was a few blown over trees to pass through before hitting the last single track before coming out onto the Lakeside way. I hate doing this last section as its all up/down and twisty. My legs were getting tired and opted for the viaduct section to bring me back out at the village.
Part 3 of Day 1 - packed away the bike and drove over the border to 7 Stanes Newcastleton to do the red. I have not done the new route from the village itself so had a quick refuel of the body again and off around the back of the houses and over the new bridge to be faced with a very short steep climb and onto Rock UK drive. Through their grounds and onto the new single track through the wood, fire roads and onto the normal route. By now my legs were tired and the sun had gone for the day but still warm. I have done the red many times before so knew what to expect but it must be getting more popular as the trails are in need of some tlc now and many deep puddles forming. Around the first loop then turned right and up the never ending fire road to the top of the second loop. Through the woods and out at the bottom. I would normally turn left but now its right and back the way I came up. After doing a loop I looked down and seen a short cut that I could have took, know for next time when I have tired legs. The new single track downhill is excellent but what spoils it is the two tarmac climbs back out of Rock UK. Short but steep, I was pleased to see the village again.
Day 1 stats - 41miles, 4.46hrs riding time, just over 5000ft climbing.
Drove back to Kielder and parked up for the night - Day 2 blog to follow asap, enjoy the photos.