The February Hike & Pint was a look at participating Dark & Winter Ales pubs in Morecambe and district. Eight hikers met in the Dog & Partridge in Bare, sadly there was no winter ales available! We walked through the back streets and footpaths to the Smuggler’s Den arriving too early but they soon opened at 1pm, I tried Lee’s Dragon Fire, other beers were available but no dark! We received reports of real ale at the Queens, Martin naturally investigated but the selection wasn’t too exciting, similarly at the King’s Arms. We continued through the town and up the Barbary Coast to the Palatine, Lancaster Chesty Stout and Chestnut Red being on. Round the corner to Eric Bartholomew, nice table with a presentation for the Winter Ales Festival. Kirkby Lonsdale Dark Envy was sampled. Onto the Royal, nice old tiles on the walls, and Lancaster Mr. Trotter’s Chestnut Ale (chestnuts seem to be in season). Continuing on the Promenade to the Ranch House, dazzled by multi screen sport, we tried the strong award winning Rudgate Ruby Mild. To save time (cheating!) we caught a bus to Heysham Village and the Royal. I tried the York Micklegate Porter and Captain Oates from the Brown Cow brewery in Selby ‘when it sold, it may be gone for some time’. Then the real hike began, we had to start rather late to avoid the high tide at 4pm on our way to the Golden Ball at Snatchems, across Heysham Moss, ‘squelchy’ said the party, ‘squelch’ ‘to make a sound like treading through thick mud’, very appropriate for the area around Downlands Farm! We sampled the Cross Bay Winter Moon at the end of our hike.