Macclesfield Canal - 17th December 2011

First time back on the canal after a bit of a rest due to a cold, and what a shock! Loaded the boat up and drove down to the Clarke Lane bridge in heavy snow. Got on the water and within 50 metres hit a cloudy patch that then got more solid and crunchy and finally my paddle was skidding off the ice rather than breaking through it. Turning around didn't seem a good idea, so I managed to get to the side and walked back to the bridge. Looked like the trip was going to be a waste of time, but I tried the other direction and luckily the ice was never too thick to plough through. Ended up paddling for 70 minutes. Only got cold putting the boat on and off the car - "pogie" mitts were working well.