Adventure Canoe Forum » Topic: Snowbound on Thirlmere (Lake District, England)

Adventure Canoe Forum » Topic: Snowbound on Thirlmere (Lake District, England) http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/snowbound-on-thirlmere-lake-district-england Canoe Camping & River Tripping Discussion en-US Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:25:24 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/search.php Snowbound on Thirlmere (Lake District, England) http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/snowbound-on-thirlmere-lake-district-england#post-1487 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:21:22 +0000 crow 1487@http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/ <blockquote><cite><a href="http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/snowbound-on-thirlmere-lake-district-england#post-1470" target="_blank">Dennis</a> - 4 days ago  » </cite> So when is the next outing? I need my weekly canoeing fix and everyone here is hibernating.</blockquote> I've been hibernating too, Dennis. Haven't been out this year! Helping a friend pick up his new boat on Sunday, so might take it out for a test drive if the weather holds out.   Snowbound on Thirlmere (Lake District, England) http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/snowbound-on-thirlmere-lake-district-england#post-1470 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 10:29:54 +0000 Dennis 1470@http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/ So when is the next outing? I need my weekly canoeing fix and everyone here is hibernating. Snowbound on Thirlmere (Lake District, England) http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/snowbound-on-thirlmere-lake-district-england#post-1442 Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:08:28 +0000 zakaryjohn 1442@http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/ I always enviously enjoy canoeing photos from your side of the pond. Something about how open everything seems...how the landscapes appear to go on forever. Never been, but would love to paddle over there sometime. Thanks for the photos. Snowbound on Thirlmere (Lake District, England) http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/snowbound-on-thirlmere-lake-district-england#post-1440 Sun, 03 Jan 2010 23:36:49 +0000 Dennis 1440@http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/ Those are some great photos. I like the reflections in the still water the best. You can't go wrong with those red canoes either. It is very cold here right now. I'm going home in half and hour and I'm not looking forward to going outside. I think I need a new winter coat. Mine has lost most of its fluff after ten winters. If it was not for all the junk I have stuffed in my pockets I would probably freeze to death. Snowbound on Thirlmere (Lake District, England) http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/snowbound-on-thirlmere-lake-district-england#post-1432 Wed, 30 Dec 2009 08:51:25 +0000 crow 1432@http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/ <blockquote><cite><a href="http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/snowbound-on-thirlmere-lake-district-england#post-1431" target="_blank">Bryan Hansel</a> - 25 minutes ago  » </cite> Wow. Great pictures. Seeing canoes and castles seems very unique for me. I'd love to see more pictures with a canoe in front of a castle.</blockquote> Just for you, Bryan. This is Kilchurn Castle on Loch Awe in Scotland: <img src="http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/8067/img3156y.jpg" alt="" />   <img src="http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/7411/img3159t.jpg" alt="" />   <img src="http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/6112/img3160c.jpg" alt="" /> Snowbound on Thirlmere (Lake District, England) http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/snowbound-on-thirlmere-lake-district-england#post-1431 Wed, 30 Dec 2009 08:23:40 +0000 Bryan Hansel 1431@http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/ Wow. Great pictures. Seeing canoes and castles seems very unique for me. I'd love to see more pictures with a canoe in front of a castle. Snowbound on Thirlmere (Lake District, England) http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/topic/snowbound-on-thirlmere-lake-district-england#post-1429 Wed, 30 Dec 2009 05:37:15 +0000 crow 1429@http://www.adventurecanoe.com/forum/   Snowbound on Thirlmere "Snowbound Let's sleep in today Wake me up When the wolves come out to play" It was Gav's birthday yesterday and he invited us to celebrate it with him on Thirlmere. I was running a bit late, as ever, and missed the turn off down to the put in. No problem, I thought, I'll just drive down to the bottom end of the lake and double back up the minor road on the west side. Bad move! Apparently there had been a 'Road Closed' sign but someone had taken it down. The road was single track and thick with snow, apart from a couple of wavy tyre tracks. But once I was on it there was no turning back. So long as I kept moving I was all right, but if I had to stop I'd never getting started again on that ice. But then a car with a canoe on top appeared, stopped right in front of me, so I ground to a halt. It was Alex who was busy being towed out by Gav in his 4x4. Of course I couldn't get moving again either, so Gav came back and towed me back on to less slippy ground. Arriving at the car park, it was down a steep slope off the road. I knew I'd never get back up that hill, so I left my car at the top. More on this later... All the guys were waiting - Gav, Alex, Lee, Pauly and Tony - so we got straight out onto the water. The lake was like glass, reflected the snow covered hills perfectly in the sunshine. My boat: <img src="http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/6894/sdc11163.jpg" alt="" /> The lake: <img src="http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/7682/sdc11166.jpg" alt="" /> Tony joined me as bow paddler and we headed south down the lake. Alex: <img src="http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/268/sdc11171.jpg" alt="" /> Gav: <img src="http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/5175/sdc11177zq.jpg" alt="" /> <img src="http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/715/sdc11182j.jpg" alt="" /> <img src="http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/4435/sdc11183v.jpg" alt="" /> Alex: <img src="http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/5839/sdc11188.jpg" alt="" /> Lee: <img src="http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/7760/sdc11191.jpg" alt="" /> <img src="http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/7886/sdc11193t.jpg" alt="" /> <img src="http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/4343/sdc11197.jpg" alt="" /> <img src="http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/1299/sdc11202.jpg" alt="" /> We stopped for lunch at at castle on the east shore (waterworks building I believe). Various fireboxes, kelly kettles, flasks and stoves were produced and bacon, eggs and sausages consumed. <img src="http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/6282/sdc11204.jpg" alt="" /> <img src="http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/1851/sdc11209.jpg" alt="" /> <img src="http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/7497/sdc11210g.jpg" alt="" /> Lee: <img src="http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/8489/sdc11216rp.jpg" alt="" /> Tony, Gav, Paul, Alex: <img src="http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/2430/sdc11227g.jpg" alt="" /> Good job nobody fell out of their boat, as swimming was prohibited. <img src="http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/9527/sdc11222t.jpg" alt="" /> After luncheon we headed further south, but hit pack ice before we reached the bottom end of the lake. Gav tried to use his canoe as an ice breaker but didn't get too far. <img src="http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/9128/sdc11234z.jpg" alt="" /> We reach the southern polar ice cap: <img src="http://img682.imageshack.us/img682/9708/sdc11230t.jpg" alt="" /> <img src="http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/9526/sdc11239z.jpg" alt="" /> Gav attempting the ice: <img src="http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/5144/sdc11240f.jpg" alt="" /> In retreat: <img src="http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/552/sdc11243v.jpg" alt="" /> <img src="http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/8282/sdc11245m.jpg" alt="" /> So we adjourned to a nearby beach for a bit of health and safety training. <img src="http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/1442/sdc11241j.jpg" alt="" /> <img src="http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/5950/sdc11246y.jpg" alt="" /> Bell Owner's Club photo: <img src="http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/9099/sdc11249.jpg" alt="" /> What will we do next? <img src="http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/9875/sdc11254h.jpg" alt="" /> Let's do a team photo: <img src="http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/61/sdc11255s.jpg" alt="" /> Then let's see whether Crow has enough safety tools to cut his way out of this: <img src="http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/486/sdc11256.jpg" alt="" /> Then it was time to head back, pausing only for a cuppa and some birthday cake. <img src="http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/7330/sdc11260.jpg" alt="" /> <img src="http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/2016/sdc11265.jpg" alt="" /> <img src="http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/8327/sdc11270.jpg" alt="" /> <img src="http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/8157/sdc11273z.jpg" alt="" /> <img src="http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/9264/sdc11276.jpg" alt="" /> <img src="http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/3342/sdc11279x.jpg" alt="" /> The cake: <img src="http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/1520/sdc11287.jpg" alt="" /> Heading back to the cars, Tony at the bow: <img src="http://img686.imageshack.us/img686/2130/sdc11293.jpg" alt="" /> Back at the car park, the fun started. As predicted, none of the cars could make it up the slope to the road, except Gav's 4X4. (I'd left mine at the top.) So we spent a good hour or so, pushing, pulling and trying to manhandle the cars up that hill. We tried towing, we tried sand, we tried breaking the ice with shovels, we tried taking a run at it, all to no avail. We were all getting quite knackered and about to set off to find a farmer with a tractor, when a large Range Rover came by. We flagged it down and explained our predicament and the driver kindly agreed to help. He towed all 4 cars up that slope without any problem at all. Saved! <img src="http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/9893/sdc11297h.jpg" alt="" /> <img src="http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/9673/sdc11301b.jpg" alt="" /> So it was off to the Traveller's Rest for a well earned pint after that, and then home. <img src="http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/1598/sdc11302t.jpg" alt="" /> <img src="http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/9270/sdc11304q.jpg" alt="" /> Altogether a great day out. Beautiful conditions and a wee bit adventure / exercise at the end. Gordon <img title="Davy" src="http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/images/smilies/davy.gif" alt="" />