It was fantastic having a bit more breathing room than we would have during the day – there were people out skating, but they were pretty spread out. The temperature and wind conditions were great, but there wasn’t much of a moon last night to help us see along the way. Skating the canal at night can be a bit treacherous – I incorrectly remembered it being more brightly lit in the evenings. Happily, nobody wiped out despite a couple of close calls in a melty spot.

Speaking of which – the route’s got a couple of depressing puddles on it – I’ve only been on a few times and it’s already nearly over! I hope we get one more cold snap and it hardens up enough for a trip down the entire length. How would -30 for a few days work for you, Jen?