It was a very frosty start to the 2015 calendar of rides when five Lancaster and South Lakes club members met at the Millenium Bridge for Nick Hall's outing to Arnside. Deciding to avoid roads as much as possible because of the risk of ice they opted to follow the canal from the aqueduct at Beaumont to Carnforth, then along North Road and Kellet Lane to Greenlands Farm at Tewitfield. 

There they were joined by a sizeable group at the cafe and after thawing out with hot drinks and cakes the now large group was able to continue through Burton in Kendal as far as the South Lakes motorway junction.

The roads proved quite dry and ice free as they passed Woodhouse and the views became impressive on climbing to higher ground. They dropped down to Heversham village then crossed the A6 onto the wide expanse of flats near the coast, with the dry still air making up to some extent for chilled extremities. 

Having reached the road by the River Bela they were afforded a magical backdrop of the Lake District mountains reflected in the still waters of the River Kent as they rode past the estuary before stopping in Arnside for lunch. 

Their return began by climbing the hill past Arnside Knott then swooping down to a cove by Morecambe Bay, through Silverdale and Leighton Moss to Crag Bank and back to Lancaster. It was an excellent start to the year's activities on a route which took in some of North Lancashire and South Cumbria's finest scenery.