1992-08-13 51 -0

Location

This displaced origin hash is in a park near Croydon.

Planning

I knew I wanted to go geohashing this weekend, and when the DJIA didn't cooperate, I decided to take advantage of the extra hour I get today and use that displaced origin hash I've been saving for a (hopefully non-literal) rainy day. I'll probably get there about noon. -Haberdasher 05:47, 28 October 2012 (EDT)

Participants

Haberdasher

Expedition

I need to get better at estimating times. Or just adding an hour to my original estimate each time, that seems to work too.

Took the District line to Wimbledon, then the Tramlink to... well, the middle section of the Tramlink was down. I'd known this before going, and had considered postponing the journey because of it, but I told the Internet that I'd make it, dagnabbit! Actually, the replacement bus wasn't a problem, and soon enough I was at the Gravel Hill tram stop, only a brisk walk from the park. Even managed to eat some dried cranberries and get some school reading done on the way.

I was a bit worried about finding an entrance to Selsdon Woods, but my GPS led me through a subdivision with some pretty trees, past a bridleway (a term I'd never heard before, but based on the sign it's similar to a public footpath) and right into a trail, with the opening helpfully marked Selsdon Woods. Everything was going smoothly, more smoothly than it had any right to be.

At first I thought that the hashpoint was in an area marked off by a fence, but following around the trail showed me that this was not the case. However, I discovered that the hashpoint WAS in the middle of the woods... Luckily, I'd learned from an earlier expedition, and was wearing clothing that would not catch or tear while I did the GPS dance in a patch of thistles. After reaching the spot and taking a picture of my Stupid Grin, I found that what I had thought was a clearing a few feet away was in fact another trail, which would've meant much less dealing with thistles. Ah well, my clothes and I survived surprisingly unscathed, so I can't complain.

Rather than retracing my footsteps, I decided to follow the trail around, figuring that I'd reach an exit eventually. After a nice walk in the woods, passing by a few others who also saw these woods as a good place to spend a Sunday afternoon, I indeed found an exit, and ended up at that very bridleway I'd walked past on the way in. Funny how things work out.