2009-05-21 42 -84
| Thu 21 May 2009 in Lansing: 42.8587364, -84.5438145 geohashing.info google osm bing/os kml crox |
Contents
About
This particular Geohashing Day hash was located in a swamp not far off of Old US 27 Highway.
Expedition
excellentdude: As many others did, I eagerly awaited the local Geohashing Day coordinates. Sweet! They weren't that far away, and the satellite view seems to look like a grassy field.
I drove to the site and stopped at the nearest house to ask about gaining access to the land. The house was a little odd in that I couldn't tell which door was the front door, but no one answered when I knocked at either. There was a nice old car with a license plate from the '70s in the driveway, but no one around anywhere. I began to head back to the road and saw a "No Trespassing" sign along the way. When I was due north of the hash, I took a couple pictures in the direction of the hash. I don't know if I was actually able to see the hash or not through all the brush.
I then proceeded back down the highway to the other side of the hash. There I encountered an interesting man who we'll call Woody working at a body shop. He was nice, approachable, and seemed to be having a good day. A little ways into our conversation, I learned that he owned both the house where I had been and the land containing the hash. When I told him what I wanted, his attitude changed. He didn't get the reason for geohashing. I tried to explain differently, but he just kept asking "Why?" repeatedly. I gently moved to conversation toward possibly getting permission to access the point. He told me it was in a swamp. He looked at my shoes and told me I'd need something better than my tennis shoes to get back there. I asked how bad a swamp it was, and he said I'd need waders. I couldn't ever get a straight answer out of him regarding whether he'd let me access the point or not, even after telling him I'd kindly leave and be OK with it if he said I couldn't. He wouldn't say yes, and he wouldn't say no. But when he said waders were necessary, I knew I didn't have any of those and wasn't going to make it. I walked up the highway a bit until I was due east of the hash and took a couple pictures of the swamp and the fence surrounding it.
In the end, no coordinates were reached, but a little exploring was done and an amusing conversation was had. That works for me on Geohashing Day!
Achievements
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excellentdude earned the 2009 Geohashing Day achievement
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excellentdude earned the There might be alligators! consolation prize
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Photos
There was no one home...
...or in the car.
Will definitely need to find owner to do this one
Is that the hash?
Maybe now?
That's the hash
I can't get there
I got this close
Woody's, where I encountered Woody
