2009-09-02 50 -2

Location

A350 near Iwerne Minster, Dorset

Participants

Macronencer plus friend Paul

Plans

I want to get a Speed racer achievement and this looks like an opportunity!

Important: We won't be there until after 7pm due to work commitments.

Expedition

Macronencer

As this looked as if it was right on the edge of the road, I planned to drive over it, with my drag-along friend Paul videoing the GPS. The journey to the hash was a round trip of 122 miles (195km) and the weather forecast was terrible. Expectations of arriving in daylight were not high. Also, today was the Great Dorset Steam Fair (all week, actually), and the traffic could have been a problem. Consulting a local resident I happen to know, I planned a route that would avoid the fair, just in case. We arrived at around 19:42, just as the light was fading. We drove past the hash point a few times, to make sure where it was. It seemed to be on the inside of a bend, but it was hard to tell accurately enough when driving, as the GPS couldn't pinpoint it at speed. So I realised that we would have to get out to find it. But the road was flanked by hedges and no room to walk safely.

We parked the car 100m away on a grass verge, did some video footage (to be used in my end-of-year montage - I wanted to get it while it was light), then walked carefully down the road with the GPS. It turned out that the hash point was just on the edge of the road next to the hedge - perhaps in the hedge (2m away at one point, but only managed 3m for the proof photo, at 6m accuracy). I decided that a speed racer achievement was out of the question, as the road was wet, the location was on a blind bend, and the speed limit was 60 mph, far too fast to take the bend safely in those conditions. Never mind - at least we had reached the co-ordinates! And luckily enough, the torrential rain had actually died away as we approached the location.

Damp, and a bit tired, we returned to the car and drove to the nearest pub for refreshments! Had a lovely meal there and bought Paul a beer or three for helping. Unfortunately I was so busy showing him what the iPhone could do that I forgot to take photos in the pub!

On the way back a deer ran across the road in front of me. I had plenty of time to stop, but as I was about to pull away a smaller one (offspring?) appeared on the other side of the road. trying to follow. I turned my lights off, but it didn't seem to want to move, so I used my horn and scared it back into the woods before I drove away. I have run over a baby deer once and it has haunted me ever since: I have no desired to go through that again...

Got home at 22:40. Very glad to have the drag-along achievement: the speed racer can wait for another day when it's easier!

P.S. Due to rain, darkness and desire to get away to the pub, didn't even manage to leave a marker. Mind you, the location was really too dangerous to be doing that kind of thing.

Photos

Sorry about the quality. It was already getting dark, and it was hard to work without a tripod (which I'd left in the car in my hurry to catch the light - ironic, eh?)