2010-10-28 26 -80

Location

On the train tracks not far from Stirling Rd and US-1. Doesn't look like there's a fence.

Participants

Plans

Eat something, head out 5:30-ish, expect to be there shortly after 6, maybe. Unless traffic is bad or I get lost.

Revised plans at 6: I'll probably be there shortly after 6:30. Food always takes longer than I think it will, even when it's just a snack.

Expedition

Short version: Rhonda and Million zillion met at the hashpoint, took photos, then went to Jaxson's for ridiculously large hot fudge sundaes.

Long version and photos to follow.

Rhonda

Rhonda was staying in Coconut Grove for work, and found out at about 5PM that the hashpoint one graticule up was accessible. After being assured that there weren't any fences on the railway track and that people regularly crossed them on foot (and warned to be careful of trains), she posted plans to eat a snack then drive up and arrive shortly after 6PM.

At 5:55, she finished her snack, posted new plans to arrive shortly after 6:30, and headed out with a programmed GPS and google maps directions via I-95 for the area copied onto the back of her hotel key card envelope.

Getting to I-95 was easy.

Driving on I-95 was scary.

Eventually she figured out that the safest way to drive on a road with seven lanes northbound (the southbound lanes weren't visible enough to count at a glance, and that was more than she could spare) was to ignore the speedometer and speed limit, find a pack of cars going at a comfortable pace, and stick with them until the right exit. I-95 wasn't quite as scary after that. (Does Canada even have roads with that many lanes?)

The turns were very easy to follow, and there was a grassy strip between the road and the trees that screened the tracks from the houses, wide enough to park on easily. As she got out of the car, a person stepped into view from the train tracks side of the trees, and called her by name.

Million zillion

I saw Rhonda's note a little before 6pm while still at work, and realized that if I left immediately I could just about make it to the hashpoint in time to meetup with Rhonda. As a longtime resident of this area, I knew better than to try to take I-95 during rush hour if could possibly avoid it, so I took I-595 to US-1 instead.

I reached the side-road just west of the tracks a bit after 6:30, found the approximate hashpoint at about 6:40, and took a few pictures of the scenery, such as it was.

Then I tried to guess whether Rhonda had already been to the hashpoint and gone (in which case she might have picked up on my subtle hint and I'd try to catch up with her at Jaxson's), or if she was still on her way over and I should wait. I didn't have to wait long - a car pulled up on the grass along the eastern side-road, and someone got out and looked toward the tracks. "Rhonda?" I asked...

At the hashpoint

Greetings were made, coordinates were found (with Rhonda's GPS), and pictures were taken. And the mosquitos were biting, so we decided to move the meetup to the nearby Jaxson's Ice Cream Parlour.