2013-10-01 47 -122

Location

Down the railroad tracks in the Southcenter neighborhood.

Participants

Thomcat

Plans

Stop by after work; also stopping at Game Stop to pick up a Star Craft II: Heart of the Swarm collector's edition box set.

Expedition

The commute down I-405 is not to be trifled with, so it is with some trepidation that I volunteer to scout this particular geohash.

More than half an hour later, I have traversed the 15 odd miles from my work place to the area of the geohash. I know that train tracks are often marked "No Trespassing" with a prominent fence, but the close proximity of the "Interurban Trail" (a remnant of yet another rail track most likely) gives me hope.

I find a decent parking spot with access to the trail and hoof it north. When I reach a vehicle underpass, there is a clear grass sward leading to the tracks. A distinct lack of signs indicates I should proceed, and in fact I pass a gentleman proceeding the other direction.

Reaching the tracks, I turn south and walk along the verge. When the rails diverge (and diverge again) I hear a Sounder train coming and duck low - no point in being seen before reaching the geohash!

I snap a few photos of the nearby parked rail cars, and using a convenient bench next to one switch I snap a timed portrait. Now to the hash point itself!

The target point is on the slope next to the higher set of rails - the ones used by the Sounder train. I snap a phone photo and upload from the spot, snapping another of the distance to the rails while waiting. My foot is used for scale. Many lucky commuters passed within the margin of error for this geohash today and tonight - but they would have to be on the east side of the train.

Next I wanted to leave the poster printout somewhere - but not near the tracks, as that would be littering AND incriminating. A Sounder train rushed by as I was pondering, so I snapped another photo.

The nearby rail car on the spur line was just the thing. A document compartment near the handbrake was empty, so I inserted the geohash document there. Will it be found by somebody in Seattle, or perhaps somewhere else? Within the rail car was another car, or perhaps a whole lot of them.

Now done, I headed north along the tracks, snapping a few more photos of switches. A trainspotter I am not, but as the spur rail was approaching the main line, another train came by - this one a freight. I got far enough off the tracks to avoid any danger to me or the train. After this one was gone (and another Sounder train went by) I reached the grassy verge and headed back to the Interurban trail.

Three sounder trains, one freight train, several parked rail cars (full of cars), a rusted railroad spike, and one successful geohash.