2014-03-11 47 -122

Location

NW 80th Street in Ballard, between 21st and 22nd ave NW.

Participants

Plans

This is on one of my normal running routes so I'll try to arrange to finish a run here over lunch. --Stand (talk) 12:19, 11 March 2014 (EDT)

Look for chalk next to the center line. --Thomcat (talk) 12:23, 11 March 2014 (EDT)

I think I'll also go for it "over lunch" (basically right now.) Evening would also work but likely after 8pm. Maybe I'll run into you Stan? About when is your ETA? For me will probably be 12:45 or so. -- OtherJack (talk) 15:19, 11 March 2014 (EDT)

Make that closer to 1... -- OtherJack (talk) 15:44, 11 March 2014 (EDT)

Bummer! I was there at around 12:30 to 12:45. Must've just missed you --Stand (talk) 17:12, 11 March 2014 (EDT)

Yeah I didn't end up leaving till after 12:45, saw your wiki post and then left. Got there at 1pm. I'll post expedition and photos when I have time... moral of the story is, actual ETA's are very helpful! -- OtherJack (talk) 17:23, 11 March 2014 (EDT)

Expedition

Was a few minutes from ready for work at 6:28 - might as well check the point before heading out the door. WARNING: Different DJIA values for 2014-03-11: 16419.39 (crox) / 0 (peeron). Using 16419.39. is never a good sign. Still, 2km south and 1km west of my house is worth an expedition.

Google maps shows it to be in the middle of 80th ave NW, near a favorite bakery called Larsens. Ballard is the Scandinavian portion of Seattle, from the Blessing of the Fleet (two days ago) to Syttende Mai. With some Swedish lineage, it was a natural place to call home.

Out the door and on the way - what is the soonest a geohash has been reached after announcement? I pulled up geohash droid. FAIL. Okay, alternate plan a - check the Seattle page and load peeron or OSM... also fail. Peeron gave me coordinates based on zero, I believe. So back to http://tjum.anthill.de, the most useful resource today.

Scribbling the coordinates on an envelope, I strive to open the GPS mapping, which leads me to what I expected - google maps and the middle of NW 80th. I am now 17 minutes past coordinate announcement. I park, chalk the street location (to return later or alert others) then I set up to snap pictures with my trusty Canon PowerShot. One last stab at geohashdroid gives me another fail, so I snap a picture of that also.

At least the consolation of a delicious maple bar from Larsen's Bakery sends me on my way to work in a chipper mood.

Yay - geohashdroid working again! -- Thomcat (talk) @47.7973,-122.2061 13:28, 11 March 2014 (PDT)

I had a 30 minute run scheduled for today and with the geohash only a mile from the house I had to reroute a bit so I could end up there. I took what I call the "boat route" because the GPS track looks a bit like the prow of a ship pointing west. I had to add some distance towards the end because I went too fast. I spent about 15 minutes at the site trying to get a picture of my watch displaying the coordinates. Alas, my phone camera isn't that good. I did upload a pic of the chalk "XKCD" on the street. That plus the my GPS track should be enough to prove I was there, eh? I think there's a badge for walking to a site so I'll have to check on that. --Stand (talk) 17:25, 11 March 2014 (EDT)

I slept in until almost noon today, after closing out the bar last night celebrating a friend's successful PhD defense. So I didn't see the coordinates, expedition, etc. until Stan was practically there. I thought about racing straight to the spot, but by the time I washed up, got a lunch together for the day, etc. he had already posted his picture. I took off anyway and made it there around 1:02pm - gorgeous day for a bike ride! Couldn't get a proper GPS proof-photo due to the lighting, but I think the pictures of the neighborhood and of Thom's chalk will stand as proof. Headed for Larsen's next... had never heard of it until Thomcat mentioned it this morning, but the rhubarb strudel was excellent. It seemed like a cool neighborhood in general, I'd never been to 24th Ave NW before (except right in downtown Ballard.) Overall great (if brief) expedition. -- OtherJack (talk) 01:30, 12 March 2014 (EDT)

Tracklog

My track log is on the Garmin Connect site --Stand (talk) 17:29, 11 March 2014 (EDT)

Photos

Google maps, blue for parked car, red for destination
Droid error
Delicious!
Made it! @47.6868,-122.3840
Thom's marker! Bonus points if you can figure out what the shadow at lower right is
Cool house on the corner
OtherJackMobile
Looking directly across 80th
Next door to Larsen's - not bad looking!