2023-10-23 49 9

Location

Near a power line between Neuhütten and Lohr

Participants

Expedition

Even though such a northerly position should make it easy to claim a new graticule to the south of me, I use today's hash to claim a new graticule - to the west of me. And in doing so, I change trains in Würzburg, the city giving this graticule its name, and a city much closer to me than this hash. I just liked this hike so much, I had to do it. None of the southerly hashes were actually easy to reach by public transport, and luckily, I was just able to schedule to arrive at the hash before the sun would set and make my whole trip much less pleasent.

I took the train to Wiesthal, via Fürth and Würzburg. Wiesthal is a very car-centric train station. It's approximately a km to the city of Wiesthal, so I probably shouldn't be surprised. But I was surprised to see a train station without any support for pedestrians. Once you leave the train, you are spit out onto the parking area, and after that you're walking on the road. You're a car now. Or, more accurate, you should be in a car now. Well, I'm not. Deal with it, Wiesthal.

Luckily, it's not far until I am allowed to leave the street and I turn right on some more or less stabilized footpaths through the forest. Compared to the local area at home, Wiesthal is quite a bit more hilly, and I start to feel the additional stress of walking up the hill. I want to be back in two hours, and my scouting gave me a travel time of 65 minutes each way, so I have to hurry a bit.

Today's hash is very close to a high power line, something quite visible from space (and also from my point of view as a human on earth) because it cuts a breach into the forest, making sure that no trees accidentally grow into the power lines. I reach said power line, and now only have to follow it for 600 meters until I reach the hash.

There should be a path here - but I cannot find it. I find something that looks like a path - but it doesn't follow the power line, drifting into another part of the forest. As I am unable to find my planned path, I oblige, knowing I should cross a more clearly marked path if I continue my direction.

This works, and once I am on a proper path again, I take aim for the hash a second time. This time, it works, I arrive at the hash approximately 50 minutes after leaving the train station, well in advance of the scheduled 65 minutes, and even including my slight detour searching for a suitable path.

The hash is hiding a few meters into the forest, making it hard for me to catch the power line on the pictures because of the on-setting darkness. But I record proof, and hike back to Wiesthal train station. My path downhill is very scenic and I enjoy now having to work as hard walking down as I had to climb up. I arrive at the train station almost half an hour early - plenty of time in retrospect.