2017-04-24 38 -77

Location

In the woods between Livingston Rd and Rt 210 in Accokeek, MD

Participants

Pedalpusher

Expedition

On my drive to Maryland and after my expedition on Friday, as I approached Baltimore, my car started to overheat. I was able to make it to my friends house using the turn-the-heat-on-high trick to help cool off the engine. However, I knew I wasn't going to be driving back to Buffalo without having the car fixed. We took it in on Saturday and they determined it was an electrical issue, but still needed time to pinpoint the problem. So since I was still waiting on my car today and stuck in Maryland, I was able to go on an expedition and this one was pretty close to my friend's house.

I had borrowed my friend's car for the day but looking at the hash, it didn't look like I would be able to park on Livingston Rd. I did see a small church at a close intersection on Rt 210. We had gone mountain bike riding the day before and I didn't bring my road bike with me for this trip(otherwise I probably would have ridden my bike). But I really didn't feel like slogging 10 miles one way on the heavy mtn bike. Especially since I had dawdled in the morning and the rain was moving in. I decided I would drive to the church and park there, then ride my bike the last mile to the woods.

Getting ready to go, I started driving and getting to Rt 210, I was in the wrong lane and was forced to go North instead of South and had to find a place to make a U-turn. As I waited for the light to change, I checked my pocket...and um...where's my phone? I had forgotten to grab it from the charger as I left so without the ability to record my proof, I went back to the house. Ok, now heading back to the hash, I knew where I was supposed to go and found the parking area for the church without any trouble.

Riding to the hash, I saw that there were no posted signs and there was the overgrown but mostly clear path through the woods you can sort of see on the satellite pictures. Perhaps it was an old, abandoned dirt road or something. Working my way closer, I rested my bike on a downed tree and made my way to the hash. With the heavy clouds and trees starting to get their leaves, the GPS had a lot of trouble getting a signal at first. I expected to take about 20 minutes zig-zagging my way across the same area about 50 times before registering a close approach to the hash, but it was a surprisingly short dance once the GPS decided to send me in the proper direction.

Getting my pictures, I headed back to the car, soaking but happy for a successful expedition in a new graticule. Of course, on the way back to the house, the rain practically stopped but there was nothing to be done about that.

Side note, this turns out to be the first expedition of a Consecutive hash with a link to the next day's hash expedition on the way home to Buffalo.

Photos

When I parked, I took a screenshot of the current radar for the area. It's raining!
The red dot is where I parked, the yellow is the hash. I rode up Pine to Livingston.
Made it!
Accuracy.
View from the hash looking toward Rt 210.
Another view from the hash, the woods pretty much looked like this all around.
Soaked, but happy to make it.