2023-03-04 57 -2

Sat 4 Mar 2023 in 57,-2: 57.2763022, -2.4287557 geohashing.info google osm bing/os kml crox

Location

The hash point is very close to a public footpath in woodland, and should make an excellent Saturday meetup. It would be cool if someone else could turn up! I currently feel that I'm the only active hasher in this graticule. We'll see :)

Participants

Macronencer

Plans

The hash point is at the opposite side of the woods from the car park, so there will be opportunities for a pleasant walk if the weather allows. I might take my camera too. I'll try to be at the hash point at 1600.

Expedition

Macronencer’s journey

I set off around 1450 to drive to the car park location. The weather was dull but dry, and apart from a five-minute wait behind a slow tractor and trailer, the traffic was no issue. When I neared the location I noticed that the sat nav was asking me to take a dead end road ahead. As I couldn’t see a sign for Newseat Community Woodland I decided I knew better and drove around to the left instead. This was a mistake, and I ended up having to turn round and return. The dead end road was covered with potholes, pretty awful but not as bad as some I’ve encountered in the past!

On arriving at the car park I found that there was an honesty box requesting £2 for maintenance of the road, which is private, and I was happy to pay. I hope they raise enough to get it fixed!

An interesting cylindrical gate gave access to the woods. It was essentially a couple of concentric cages, the inner one suspended at the top, with a gap that moved around with the rotation. I’m guessing that its purpose is to keep deer out.

The hash point was about 700m from the car park, and I set off up a hill through a rather dark pine forest. It was a nice walk, and it quickly opened out as I approached the top, to open land with some very interesting beech trees (I think they were).

As I approached the hash point, which was near the path by a bend, I noticed that the GPS was not very happy. In the end I spent a good ten minutes “doing the dance”, piquing the curiosity of a man and his dog in the process, who possibly had never seen a nerd before. I got it down to 5m in the end, which I think is a win. To be honest I covered so much of the area searching that I must have passed through the right point multiple times anyway!

I’d brought a tripod in the hope of getting some sort of time lapse but the location wasn't ideal, so I settled for some photos of Chuck, my mascot, and the mandatory cheesy grin.

There was an abundance of sticks, so I left two markers: one where I thought the hash probably was, and the other by the path where people could see it.

All in all, a pleasant afternoon! I didn’t meet any other hashers but I had a nice walk and it didn’t rain.

Photos

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  Honesty box for road upkeep, and concentric gate that reminded me of an airlock from some sci fi movie

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  Spooky wood, but rather small: I was through it in about a minute

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  Interesting new growth from a "dead" tree

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  Lovely old trees

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  It's down there, just beyond the path!

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  Yay! 5m is a win, at 6m accuracy

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  Actual co-ordinates

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  The hash was somewhere around this fallen tree

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  Macronencer and hashscot Chuck, who is glad to get out again!

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  Cheesy grin :)

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  Main XKCD marker

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  Another marker near the path. There were SO many sticks...

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  About to cycle the airlock again and return to Dash, my trusty car