Dan Q

Kind: Checkins

Geohashing expedition 2018-11-09 51 -3

This checkin to geohash 2018-11-09 51 -3 reflects a geohashing expedition. See more of Dan's hash logs.

Location

Field near Whitefield Rocks, Langley Marsh. Google Maps says its a nowhere-place but OpenStreetMap suggests there’s a footpath right by the hashpoint.

Participants

Plans

Okay, I’m going for it! I’m driving from Oxford to Penzance this morning and having just watched the sun rise over Sedgemoor Services off the M5 I’ve determined that I’m ahead of schedule by enough that I can justify a diversion, so I’m going to try for this hashpoint as I “pass”. Typing from mobile, apologies for lack of formatting ans any spelling errors; I’ll fix them later.

Expedition

Driving from Oxford to Penzance in the world’s-smallest-rental-car isn’t a fun adventure. What is fun, though, is hitting up a graticule I’ve never hashed in before to see if I can find the day’s hashpoint while en-route.

Parking the awfulmobile in a country lane, I followed the road and then a country footpath towards the hashpoint. I say “footpath”, but the public right of way was in dire need of maintenance and the nettles and hedges were encroaching badly upon it. Which was troublesome, because the other side of the footpath was marked by an electric fence that I didn’t want to touch, and so I had to shuffle sideways-at-times through the first field. The second field was easier-going, and I got a great view of the distant storm beginning to roll in which would soak me later, as I hid adventure-game clues atop a cliff near Penzance. The third field appeared to be where the hashpoint would be, and it was crossed by the public right of way, but I was surprised to find that the electric fence returned and now barred my way. Luckily its owner had seen fit to put a length of plastic piping around the live wire so it was possible to jump over without burning my crotch, but this seemed a little not-the-done-thing regardless.

The hashpoint was right in the middle of the field and an easy find. Certainly easier than the short-but-exciting hike there and back.

Photos

Dan Q performed maintenance for GC7Q96B Oxford’s Long-Lost Zoo

This checkin to GC7Q96B Oxford's Long-Lost Zoo reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

Checked-in following recent report of “broken hinge”. Hinge is fine, but this kind of container is designed so that the hinge can be easily detached and the lid removed completely – so long as you come at it from the right angle it’s pretty easy to put it back together again. All is well at GZ; cache is particularly easy to find now it’s a little more wintery but I don’t think there’s any increased risk of muggling. Happy hunting!

Dan Q found GC2ZPK9 Fining Wood

This checkin to GC2ZPK9 Fining Wood reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

A challenging find this morning, and not in the good way! After an extended search the cache was eventually found on the other side of some fallen (spiky) bushes from the published coordinates. From the logs it looks like it was moved some time ago but the coordinates were never updated? Cache contents very damp and log baggie holed – log still usable, but not for long. Contents need maintenence ASAP, container might survive either year or two if frost doesn’t crack the seal. SL, TFTC.

Dan Q found GC7Q7FN Church Micro 11881…Lane End

This checkin to GC7Q7FN Church Micro 11881...Lane End reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

Staying at the conference centre down the road I got up early this morning to come out and find this cache before breakfast. After a little while struggling to make out the letters on the gravestone in the dim November morning light I was eventually able to find the cache. Don’t understand the checksum, though! SL, TFTC.

Dan Q performed maintenance for GC7R0HB The Fairy Elevator

This checkin to GC7R0HB The Fairy Elevator reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

Sorry it took me so long to get out here to check up on this cache; geocaching.com started disbelieving that my email address was valid and stopped sending me watchlist notifications for a while! Looks like the lid had become detached at some point (that can happen with this kind of container) but a subsequent cacher more-familiar with this kind of container reassembled it. Dried out the container a little, but the most-fragile contents were already safely ziplocked and silica-gelled and were all in serviceable condition already.

The fairies are all busy weatherproofing their homes for the winter, so I gave them a little help too.

Dan Q found GC5A7DW Trafalgar Square

This checkin to GC5A7DW Trafalgar Square reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

Fantastic hide! Stood around looking at my phone for a bit while some pot-smoking workmen nearby eyed me suspiciously, but eventually they moved away and I had a moment to retrieve the cache. Glad I came first thing in the morning (am on my way to a conference at the National Gallery)! SL, TFTC!

Dan Q found OK02FF M-libs 12B

This checkin to OK02FF M-libs 12B reflects an opencache.uk log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

I can’t help but notice that this “modern missus” is quite-literally being held back by a chain (of oppression?). Not sure that’s what the artist intended or just an unfortunate side-effect of the way it’s been installed, though!

Dan at a statue of a woman with children

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Dan Q need-maintenance OK0303 M-libs12H

This checkin to OK0303 M-libs12H reflects an opencache.uk log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs.

Aside from the (loose) historical connection, there’s little to recommend this waypoint. But thanks for the history lesson!

(Oh, I can’t log this one either… another password needed and no indication of where I can should begin looking for it…)

Dan outside the Wilson Building, Open University Campus, Milton Keynes

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