Talk:2011-05-21 49 -122

From Geohashing

Planning

Also bear in mind the lessons from last year. But so far I haven't. Get there early, before the end of the world! It's Rapture day at 22:00 UCT!

Location Plans

I think this may be our best choice for Geohashing Day.

Wow. Cool spot. Is anyone familiar with the water there? I would hazard to guess that the current and the distance would make it impractical for dinghies? --Juv
It's a pretty calm, lazy river. Here's some notes from an expert who says maximum currents in the river are 2.0 kts. I've also talked to someone who had paddled there in the past. -Robyn 18:43, 20 May 2011 (EDT)

In fact, a bit of research shows that canoeing at Siwash Island is an actual thing, that normal people do. The Internet, in all its wisdom has blessed us with a Geohashing Day expedition that won't result in people saying "why?!" There used to be a Canoe rental place right by there, but they had to close when the government rezoned the land. -Robyn 19:06, 20 May 2011 (EDT)

Travel plans

Hey Robyn, how are you planning to get there? Driving? Can I get a ride? - Elbie 17:24, 20 May 2011 (EDT)

Yes, driving and yes, you definitely may ride with us. Pi, why did you go to Tibet for Geohashing Day? -Robyn 18:19, 20 May 2011 (EDT)
Thanks! Where do you wanna pick me up, and when? - Elbie 19:07, 20 May 2011 (EDT)
You can't lug your kayak far without a trailer. Are you in the same residence as before? Let me say 10:00 a.m. on Agronomy Road between Lower Mall and West Mall, for now. You fine tune the place and we'll finalize the time after Wade agrees or argues. Should we go earlier? We should also plan picnic food, although last Geohashing Day was a glorious mess of various foods. I'm baking bread right now. I was about to say it was vegan, but aargh, I put honey in it, so it isn't. I'm thinking hummous and whole wheat pita and sprouts and stuff. I have a vegan cake recipe --it's actually my normal cake recipe, just happens to be vegan. I'll bake a cake tonight and bring it unless you post a better idea.
We also need to come up with something above and beyond enough to make this worthy of Geohashing Day. -Robyn 19:37, 20 May 2011 (EDT)
Yep, at the same residence as before. 10 AM works. To save me a lot of effort in lugging the kayak around, would you mind picking me up instead in front of the residence? If you go on Lower Mall, my residence is the middle of the three high rises. There's a restaurant on the main floor of the building, and there's a little road to pull into for parking outside of it. - Elbie 21:05, 20 May 2011 (EDT)
(Or if you don't want to worry about finding the building, I can meet you at Agronomy with my kayak paddle and PFD and we can double back for the kayak. :P ) - Elbie 21:19, 20 May 2011 (EDT)
Here?
Yep.
If you're ready early, check if I'm there. I'm going to try to be ahead of schedule. -Robyn 02:53, 21 May 2011 (EDT)
I can drive there, but I don't have a boat of any sort. Any extra boat spots? - Arbron 18:31, 20 May 2011 (PDT)

Boat Plans

Maybe we should rent a canoe for you and Wade. For the sake of 400 metres a Canadian Tire pool toy rowboat would probably do it, too. Looking. -Robyn 21:36, 20 May 2011 (EDT)
I just arranged to rent a canoe, $50 for the day, delivered to the boat launch at Grant Narrows, about 2 km north of the geohash, includes lifejackets and paddles, and the guy says it's the most awesome place ever to go canoeing. He says he has more canoes available, if anyone knows more people who want to come! -Robyn 21:48, 20 May 2011 (EDT)
Awesome, I'll ask around and see if any of my Geohashing newbie friends are interested. - Arbron 21:51, 20 May 2011 (EDT)
How many does one of these canoes support? - Arbron 22:28, 20 May 2011 (EDT)
We asked for a two man one, but I imagine we can put a third person in the middle, and he has bigger ones. Call the number in red here and tell him you're with me. It's a guy's house, so don't call too late, but he was super friendly and helpful. I honestly think he's most interested in supporting fun on the river. -Robyn 22:45, 20 May 2011 (EDT)

Picnic Plans

Let's discuss what everyone is bringing so we don't end up with all the same stuff. I was thinking of either Rice Krispie® Treats or brownies for a desert item, and some sort of non-desert item I haven't decided yet. - Arbron 21:44, 20 May 2011 (EDT)

Probably Rice Krispie® Treats because Robyn is already making a cake which is similar to brownies. - Arbron 21:46, 20 May 2011 (EDT)
As stated earlier, I will bring cake, picnic plates, hummous, sprouts and carrots. Because Wade can't find where I wrote that, and we can't be expected to talk to one another. -Robyn 22:01, 20 May 2011 (EDT)

The equipment list for the day should probably include umbrellas. Not that there is anything wrong with that. --Wade 03:04, 21 May 2011 (EDT)

Write-Up

Add (or delete) anything you like, guys. I waffled between putting the group photo and the underwater shot on the Main Page, and chose the scuba because the group photos are great, but expected, and it's more wtf? with the diver, for someone browsing the gallery. -Robyn 12:51, 22 May 2011 (EDT)

Spectator comments

Have fun! -- Rhonda 17:18, 20 May 2011 (EDT)

Sounds like an awesome expedition! I hope that you have a great time tomorrow! -Srs0 22:48, 20 May 2011 (EDT)

I'm starting to conclude that food and boats are to Vancouver as train timetables and ticket prices are to Germany. -Robyn 22:56, 20 May 2011 (EDT)

Useless fact: this is somewhat near a previous Saturday's coordinates, 2008-08-16. It was a busy day with Robyn ICWBing (yes I just said that) in Slave Lake, Pi cycling to Victoria, and Relet achieving his "monster" multihash. I took a very long drive on a very bad road just to not reach on foot. I would totally go back tomorrow for a rematch except being 1600m in May instead of August means mud/snow (i.e. no driving). I wait with bated breath to see your report. --Juventas 00:55, 21 May 2011 (EDT)

It would appear that most of B.C. is living vicariously through you Robyn! Can't wait for your report! Also, ICWBing: greatest verb ever. -- [[user:thepiguy]] 06:48, 21 May 2011 (EDT)

I don't know how you do it. Even I think we're starting to run out of crazy ideas and ways to top ourselves. I salute you Vancouver. Way to make me home sick. -- [[user:thepiguy]] 04:43, 22 May 2011 (EDT)


Woah. Impressive! Vancouver truly is the awesome graticule! I'm so disappointed that I missed this! -Srs0 10:45, 22 May 2011 (EDT)

"There not being a published procedure for SCUBA entry from a canoe" -- sez you: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canoe_diving and http://www.kayuba.org/KayubaWP/?page_id=109 (2nd link has detailed instructions and videos) -- Rhonda 11:03, 22 May 2011 (EDT)

I guess it should say "... That Wade was familiar with and willing to try." --Wade 12:04, 22 May 2011 (EDT)

Also, I didn't know you were a diver, Wade. I haven't gone in ages and I miss it. Unfortunately all the diving around central florida seems to either require a charter boat and 100miles off Tampa, or a long long drive to south florida and then a charter boat. (Or a kayak; the kayuba folks are in Ft. Lauderdale.) -- Rhonda 11:31, 22 May 2011 (EDT)

I've been certified for 17 years, and generally dive once every 5 years. I have learned that I am not very good at it, so I only do really simple boring dives. You should get back to Vancouver so we can plan and do a successful SCUBA hash. --Wade 12:04, 22 May 2011 (EDT)
I've been certified since '98, when I spent a summer working on the sunshine coast and needed *something* to do outside of work... but I haven't gone diving for about 7 years. (Yikes! has it been that long?) I was going to start doing Sunday Safaris with the Diving Locker (I think they're still on 4th Ave, in kitsilano) in 2009 but then I got unemployed and couldn't afford to go. Once I'm back in Vancouver for longer than a week at a time I think I might sign up for one of those trips - good for unskilled divers like us since there's a dive master making sure everybody is safe. I have never actually gone on a dive without a dive master present. -- Rhonda 12:25, 22 May 2011 (EDT)
I'm certified too, but I get cold easily. I had been thinking of jumping in at the hashpoint to buddy breath with Wade for a few photos, but when Wade got cold despite the exercise of swimming and having a wetsuit jacket (which I didn't) I decided against it. -Robyn 12:53, 22 May 2011 (EDT)
Have you tried a drysuit? They're cozy :-) I don't recall getting cold particularly easily when diving in the past, but I don't think I've done a wetsuit dive this time of year. -- Rhonda 12:58, 22 May 2011 (EDT)
No, I haven't been willing to spend a lot of money on such an occasional sport. I love geohashing in that it's one umbrella sport that lets you do anything, but I can't buy all the toys, and one hasn't been available to rent at the right moment. -Robyn 13:02, 22 May 2011 (EDT)
I don't even own a wetsuit, I just rent. For infrequent diving, it's not bad, cheaper than a day's lift ticket at the ski hill. If I started going regularly I might buy. -- Rhonda 13:06, 22 May 2011 (EDT)
Most of my diving has been organized and with a dive master, but I've done some really simple dives without a divemaster. My Eustachian tubes don't let me go very deep (at least, not as quickly or easily as most), and most interesting dives require more depth, so I don't dive much. I always feel that I'm slowing down the group when they are at the 60' bottom looking at whatever is interesting to look at down there, and I'm still at 35' waiting to equalize so I can drop down another 5'. By the time I get there, it is time to surface. And I need to take longer than most on the way up, too. I thought if the only objective was to be under water, I could get away with less than 30' for this dive, which is good for me. --Wade 20:09, 22 May 2011 (EDT)

Vancouver continues to live up to its epic reputation! Great to see you guys getting out as a group again! --aperfectring 18:13, 22 May 2011 (EDT)

Ah, Vancouver, my inspiration! I <3 you guys, you're awesome! Not only had you Wade wading, but also a FLAG! =) -- lyx 09:53, 24 May 2011 (EDT)

Drowned rat?

I'm trying to decide if I qualify for the Drowned Rat Geohash ribbon. Yes, I did get very wet and cold. But it was after reaching the hashpoint, and I didn't manage to get to the hashpoint again while wet. And it was intentional. The guidelines disqualify "jumping in a lake to cool off on a hot day". But what about intentionally walking into a river to try to reach the hashpoint again? What do you, dear readers, think? --Wade 19:57, 22 May 2011 (EDT)

If I had made my swim hash I would not have claimed "drowned rat". -- Rhonda 20:03, 22 May 2011 (EDT)